Upgrades for VIP - my current experience working correctly about 50% only

[Sandy VDH]

In the last few days I had 4 reservations. 1 within cancellation period, other 3 within 60 days.

2 Got an auto upgrade.

2 Did NOT even when inventory was showing online, frustrating as this was the 1 of the reservations within the cancellation period. I could book the same size unit I had and upgrade, and I did, just to prove it worked, but then cancelled it. But I never got an upgrade and eventually overnight the inventory disappeared.

The other was not, but there was a 1 BR Suite and a 1 BR Deluxe. I could book the 1 BR deluxe and get a 2 BR lockoff. However when I tried to book the 2 BR lockoff with the 1 BR Suite unit, it presented me with the upgrade, but when selected it says the unit was not available. So Wyndham advice, book it with the larger unit.


Comments.
The upgrade within 15 days should have never even showed up in available inventory, it should have matched to me (or someone else). Why this happens, who knows.

The upgrade NOT working from the suite, my only thought was that the 1 Suite unit selected was part of the 2 BR lockoff selected. The 1 BR Deluxe available was likely from a different 1 BR Lockoff and not the unit I was trying to book. System is too stupid to figure out your are not really booking the 1 BR suite side just using it to leverage the upgrade. Did someone else report this happening?

 

[Sandi Bo]

I've seen the behavior you are talking about (1 BR Suite not upgrading to a lockoff) at the Grand Desert. It happened for several days in a row. Overnight, the rooms would come available again in the morning. But I was never able to book them. I could book the lockoff (if I wanted to).

I have seen all of the behaviors you indicated.

As far as rooms showing and an existing reservation not upgrading, quite a while a go I tried to report it. I was told that the reason my room wasn't upgrading was because someone else was ahead of me. EVEN THOUGH, I could have booked it as a new reservation and gotten the instant upgrade. That's what I did, pounded my head on the computer a few times, and moved on.

That's the folks who feed the IT department information... I just had to move on. I just don't have time for that type of incompetency (and I'm sure WYN is happy for that).

3 days to the 1 year anniversary of Voyager. Are we there yet? We don't think so, but I'm guessing WYN considers it a success.

 

[CO skier]

As far as rooms showing and an existing reservation not upgrading, quite a while a go I tried to report it. I was told that the reason my room wasn't upgrading was because someone else was ahead of me. EVEN THOUGH, I could have booked it as a new reservation and gotten the instant upgrade.

This would confirm the speculation that upgrades are a batch process. The potential upgrade appears in inventory. It remains there to be booked using points until the next upgrade batch process.

If the unit is booked using points, then it will be unavailable for an upgrade during the next upgrade batch process.

The "logic" may be that upgrades are automatic, but not continuously instantaneous as it was under the old cancel/rebook routine.

 

[Jan M.]

This would confirm the speculation that upgrades are a batch process. The potential upgrade appears in inventory. It remains there to be booked using points until the next upgrade batch process.

If the unit is booked using points, then it will be unavailable for an upgrade during the next upgrade batch process.

The "logic" may be that upgrades are automatic, but not continuously instantaneous as it was under the old cancel/rebook routine.

That does sound logical and how I would expect it to work. But in my experience and OP's too, we've seen a larger unit available for days, even weeks, and yet our reservation didn't get the automatic upgrade.

On Monday evening I called in to Wyndham about a reservation I was trying to make that was upgrading very strangely. Of course they were no help. I don't know if they've done something new (and worse) but normally as a presidential reserve owner if I was upgrading a one bedroom suite or deluxe it would give me the option of choosing the next larger deluxe unit or a presidential reserve unit if both were available. I needed a two bedroom deluxe to pick up a couple of extra nights at Bonnet Creek with a stay I'd already booked so we could stay in the same unit. Why in the world would a one bedroom deluxe only upgrade to a four bedroom presidential, not a presidential reserve unit mind you, when there was a two bedroom deluxe available? I could upgrade the one bedroom deluxe to the four bedroom presidential, again not presidential reserve, but if I wanted the two bedroom deluxe, which I did, I had to use the extra points to book it and couldn't get the upgrade from the one bedroom deluxe for it. How screwed up is that?

