New Tutorial Button for DC Points online reservations

[NJMOM2]

For those of you without any DC points available to play with and are curious what the process is to make online DC reservations, Marriott has added a tutorial button on the Check Availability screen. The tutorial show sample screens and explains the process.

 

[SueDonJ]

For those of you without any DC points available to play with and are curious what the process is to make online DC reservations, Marriott has added a tutorial button on the Check Availability screen. The tutorial show sample screens and explains the process.

I read the e-mail but haven't looked at the website or tutorial yet. It struck me that the email said you could look before you decide to borrow points from a future year to cover what you're looking for, but I thought maybe that only applies if you have Trust Points, or an enrolled Week that hasn't yet been reserved through the Weeks system. I don't have Trust Points and my 2011 Weeks are booked, so figured I wouldn't be able to look for anything that could be booked with hypothetically-borrowed points. But it would be nice if we could search with the points we'd get if we converted 2012 Weeks to points, before having to convert them.

 

[NJMOM2]

I don't know how it works. I don't have any points to play with. I only own legacy points. Maybe someone who has legacy and/or trust points to play with can answer the detail questions better. I am curious too.

If I don't elect points to borrow yet will the points election happen automatically if I need the additional points? Hmmm...

(Added - I didn't read the email yet - I didn't even get it yet.)

 

[dioxide45]

I read the e-mail but haven't looked at the website or tutorial yet. It struck me that the email said you could look before you decide to borrow points from a future year to cover what you're looking for, but I thought maybe that only applies if you have Trust Points, or an enrolled Week that hasn't yet been reserved through the Weeks system. I don't have Trust Points and my 2011 Weeks are booked, so figured I wouldn't be able to look for anything that could be booked with hypothetically-borrowed points. But it would be nice if we could search with the points we'd get if we converted 2012 Weeks to points, before having to convert them.

I haven't seen the e-mail, but I suspect it indicates you can browse without borrowing points? However, it doesn't mean you can browse without converting your week to points first. The system seems like it was setup from day one with the ability to browse without borrowing. As long as I have current or future use points available, I can browse with them. Then borrow if necessary.

 

[abdibile]

From my personal experience I can tell:

Even after you reserved a specific week using your legacy week it is no problem to cancel the reservation and convert to Points for that year. Not sure what the deadline for doing so is. Probably way ahead of the booked week.

I had a few 2012 points from my legacy weeks and it seemed to me that I could search for reservations that cost more than these points. My 2013 (potential to borrow) weeks had not been converted or used in any other way back then.

Now I have rented out all my 2012 and even all my 2013 points and can not search for points reservations online anymore as I have no points.

 

[dioxide45]

From my personal experience I can tell:

Even after you reserved a specific week using your legacy week it is no problem to cancel the reservation and convert to Points for that year. Not sure what the deadline for doing so is. Probably way ahead of the booked week.

The date to convert to points is 9/30 of the year prior to the use year. So for 2013, you have to convert by September 30, 2012.

I had a few 2012 points from my legacy weeks and it seemed to me that I could search for reservations that cost more than these points. My 2013 (potential to borrow) weeks had not been converted or used in any other way back then.

Now I have rented out all my 2012 and even all my 2013 points and can not search for points reservations online anymore as I have no points.

As long as you have some points available, you can search. While you can't search for inventory worth more points than you have, some have posted a workaround to this where as long as youhave enough points for a single night, you can search for 7 days of availability.

The problem many have is that they have a week that they can convert to points, but they can't search points unless they actually convert.