Bluegreen Traveler Plus owners get access to RCI Points Resorts

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Great Deals for Traveler Plus™ Members
(Not a Traveler Plus member yet? Click here to learn more.)
NEW—A Seamless Way to Exchange Points with RCI.

NEW—A Seamless Way to Exchange Points with RCIEffective January 18th, 2010, Traveler Plus members will be able to use Points for nightly stays at RCI properties in one easy transaction instead of having to deposit and stay a full week. Booking exchange vacations has never been easier or more convenient!

* Book nightly stays at participating RCI resorts without being restricted to a 7-night reservation! This flexibility allows you to book shorter stays if that is what you desire.
* Use Points, instead of a pre-reserved week, for direct RCI exchanges—you no longer need to deposit a week of Points or call Bluegreen as part of the exchange process!
* Search real-time resort availability at RCI.com and view your options before making a call!
* One call does it all—simply call RCI at 800.445.0088 to see how many Points you'll need for your stay and to make your reservations!

As a Traveler Plus member, this is your chance to gain access to high demand RCI resorts with more options and more ways to book. Booking an RCI vacation has never been easier or more convenient.

Please note: If you are not an active Traveler Plus member, the existing process to book an exchange is not changing. Please call Club Services at 800.456.2582 to secure your week and then call RCI at 800.445.0088 to make the deposit and begin the search.

[bnoble Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close bnoble]

Sound a little like Wyndham's PlusPartners feature. If there is a fixed crossover grid, it can be very beneficial.

[VA_Traveller Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close VA_Traveller]

Great Deals for Traveler Plus™ Members
(Not a Traveler Plus member yet? Click here to learn more.)
NEW—A Seamless Way to Exchange Points with RCI.

NEW—A Seamless Way to Exchange Points with RCIEffective January 18th, 2010, Traveler Plus members will be able to use Points for nightly stays at RCI properties in one easy transaction instead of having to deposit and stay a full week. Booking exchange vacations has never been easier or more convenient!

* Book nightly stays at participating RCI resorts without being restricted to a 7-night reservation! This flexibility allows you to book shorter stays if that is what you desire.
* Use Points, instead of a pre-reserved week, for direct RCI exchanges—you no longer need to deposit a week of Points or call Bluegreen as part of the exchange process!
* Search real-time resort availability at RCI.com and view your options before making a call!
* One call does it all—simply call RCI at 800.445.0088 to see how many Points you'll need for your stay and to make your reservations!

As a Traveler Plus member, this is your chance to gain access to high demand RCI resorts with more options and more ways to book. Booking an RCI vacation has never been easier or more convenient.

Please note: If you are not an active Traveler Plus member, the existing process to book an exchange is not changing. Please call Club Services at 800.456.2582 to secure your week and then call RCI at 800.445.0088 to make the deposit and begin the search.

Any idea's if the points will be comparable, or if there will be an exchange fee? I'm cynical by nature, and am kinda expecting, Yes sir, 2 nites in Myrtle Beach, thats 8000 points, and $125.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

This was just announced on Friday. I'll try to get the details.

The biggest issue will be for Bluegreen owners who used points for deposit to get RCI points. This means many Bluegreen resorts will now be affiliated with RCI Points and therefore not eligible for PFD.

[mace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mace]

So UDI owners at CM and SC can no longer dump weeks into their RCI points account?

[crwisconsin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close crwisconsin]

Poor Bruce

So UDI owners at CM and SC can no longer dump weeks into their RCI points account?

Good thing that Bruce is on vacation. His heart might not take this.

Charles

[jabjaw7 Member Find all posts View Profile Close jabjaw7]

I tried calling Bluegreen, but I am not sure she understood my question.

With this new benefit, where do we login?

Will we log into Bluegreenonline.com and go to travelers plus.

Currently when I log into RCI, I put in my user/password and click WEEKS. I do not have a separate RCI points account. Will the way we login change here?

Whoever gets the answer first, might not be able to get answered til the 18th, post here...

Justine

This does sound like a nice new benefit, will just have to wait and see what it costs.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

I got some additional information. However, my contact was not 100% sure of all the details since they were not on the project team for this program. So, assume this information is close, but subject to change.

1) Not ALL Bluegreen Resorts will be included in the RCI Points directory. Only the bigger resorts with lots of inventory. To me, this means most of the Club resorts where there are lots of units available will be included in RCI Points. I doubt any of the Club Associate resorts will be included. This does mean that RCI Points for Deposit will no longer be possible for these resorts.

2) My contact believes there will be a generic conversion table by region with some adjustments. What this means to me is that RCI will give Bluegreen owners a generic value for Bluegreen points converted to RCI Points. Then, they will probably use the generic RCI Points table to assign values to resorts. So, it looks like there will be limited variation amongst resorts.

3) At time of launch, only RCI will have the points table available. We will need to call RCI Points to check availability at several resorts, compare the results to the generic RCI Points grid and see if any formula manifests itself.

