1. Make sure you reserve your week before the end of the year so you don't lose your week. Ideally, you will be reserving as far ahead of time as possible.
2. Be current in your maintenance fees.
3. Be organized about your weeks. Keep an Excel file with information on how you plan to use each year's week. This is very helpful if you own multiple weeks. Or if you don't use a week for a year and you have several weeks at your disposal to trade. It is also nice to see a history of how you used your weeks (and when). Include expiration dates of weeks banked.
4.As soon as you reserve a week you plan to use (or get confirmed on an exchange) BOOK your plane tickets. The earlier you buy, generally, the better the price. If possible, I recommend buying on Southwest Airlines, because they have no change fees, and even if the price goes down after you book, you can call and get a credit.
5. Don't forget to reserve a rental car (if needed). Again, the earlier you do this, the better the price.
6. Set up reminders of when to reserve your week. I like to reserve my week exactly 1 year in advance (because this is the earliest I can do so). I put a reminder in my phone, or an event on my Google Calendar on the exact day I need to reserve. Especially if you own a high demand week (ex. week 51 or 52, Christmas vacation) ....you should reserve as soon as possible.
7. While on vacation, using your week/exchange, take advantage of activities and free events. Many resorts have free events for owners (welcome reception, wine & cheese socials, etc.). Be sure to check out the Activities Department and meet the people on staff. We often find resorts have free DVDs and board games available to use. I find that at these owner events, you can meet the person running the resort sometimes, or at least other owners, and share information about the resort or location.
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