Interesting Upgrade Path Discussion on Facebook: "Whoever had the reservation booked the farthest in advance regardless of VIP level"

[bryjake]

Like most things presented at "Owners Update" or on the internet, consider this information from a "trust and verify" perspective
https://www.facebook.com/groups/465692163568779/permalink/2533714810099827/

Interesting Upgrade Path Discussion on Facebook: "Whoever had the reservation booked the farthest in advance regardless of VIP level"

My opinion: This seems fair to me

A lesson on how upgrades work. Spoiler, Founder and Platinum may not like this. What started as a conversation between me and another owner (thank you Sarah Cook ) about "in the window" upgrades made me question what I'd been told. She made an interesting observation. Yes, it was a frontline person, not a salesman, but even that person was "off". So I sent an email directly to Jessica Swift, Owner Care Manager. We've all seen her name as a contact for unhappy owners. So anyway, I asked 3 specific scenarios and how upgrades worked in each. I got a call from her representative a few hours later.

Scenario 1: once well inside the VIP upgrade window, (let's say at 30 days before arrival) and an upgrade becomes available, who gets it first, Platinum or Gold? Answer: whoever had the reservation booked the farthest in advance regardless of VIP level. So yes, in this case a Gold booked at 13 months supercede a Platinum booked at 6 months.

Scenario 2: if I book a 2-bedroom Presidential and request an upgrade, is it possible to "upgrade" to a 3-bedroom deluxe? Answer: yes. Do not expect to upgrade to a 3-bedroom Presidential. It's possible, sure, but you can also end up in the deluxe. Be very careful what you ask for. In this case it helps to know what room types are available. If I know there are no 3-bedroom deluxe in the resort, then I know that's not an option. So read your directory or look at the points chart.

Scenario 3: 2 VIP arrive at a resort on the same day. Both owners booked a 2-bedroom. An upgraded room has become available. Who gets the upgraded room? Answer: see answer for scenario 1.
While I was expecting the answer to be "the higher VIP" in these examples, I was surprised to hear the answer from the big cheese at the top. Turns out the answers work in my favor as I'm the person who books at 13 months. I'm Gold, CWA. So, simply by using my CWA ownership for its intended purpose (book at 13 months), I have a strong chance of bypassing a higher VIP who books at say 6 months, in getting upgrades. This does not conflict with the VIP chart. A Platinum owner still becomes eligible for an upgrade before I do. But once inside the window, all bets are off. This is not a new policy. Again this is straight from the top. Jessica.swift@wyn.com, Owner Care Manager, (her representative) confirmed this.

Moral of my story. Bronze has a decent chance to get an upgrade, IF you book far in advance. Otherwise, any VIP best chance for upgrade is exactly at the upgrade window (see the chart for your level), or upgraded while booking.
Admin, maybe post this in the files for easy reference.

 

[paxsarah]

And to bring it full circle, she was prompted to investigate because of an earlier discussion we’d had where she asserted it was based on level, and I’d stated I understood it to be first come first served based on this TUG post where someone had called at the time of initial implementation of the auto upgrade feature and gotten that answer.

 

[paxsarah]

Also, this was not from an “owner update.” She emailed and got this information in a callback from Jessica Swift’s office, which should be considered a trusted source.

 

[Sandy VDH]

.... and all this is predicated on the auto update process working property, which we know does not happen correct on many occasions.

I know this because I am waiting for an upgrade, and don't get one. Yet I can book another unit and get the Instant upgrade on the other unit, and cancel the original booking for which I did not receive any upgrade. If it indeed worked, then why was a unit even out there for the booking. It should have gone to someone else, or to me, and it did not. .

 

[Sandi Bo]

Yup, @SandyVDH, very frustrating.

And I would argue. I as a VIP Founder do have a better chance overall. If I, as well as a Gold or a Bronze, etc... book 13 months out -- I become eligible for upgrades at 60 days from checkin. Once we hit your eligibility period, maybe level playing field?

Since I have no confidence in upgrades for multiple reasons:
* First and foremost Wyndham does not like to disclose how they should work, or address the changes (loss in options) with Voyager - presidentials, versus deluxe, paths, etc. It's a black box and I have no hope that will ever change
* Often see an opportunity to book with an instant upgrade and cancel a reservation that should have upgraded but did not

Long ago put this on my list of things out of my control and do my best to instant upgrade and not EVER count on an auto upgrade. Happy when they happen, never ever count on them.

And kind of fun - recently I forgot to cancel a 1 bedroom we had reserved in Austin. We also had a 2 bedroom presidential. The 1 bedroom auto upgraded to a 2 bedroom presidential and my daughter's high school bestie, she was there to visit, used it. Her family was able to make a staycation of it! They do happen, but not very often.

 

[bnoble]

I honestly don't see much value in auto-upgrade. If I need a 2BR for my travel party to be comfortable, I am not going to book a 1BR and hope it comes through. I am going to book a 2BR. Conversely, if I have the unit I need for my party, it's either not helpful or maybe only marginally helpful to have a larger one. The one case in which that would matter is if I have a 2BR with two beds in the 2nd BR, and both my kids are coming. The upgrade to a 3BR means they don't have to share the bedroom. But, again, if it's a "big" trip for the family, I will often just book the 3BR to start with.

All of this is predicated on the fact that I NEVER book a unit that would require someone to sleep on a pullout. So, for a 1BR, there are only two of us. If there are more, I am not even looking at a 1BR because I did not buy timeshares for people to sleep on crappy pull-out couches.

Instant upgrades, on the other hand, those I understand. At the time of booking, you know you are getting the larger unit. That makes a lot of sense to me.

 

[am1]

I had dealings with her at a high level back in 2016. I am still not happy with the outcome as Wyndham is not capable of understanding the issues.

In this case it all depends on how the program is written. Not how someone says it should work.

 

[Sandy VDH]

.... and all this is predicated on the auto update process working property, which we know does not happen correct on many occasions.

I know this because I am waiting for an upgrade, and don't get one. Yet I can book another unit and get the Instant upgrade on the other unit, and cancel the original booking for which I did not receive any upgrade. If it indeed worked, then why was a unit even out there for the booking. It should have gone to someone else, or to me, and it did not. .

I am hoping for an upgrade, the exact days that I want in a 2 BR are sitting out there to book. The one 1 BR I am holding is NOT automatically matching. So I bailed, booked the 2 BR and am dumping the 1 BR.

Wish we could upgrade the units ourselves, like the OLD system did.

So much for auto upgrades, even if I was not eligible and someone else was that 2 BR should have NOT come back into inventory but it did. So continued proof that auto upgrade is not working as advertised.