II Exchange Request for 1 week

[jeffboston]

I am new to this and am trying to set up an II Exchange Request for one specific week (school vacation next year). Am I not able to search for just one specific week?

Also just to be clear, the earliest/latest travel dates in II are not the check-in and check out dates...they are the earliest date we can travel and the latest date we can travel (meaning that the check-in date could actually be the latest date i enter (rather than the check-out date). I just want to make sure I understand this correctly.

 

[tschwa2]

The earliest and latest nights are check in dates. You can always put in resort/dates that have no chance of matching like a holiday week prime at a high end resort if you need to add in others.

 

[BJRSanDiego]

In addition to what Tschwa2 correctly mentioned, you can also just request 1 week if you also request three or more different TS codes. I recently did a search first request where I requested a special birthday week but included all four Marriott timeshares in Palm Desert. Worked fine. I got my match.

 

[sue1947]

You have to enter 3 choices. They can be 3 different weeks or 3 different resort codes, or some combination. In your case (as mentioned above) you can:
1. enter your specific week and then request 3 different resorts for that week if you are in an area with multiple options. Sometimes the resort you want has multiple codes based on various ownerships of that week.
2. If there is just one resort and 1 week, then add in 2 other resorts/times that have 0 chance of matching, i.e. tough trades made extra tough by asking for a Christmas week or summer beach week.

 

[HudsHut]

Welcome Jeffboston

Let's say you enter June 4, 2022 - June 11, 2022 (both Saturdays). Interval's system will revert those dates to the Thursday: i.e. June 2, 2022 - June 9, 2022. It just means the system is searching for all check in dates beginning on that Thursday. (If your resort doesn't allow Thursday check-ins, no problem). If you want only a Sat or Sun check-in , call II and they can set that feature on their end.

 

[jeffboston]

thank you everyone for the help! So in the above example - entering June 4-11 (which will go in as June 2-9), if I select only resorts that have a Thurs/Fri/Sat checkin then I will be searching for the week I am looking for - but if I select a resort that has a mon/tue/wed check-in for example then I could end up getting a match for June6-13; June 7-14; june 8-15?
The latest travel thing kind of throws me off because I think of this as check-out date

 

[tschwa2]

thank you everyone for the help! So in the above example - entering June 4-11 (which will go in as June 2-9), if I select only resorts that have a Thurs/Fri/Sat checkin then I will be searching for the week I am looking for - but if I select a resort that has a mon/tue/wed check-in for example then I could end up getting a match for June6-13; June 7-14; june 8-15?
The latest travel thing kind of throws me off because I think of this as check-out date

After you set up your online search you can always call interval and tell them you only want to march for x and y days or even only x day. So if you only want Friday and Saturday, or only Saturday, an agent can modify your request. You just can't do it yourself that way online by yourself- Annoying isn't it?

 

[jeffboston]

After you set up your online search you can always call interval and tell them you only want to march for x and y days or even only x day. So if you only want Friday and Saturday, or only Saturday, an agent can modify your request. You just can't do it yourself that way online by yourself- Annoying isn't it?

Yes that IS annoying! OK that makes sense! thank you

 

[escanoe]

I just called II to have them narrow the check-in days that will match to a Fri-Sun. Was on hold for over an hour. It seems nearly incompetent that their system does not allow users to select specific check-in days.

Even after they do this, you have to trust it was done correctly. It doesn't change what the user sees on the "pending request" screen.

I also wish they had online chat support (like RCI) to make it possible to keep a written record of what changes were made when dealing with an agent.

The agent was plenty nice.

If both RCI and II would make the right investments in technology and face minimal competition, exchanging could become much more efficient and affordable.

It should not cost that much, but I would gladly pay $750 per year for unlimited online only exchanges. ($500 would be fairer pricing in my mind).

The DRI Destination Exchange (DEX) program gives DRI exchangers the ability to book online exchanges for $149 each and has an annual membership fee of $69 per year. It uses RCI on the back end.

#NewShapeofTravel

 

[alwysonvac]

I am new to this and am trying to set up an II Exchange Request for one specific week (school vacation next year). Am I not able to search for just one specific week?

Also just to be clear, the earliest/latest travel dates in II are not the check-in and check out dates...they are the earliest date we can travel and the latest date we can travel (meaning that the check-in date could actually be the latest date i enter (rather than the check-out date). I just want to make sure I understand this correctly.

With exchanging it’s best to be as flexible as possible.

Don’t expect every week to be available for an exchange especially a high demand week. Some resorts have lots of deposits into Interval and some have few to none. Some owners use the week that they own or prefer to rent their week rather than exchange. Also deposits into Interval can be made at anytime (months before checkin to several days before checkin).

If you’re limited to one week, it’s best to include a few resorts/locations that you would be willing to go to in to improve your chances of having a place to stay for your one specific week. Also keep in mind that lots of families with school aged children may be looking for place to stay for the same exact week (more demand than supply).

 

[jeffboston]

Any tips to booking two consecutive weeks through II exchange?

 

[HudsHut]

@jeffboston

Ideally, you would tell us where you're trying to go. The following assumes there are plenty of deposits for the resort you are requesting.

In general, set up two requests, both with the 2 week window. As soon as one hits, and you plan to keep it, you adjust the window of the other one to just the remaining week. Ask II to limit the start date to whatever checkin date you received (know that this may reduce the chances of a match.)
You can use impossible weeks to fulfill the 3 week minimum. (e.g. MMO & MM1 for Dec 25 - Jan 1)

 

[travelhacker]

@jeffboston

Ideally, you would tell us where you're trying to go. The following assumes there are plenty of deposits for the resort you are requesting.

In general, set up two requests, both with the 2 week window. As soon as one hits, and you plan to keep it, you adjust the window of the other one to just the remaining week. Ask II to limit the start date to whatever checkin date you received (know that this may reduce the chances of a match.)
You can use impossible weeks to fulfill the 3 week minimum. (e.g. MMO & MM1 for Dec 25 - Jan 1)

This is a good point and great advice. MMO and MM1 are unlikely but still possible (and who knows if you got it, maybe you would want to stay there!). I got that week (but it was 2020).

Truly impossible weeks are stuff like a Westin Kierland 2 bedroom, or Westin Kaanapali 2 bedroom. Vistana has completely stopped depositing 2 bedrooms at those resorts.

Westin Nanea 2 bedrooms show up occasionally because they are dedicated 2 bedrooms.

Anyhow, you can always add those to meet the requirements -- I have done this exact same thing previously.

 

[jeffboston]

Those are great tips! I added a search for the second week I am looking for in Aruba at the specific resort I want. I added to this search the MM0 & MM1 for Dec 25th week 1BR as a way to fill the search criteria and hopefully limit it to just the week and resort I actually want.
My question is, has anyone ever seen MM1 or MM0 come up for a 1BR? I don't want to risk having this actually come back with a positive match. I am only looking for a 1BR, so I didn't add the Westin Kierland or Westin Kaanapali 2BR.

 

[bnoble]

thank you everyone for the help! So in the above example - entering June 4-11 (which will go in as June 2-9), if I select only resorts that have a Thurs/Fri/Sat checkin then I will be searching for the week I am looking for - but if I select a resort that has a mon/tue/wed check-in for example then I could end up getting a match for June6-13; June 7-14; june 8-15?
The latest travel thing kind of throws me off because I think of this as check-out date

I vaguely recall reading in the Disclosure Guide that they would automatically match Fri-Sun check-ins, but for any other day of the week would call to confirm first. But, my memory is not what it once was.