 

[Sandi Bo]

That does sound logical and how I would expect it to work. But in my experience and OP's too, we've seen a larger unit available for days, even weeks, and yet our reservation didn't get the automatic upgrade.

On Monday evening I called in to Wyndham about a reservation I was trying to make that was upgrading very strangely. Of course they were no help. I don't know if they've done something new (and worse) but normally as a presidential reserve owner if I was upgrading a one bedroom suite or deluxe it would give me the option of choosing the next larger deluxe unit or a presidential reserve unit if both were available. I needed a two bedroom deluxe to pick up a couple of extra nights at Bonnet Creek with a stay I'd already booked so we could stay in the same unit. Why in the world would a one bedroom deluxe only upgrade to a four bedroom presidential, not a presidential reserve unit mind you, when there was a two bedroom deluxe available? I could upgrade the one bedroom deluxe to the four bedroom presidential, again not presidential reserve, but if I wanted the two bedroom deluxe, which I did, I had to use the extra points to book it and couldn't get the upgrade from the one bedroom deluxe for it. How screwed up is that?

Jan, was the 2 bedroom deluxe a handicap accessible unit (or vice versa). The room types have to be exact, including mobility, hearing impaired, etc. For example, if a room is mobility and hearing impaired - a mobility unit won't upgrade to it.

It's quite a mess. And you can't ever get a straight answer on how things should work. For nearly a year now, there have been complaints that a 1 BR Deluxe won't upgrade to a 1 BR Presidential, etc. WYN just isn't listening. Or IT is really that bad. Or both.

The only thing consistent, still today, is the inconsistency. If a 2 bedroom is available now, and I have a 1 bedroom opted in - I should be able to take the upgrade (myself online, if I have to OR at least allow a VC to do it for us). Why should I have to wait for the batch run (which doesn't appear to run consistently).

 

[Crafty71]

I have discovered wonkiness within the Smugglers' Notch inventory, too...are we surprised...? Hardly...

I was trying to reserve within 60 days of arrival and get an automatic upgrade. There was a 1-bedroom deluxe for 21K points, a 2-bedroom for 19K points and a 2-bedroom deluxe for 27K points. By reserving the 1-bedroom deluxe, I was expecting (hoping) that the automatic upgrade would be a 2-bedroom deluxe (thus, a 2-bedroom deluxe for 21K points), but the system kept steering me towards the 2-bedroom...why would I use 21K points to get a larger unit that already costs less points if I book it directly...it makes no sense sometimes...

Cheers!

 

[Jan M.]

Jan, was the 2 bedroom deluxe a handicap accessible unit (or vice versa). The room types have to be exact, including mobility, hearing impaired, etc. For example, if a room is mobility and hearing impaired - a mobility unit won't upgrade to it.

All were regular units so no handicapped units.

 

[johnstonga]

My upgrade experiences confirm that the VIP Free Unit Size Upgrade has been severely changed by the way the New Reservation System actually worked.

In the Old System Any One BR unit would almost always upgrade to Any Two BR unit (or any 2BR to any 3BR etc)..... although there were exceptions like Ocean Blvd.

In the New System, only the Highest Point Value One BR etc will upgrade to the Lowest Point Value Two BR etc.
So if a resort has both a One BR Suite and a One BR Delux, the One BR Suite does NOT upgrade to anything, even to the Delux One BR.

Also at some resorts, like Patriots Place and Kingsgate, which are all 'lock-off' units, the Prime Season inventory has been "manipulated" so there's No Ability to book the lock outs ... and therefore no way to get an upgrade to those units.
If you want a Two BR 'lock-off' at Pat's Place -- you have to reserve Two One BRs with No Upgrades.
If you want a Three BR 'lock-off' at Kingsgate -- you have to reserve a One BR AND a Two BR, ideally upgraded from the One BR.

Now we must Pay More to get to get the same 'lock-off' we got last year .... AND we are more likely to be subject to a $99 guest fee because we need TWO reservations rather than One reservation in old system.

So much for VIP Unit Size Upgrade benefit.

