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Get The Best Out Of Your RCI Timeshare Week
January 8, 2009 by Fractional Property Ownership, Timeshare & Luxury Travel Magazine · 1 Comment
Are you new to the world of timeshare or someone who’s enjoyed RCI exchange holidays for many years? Perhaps you’re considering taking the plunge?
We at RCI want to ensure you get the best possible holiday you can. So we’re taking this opportunity to make sure you get great value from your week’s timeshare ownership by helping you to better understand how RCI’s weeks exchange system works.
RCI is the leading holiday exchange provider, having introduced exchange holidays over 30 years ago. Many owners are automatically enrolled into RCI membership when they first buy their timeshare. Others enrol independently, attracted by the benefits of being able to take exchange holidays in a selection of RCI’s 4,000 affiliated resorts, spread across more than 100 countries. The majority of members renew their membership for many years, enjoying not only the exciting and varied destinations RCI has to offer, but also the many additional holiday and travel services available exclusively to RCI members.
Put simply, the exchange system allows a timeshare owner to deposit their own week or weeks into their exchange provider’s pool of deposited weeks. They then submit an exchange request for a selected resort somewhere else. If the requested accommodation is available for the week required they will be able to exchange it with another member’s week from the pool of deposits and so enjoy a holiday at a different location and different time of year.
Choice and availability of accommodation for exchanging members is dependent on having as many weeks as possible in the exchange pool, as early in the year as possible, to ensure weeks are there when members begin to plan their holidays. RCI recommends depositing your week or weeks as early as you can – even if you’re not sure where you might want to holiday later in the year.
Early depositing means you increase the exchange options available to you and your fellow members.
RCI allows its members to deposit their weeks any time between 2 years and 2 weeks before the start date of the member’s own deposited week. They can then request an exchange between 2 years and 46 days before the start of travel.
Of course the system is a little bit more complicated than that, as each deposited week has something called trading power, which is an indication of the level of demand for a particular time of year or a particular resort. So, for example, a peak season school holiday week (an RCI red week) would have more trading power than an off-peak season week (an RCI blue or white week).
Depositing your week early increases the trading power of your week, and other factors such as the resort review feedback and size of property all influence the amount of trading power a deposited week has. Once a week is deposited and has been allocated trading power, an owner can see exactly what they can exchange into.
The best way to do this is using the rci.com website, which allows owners to see what is available and when – as well as providing detailed information about each resort and destination. Once a match is established, the holiday exchange is confirmed and an exchange fee paid.
It is important to understand that trading is also dynamic and so changes across time, dependent on the other deposits and exchanges that are taking place. If an ideal exchange match cannot be confirmed immediately, RCI members can lodge a pending search, and will be notified by an RCI Guide when a suitable exchange comes into the system.
The fact that RCI has twice as many affiliated resorts as its nearest competitor means its system works laterally and widens search parameters to find suitable holiday options. This is when being a little flexible can pay dividends. Rather than being fixed on a single resort, looking at the whole of an area or destination will provide more choice and opportunity to get to holiday in a preferred destination. Thinking about the type of holiday you want can help too – for example, if you want to golf, then considering a range of golfing destinations will again deliver more choice.
RCI is also able to make all the travel arrangements to go with your exchange holiday, including flights, car hire and travel insurance. RCI membership brings other benefits too. It is possible to combine a week’s exchange with an additional tour or experience by booking an RCI Exchange Holiday plus a safari or a cruise, giving an even more exciting dimension to your holiday.
In addition, the scale and buying power of RCI means it can offer other holidays, including short breaks, late offers and cruises at particularly competitive rates, often providing exclusive deals on travel and holidays. There are also many other member benefits in the form of special discounts and exclusive services. RCI never stands still. The product and service teams within RCI are continually looking at ways to offer members more benefits and services and there are some great new developments due for launch in the coming months. So, watch this space…
In future issues we’ll be looking at ways that RCI Points owners can get the best out of their ownership, as well as many other aspects of RCI’s offerings.
To get the most from your RCI week don’t forget…
* Deposit early
* Be flexible
* Use the rci.com website
* Use the travel and support services.
For more information visit RCI’s website at www.rci.com
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