DC Pts: "Your Wait List Request is Still Pending"

[hangloose]

"Your Wait List Request is Still Pending"

Feel like I'm back in the II waiting game, just with a different system via DC Pts. :/

I own no DC Pts, but do have enrolled Legacy weeks. I've selected DC Pts with my enrolled weeks only twice. First time, I was able to use my points without issue. Second time, I'm waitlisted and concerned my waitlist will not come through. Granted, I am looking for 3 days during peak period in Maui, Feb 18-20th. My pending request is open to any size villa and any view, under 2775 pts (my MGV week). I'll even take an efficiency, if I have to.

• What are other TUGgers success history with DC Pts waitlists during peak periods? Do they normally come through or not? Marriott told me they only wait list you if they feel they will be able to fulfill the request. I'm just not sure how valid that statement is? How long do you wait before check-in? Do you extend the wait list search into the potential holding period, or drop the wait list and manually search?

 

[NboroGirl]

I don't have any experience using points from my enrolled week, but I just checked to see if you can book it directly from Marriott using dollars, and nothing is available. I think given that your dates occur during probably the most desired week in Maui, I wouldn't bet the farm that you'll get your dates. I'll be watching to see what folks who have gone through the waiting game (via points) have to say when they chime in since I've been curious about this as well.

 

[jeepie]

I have checked twice today on Marriott.com and there is availability (also at the Ritz-Carlton and the Courtyard). I recommend you go there and make your own decision. Just make sure you are clear on the cancellation deadline. If I wanted to stay there, I would book thru the website and then, decide just before your 60 day window on the waitlist would cause a cancellation penalty (holding points). Ymmv. Cheers.

 

[Pamplemousse]

"Your Wait List Request is Still Pending"

Feel like I'm back in the II waiting game, just with a different system via DC Pts. :/

I own no DC Pts, but do have enrolled Legacy weeks. I've selected DC Pts with my enrolled weeks only twice. First time, I was able to use my points without issue. Second time, I'm waitlisted and concerned my waitlist will not come through. Granted, I am looking for 3 days during peak period in Maui, Feb 18-20th. My pending request is open to any size villa and any view, under 2775 pts (my MGV week). I'll even take an efficiency, if I have to.

• What are other TUGgers success history with DC Pts waitlists during peak periods? Do they normally come through or not? Marriott told me they only wait list you if they feel they will be able to fulfill the request. I'm just not sure how valid that statement is? How long do you wait before check-in? Do you extend the wait list search into the potential holding period, or drop the wait list and manually search?

I was on a waitlist last year while doing my first dc points exchange (also elected week points). I was told the same as you, that they only put you on a waitlist if they expected to have the unit come through.

After waiting for a few months on the waitlist I started searching around more on the dc points site myself and I came to see a fault with the waitlist- your stay will only come through if the whole week comes up at once in a single unit type. So for instance if you want a 7 night sat- sat stay and maybe Sunday through Friday come available you don't get confirmed. I found that if I searched daily I could "collect" days. I was careful to choose the same size and view so they could string together and I eventually ended up filling in 2 days of my stay by buying the nights on Marriott.com ( one on rewards points and one using my owner's discount).

I had to cancel my waitlist as I collected nights because I ran out of points ( the waitlist ties them up), but I was on the waitlist for a good 6 months before I realized I could do better on my own.

The stay I got was Marco Island Presidents week in February.

Not sure if my results are typical- I really thinks there is just a lot of luck involved. But it pays to keep searching if you can while on a waitlist.

Good luck.


Edit- reading others comments I'll add I was late to the original waitlist since I just enrolled in the dc- 9 or 10 months from check in when I got on the list.

 

[bazzap]

I was on a waitlist last year while doing my first dc points exchange (also elected week points). I was told the same as you, that they only put you on a waitlist if they expected to have the unit come through.

After waiting for a few months I started searching around more on the dc points site myself and I came to see a fault with the waitlist- your stay will only come through if the whole week comes up at once in a single unit type. So for instance if you want a 7 night sat- sat stay and maybe Sunday through Friday come available you don't get confirmed. I found that if I searched daily I could "collect" days. I was careful to choose the same size and view so they could string together and I eventually ended up filling in 2 days of my stay by buying the nights on Marriott.com ( one on rewards points and one using my owner's discount).

