Chances of getting Aruba via II Short Exchange

[LDT]

Due to a medical problem in our family we had to cancel our trip to Aruba. Unfortunately it was inside 60 days so now all we can do is a short exchange with II. We would like to go down the first week of November. What are our chances of getting the Surf or Ocean Club?

Also, anyone know of any secret tips to get around the short exchange?

 

[MOXJO7282]

I know I had a short exchange and did see Marriott Arubas come up quite often as I kept checking, so hopefully you do too. I was checking during prime time too, so the fact that I don't think Aruba in Nov is prime time should also work in your favor. Good luck.

 

[m61376]

You should see it crop up during Flexchange. I even managed 2 years ago to get a Feb. 2BR unit. Just keep on checking frequently during the day. As Joe said, the beginning of Nov. is less in demand, so you should get a match.

Did you lock out before exchanging? During Flexchange it doesn't matter if you use a 2BR or either half, but you'll have to do your own searches if you want a larger unit then you deposited (but you can get two Flexchange trades out of it).

 

[LUVourMarriotts]

I was just recently looking for Aruba to let a friend use a short exchange of mine. This was in the past 2 weeks. On one day, there were several checkins for lock-off, 1BR and 2BR at Surf Club and 1BR at Ocean Club. Those were all checkings around June 1. By the time my friend gave me an answer, which was the next day, they were all gone. A few days later, an efficiency popped up.

I ended up getting them a 1BR unit at the Aruba Renaissance Resort & Casino for the same June 1 check-in.

I'll be doing a deposit of Surf Club in the next few days as well, which will get me a short exchange, unless someone grabs it from me in that red bar at the top of this page. :ignore:

 

[LDT]

Did you lock out before exchanging?

We did not lock off the unit. Does that give us a better chance?

 

[m61376]

We did not lock off the unit. Does that give us a better chance?

Well, it is too late now, but for future reference:
-Anything deposited into II less than 60 days is restricted to Flexchange trades
-In Flexchange, unit size does not have the same limitations of pull that it has >60 days. That is, a studio, 1BR or 2BR (or even a 3BR) can see the same units and reserve any of the available units
-Thus, if you do manual searches of II frequently (which you really need to do for good Flex trades, since oftentimes units are nabbed before II sweeps their system and matches on-going requests during these last minute trades0, there is no benefit to using a 2BR over a studio even. So, for the lock-out fee from Marriott, you can get 2 weeks in exchange.

Do not feel badly- stuff happens, and when hit with last minute emergencies you don't always have the time to analyze these things. It is good to know for future reference. I had a family tragedy a few years ago and had to cancel 15 days before. Luckily, I have a friend who was savvy enough to handle all the transactions, or I might even have just forfeited the week because it just wasn't a priority at the time. I later traded our 2BR, which was locked off at the last minute and deposited as a studio and a 1BR, for a Feb. 2BR at the SC in Aruba and a 2BR at MCV off-season.