Swap home resort bookings for 11 month window?

[Barberd]

Hi. I hope this is ok to post, has anyone ever considered doing a swap deal to get the 11 month window? I’m booking now for this Christmas at my home resort AKV, and we’ll definitely do some nights here, but are thinking we’d like to do 6 elsewhere, possibly BLT. The 2 bed theme park views look hit and miss already at the 11 month window, I’ll have to wait 4 months to book, and I was thinking that right now someone is probably sat somewhere booking BLT at 11 months wishing they could do AKV at 11. Has anyone ever done this and is it ok to ask on here? If there were a few points difference in bookings we could send whoever a few $ or something.

 

[Nabas]

We thought about doing this with Aulani, which we currently are planning to book using VGF or BWV points. (We’ve already booked our flights.) Our nephew owns at Aulani.

Still, it’s more comfortable booking a stay with your own points.

 

[drusba]

A switch would require another member putting you as the lead guest on his reservation, and you putting that member as lead quest on yours, which is a possibility. If you are making a reservation now and want to switch 6 of your 11 nights to BLT, you should make two separate AKV reservations, one for the time you intend to stay at AKV and one for the time you want to switch; you cannot make the desired switch by booking all 11 nights as one reservation at AKV because such would require modifying your reservation to take out the six nights you want to switch, which could then disappear completely before attempting to reserve that time for someone else from BLT.

Other than possibly a stray day or two, BLT 2BRs are usually full for Christmas week, and a couple days before, by 7 months out, and thus you should consider your chances of changing your reservation to BLT at 7-months out to be very low.. The hardest part would be finding someone who has a 2BR BLT reservation for the same nights that you have who will want to make a switch. And you could also face negotiations over points because a 2BR theme park and lake view at BLT costs more points per night than AKV savanna view, the BLT owner may want some cash in a edition to switching the restorations.

 

[DeeCee735]

How does one figure in the points per night difference? AKV is less points than BLT isn't it? Just asking....

 

[CarolynFH]

There are so many potential complications and complexities in swapping stays in the way you envision that you might want to consider looking for a transfer in of BLT points and then renting out some of your AKV points to cover it. Keeps it simple.

 

[crisi]

Have people thought about doing it? Sure. Does it happen? Probably. Does it happen often. No. The difference in points and point value make it nearly impossible. I think my eleven month window at BWV is worth WAY more than doing a simple swap for say, BLT points - where I'd get fewer nights for the same number of points and really don't need the eleven month window for any time in which I'd travel. But I'm sure a BLT owner would be looking at it and saying "I'm not giving you THAT many points because one of the reasons BWV is attractive is the low point cost."

Its far easier to rent out your points and then rent the reservation you are looking for.

 

[Chuck S]

We used to allow "trade" type posts on the rental board, but we discontinued them because to our knowledge, not one of them ever worked out. You can contact one of the many rental nrokers to see if they'd be interesting in such a thing, as it would basically be a mutual rental, but I'm sure they would charge for such a service. The logistics would be not only have to match what both oowners want, but then there would be point differences to work out.

 

[DonMacGregor]

How does one figure in the points per night difference? AKV is less points than BLT isn't it? Just asking....

Would the points really matter? If you have two members faced with the possibility of securing a reservation they otherwise might never be able to get, then the point count should be moot. The only consideration would be making sure the room type and category was somewhat equitable.

 

[Chuck S]

Would the points really matter? If you have two members faced with the possibility of securing a reservation they otherwise might never be able to get, then the point count should be moot. The only consideration would be making sure the room type and category was somewhat equitable.

There can be significant difference in point required for similar accommodations among the various DVC resorts. Let's say one owner wants a reservation that requires 120 points, and and the other owner wants a reservation that need 150 points. That would almost have to come into play in the equation, either as a cash payment or points transfer, wouldn't it?

