Automatic Upgrade Question

[JerseyDeb]

Somewhat new to this so sorry if I should already know the answer. I have temporary Gold status. Do all dates of my stay need to be within the 45 day window for upgrade or just the first date of my stay. God knows I can't get anyone on line at Wyndham to get the answer!

 

[Jan M.]

With the old system only the first night of your stay needed to be within the 45 day window. With the new system I think the whole stay is supposed to be within the 45 day window but it isn't always working that way for everyone all the time. All you can do is keep checking to see what the system will allow you to book and get the discount on the whole stay.

 

[JerseyDeb]

Thanks! That's what I thought. My 45 day window opened yesterday. I had a 2BRD at Smuggs that I requested an auto upgrade for. I have seen a 3BRS available for the last 2 days. No upgrade for me though. I called three times yesterday. First VC said just give it time call back this afternoon if it does not happen. It didn't so I did. I was on hold 25 minutes and as soon as someone picked up we were disconnected. GRRRR. I called back again and was on hold 30 minutes that time. I got a very nice VC who agreed that it was odd, put me on hold several times while she tried to help but ultimately no one could say why no upgrade. At least she did not say the one thing I hate the most lately, "owners just need to get used to the new website." No you guys need to fix it!! They opened a ticket. Yeah, good luck with that!

So today I check and the 3 BRS is still there along with a 3BR Presidential. I figure OK I will splurge, book the 3BRS and upgrade to the presidential. But when I try to do that is says no upgrade available. So i thought now maybe all dates need to be in the 45 day window??

Because I am a glutton for punishment I call again (still on hold!) and get someone who is telling me a load of garbage about how presidential units are just for presidential reserve owners. Yeah, but why can I book it right now, just not upgrade to it. Tells me there is a waiting list. Again, then why can I book it now if its on a waiting list hold? I just get more "answers" that make no sense. I finally ask for someone higher up. Still here listening to the hold music which I now believe is now a form of torture that some regime could use for political prisoners! (For any "Walking Dead" fans, the equivalent of "Easy Street")

Sorry, needed to vent. I guess I am happy I did not buy those additional points I considered at my last update!

 

[Sandy VDH]

We are not sure if the scheduled batch upgrade job is running. Instant is working but now upgrades are more wonky than before, you can't always upgrade from a Deluxe to a Presidential of the same size unit, you used to but I can't get it to work now.

It was originally only upgrading from a 1 to a 2, a 2 to a 3 etc.

But who the heck knows. Of even if it is working. A bunch of us who got upgrade, had them taken away again. I'm not sure if wyndham knows what is going on with its inventory.

 

[Sandi Bo]

Have to vent.

Booked a 1 Bedroom Deluxe May 18 (Bonnet Creek, June 24 - 28). Once able, in Voyager, requested an auto upgrade. Never happened.

Today there was a 2 Bedroom Deluxe -- my reservation did not auto upgrade to it. I booked the 2 bedroom so I wouldn't lose it.

Called once open, held about 1/2 hour.

VC can't understand that is a problem. She asks, how do I know someone in front of me didn't request an auto upgrade.

Asked her to cancel the 2 bedroom and see if she can get it to upgrade (understanding I may lose the 2 bedroom).

NOPE. She has to cancel the 1 bedroom (and I'd lose my points). Because upgrading existing reservations isn't working, she'd need to book the 1 bedroom with the instant upgrade to the 2 bedroom.

If this is the quality of WYN employees 1) defining requirements 2) coding or 3) testing we have a long, long road ahead of us.

And WYN isn't doing anything to right the situations that are causing us to lose reservations or points due to this lousy system implementation.

 

[cayman01]

Have to vent.

Booked a 1 Bedroom Deluxe May 18 (Bonnet Creek, June 24 - 28). Once able, in Voyager, requested an auto upgrade. Never happened.

Today there was a 2 Bedroom Deluxe -- my reservation did not auto upgrade to it. I booked the 2 bedroom so I wouldn't lose it.

Called once open, held about 1/2 hour.

VC can't understand that is a problem. She asks, how do I know someone in front of me didn't request an auto upgrade.

Asked her to cancel the 2 bedroom and see if she can get it to upgrade (understanding I may lose the 2 bedroom).

