Friday/Saturday/Sunday vacation planning calendar - obsolete?

[paxsarah]

Am I wrong in thinking that since 2017, when Wyndham started to allow check-ins on any day of the week and for any length between 2-14 nights, the concept of a Friday/Saturday/Sunday check-in calendar is no longer relevant for pure points reservations? Didn't we determine soon after the 2017 change that the week (and therefore the season when applicable) simply changes on Friday?

This is another of those things that has come up among owners on Facebook and is complicated by the fact that because there is a Friday week 53 in 2021, the Friday calendar is offset from the Saturday/Sunday dates in 2022. People are describing this as a glitch (because they are checking in on a Saturday and expect an earlier season), but my sense is that it's actually working as intended and only the Friday calendar is relevant. Therefore the text referring to Friday, Saturday, and Sunday check-ins on the above screenshot is also misleading (and probably just copied without full understanding from an older directory). If I can check in on a Tuesday, which calendar do I look at? It's Friday, as far as I understand.

Obviously all three days are relevant for fixed weeks, and converted fixed weeks in ARP. At a resort with underlying fixed weeks, in the standard period are the check-in days relevant or do the seasons still just change on Friday?

(I know there are a very few resorts that require a full week and the check-in day matters. All of the above is not referring to those locations/HOAs.)

 

[VacayKat]

I could be wrong, so someone correct me if I am. But yes, the check in calendar is only helpful to figure out what week you're in.
But also, my understanding is that the cost for the room is based on the season the day is in. So if you have a reservation that straddles the two seasons, you'll be charged different season costs for the first part than the second part. This helps if you're moving from a high cost season a lower one, but feels more upsetting if you're going from low cost to high cost.
And yes, according to the points charts, the seasons still change on Friday.

 

[paxsarah]

I should probably have been more specific about why this is coming up now. Here's the issue that was raised on Facebook. Bonnet Creek goes from prime season in week 14 to value season in week 15. On the 2022 vacation planning calendar, Friday check-in for week 14 is April 8-15, for week 15 is April 15-22. But "Saturday check-in" for week 15 is April 9. So someone books a week from Saturday April 9-16 and expects that to be week 15 (value). But really, the season changes according to the Friday check-in calendar, so it's still prime until value season starts according to the Friday calendar on April 15.

They think it's a glitch in the system. I think it's the system acting as expected, because new seasons start with the Friday of a given week. The only "glitch" is that Wyndham publishes a calendar for Saturday and Sunday check-in for points reservations. They should only publish the Friday calendar for points owners. They can separately publish a Fri/Sat/Sun calendar clearly labeled "For fixed weeks only."

Here's the relevant section of the weeks calendar:

 

[VacayKat]

I should probably have been more specific about why this is coming up now. Here's the issue that was raised on Facebook. Bonnet Creek goes from prime season in week 14 to value season in week 15. On the 2022 vacation planning calendar, Friday check-in for week 14 is April 8-15, for week 15 is April 15-22. But "Saturday check-in" for week 15 is April 9. So someone books a week from Saturday April 9-16 and expects that to be week 15 (value). But really, the season changes according to the Friday check-in calendar, so it's still prime until value season starts according to the Friday calendar on April 15.

They think it's a glitch in the system. I think it's the system acting as expected, because new seasons start with the Friday of a given week. The only "glitch" is that Wyndham publishes a calendar for Saturday and Sunday check-in for points reservations. They should only publish the Friday calendar for points owners. They can separately publish a Fri/Sat/Sun calendar clearly labeled "For fixed weeks only."

Here's the relevant section of the weeks calendar:
View attachment 36430

Ah! I see. The complicating factor there is that when you look at the points calendar it ALSO doesn't show the Friday change of season. (BAD Wyndham!). I did a quick search to confirm, and if you do a rental that starts on the 13th and goes through the 18th, it will charge you the right cost for the right week. That said, some of the points charts say that the season starts on Fridays, and some don't. I couldn't find a page on the site that actually pointed this out beyond that. Wyndham needs to add that to their seasons paragraphs.

 

[Sandy VDH]

I think that different inventory, especially fixed week converted properties have different days checking, and NOT all inventory is slated as a Friday checkin.

At least that is my experience. I have occasionally seen point glitches happen over the years. It will just be more noticeable because week 53 only happened for Fri checkins in 2021. So for 2022 checks weeks 1 Fridays starts jan 7, while week 1 for Sat & sun starts Jan 1&2.

 

[paxsarah]

That’s exactly my question, though - what inventory if any is actually considered a Saturday or Sunday check-in? Clearly, at Bonnet Creek (where this issue came up on FB because the break in seasons falls right around Easter 2022), everything is UDI and therefore the season simply changes on Fridays, regardless of what day of the week one checks in (even Saturday or Sunday). In this sense, it seems any UDI resort would not have a valid Saturday or Sunday check-in calendar, yet Wyndham publishes it as if it’s valid without further explanation.

But what about someplace like Flagstaff with underlying fixed weeks? If I book in the standard window a 3 night trip checking in on a Monday, is my reservation secretly pulling from specifically Friday, Saturday, or Sunday inventory that could affect the points values unexpectedly? Or does the season simply change on Friday still?

 

[paxsarah]

If I book in the standard window a 3 night trip checking in on a Monday, is my reservation secretly pulling from specifically Friday, Saturday, or Sunday inventory that could affect the points values unexpectedly?

I found the answer, and the answer is yes. This is Westwinds:

These dates are week 4 for Friday check-ins, and week 5 for Saturday and Sunday check-ins. The 1BR is clearly week 5 (value), while the 2BR is clearly week 4 (quiet). I’m sure this follows the check-in days of the underlying fixed weeks.

But the problem is, Wyndham doesn’t publish this information anywhere. The solution should be to publish a note at the bottom of each points chart indicating which vacation planning calendar to follow. A UDI resort like Bonnet Creek would have a note like, “Seasonal point values change according to the Friday vacation planning calendar.” Westwinds would say, “Seasonal point values change according to the [Saturday or Sunday, I don’t know which] calendar for 1BR units; the Friday calendar for 2BR units.” And fixed-week resorts with a more complicated check-in scheme could simply say something like, “Seasonal point values may change according to the Friday, Saturday, or Sunday vacation planning calendar depending on unit size and location; call [the resort directly or Wyndham centrally, if they have that information] for details.”

I’ll also add that this is not just a 2022 issue; Sunday’s calendar in 2023 will cause a similar problem. Wyndham needs to figure out how to communicate this information better.