If a week gets an AC, does that indicate a strong trader?

[spookykennedy]

I am wondering if a week gets an AC if that is a good indicator of how strong a trader it may be?

 

[dougp26364]

Yes and no. It seems to mean that there is more demand that supply for that particular resort but not that it's a great trading unit.

For instance, I have two PT's units that, up until this year, recieved AC's when I deposited them. While they have always traded well I would not list them as a top trading unit.

 

[winger]

Yes and no. It seems to mean that there is more demand that supply for that particular resort but not that it's a great trading unit.

For instance, I have two PT's units that, up until this year, recieved AC's when I deposited them. While they have always traded well I would not list them as a top trading unit.

Are you saying PLT no longer gets an AC? That could mean decreasing trading power along w/ less demand (you know w/ all them Las Vegas resorts and casion/hotels going up in LV).

 

[gmarine]

I have found that generally speaking if a resort gets an AC it is above average as far as trading power goes. II is offering the AC as incentive to deposit the week because there is above average demand for the unit/week. Above average demand translates into above average trade power.

However, AC offers can change from year to year as can trading power.

 

[mjs]

I am wondering if a week gets an AC if that is a good indicator of how strong a trader it may be?

I own several resorts where this is not true. If I reserve a particular holiday week, it is a strong trader, but I cannot get an AC with this week. If I reserve a different week, II will give me and AC, but it will not trade as well as the holiday week.
Mark

 

[Steve]

Not reliable

I am wondering if a week gets an AC if that is a good indicator of how strong a trader it may be?

It depends on your definition of a strong trader. II will not relax their quality restrictions even if your week is in extremely short supply and gets an AC. They will NOT allow you to trade up to the high end resorts if you are trading with a low quality resort.

At first this surprised me, but I have owned several weeks now where this has been the case. The weeks are in extremely high demand and low supply, II offers me an AC, and yet I cannot exchange into many Marriotts and other high end properties.

The best example of this were my July and September weeks at the Jackson Hole Racquet Club in Wyoming. Extremely high demand and low supply (esp my July week). II always offered an AC for deposit of either week. Yet I was blocked from exchanging into most high end, hotel affiliated timeshare resorts. Very disappointing. (In contrast, these weeks were solid gold with RCI.)

The availability of an AC for deposit is not very reliable as an indication of trade power.

Steve

 

[barndweller]

Trading power for a given resort changes from year to year. My best trader is in a HOT (temperature) in summer location but only receives an AC if booked for a summer week. I guess that is the highest demand. Wouldn't be my choice for a vacation there! My Hawaii week got an AC the first 3 years I owned it but didn't get one this year. I have 3 weeks in Sedona in a fairly medium rated resort that was offered an AC this year for the 1 bedroom lock-off side. If I wanted to deposit I could get 3 AC's and still have my deposits AND 3 weeks of pretty nice studios to use. It's a pretty good trader but certainly not as good as my Hawaii week. If your resort is offered an AC this year, don't count on it getting one next year. The ACs are based on demand & trading power is a lot more complicated.

 

[gmarine]

I own several resorts where this is not true. If I reserve a particular holiday week, it is a strong trader, but I cannot get an AC with this week. If I reserve a different week, II will give me and AC, but it will not trade as well as the holiday week.
Mark

Thats very strange. This happens with the same size unit at the same resort? AC offers change from year to year so it is possible the offer changed from the times you are comparing. If thats not the case then this is very strange.

Over the years, AC offers for one of my weeks change from time to time. I have found that in years that I receive an AC, the trading power for that unit is better than in years when I dont get an AC.

 

[lgreenspan]

What is a AC and how do you get offered one?

 

[dougp26364]

Are you saying PLT no longer gets an AC? That could mean decreasing trading power along w/ less demand (you know w/ all them Las Vegas resorts and casion/hotels going up in LV).

Yep, that's what I'm saying. Apparently there is enough units available through I.I. in that general area that supply has caught up with demand. Plus, PT's has needed to update it's decor for some time now.

FWIW my Marriott Grand Chateau 1 bedroom unit did not get an AC this year either.

 

[dougp26364]

What is a AC and how do you get offered one?

An AC is an accomadation certificate good for an extra limited exchange. You get one when your resort has higher demand than supply. They are givent to encourage you to deposit your unit with I.I. rather than use it yourself.

Generally speaking, they are good for area's that have an abundance of supply without as much demand. Most of the time that equates to shoulder or off season for a lot of places. The best use of an AC is during the 59 day flexchange period when all available inventory can be seen with an AC. You can get some really nice exchanges if you can travel on relatively short notice.

 

[ginnylbs]

I got an AC for Jockey Club this Year

Which surprised me (even though week 22/ and a 2 bedroom) as there is lots of construction all around that area.