NOPE. She has to cancel the 1 bedroom (and I'd lose my points). Because upgrading existing reservations isn't working, she'd need to book the 1 bedroom with the instant upgrade to the 2 bedroom.

If this is the quality of WYN employees 1) defining requirements 2) coding or 3) testing we have a long, long road ahead of us.

And WYN isn't doing anything to right the situations that are causing us to lose reservations or points due to this lousy system implementation.

I think what we are seeing here is a lot of people have thrown in the towel and quit on the VC/OC departments. What we are getting is newbies with little training and zero product knowledge.

 

[vacationhopeful]

Or the experienced VCs took their vacation time, went out on (stress) disability, demanded their rightful 1.5 time pay for overtime or found new jobs.

The newbies could be simply temps hired to answer the phone, put you on hold or disconnect the phone calls to free up lines ... making the HOLD times look lower ... to prevent lawsuits claiming NO or VERY BAD customer service.

90 minute HOLD times look like crap. 15 minute HOLD times might be OK. No records for disconnected phone calls?

 

[cyseitz]

Thanks! That's what I thought. My 45 day window opened yesterday. I had a 2BRD at Smuggs that I requested an auto upgrade for. I have seen a 3BRS available for the last 2 days. No upgrade for me though. I called three times yesterday. First VC said just give it time call back this afternoon if it does not happen. It didn't so I did. I was on hold 25 minutes and as soon as someone picked up we were disconnected. GRRRR. I called back again and was on hold 30 minutes that time. I got a very nice VC who agreed that it was odd, put me on hold several times while she tried to help but ultimately no one could say why no upgrade. At least she did not say the one thing I hate the most lately, "owners just need to get used to the new website." No you guys need to fix it!! They opened a ticket. Yeah, good luck with that!

So today I check and the 3 BRS is still there along with a 3BR Presidential. I figure OK I will splurge, book the 3BRS and upgrade to the presidential. But when I try to do that is says no upgrade available. So i thought now maybe all dates need to be in the 45 day window??

Because I am a glutton for punishment I call again (still on hold!) and get someone who is telling me a load of garbage about how presidential units are just for presidential reserve owners. Yeah, but why can I book it right now, just not upgrade to it. Tells me there is a waiting list. Again, then why can I book it now if its on a waiting list hold? I just get more "answers" that make no sense. I finally ask for someone higher up. Still here listening to the hold music which I now believe is now a form of torture that some regime could use for political prisoners! (For any "Walking Dead" fans, the equivalent of "Easy Street")

Sorry, needed to vent. I guess I am happy I did not buy those additional points I considered at my last update!

I have had the same thing happen. No upgrades, but upgrades showing available. I called, they say it's weird, but they don't fix it!

 

[Jan M.]

The upgrades only happen overnight is what I was told. Sometime after midnight and again after/around 3am. So the only way your reservation stands a chance of being upgraded is if that larger unit is still there at that time and there is no one ahead of you in line for that upgrade. And if you do by some miracle get an automatic upgrade it has been reported by OP that at some resorts, like Bonnet Creek and Grand Desert, you will find that it was phantom inventory. I thought I read in someone's post that they had even confirmed with both a VC and the resort that they did receive the upgrade only to find out a day or two before or even at check in that they weren't getting the larger unit

 

[JerseyDeb]

I waited through 3 "overnights" to see what happened while the same 3 BR suite sat there. On second day there was the same 3BRS and a 3 BR Presidential. Instant upgrade for that doesn't work. So on Day 3 I see the 3BRS, the 3 BR Presidential. And a regular old 2 BR. I am able to book the 2 BR and instant upgrade to the 3BRS. The suite I should have gotten for my requested upgrade from my 2BR deluxe.

But wait it gets weirder. I am then able to book the same 2 BR when it returns to inventory and upgrade to the 3 BR Presidential!!

In the long run this is better for me but this is not how the new upgrade system is supposed to work.

And PS. Because of what I learned here about upgrade not being honored I am holding all units until the last minute because I don't trust Wyndham.

How messed up is all this????

 

[wjappraise]

How messed up is all this????

Seriously messed up. Wyndham should be ashamed, but they do not know the meaning of that word.

Even COSmoker has to admit this is an embarrassment. Unless he's cashing his Wyndham payroll check.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Jan M.]