 

[taaren]

I successfully traded once for our first trip in 2012. Got 5 nights at BLT and 5 nights at BWV in exchange for a similar amount VGC points, we exchanged funds for the difference. It was a lot of footwork and chatting and the people who used my points went before me and after me (I think both were within about 3 months of the trip we went on). One of them I found here, the other one on a different owner site. It was a good experience but we had wanted BCV and so for all trips after that I just transferred points in then rented mine out. Much easier, and was able to get exactly what we wanted.

 

[DonMacGregor]

There can be significant difference in point required for similar accommodations among the various DVC resorts. Let's say one owner wants a reservation that requires 120 points, and and the other owner wants a reservation that need 150 points. That would almost have to come into play in the equation, either as a cash payment or points transfer, wouldn't it?

Not necessarily. If we’re stranded in the middle of the desert and I have a $10k Rolex, and you have a case of $1 bottles of water, the cash value of the objects become inconsequential relative to their practical value.

Now, if we substitute something far more mundane and orders of magnitude less important, like a hotel reservation, then moving past a handful of points in order to get the reservation you want should be relatively straightforward. Sure, if you can reach some equitable side arrangement to offset points differences with cash or other considerations, then that’s obviously the preferable outcome, but the value of the reservation is still how much you want that specific room on those specific days and your odds of reserving it on your own.

I would assume that a reservation swap is the last option, after reserving the room yourself, going on a rental site for the room, or doing a points transfer. If you’ve exhausted those options, then you need to be prepared for some inequity because you really must want that room.

 

[crisi]

Not necessarily. If we’re stranded in the middle of the desert and have a $10k Rolex, and you have a case of $1 bottles of water, the cash value of the objects become inconsequential relative to their practical value.

Now, if we substitute something far more mundane and orders of magnitude less important, like a hotel reservation, then moving past a handful of points in order to get the reservation you want should be relatively straightforward. Sure, if you can reach some equitable side arrangement to offset points differences with cash or other considerations, then that’s obviously the preferable outcome, but the value of the reservation is still how much you want that specific room on those specific days and your odds of reserving it on your own.

I would assume that a reservation swap is the last option, after reserving the room yourself, going on a rental site for the room, or doing a points transfer. If you’ve exhausted those options, then you need to be prepared for some inequity because you really must want that room.

Which only adds to the complexity of the negotiations. Say you have VAKL and I have BCV. Your reservation is pretty easy for me to get at seven months - unless its Concierge or something, it which case there isn't any guarantee YOU'LL get it. My BCV reservation is more difficult to get year round. The point difference is pretty inconsequential, what is consequential in that situation is the demand value, and that's going to be subjective. You CAN come to terms on this, but it might take some effort.

 

[DonMacGregor]

The point difference is pretty inconsequential, what is consequential in that situation is the demand value, and that's going to be subjective. You CAN come to terms on this, but it might take some effort.

Bingo.

 

[Barberd]

Thanks all. If you were up front about the offer, said that if there’s a points difference we transfer say $18 a point one way or the other it would be fair and transparent, but if it’s been tried and failed I guess that’s that. One way would be to rent / transfer points from BLT then rent / transfer mine, but I bet we’d lose a few $ per point which could add up.

 

[Chuck S]

Thanks all. If you were up front about the offer, said that if there’s a points difference we transfer say $18 a point one way or the other it would be fair and transparent, but if it’s been tried and failed I guess that’s that. One way would be to rent / transfer points from BLT then rent / transfer mine, but I bet we’d lose a few $ per point which could add up.

Since each owner is only allowed ONE transfer per year, there would need to be a LOT of trust, as someone would be left without points for a year, unless the owners involved had more than one DVC Membership number. Adding another layer of complication.

 

[kevtlas]

Its far easier to rent out your points and then rent the reservation you are looking for.

Agreed. We've done this and were lucky enough to rent and rent out at the same rate, so nothing lost in the process.

 

[crisi]

Agreed. We've done this and were lucky enough to rent and rent out at the same rate, so nothing lost in the process.

I used a broker for convivence and so lost a little per point in that. But if you do a "per point" rental on these boards, you'll probably break even.

 

[TDK44]

Agreed. We've done this and were lucky enough to rent and rent out at the same rate, so nothing lost in the process.

Besides taxes...