banking and borrowing

[gratuspater]

We are going to the world in Jan., we are using our points to take some family, but some have not decided on their travel dates, but we are also comeing up on our time that we have to bank our unused pts. Would we be better off to tell them we need to know the dates and use this years pts. and then bank the rest or is it not a big deal to borrow next years pts. if they decide later? If I understand correctly, once we bank this years pts. they can't be used for a trip this year? But if needed I could borrow next years pts. for travel this Jan. (Feb. use year). Also if someone was to cancel what happens to those pts? If they are this years could I then bank them? If borrowed from next year, could they be banked? Thanks for any help!:)

[FiggyFan]

With a February use year, you have to be sure about a January trip before you commit points.

If you bank the February 2012 points (by the September 30th deadline) they can't be pulled back and used for your January trip. The banked points would have to be used between February 1, 2013 and January 31, 2014 or they would be lost - they can't be banked a second time. If you use the February 2012 points to bring other family members along, and they cancel out after September 30, you would have to find a way to use the points before the end of January, or they would be lost.

If you do bank the February 2012 points, and then borrow from the February 2013 use year - same situation. You can't bank the borrowed points back into the February 2013 use year - you would have to to use them before the end of January.

Best bet: If it is getting close to September 30, and they are still not sure, bank the February 2012 points. If they become sure after September 30, borrow February 2013 points for their reservation. All the delay costs you is the fact that you will have some points in the February 2013 year that must be used, since they won't be bankable.