I'm a bit fuzzy on the "use year" concept

bubbasmom99

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jan 13, 2001
Do you have to book the reservation before the end of the use year, or do you have to USE the points before the end of the use year? Our points expire 7/31, so if we want to travel in March, and we book them in April (11 months out), is that okay?

I'm sure I've read this somewhere before, but it's late right now and my brain is fuzzy....

Thanks!
Joy
 
You need to use the points before the end of your use year. In other words the trip must take place before the points expire. You do have the option to bank into the following year if your trip will take place after the end of your use year. Just remember once you bank them they can not be returned.
 
Also- when you make a reservation, it is based on the amount of points you will have when the reservation occurs and not what you have at the time you make it. So if you want a ressie for more points than you will have, you will have to bank or borrow at the time you make the reservation.
 
Think of making reservations and the banking deadlines as two different things.

You are right. To travel in March 2003 you can book your home resort in April 2002. If you need more points and have to borrow points to make the reservation those points will have to be used by July 31, 2003.

Let me do an example without banked or borrowed points.
Let's say you have 200 points with an August Use Year. You book your March 2003 trip using all 200 points.

If you cancel before January 31, you have the option to either use these points for another trip that ends by July 31 or to bank them into the next year.

If you cancel in February, but 31 days prior to your trip, you still have the option to use the points prior to July 31 or to bank 50% of them -- 100 points.

Less than 31 days out, all the points go into a holding account and reservations will have to be made only 60 days in advance for a trip that has to be completed by July 31.
 


So I think I've got this straight. We currently have 113 points remaining, expiring 7/31/02. We plan to visit in March 2003, and will need around 200 points. So what we would need to do is bank the 113 points to the 2002-03 use year before 1/31/02, and then make the reservation in April 2002 using the 113 banked points plus ~87 from the current use year. Did I get it?

And yes, I know it's a terrible thing to let those 113 points go unused this year, but I am planning to get pregnant soon so we will not be doing too much traveling next year. :D

Thanks for the clarification!

Joy
 



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