I waited through 3 "overnights" to see what happened while the same 3 BR suite sat there. On second day there was the same 3BRS and a 3 BR Presidential. Instant upgrade for that doesn't work. So on Day 3 I see the 3BRS, the 3 BR Presidential. And a regular old 2 BR. I am able to book the 2 BR and instant upgrade to the 3BRS. The suite I should have gotten for my requested upgrade from my 2BR deluxe.

But wait it gets weirder. I am then able to book the same 2 BR when it returns to inventory and upgrade to the 3 BR Presidential!!

In the long run this is better for me but this is not how the new upgrade system is supposed to work.

And PS. Because of what I learned here about upgrade not being honored I am holding all units until the last minute because I don't trust Wyndham.

How messed up is all this????

You aren't the only person who reported that the automatic upgrade feature isn't working! I wonder if they disabled it because it was giving erroneous upgrades.

If you are holding more than one reservation just make sure you have different owner names on them or they will be cancelled in 48 hours. You can go into the reservation and modify the guest name if necessary.

 

[ecwinch]

I have five reservations that "could" be upgraded if the system was working. Pretty sure they have disabled it because all of the "fake-out" upgrades.

 

[bhodgson]

Thanks! That's what I thought. My 45 day window opened yesterday. I had a 2BRD at Smuggs that I requested an auto upgrade for. I have seen a 3BRS available for the last 2 days. No upgrade for me though. I called three times yesterday. First VC said just give it time call back this afternoon if it does not happen. It didn't so I did. I was on hold 25 minutes and as soon as someone picked up we were disconnected. GRRRR. I called back again and was on hold 30 minutes that time. I got a very nice VC who agreed that it was odd, put me on hold several times while she tried to help but ultimately no one could say why no upgrade. At least she did not say the one thing I hate the most lately, "owners just need to get used to the new website." No you guys need to fix it!! They opened a ticket. Yeah, good luck with that!

So today I check and the 3 BRS is still there along with a 3BR Presidential. I figure OK I will splurge, book the 3BRS and upgrade to the presidential. But when I try to do that is says no upgrade available. So i thought now maybe all dates need to be in the 45 day window??

Because I am a glutton for punishment I call again (still on hold!) and get someone who is telling me a load of garbage about how presidential units are just for presidential reserve owners. Yeah, but why can I book it right now, just not upgrade to it. Tells me there is a waiting list. Again, then why can I book it now if its on a waiting list hold? I just get more "answers" that make no sense. I finally ask for someone higher up. Still here listening to the hold music which I now believe is now a form of torture that some regime could use for political prisoners! (For any "Walking Dead" fans, the equivalent of "Easy Street")

Sorry, needed to vent. I guess I am happy I did not buy those additional points I considered at my last update!

I love your venting! Make me feel normal. I have not called but find it funny the gotta get used to the site- yikes - they need better IT- from what I have been seeing - upgrades are now a crap shoot with lots of strings but the reason you can't get an answer by phone is that they can't access accurate info either - I think they are dealing with the same mess. One of the recents contacts said - if you are supposed to get an upgrade it will show up- if now you are not qualified for it- HUH? IMO that info matches their horrid website. Good luck and Keep venting! It saves your blood pressure rising too much!

 

[JerseyDeb]

You aren't the only person who reported that the automatic upgrade feature isn't working! I wonder if they disabled it because it was giving erroneous upgrades.

If you are holding more than one reservation just make sure you have different owner names on them or they will be cancelled in 48 hours. You can go into the reservation and modify the guest name if necessary.

Thanks! I learned that here too! I put them all in different family names. Luckily I have enough guest certificates to burn.

 

[Sandy VDH]

It is likely the worst designed upgrade system I have seen too.

So now if someone cancels, and it eventually gets back into inventory, it can actually sit out there waiting for WHEN (OR EVEN IF as many here has suggested) the batch job runs again. But someone else can go and book it, perhaps without any instant upgrade.

But they have done a double whammy. They now have removed the ability for someone to upgrade from an existing reservation if they find a larger unit in inventory online.

So I think they have pretty much disseminated the VIP upgrade perk. If they had a batch run and better control over returning cancellations processed before they go back into inventory it would have been still a good perk, but that is not near as reliable as it was in the past. AND I AM NOT TALKING CANCEL AND REBOOK which I hardly ever utilized.

