Lock-off strategy to trade into Marriott ARuba for March week?

[Jwerking]

Do most people deposit their weeks as lockoffs at the Marriott Aruba resorts?

Therefore, won't I increase my chances if I start searches using my Marriott lockoffs for comparable lockouts units? Because few people are going to be willing to give up a 2 br marriott for a smaller unit. Particularly when the Marriott's I am trading with are gold and not plat weeks.

Just thought I would canvass for thoughts or any one who has had experience in this regard.

Thanks,

Joyce

 

[tompk]

It seems quite a few do lock off and deposit 1br and studio as I've seen more studios more than anything else in the past 3-4 weeks that I've been looking. Best bet if you want to trade up from a studio is to search the 59 day window. Lucky me, I found 2 seats to Aruba from my home airport for 4/15 using miles about 2-3 weeks ago. I booked them knowing I could always adjust my travel dates with no penalty fee if the exchange didn't come thru for 4/15, but I firgured it would. I have faith in the flexchange and almost always get what I'm looking for in the flexchange window.

 

[Jwerking]

It seems quite a few do lock off and deposit 1br and studio as I've seen more studios more than anything else in the past 3-4 weeks that I've been looking. Best bet if you want to trade up from a studio is to search the 59 day window. Lucky me, I found 2 seats to Aruba from my home airport for 4/15 using miles about 2-3 weeks ago. I booked them knowing I could always adjust my travel dates with no penalty fee if the exchange didn't come thru for 4/15, but I firgured it would. I have faith in the flexchange and almost always get what I'm looking for in the flexchange window.

Wow, interesting about the Flexi-change, you must be a gambler. Guess it works better when there is 2 adults and not a family of 4 working with specific vacation days. I must say that I am surprised that you got FF seats to Aruba that close to departure. But that is a good strategy about being able to change the seats for later at no penalty. If there a year time limit to that.

Joyce

 

[JBRES1]

Aruba exchange

Joyce,
What year are you thinking about , 2007.
If you are, I would deposit a 1 bdr and a studio week from your summit watch gold week and hope for the best. But you may only end up getting a studio side for the week, then what would you do ?
Aruba is a tough trade , let alone for the month of March. From an earlier post somebody had listed that the Aruba resorts were the second most requested exchanges, just below Maui.
Trades happen when somebody gives up their unit and II gives that unit to you. II is now more than ever doing a like for like type of exchange , so the old days of up trading and studios for 2 bdr units may be gone.
Now if you had a platinum Summit watch to trade for Aruba, well that would be a whole nother story. Marriott values a Summit watch Platinum week at about $600.00 per night, and an Aruba 2 bdr at $750.00 per night, so those two trades would be much closer than a gold S.W. that goes for $270.00 per night.
I am not saying that you will not be able to get the trade, but it will be tough.
I was able to trade a 1 bdr and studio Palm Desert summer week for a studio and 1 bdr Mountianside Spring week for my brother, so it could happen.
Jim breslin