What is the best use year?

[Amgman]

If you had a choice between a August or December use year, which would you take and why? What are the advantages of having a August versus December use year or vice versa? thanks.

 

[Chellymouse]

We actually have an October UY. You should choose your UY based on when you travel. We have a tendency to travel off-peak (Oct-Aug) usually, so our guide recommended the October UY. If you plan to travel more in the fall, winter months you may want the August UY, however, if you plan to travel year-round and want the 11 month advantage for that reason, then you are better off to choose the Dec. UY.

 

[Buckeye Fan]

Depends on when you travel and if you plan on banking points. We have an Aug UY and travel mostly in the summer (DH is a teacher). In our case, if I had it to do over again, I would have chosen a December UY. If we bank points and schedule a July trip, we either use them or lose them by July 31. It's too late to bank, rent or reschedule. If we borrow from the next UY, they also expire July 31, even though we just borrowed them from Aug 1!!!

We can work around it, but I wished I had known a little more when I originally purchased. Most people will tell you to pick a UY a month or two before you plan on traveling so you have plenty of time to bank and reschedule if plans change. Remember, though, what your plans are now may be different longer term. For me, I'd choose what I know to be true now and go with it!

Good luck!!!

 

[dcamdad]

Thanks for some insite Chelly, have never understood and really still don't see the advantages to one UY over the other. We have a Dec UY and have been at all differant times of the year (spring, summer, fall and winter) without any problems. We normally go ever other year by banking a full year for our pending trip (normally ) but have been known to borrow if the urge strikes for a longer stay.

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

We have an August use year, which was probably the worst for us, considering our normal travel plans. My roommate is a school teacher, so we only travel during summer vacation. We like to take advantage of the point break after the 4th of July week, but have to get the trip in before school starts the 2nd week in August.

We also try to get two two-week trips out of every annual pass by coming back the next year before the pass has expired. That means the trips have to be offset by two weeks every year.

So, that really limits us to when we can travel. And, it usually puts a trip right at the end of our use year -- or as was the case this year, straddling our use year. (That was a joy to book.)

The ideal use year would be a month before you typically travel. Then, if you have to cancel a trip, it gives you close to a year to use the points before they expire. For us, if we ever cancel one of our late July trips, we'll wind up loosing the points. There won't be any time left in our use year to reschedule a new trip for those points, and the banking deadline will have already passed.

I really wish we'd gotten a June or July use year. That would be ideal for us. Unfortunately when we were buying, we bought the whole, "use year doesn't matter" argument.

He retires in two years, though, so we'll be able to travel whenever we want.

 

[drusba]

Thanks for some insite Chelly, have never understood and really still don't see the advantages to one UY over the other. We have a Dec UY and have been at all differant times of the year (spring, summer, fall and winter) without any problems. We normally go ever other year by banking a full year for our pending trip (normally ) but have been known to borrow if the urge strikes for a longer stay.

If you go different times of year, there is no advantage to any particular use year. The only consideration is the interaction between cancellation and banking and then only if you actually go a usual time of year every year. You have until eighth month of use year to bank your points. Here is how it works by example:

1. Suppose you have a March use year and regular time to go is February. Call today 11 months out and make February ressie for 2009 using points received March 1, 2008. December 2008 something happens and you have to cancel. You can't bank when you cancel because eigth month banking window, October 31, 2008, has passed. You either have to use those points by end of Feb 2009 or lose them.

2. Now suppose you have a March use year and regular time to go is April. In May 2008 you call and reserve in April 2009 using points to be issued March 2009 (which will be the "current" use year points for that trip). Come Feb 2009 you have to cancel. You will have plenty of time to either use or bank those points after cancellation.

Thus, if you go the same time every year, and want to avoid the banking/cancellation issue, you should consider buying a use year month that begins shortly before the time of year you usually go. Actually, any use year that begins 7 months or less before you usually go avoids the issue.

If you go different times of year, it makes no difference which use year you get. Moreover, even if you buy to hedge on the banking/cancellation issue now because you have a usual time to go yearly, your pattern may change in several years, such as to going different times of year, rendering your initial decision on use year of no moment.

 

[mykidsintow]

We requested an Aug UY. We did this because our daughter is special needs. She can't control her body temp. We *cannot* travel to FL EVER during Juneish-Septish. This gives us plenty of time to bank points we know won't be used.

Should we make reservations for March and something come up causing us to cancel, we have plenty of time to decide what to do with the points. IF we did HAVE to use the points (maybe a yr old and can't be banked) we can maybe reschedule for May, or opt to give them to family/friends without losing points

IF we had a UY of Dec.... knowing we typically travel oct-feb and something were to happen causing us to cancel reervations in Oct. Its very very unlikely to be able to reschedule without losing those points.

As others have said it depends on when you travel.

 

[karebear06]

If you bank points from the previous use year, do you have to use them within a certain amount of time, or just before the current use year ends?

 

[BirdsOfPreyDave]

If you bank points from the previous use year, do you have to use them within a certain amount of time, or just before the current use year ends?

When you bank points from your current use year into the next use year, you must use them before the end of the use year into which they were banked. You essentially extend the life of the points by one year.