I can see 2 different ways that RCI builds a points conversion table. First, it creates a conversion algorithm from Bluegreen to RCI Points. Let's say 8000 Bluegreen Points = 56000 RCI Points.

Then, it can use the generic RCI Points Grid to assign values to RCI Points resort. Or, it can use the same value and apply it to the actual RCI POints values. If I were RCI, I would do the latter.

4) I asked if there will be a website to deal with these requests. I was told not for the first year at least. We do have an item scheduled on the RCI development cycle. But, at earliest date is end of this year which means next year at the earliest.

5) Inventory will be seeded to start the program with some Bluegreen inventory. Then, a true up process will be used as we start trading between Bluegreen and RCI.

I just assumed that the exchange fees would be the standard RCI Points exchange rates. I haven't used it in a while. So, if someone knows what they are, post them here.

What we really need to know are the following:

1) Specifically, which Bluegreen resorts will now be included in the RCI Points directory.

2) What does the exchange table look like? Is it a standard conversion formula using the generic RCI Points table? Or, is it a standard formula from Bluegreen to RCI Points using the actual RCI Points tables.

3) What are the exchange fees?

[crwisconsin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close crwisconsin]

We will have to wait

I tried calling Bluegreen, but I am not sure she understood my question. ... This does sound like a nice new benefit, will just have to wait and see what it costs.

I think anyone who finds answers will spill them here without asking (if they can). Otherwise, I agree we will have to wait and we should be prepared to wait. (Bluegreen might brief Boca on the promise of confidentiality knowing full well that Boca probably understands BG better than BG and when the 18th comes Boca would take a lot of pressure off of BG by educating we eager beavers, etc.)

Charles

[crwisconsin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close crwisconsin]

So we still have to wait

I got some additional information. However, my contact was not 100% sure of all the details ... What we really need to know are the following: ...

I see that Boca and I were typing at the same time. Thanks to him for clearly laying out the general plan. Unfortunately we still have to wait til the 18th for those critical specifics that everyone has been asking about.

Charles

[SallyHoover Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close SallyHoover]

RCI Points® Transaction Fees
7 nights+ reservation $139 USD $172 CAD
6 night reservation $119 USD $147 CAD
5 night reservation $109 USD $135 CAD
4 night reservation $99 USD $123 CAD
3 night reservation $79 USD $98 CAD
2 night reservation $59 USD $73 CAD
1 night reservation $39 USD $48 CAD

Many resorts also add an additonal (cleaning) fee for stays of less than 7 nights.

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Here is more information I received from Bluegreen

Members will still be able to transact in the RCI Points and RCI Weeks world. Those with Traveler Plus just have the option of using both/either. Inventory deposited by owners into the Weeks world remains in the Weeks world. Inventory given to RCI through ceding for the RCI Points program and through reconciliation would stay in the Points system.

Existing RCI Weeks log-ins to the RCI website are not expected to work for the Points side. They will need to re-register as an RCI Points member. RCI has two separate operating systems for managing these owners.

There is not a straight conversion factor for Bluegreen Points to RCI Points. It’s a regional grid with values for areas like New England, Canada, Mexico, etc. that was collaboratively developed with the inventory management teams at both companies. The open question right now is whether or not these grids will be made available to owners or Bluegreen waits to have the online booking ability, which would be on RCI’s website come and end of year technology release.

The exchange fees are as follows. The same fee schedule currently applies for all member levels:

o 1 – 3 Nights: $79

o 4 – 6 Nights: $119

o 7 + Nights: $179

RCI reservations with Points may be booked up to 10 months out with Annual or other unrestricted Points.

o Saved Points may be used for reservations up to 45 days from check-in.

[crwisconsin Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close crwisconsin]

Existing RCI Weeks log-ins to the RCI website are not expected to work for the Points side. They will need to re-register as an RCI Points member. RCI has two separate operating systems for managing these owners

Hmmmm? Another question for January 18 (unless you have been clued in). Will those of us in Travelers Plus become "members" of RCI Points as a perk of Travelers Plus or will we have to join RCI Points and pay an annual membership fee or will we have some other status?

Charles

[BocaBum99 Super Moderator Find all posts View Profile Close BocaBum99]

Hmmmm? Another question for January 18 (unless you have been clued in). Will those of us in Travelers Plus become "members" of RCI Points as a perk of Travelers Plus or will we have to join RCI Points and pay an annual membership fee or will we have some other status?

Charles

I don't know the answer, but I believe the answer is that there is no additonal RCI fee due. Notice that the exchange fees are higher than for a normal RCI Points exchange. That is unless RCI is increasing its exchange fee for RCI Points exchanges.

[mace Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mace]

Timeshares have been killing me recently, I bought SC udi partly to deposit into an RCI points account. Now that is not an option at all? I guess I'm going to have to redouble my effort into renting this resort or selling this UDI. Horses anybody?