Banking/Exchanging Staroptions

[ski_sierra]

Basic question that I couldn't figure out from the FAQs. It's probably answered somewhere that I haven't been able to find yet.

Let's say 81k number SOs are issued on Jan 1, 2020. They need to be used by 12/31/2020 or they can be used for a reservation in Aug 2021 booked in Dec 2020?

The banking deadline is July 1st so trying to figure out how you can prevent points from expiring if you cannot find availability.

 

[DeniseM]

There is always availabilty, but it may not be for the date or resort that you are hoping for.

At the most popular resorts, you have to make Staroptions reservations right at midnight, 8 months before check-in. Although if you search online, you can catch cancellations, but it takes a lot of searching.

If you don't want to deposit by the deadline, another option is to deposit your week with Interval International, and you can do that until the end of the hear.

*Staroptions are good for 2 years after you bank them - so 2019 Staroptions are good for 2020 and 2021.

 

[KACTravels]

The SOs need to be used in the year they are issued - Or banked, deposited into II or converted to Bonvoy Points (if bought from developer). If you want an SO reservation for Aug 2021, you would need to Bank your 2020 SOs and book after 8 months from August OR deposit into II

 

[ski_sierra]

ok. Now I understand that use by means travel needs to be completed by Dec 2020 for SO issued in Jan 2020.

So if I don't find availability for my preferred travel option by July 1st, I should bank them. Worst case, I can deposit the week to II after that but it will not receive enough trade power.

 

[DeniseM]

What is your preferred travel option?

Worst case, I can deposit the week to II after that but it will not receive enough trade power.

Trading power is not the issue - the problem is that Vistana controls what weeks are deposits into II, and they only deposit off-season weeks, and those are limited.

 

[KACTravels]

Where do you want to go in 2020? Also, please understand that you can book the next year during the previous year. You don't have to wait until Jan 2020 to book in 2020. If you want August 2021, then book either your home resort in August 2020 or other resorts Jan 2021 because that would be 8 months prior to August 2021. Does that make sense?

 

[ski_sierra]

Where do you want to go in 2020? Also, please understand that you can book the next year during the previous year. You don't have to wait until Jan 2020 to book in 2020. If you want August 2021, then book either your home resort in August 2020 or other resorts Jan 2021 because that would be 8 months prior to August 2021. Does that make sense?

It makes sense that I can use points from 2020 to make a booking for April 2020 in August 2019.

I am negotiating some reale options right now. If those come through, I will have to figure out a use for the 2019 points. The soonest I can travel to a Vistana destination is April 2020 to Cancun. So I will have to bank points from 2019 before July 1st if I want to use those points in 2020.

 

[needvaca]

I'm doing a resale now which includes 2019 usage/staroptions. My plan is if it closes by June 30, I will bank the options, if it closes after July 1, I will deposit it into Interval International.

 

[ski_sierra]

I'm doing a resale now which includes 2019 usage/staroptions. My plan is if it closes by June 30, I will bank the options, if it closes after July 1, I will deposit it into Interval International.

This is what I was thinking as well but needed to confirm.

 

[DeniseM]

If you take ownership after July 1, I recommend that you ask Owner Services for a special exception to allow you to bank the Staroptions late. Usually, the entry level person who answers the phone doesn't have the authority to grant your request, so you may have to ask for Owner Resolution Services and you may have to wait for them to call you back.

Another option is to submit your request in writing using the message function on the Vistana dashboard. I have found that the people who answer the messages are a step up in authority and experience from the basic entry level person, because they don't want to put incorrect info in writing.