- Joined
- Jul 19, 2007
- Messages
- 7,128
- Reaction score
- 1,886
- Points
- 599
- Location
- Carlsbad, CA
- Resorts Owned
- Marriott: Maui Ocean Club Lahaina Villas (3BRx5), Ko Olina, Shadow Ridge II, Willow Ridge, Aruba Ocean Club, DC Points HGVC: Flamingo, Sea World, I-Drive, Starwood Bella (x4), SDO, TradeWinds, Worldmark
All,
I was curious if TUGgers had developed a favorite booking trick, or alternative usage for the system. I have a few and curious about others.
These are some of my favorites:
1) Book a reservation with DC Points 13 months out and then try to replace the DC Point reservation with an II trade - if I get the trade, I then cancel my Point reservation and restore the points. Example: I've booked Grande Ocean for Spring Break 2015 with DC Points, and am trying to trade in with a Worldmark week -- maybe I'll get it 60-75 days before check-in -- freeing up 2,250 points due to a WM week that isn't very valuable. I've successfully done this a couple times where I hold a MOC reservation with points, and then trade back into MOC with a Marriott week -- and can restore my points.
2) Book a reservation with my DC Points while it's available, and then explore a cheaper source of points (either renting points for cash or obtaining points via a trade). I then call the VOA and have them (actually Technical Support) substitute the new points for my DC Points. Example: a friend is coming to Maui with us next year and offered to pay the rental cost of the points. I booked the reservation with my points while the reservation was available, and then went out and found points at the price I wanted. I rented them and substituted the new points into his reservation.
3) Park idle points into a reservation -- I have acquired via Direct Exchange October anniversary points (10/15-9/16 Usage) that I intend to use in June 2016 (therefore they aren't needed until May 2015). In the interim, I will make a reservation somewhere (Kauai Beach Club Oct 2015 or Mountainside December 2015), and then examine if I want to keep that reservation in the months leading up to May 2015 --- or if I like the location, can I go to those destinations more cheaply with another timeshare system?
4) Maximize the cheaper days (Sun-Thurs) and use other reservations for the more expensive days -- Example: I used a travel package to book a hotel for Wednesday through Sunday in Boston, and then DC Points for the Sunday - Thursday portion at Grande Ocean (and maybe I'll get those points back per #1 above).
5) Rent someones points that are near expiration, and substitute them into my existing DC point reservation. If I have that Q4 reservation into Kauai Beach Club or Mountainside, and someone has calendar year points that are expiring (and weren't banked) I can rent them very inexpensively, and substitute them into my Q4 reservation.
I like all of these, and #3 (especially if combined with #5) has made me appreciate the value of off-calendar year points. It's a bit of a drag if you make an October or December reservation with calendar year points, because if plans change, you are squeezed for an alternative use for those points, and banking deadlines may have passed. Accordingly, I've started to appreciate October Usage Year points for a Q4 reservation -- if I cancel, I still have many months available for an alternative use.
Finally, I had a smart TUGger once tell me that when they were younger, it was really important to them that they maximize the value of their timeshares (as I'm trying to do above) and that they were now at a point in life where they weren't interested in playing these games, they just wanted the reservation. I thought that was good wisdom (and I hope to be there one of these days!)
I would welcome any other booking strategies that people have utilized. Thanks!
Best,
Greg
I was curious if TUGgers had developed a favorite booking trick, or alternative usage for the system. I have a few and curious about others.
These are some of my favorites:
1) Book a reservation with DC Points 13 months out and then try to replace the DC Point reservation with an II trade - if I get the trade, I then cancel my Point reservation and restore the points. Example: I've booked Grande Ocean for Spring Break 2015 with DC Points, and am trying to trade in with a Worldmark week -- maybe I'll get it 60-75 days before check-in -- freeing up 2,250 points due to a WM week that isn't very valuable. I've successfully done this a couple times where I hold a MOC reservation with points, and then trade back into MOC with a Marriott week -- and can restore my points.
2) Book a reservation with my DC Points while it's available, and then explore a cheaper source of points (either renting points for cash or obtaining points via a trade). I then call the VOA and have them (actually Technical Support) substitute the new points for my DC Points. Example: a friend is coming to Maui with us next year and offered to pay the rental cost of the points. I booked the reservation with my points while the reservation was available, and then went out and found points at the price I wanted. I rented them and substituted the new points into his reservation.
3) Park idle points into a reservation -- I have acquired via Direct Exchange October anniversary points (10/15-9/16 Usage) that I intend to use in June 2016 (therefore they aren't needed until May 2015). In the interim, I will make a reservation somewhere (Kauai Beach Club Oct 2015 or Mountainside December 2015), and then examine if I want to keep that reservation in the months leading up to May 2015 --- or if I like the location, can I go to those destinations more cheaply with another timeshare system?
4) Maximize the cheaper days (Sun-Thurs) and use other reservations for the more expensive days -- Example: I used a travel package to book a hotel for Wednesday through Sunday in Boston, and then DC Points for the Sunday - Thursday portion at Grande Ocean (and maybe I'll get those points back per #1 above).
5) Rent someones points that are near expiration, and substitute them into my existing DC point reservation. If I have that Q4 reservation into Kauai Beach Club or Mountainside, and someone has calendar year points that are expiring (and weren't banked) I can rent them very inexpensively, and substitute them into my Q4 reservation.
I like all of these, and #3 (especially if combined with #5) has made me appreciate the value of off-calendar year points. It's a bit of a drag if you make an October or December reservation with calendar year points, because if plans change, you are squeezed for an alternative use for those points, and banking deadlines may have passed. Accordingly, I've started to appreciate October Usage Year points for a Q4 reservation -- if I cancel, I still have many months available for an alternative use.
Finally, I had a smart TUGger once tell me that when they were younger, it was really important to them that they maximize the value of their timeshares (as I'm trying to do above) and that they were now at a point in life where they weren't interested in playing these games, they just wanted the reservation. I thought that was good wisdom (and I hope to be there one of these days!)
I would welcome any other booking strategies that people have utilized. Thanks!
Best,
Greg
Last edited: