Can The Trust Use II Exchange To Grab Inventory For The Same Resort, The Same Season but Different Weeks?

[AlmostRetired]

My use of II has been very consistent (or boring) since 2015. I trade my MGC (s) that typically have relatively the same trading power, depositing it first into II 12 to 14 months out, for trades to the same resorts during the same week timespan. Even though I use deposit first, I consistently use instant exchange to expand the week timespan or allow for a change in mind for locations based on family input. For 2025, I had 3 trades into the MGO from Mid-June to the end of July with weeks deposited (2 two bedrooms and 1 one bedroom) deposited in May 2024. My trades consistently come through within 5 months of deposit. This year I have gotten zero hits on my trades through mid November. I had a good run and II exchange inventory can be less for a number of reasons at this resort. I will also take may success ratio to failure 100% of the time

As mentioned above, I often check with instant exchange. I saw an abundance of week availability in II for MGO August 10 and 17 that keeps showing up and replenishing when they disappear. This is the tail end of Platinum season. Getting those weeks is a good plan B. I was able to get in August what I was hoping for in my time spam I grabbed 2 weeks for 8/10 and one for 8/17 which is not what I planned but accomplishes two units in one week for family and the next week for an actual vacation when they are gone. This did get me thinking on what would/could happen if the Trust can grab a week deposited into II and replace it with a week they have in the Trust because they need to fine tune the inventory reserved for points. I have read on many occasions that the inventory is different but can II Exchange be a link between the two? It would not be hard to do and give the Trust one hell of an advantage.

 

[Hindsite]

Yes inventory is different, but as overall system manager MVW (or whoever they are called) is responsible for balancing inventory across all of the reservation system e.g Weeks reservations, Abound, II, Bonvoy

We know from statements in the MVW investor briefings going back to the post COVID travel peak that they can, and do, release their rental keys to owner booking inventories when they detect a constraint. We can also infer from their statements about the usefulness of II that they can shift inventory to there as a useful disposal route for sticky inventory. We know from the weeks inventory system that if you leave it too late to book there can be nothing left and this is supported by their right to take inventory at 60 days ahead (IIRC), but they will give someone in this position a replacement week in II, so they have inventory to do that readily at hand. They also hold inventory for Encore packages and sales promotions.

I don't think its the Trust "grabbing" inventory, I think its the overall demand forecasting shuffling things about to where they are needed. I suspect (hope) that wait listing in Abound or putting in a OGS in II, helps them refine the forecasting and move eligible inventory to the right place. I've certainly found these to be successful techniques to get inventory that I don't see in manual searches.

Ultimately we really don't know what goes on behind the scenes, and I'm sure there are variable factors and manual interventions involved rather than just a fixed algorithm, as that's how things are done in many complex inventory management processes: Most things work well with the automated system, but you always need some manual oversight to spot trends outside of the forecasting and adjust as needed.

For my use of II, things are taking a bit longer to match, but I'm still getting great exchanges and able to shuffle on retrade as you do, so I don't see Abound having any kind of advantage with really good inventory. It could be different depending on someone's pattern of travel.