 

[wjappraise]

Just to throw a curve ball into everyone's conclusions drawn, I was given an upgrade today, from a one bedroom Deluxe unit to a three bedroom Deluxe unit, hearing impaired. The resort is Bonnet Creek.

So . . . the variations of impaired units may or may not be ones that can upgrade to or from a regular unit.

And to add to the ridiculousness of it all, I still have three one bedroom units that have not been upgraded while two and three bedroom units sit available for three days now. I would book and do the upgrade myself, but there is no one bedroom units (maybe because I have three) available to book and upgrade into the two bedroom unit or three bedroom unit. I actually cancelled one of the one bedroom units (I had four) yesterday, hoping it might show up and allow me to do the upgrade myself. I could just book the two bedroom units at half points, but thought it might be good just to test the viability of the touted "automatic" upgrade system the sales people love so much . . . .not impressed at all.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I am having the same issues at bonnet creek. I have a full week in a 1 BR, I am inside of 15 days so I can't cancel. But 2 BR and even two 3 BR units have appeared in inventory that I can book (I did just to check it wasn't a ghost and then cancelled it). None of them have matched my week long stay that is out there waiting to upgrade. Sure some ne might be before me, but the 2 BR lasted for 3 days before it disappeared. I never got an upgrade.

 

[regatta333]

I successfully got an automatic upgrade from a 1bd suite in Nashville to a 2BD lockoff, but I have a hotel unit booked for 3 nights in NYC which will not upgrade to a studio.
I am not within the cancellation period, so I tried to do so manually by attempting to rebook another hotel unit, but it shows no upgrades available. I spoke with a VC
who contacted the data support people and was told that the hotel and studio units are considered the same and that is why it will not upgrade.

The studio unit has larger square footage, a kitchenette, and requires more points to book, but it is not an upgrade. Before Voyager, you could always upgrade a hotel unit
to a studio. This new reservation system is completely messed up.

 

[johnstonga]

I successfully got an automatic upgrade from a 1bd suite in Nashville to a 2BD lockoff, but I have a hotel unit booked for 3 nights in NYC which will not upgrade to a studio.
I am not within the cancellation period, so I tried to do so manually by attempting to rebook another hotel unit, but it shows no upgrades available. I spoke with a VC
who contacted the data support people and was told that the hotel and studio units are considered the same and that is why it will not upgrade.

The studio unit has larger square footage, a kitchenette, and requires more points to book, but it is not an upgrade. Before Voyager, you could always upgrade a hotel unit
to a studio. This new reservation system is completely messed up.

Actually my experience is that your hotel room to Studio upgrade did not work because Wyndham designed the system so it would Not upgrade .... ie, it's not a 'messed up Bug'. It is instead a 'designed Feature' of the new system that requires you to spend more points.

Same phenomenon happens everywhere I look ... as I posted on 5.16 above .... upgrades commonly possible in old system don't happen in new system even when there's availability in system ... and there's less availability because Wyn is manipulating it to maximize points costs .... "Yield Management" ... just like the airlines pioneered and the hotel systems have perfected.

 

[tschwa2]

I successfully got an automatic upgrade from a 1bd suite in Nashville to a 2BD lockoff, but I have a hotel unit booked for 3 nights in NYC which will not upgrade to a studio.
I am not within the cancellation period, so I tried to do so manually by attempting to rebook another hotel unit, but it shows no upgrades available. I spoke with a VC
who contacted the data support people and was told that the hotel and studio units are considered the same and that is why it will not upgrade.

The studio unit has larger square footage, a kitchenette, and requires more points to book, but it is not an upgrade. Before Voyager, you could always upgrade a hotel unit
to a studio. This new reservation system is completely messed up.

Apparently the current system only looks at the number of bedrooms. In some cases it has been reported that the "upgrade" resulted in a unit with more bedrooms but actually cost less points. A 2 bedroom presidential "upgraded" to a 3 BR deluxe. A hotel room has 0 bedrooms. A studio has 0 bedrooms. Therefore according to the way the system has been designed an upgrade with never occur from a hotel to a studio or from a 1 bedroom to a 1 br presidential or similar.