I had to cancel my waitlist as I collected nights because I ran out of points ( the waitlist ties them up), but I was on the waitlist for a good 6 months before I realized I could do better on my own.

The stay I got was Marco Island Presidents week in February.

Not sure if my results are typical- I really thinks there is just a lot of luck involved. But it pays to keep searching if you can while on a waitlist.

Good luck.

This does seem like an unnecessary limitation with the DC Points Waitlist.
Even with the II waiting game, you can run multiple parallel requests to cover a range of date options.

 

[Dean]

"Your Wait List Request is Still Pending"

Feel like I'm back in the II waiting game, just with a different system via DC Pts. :/

I own no DC Pts, but do have enrolled Legacy weeks. I've selected DC Pts with my enrolled weeks only twice. First time, I was able to use my points without issue. Second time, I'm waitlisted and concerned my waitlist will not come through. Granted, I am looking for 3 days during peak period in Maui, Feb 18-20th. My pending request is open to any size villa and any view, under 2775 pts (my MGV week). I'll even take an efficiency, if I have to.

• What are other TUGgers success history with DC Pts waitlists during peak periods? Do they normally come through or not? Marriott told me they only wait list you if they feel they will be able to fulfill the request. I'm just not sure how valid that statement is? How long do you wait before check-in? Do you extend the wait list search into the potential holding period, or drop the wait list and manually search?

Apparently they limit the size of the wait list but I don't know what criteria they use to limit it. They will not hold nights, they will only match the wait list if it's completely available AND you're at the top of the list. Sometimes they'll match you to a lower view if you've given them the option but that seems hit or miss. My experience using the DC wait list is that I've always gotten when I wanted. The first time I used it was for Maui for a 2 BR in the newer towers. I started with a direct reservation for a studio and a 1 BR is different views and a wait list for a 2 BR any view which means they took points for OF. IIRC, the first match was for oceanside/oceanview so I started a new wait list and later got OF. My second time was for Grande Ocean OF. I was only able to list Sunday to Sunday as the other 2 days were closed for a wait list and that one matched as well for this past summer. All were started at 12 months out out. All matched fairly quickly, within a month or 2.

 

[hangloose]

I was on a waitlist last year while doing my first dc points exchange (also elected week points). I was told the same as you, that they only put you on a waitlist if they expected to have the unit come through.

After waiting for a few months on the waitlist I started searching around more on the dc points site myself and I came to see a fault with the waitlist- your stay will only come through if the whole week comes up at once in a single unit type. So for instance if you want a 7 night sat- sat stay and maybe Sunday through Friday come available you don't get confirmed. I found that if I searched daily I could "collect" days. I was careful to choose the same size and view so they could string together and I eventually ended up filling in 2 days of my stay by buying the nights on Marriott.com ( one on rewards points and one using my owner's discount).

I had to cancel my waitlist as I collected nights because I ran out of points ( the waitlist ties them up), but I was on the waitlist for a good 6 months before I realized I could do better on my own.

The stay I got was Marco Island Presidents week in February.

Not sure if my results are typical- I really thinks there is just a lot of luck involved. But it pays to keep searching if you can while on a waitlist.

Good luck.


Edit- reading others comments I'll add I was late to the original waitlist since I just enrolled in the dc- 9 or 10 months from check in when I got on the list.

Yep. I started with initially trying to get individual days, but was concerned with being able to collect all 3 days in the same size villa and view to avoid the need to move rooms. As such, opened a waitlist for 3 days instead on any view/size I can afford. Problem as you indicated, is that the entire string of days in same view/size need to match. Wondering if that was a wise more or not. Now I'm left with a smaller number of DC Pts to search with, which will not show me full availability for those dates since my waitlist is holding the rest of my DC pts. Frustrating. Anyways, just like II....I have to put in extra work into DC Pts via manual searches/calling to try to find what I need during high demand periods.

In hind sight, I almost wish I didn't elect DC Pts for this week. :/

 

[Pamplemousse]

I agree I enrolled my week to make things easier than they have been with II and I have been surprised that all these restrictions have made the situation complex! It's just never easy.

Try doing a flexible search for the month you want and a one night stay and that way your number of points won't restrict seeing what is available.

Good luck- looking for just 3 nights I hope you will have luck!