How does Interval International's exchange process and Travel Demand Index work in practice for timeshare owners?
Executive summary
Interval International is a timeshare exchange network that lets owners deposit their home week or points and request stays at other member resorts; the system converts deposits into “trading power” (weeks or Preferred/Collection points) and matches requests through either Deposit‑First or Request‑First workflows with confirmation windows that vary by method [1] [2]. Central to that matching and valuation is the Travel Demand Index (TDI), a region‑and‑week numerical chart Interval publishes that measures relative leisure demand and feeds how many points a booking requires and how much trading power a deposited week yields [3] [4].
1. How the Interval exchange process actually operates in practice
An owner who wants to exchange can either deposit their week or points first (Deposit‑First) or place a request before depositing (Request‑First); Deposit‑First typically gives Interval up to years to find a match and often yields the most trading power because Interval has the deposit in its inventory, while Request‑First relies on available inventory and owner flexibility [1] [2]. Once a week is deposited Interval assigns values — Preferred Points/Collection Points or an Accommodation Certificate for certain high‑demand deposits — and those values are determined by unit characteristics plus the TDI for that specific week and region [5] [1] [3]. Confirmation deadlines vary (for example, some confirmed exchanges must be completed up to 12 months prior to travel depending on rules and membership), and special windows like Flex‑Time (usually within about 60 days of check‑in) can yield last‑minute availability from late deposits or cancellations [5] [1] [6].
2. What the Travel Demand Index (TDI) is and how it’s presented
The TDI is a seasonal, week‑by‑week numerical index published by Interval for each geographic area that sets 100 as the market average; values above 100 signal relatively higher inbound leisure demand for that week/region and values below 100 indicate lower demand and typically easier availability [3] [7]. Interval’s public materials and resort directories include region‑specific TDI charts and color keys that change by year, and industry guides say the numbers reflect historical occupancy, average daily rates, relinquishment/redemption behavior and member booking patterns — in short, a composite derived from past activity and internal data [3] [8] [9]. Some third‑party writeups emphasize the charts are updated regularly and can differ year‑to‑year, while Interval’s own literature describes the TDI as the tool to show relative weekly demand [9] [4].
3. How TDI influences trading power, points and confirmations
When a week is deposited its trading power is increased by higher TDI weeks and conversely lower TDI weeks yield less value; similarly, when booking with points the TDI of the requested week determines the number of points required — higher TDI weeks cost more points or require greater Accommodation/upgrade fees [5] [3]. For branded partners like Marriott or Disney Vacation Club members working through Interval, TDI maps to point conversion charts and season tiers (peak/mid/shoulder) that directly change how many DVC or Marriott points are needed, and some programs afford priority to in‑brand deposits for comparable weeks before they’re offered to non‑brand owners [10] [11].
4. Practical consequences for owners and exchange strategy
Owners who want reliable confirmations are advised to reserve high‑demand weeks at their home resort before depositing (to maximize trading power) or target low‑TDI weeks for easier confirmations, and to monitor TDI charts, booking windows and Flex‑Time opportunities closely because TDI (and inventory) can change season to season and affect outcomes [2] [7] [5]. The “Deposit‑First” route gives more flexibility in travel timing (often up to two to three years to use the deposited value) but requires understanding how Interval values accommodation type, unit size and TDI when allocating points [1] [5].
5. Limits, incentives and where reporting diverges
Public guides and resale brokers consistently present TDI as a helpful planning tool but stop short of promising guaranteed availability — Interval’s terms and guides explicitly warn the exchange privilege shouldn’t be the sole reason to buy a vacation interest and that TDI is only a relative indicator rather than a guarantee [12] [4]. Industry blogs and brokers have incentives to emphasize “maximize trading power” tactics (to sell resale weeks or services), while Interval’s documentation emphasizes how TDI and internal algorithms determine value without disclosing full proprietary scoring methods, so owners must accept a degree of opacity about exact calculations and inventory dynamics [8] [9] [1].