 

[dougp26364]

Which surprised me (even though week 22/ and a 2 bedroom) as there is lots of construction all around that area.

For 2007 or for 2008? I'm talking about my 2008 weeks.

I deposit my units early. I've already desposited my 1 bedroom Marriott GC and, by now, I've usually deposited my Villa's at Polo Towers unit but, since there isn't an offer for an AC for '08 I decided to forgo paying the MF's in advance and will just sit on that week until sometime this fall before depositing it. I'll probably deposit it about the same time I deposit my Suites at Polo Towers unit, which is a fixed week 36.

I received AC's for my 2007 weeks I deposit but did not receive one for my 2008 deposit of my Marriott Grand Chateau. When I look at depositing my 2008 Polo Towers weeks online, the offer of an AC does not show up like it has in the past.

I was told when I deposited my 2006 weeks that AC's for Polo Towers would be coming to an end in the near future. I figured it was secondary to the new Marriott getting enough rooms open (tower two opens in November) and the new Westgate units that should be coming online in 2008 or 2009. All of these are in the same general vicinity and all trade through I.I.

Let's not forget all the building that has gone on south of Mandalay Bay in Vegas as far as timeshares are concerned. There's the new Tahiti Village, Monarch's Cancun and Grandview. Granted they are all quite a ways south but they add additional rooms to Vegas where demand isn't that strong for timeshare exchanges anyway. At least not according to I.I.'s demand index.

 

[dougp26364]

I need to correct some of what I've said.

Online, when I go to deposit my PT's Villa's unit, it does not show an AC available for any of the 08 weeks. However, I just got off the phone with I.I. and the VC told me that Jan. through April of '08 will qualify for an AC with Polo Towers. Of course PT's can't be deposited past April '08 as of yet so they do not have AC availability listed any further than April at this time.

Interestingly enough, my Marriott Grand Chateau deposit does NOT qualify for an AC. The VC said this may change in the future and if it does, I will should be able to still get an AC for the week I have already deposited.

For my co-workers this is good news because I have been offering my AC's to them so they can have nice accomadations for Vacation when they travel. Presently I own 7 different units and don't often have a lot of use for the AC's anymore. It makes a nice gift to co-workers and I enjoy hearing about the resorts that stay at.

 

[djs]

I've only owned since 2001 and in the past had split my unit (resulting in two deposits). My last time depositing I decided to deposit the entire unit; I was then given an AC. I'm guessing that depositing the entire unit helped in that cause.

My thinking for depositing the whole unit was that I had gotten some pretty good exchanges, even with the efficency half of my unit; I figured that I ought to REALLY be able to get good deposits with my full unit. From what I can tell in searching II's site, that's not necessairly the case. I imagine I could do well if I put in for an on-going search. To do it over again, I'd just split my unit like I had in the past. I've been perfectly happy with my exchanges (all 5*, and all larger than what I used to exchange), I'll chalk up the deposit of my full unit as a learning experience.

 

[winger]

I've only owned since 2001 and in the past had split my unit (resulting in two deposits). My last time depositing I decided to deposit the entire unit; I was then given an AC. I'm guessing that depositing the entire unit helped in that cause.
....

Generally it seems locking off may not get AC, but it's been reported here on TUG some folks (few) have gotten ACs even after locking off - I think Marriott Maui Ocean Club was on of these resorts.

 

[gmarine]

1 bedrooms can receive ACs. Studios cannot.

 

[Phill12]

1 bedrooms can receive ACs. Studios cannot.

What is the difference in using a AC or just using the Getaway that is availble. Don't you need to pay to use AC. We have been offered AC's last three years but used our unit and this year we are doing request first which I guess doesn't earn a AC.

 

[tashamen]

What is the difference in using a AC or just using the Getaway that is availble. Don't you need to pay to use AC. We have been offered AC's last three years but used our unit and this year we are doing request first which I guess doesn't earn a AC.

Generally AC prices are much cheaper than a Getaway. Though the AC costs vary, most are something like $199 for a studio, $249 for a 1BR and $299 for anything larger than a 1BR. There are not too many locations where you will find a Getaway for those prices.

And you're right - request first will not get an AC, since the idea of the AC is to encourage you to deposit first.

Edited to add: The inventory of getaways is also much smaller than what you will be able to get with an AC, especially within flexchange.

 

[Bill4728]

The question of "is a AC a good idea of trading power" can be seen by comparing my 2 Whistler TS. Last year my week 15 Club Intrawest 1 bedroom unit didn't get a AC but my 1 bd week 15 Mountainside lodge got an AC. The CI unit massively out trades the Mountainside unit. Therefore in my experiance, whether a unit gets an AC or not, isn't a good predictor of trading power.