1) System doesn't match cancellations returning to inventory to existing upgrade requests, instead it returns them directly to inventory. Missed opportunity

2) Upgrade matching batch job appears to be running OVERNIGHT, IF AT ALL, many here have reported that for several days running inventory observed to be online and available in a larger unit HAS NOT matched their outstanding requests for upgrades. Missed opportunity

3)Wyndham has removed the ability to upgrade your existing reservation online instantly yourself, in the old system if you noticed an opportunity to inventory available, you could go out instantly and grab that upgrade for yourself FROM YOU EXISTING Reservation. You can not now. Missed opportunity

4) So the unit sits in inventory waiting, giving someone else the opportunity to book it, and then you lose the potential upgrade opportunity. Missed opportunity

5) If you call asking about an upgrade is available but not matched, they say you can book it but not get the upgrade. PAY MORE POINTS OR WAiT FOR BATCH TO RUN.

So now you are only able to truly get an upgrade instantly at the time of booking (and even those are not guaranteed as those have been taken back as well). But there are plenty of ghost inventory showing up and if Wyndham continues to pull back upgrades granted, then what benefit there was has been gutted.


....and of course the upgrade that was sitting there was picked off and booked by someone else.

 

[comicbookman]

It is likely the worst designed upgrade system I have seen too.

So now if someone cancels, and it eventually gets back into inventory, it can actually sit out there waiting for WHEN (OR EVEN IF as many here has suggested) the batch job runs again. But someone else can go and book it, perhaps without any instant upgrade.

But they have done a double whammy. They now have removed the ability for someone to upgrade from an existing reservation if they find a larger unit in inventory online.

So I think they have pretty much disseminated the VIP upgrade perk. If they had a batch run and better control over returning cancellations processed before they go back into inventory it would have been still a good perk, but that is not near as reliable as it was in the past. AND I AM NOT TALKING CANCEL AND REBOOK which I hardly ever utilized.

1) System doesn't match cancellations returning to inventory to existing upgrade requests, instead it returns them directly to inventory. Missed opportunity

2) Upgrade matching batch job appears to be running OVERNIGHT, IF AT ALL, many here have reported that for several days running inventory observed to be online and available in a larger unit HAS NOT matched their outstanding requests for upgrades. Missed opportunity

3)Wyndham has removed the ability to upgrade your existing reservation online instantly yourself, in the old system if you noticed an opportunity to inventory available, you could go out instantly and grab that upgrade for yourself FROM YOU EXISTING Reservation. You can not now. Missed opportunity

4) So the unit sits in inventory waiting, giving someone else the opportunity to book it, and then you lose the potential upgrade opportunity. Missed opportunity

5) If you call asking about an upgrade is available but not matched, they say you can book it but not get the upgrade. PAY MORE POINTS OR WAiT FOR BATCH TO RUN.

So now you are only able to truly get an upgrade instantly at the time of booking (and even those are not guaranteed as those have been taken back as well). But there are plenty of ghost inventory showing up and if Wyndham continues to pull back upgrades granted, then what benefit there was has been gutted.


....and of course the upgrade that was sitting there was picked off and booked by someone else.

The least they could do is add back the option to upgrade manually. That's what I was sold, so at least we would have the same opportunity as before.

 

[JerseyDeb]

The way it works right now the instant upgrade only benefits someone booking a new reservation in the window. My existing reservation never got the upgrade I was entitled to. But I was able to book a lesser unit than I had and upgrade that to what I should have gotten with my first booking. This is insane. I was only able to do this because I had the points. But it does completely screw up my plans to use points expiring sooner first.

I can hardly wait till check in when they try and get me to attend another update....

 

[Sandy VDH]

AUTO Upgrade Still NOT working, of course. No proof that it is running and plenty of proof it is not, but I have not been able to get wyndham to confirm this. Has anyone gotten a verbal confirmation from VC or OC that said Auto Upgrade was off?

I would assume it is still not working, as I have a 1 BR with an auto upgrade request.... Been there for few days, well yesterday evening larger inventory became available. But still NO auto upgrade matched. This morning a 1 BR appeared too, so I booked it and did an instant upgrade instead. Just went back and cancelled my original 1 BR that I did NOT get the auto upgrade on.

I also checked and there were more than 1 unit available for upgrade. After I booked mine, I went back and checked again, and I was able to an instant upgrade for a 2nd unit for the same dates. I didn't bother to check beyond that. So for my understanding, there were multiple units available for upgrade YET still my AUTO UPGRADE match did NOT happen.

