Searching with an AC in II

[Janis]

I'm so frustrated with the search process for a vacation exchange using my AC. I enter the dates 12/21 - 2/6/16 and then search.

I get a list of availability in Dec and January. When I select any of them, I am taken to a screen that says there is no availability for my date and location. Why then was it shown??

So, then it says see other destinations that have availability. I select one from the drop down and.... I am told that there is no availability

Why do they show up if they're not available? I'm searching with a 2BR AC from the Royal Sands

THoughts?

 

[SmithOp]

I agree, its frustrating because the ACs are limited by a grid of places you can trade for. I usualy check search all destinations and just put one week spread in the dates because it will take you to the grid in the next step. Note, these are not whats available, just the grid of what is possible with the AC. Check 6 boxes and then you get availability for those on the next step, which more often than not is "none" as you are finding.


Sent from my iPad Mini 4 using Tapatalk

 

[b2bailey]

The prospect of using a AC for a specific location at a specific time is highly unlikely. That being said, I just used one to get a 1 BR at Marriott Timber Lodge for Memorial Weekend, which is exactly what I wanted. The cost was $301. That beats the Maintenance Fee I pay there for the same timeframe -- which is 3 times that cost.

 

[Janis]

I only pick a specific place because the grid says that I need to pick something! How do I see what's ACTUALLY available?

 

[dominidude]

Call their customer service, sometimes reps can help.

 

[shellmo1]

Just go to vacation exchange, then put in tomorrows date and then the date your AC expires Click search all. Then the page with your units will come up Click on AC. It will take you to the grid for the entire time your AC is valid. You can click on 6 boxes at a time to check for availability. Usually something is available in most boxes. If you don't like any of that - unclick the boxes and try 6 more. A slow painful process I will agree, but that is the way I see what is available with my AC.

Michelle

 

[twinmommy19]

In my experience, I've had a lot more success placing pending requests with the ACs rather than going by what I can view from the grid.

Your never going to get super prime weeks with an AC regardless - the grid doesn't permit that. But unless you are averse to laying out the money for the trade in advance, don't assume your AC can only pull what you view online. My ACs from my 2 BDRM weeks seem to have better trading power than my real 1 BR deposit. I think that's BS (IMO a bonus week shouldn't have more pull than any real week), but that's how II works.

II lets you process the AC request as long as you pick 3 options (and at least one has to be outside the 59 day window). At least - that's how the ACs I've received have worked. Even if you only want 1 thing, it's pretty easy to come up with 2 other weeks that will never be confirmed.

 

[BevL]

In my experience, I've had a lot more success placing pending requests with the ACs rather than going by what I can view from the grid.

Your never going to get super prime weeks with an AC regardless - the grid doesn't permit that. But unless you are averse to laying out the money for the trade in advance, don't assume your AC can only pull what you view online. My ACs from my 2 BDRM weeks seem to have better trading power than my real 1 BR deposit. I think that's BS (IMO a bonus week shouldn't have more pull than any real week), but that's how II works.

II lets you process the AC request as long as you pick 3 options (and at least one has to be outside the 59 day window). At least - that's how the ACs I've received have worked. Even if you only want 1 thing, it's pretty easy to come up with 2 other weeks that will never be confirmed.

Could you explain what you mean by pending request? DO you mean an ongoing search of some kind?

I have a generic A/C that showed up in my account as a promo that is valid until the middle of February, I'm guessing maybe similar to what the OP has received. I have not been able to figure out any way to search with it other than the painful process described I this thread, six boxes at a time. If you have a way to actually request something and wait for it to come up, it would be great to know.

Thanks very much in advance.

Bev

 

[twinmommy19]

Could you explain what you mean by pending request? DO you mean an ongoing search of some kind?

I have a generic A/C that showed up in my account as a promo that is valid until the middle of February, I'm guessing maybe similar to what the OP has received. I have not been able to figure out any way to search with it other than the painful process described I this thread, six boxes at a time. If you have a way to actually request something and wait for it to come up, it would be great to know.

Thanks very much in advance.

Bev

Not all ACs are created equal. The ones II randomly deposits in your account are generally pretty worthless unless you happen to be looking to go to Orlando in the off season. Those require the grid, do not allow you to see open inventory within 59 days and do not permit you to place requests. Basically - I end up ignoring those ACs - they generally offer little to no value for me.

The ACs I receive as a bonus for depositing allow us to place requests, and browse open inventory within the 59 day flex period in addition to viewing the grid out to 12 months. You have to select at least one resort week out further than 59 days and it has to be in a qualifying location and time on the grid. You can request anything you want within 59 days of check in as long as you make a minimum of one selection from the grid out further than 59 days. My experience has been that if I can see a trade I want with my real deposit and it happens to fall in the parameters of the browsing grid, II will confirm me overnight if I place a request on the AC (even though I can't see the unit in open browsing inventory with the bonus week).

 

[Saintsfanfl]

For AC's that have the request option, which are usually tier priced, the OGS option works really well. You can take advantage by placing a studio request into 2BR+ only resorts and snag a 2BR for the price of the studio.

For non request AC's it is easier to search the grid free period, if there is one. This might be around 30 days or 14 days. This avoids the grid pop-up.