Just got back from a FF TS vacation offer. I never intended to buy, but came away quite interested, though I still have some questions:
I am looking for the program that is right for me (isn't everyone?). I am a traveller who likes to do stuff--I get bored going back to the same place, so I like the fact that the point system allows for different vacation destinations. However, I prefer international travelling so my main use for FF points would be to use those points for an RCI international TS. I am a science guy so I like to crunch numbers, but of course they only give out the book of numbers to TS owners which made me question their transparency. If I remember, for all RCI international resorts, a one week, red time studio was ~77,000 FF points--does this sound correct? It struck me as a very good deal.
1. Are these numbers roughly correct--can I expect RCI to raise the points values (in contrast, FF resort point values are locked in forever so I can plan allotment much better)? There is a $200 fee for such a booking--are there other hidden fees?
2. How easy/hard is it for a FF owner to book a RCI international TS location? I am not all that picky regarding places to stay, but I don't want to settle for a resort that is 200 miles away from my target destination.
3. Should I get RCI points instead/is there a better company for me to go through?
4. Is a TS even right for me? It seemed like a good deal from the info I have, but I know there can be a lot of hidden fees. Am I better off renting or just booking hotels online?
5. I will be buying off eBay most likely--is there any advantage to getting one large chunk of points (~180,000) versus several smaller point blocks? I don't care if I never visit my TS that I own.
Thanks in advance!
PS, I would also add that I am not looking to make money nor view this as an investment, rather as a way to save a significant amount of money in vacation accomodations.
I am looking for the program that is right for me (isn't everyone?). I am a traveller who likes to do stuff--I get bored going back to the same place, so I like the fact that the point system allows for different vacation destinations. However, I prefer international travelling so my main use for FF points would be to use those points for an RCI international TS. I am a science guy so I like to crunch numbers, but of course they only give out the book of numbers to TS owners which made me question their transparency. If I remember, for all RCI international resorts, a one week, red time studio was ~77,000 FF points--does this sound correct? It struck me as a very good deal.
1. Are these numbers roughly correct--can I expect RCI to raise the points values (in contrast, FF resort point values are locked in forever so I can plan allotment much better)? There is a $200 fee for such a booking--are there other hidden fees?
2. How easy/hard is it for a FF owner to book a RCI international TS location? I am not all that picky regarding places to stay, but I don't want to settle for a resort that is 200 miles away from my target destination.
3. Should I get RCI points instead/is there a better company for me to go through?
4. Is a TS even right for me? It seemed like a good deal from the info I have, but I know there can be a lot of hidden fees. Am I better off renting or just booking hotels online?
5. I will be buying off eBay most likely--is there any advantage to getting one large chunk of points (~180,000) versus several smaller point blocks? I don't care if I never visit my TS that I own.
Thanks in advance!
PS, I would also add that I am not looking to make money nor view this as an investment, rather as a way to save a significant amount of money in vacation accomodations.
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