Frustrating.

 

[Sandi Bo]

The least they could do is add back the option to upgrade manually. That's what I was sold, so at least we would have the same opportunity as before.

I prefer the option to upgrade manually anyways. I'd rather have a choice in my upgrade - especially since it's difficult to tell what type units are getting upgraded. Even if the auto upgrade (and paths determining what upgrades to each room type) was working, I would rather be able to say yay or nay to what I'm getting.

And it's really frustrating to select auto upgrade - see there is something there but the auto upgrade isn't working - and not be able to manually select to upgrade the unit. The VC's can't do it either.

I realize many are cancelling and doing an instant upgrade instead, but if you are within 15 days that is not an option. And VC's/Owner Care just say "sorry".

 

[Sandi Bo]

AUTO Upgrade Still NOT working, of course. No proof that it is running and plenty of proof it is not, but I have not been able to get wyndham to confirm this. Has anyone gotten a verbal confirmation from VC or OC that said Auto Upgrade was off?

I would assume it is still not working, as I have a 1 BR with an auto upgrade request.... Been there for few days, well yesterday evening larger inventory became available. But still NO auto upgrade matched. This morning a 1 BR appeared too, so I booked it and did an instant upgrade instead. Just went back and cancelled my original 1 BR that I did NOT get the auto upgrade on.

I also checked and there were more than 1 unit available for upgrade. After I booked mine, I went back and checked again, and I was able to an instant upgrade for a 2nd unit for the same dates. I didn't bother to check beyond that. So for my understanding, there were multiple units available for upgrade YET still my AUTO UPGRADE match did NOT happen.

Frustrating.

Incredibly frustrating. And when I asked a VC why, she said maybe someone was ahead of me for the auto upgrade.

 

[Sandy VDH]

Incredibly frustrating. And when I asked a VC why, she said maybe someone was ahead of me for the auto upgrade.

yeah right, that is why multiple upgrades were available. Since I booked multiple just to see. I think they are just told to say that and its a cover for AUTO UPGRADE NOT WORKING.

 

[cayman01]

AUTO Upgrade Still NOT working, of course. No proof that it is running and plenty of proof it is not, but I have not been able to get wyndham to confirm this. Has anyone gotten a verbal confirmation from VC or OC that said Auto Upgrade was off?

I would assume it is still not working, as I have a 1 BR with an auto upgrade request.... Been there for few days, well yesterday evening larger inventory became available. But still NO auto upgrade matched. This morning a 1 BR appeared too, so I booked it and did an instant upgrade instead. Just went back and cancelled my original 1 BR that I did NOT get the auto upgrade on.

I also checked and there were more than 1 unit available for upgrade. After I booked mine, I went back and checked again, and I was able to an instant upgrade for a 2nd unit for the same dates. I didn't bother to check beyond that. So for my understanding, there were multiple units available for upgrade YET still my AUTO UPGRADE match did NOT happen.

Frustrating.

How do you see or figure out how many of a unit are available? Just trying to learn something here.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I have lots of points, and free housekeeping and transactions, so I just book multiple units to see how many I can book. Now I don't normally do that, but I am just trying to figure out what exactly the system is doing and gather FACTS about it to support my assumptions. Apparently I have more time than sense as I am trying to figure out something that is whacked.

 

[Sandi Bo]

And I can't imagine the processing power it would take nor the logic they would follow to do automatic upgrades (let alone do it as a batch process). WYN really needs to rethink even attempting it.

For example, If I cancel 7 days of a 3 bedroom deluxe. Instantly the system is expected to query for any 1 bedroom or 2 bedroom reservations to see if someone has requested an upgrade? What if someone with 2, or 3, or 4, etc of those days requested an upgrade before someone with a 7 day reservation? So say the upgrade goes to someone who requested and upgrade for the 3rd and 4th days of my 7 day block. Cool - now there's day 1 and 2 of my ressie available and days 5, 6 and 7. Go, system, go look and see if anyone requested an upgrade on those days, etc. Add to mix if it's 60 or 45 or 30 days before checkin and who asked first. Sure makes my head hurt. Some pretty complex logic for an IT group that has not shown the aptitude to produce some much more basic features.