# Is the RCI Platinum Membership upgrade worth it?



## DaveNV (Jul 17, 2012)

RCI's website keeps wanting me to upgrade my regular Weeks membership to a Platinum membership.  I already feel like I'm being gouged by them enough as it is, but to add another $55 a year?  The list of perks sounds kind of minimal, unless the priority access for exchanges is really valid.  Is it?

For those who are RCI Platinum members, what's your opinion?  Have you gotten your money's worth?  I'm not referrring to the restaurant.com certificates mentioned in a recent thread (I can get restaurant coupons everywhere.)  I'm talking about legitimate exchange opportunities not available to the average member.  I've got an Ongoing Search in place with a TPU of 54 trying to get to Washington DC in early Summer, and so far, zilch.  Am I wasting my time hoping for something better to show?

What say you?  Yea or Nay?

Dave


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## bellesgirl (Jul 17, 2012)

So far I am not a fan.  It might be worth it if you want to go to one of the Hyatts offered, but they are asking a lot of TPUs for that and it is a hotel room only.


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## MuranoJo (Jul 17, 2012)

Dave,
I'm not a member, so hope you don't mind my reply--as I was on the 'wait and see' fence for quite awhile and now am not interested.

Here's what I've heard so far that makes me feel it's not right for me:  Other than the Hyatt hotels which come up now & then and maybe a NY option Affinia, I see little value.  

It could be valuable to someone who uses guest certificates frequently.
I don't hear of too many free upgrades, but they do happen.


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## bshmerlie (Jul 18, 2012)

Dave, I did the platinum membership for a year and didnt see any advantage. To me....not worth the money. 

Love your vacation plans by the way...great trips.


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## mav (Jul 18, 2012)

It was a waste of money for me.


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## DaveNV (Jul 18, 2012)

Well, ok then!  That's pretty unanimous.    I won't waste the time or money on it.  I own timeshares so I can avoid hotels, I've never used a guest certificate, and I was just in NYC last Fall.  Not sure when I'd want to go back there again.

Thanks, everyone!

Dave


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## DaveNV (Jul 18, 2012)

bshmerlie said:


> Love your vacation plans by the way...great trips.




Thanks! I like grouping my vacations into pseudo themes.  It's kind of fun, and not nearly as weird as it sounds.

This year it's the beach.  Already been to Hawaii twice this year, and have those two more trips planned that you see in my sig. 

Next year it's iconic mountain scenery, with four weeks of trips planned to some awesome places, ranging in an arc from Santa Fe up through Utah and Wyoming to Yellowstone, and over to Mt. Rushmore.

In 2014, (RCI Ongoing Search willing), it's going to be Colonial Virginia, Washington DC, and the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  I spent six years of my Navy career in Virginia and DC, and haven't been there in about 25 years.

As I'm coming to strongly believe:  Great vacations don't just happen - they're created.  

Dave


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## Ridewithme38 (Jul 18, 2012)

I don't think its worth it for the priority booking BUT why I have it is for the discounts on combining tpus and guest certificates. For me, the cost of platinum is the same or a little less then I spend on that


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## Mel (Jul 19, 2012)

Combining deposits results in a $25 rebate, as does a single Extra Vacation reservation.  Guest certificates get a $20 rebate.

If you're already likely to combine deposits, and use one Extra Vacation, or one Guest Certificate, it almost pays for itself.  If you assume a real cost of about $3 for the Restaurant.com certificate (assuming you use them, and can regularly get them with a 70% discount) that gives a value of up to $36.

I wouldn't purchase just for the upgrades, or priority access, but the rebates might make it worthwhile.


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## Ron98GT (Jul 19, 2012)

For me the Jury is still out.  Didn't make use of it the first year.  This year, it helped me get a 2-BR upgrade.  I will use the restaurant coupons.  It does allow you to exchange more points for airline tickets, which I almost used, and may still use in the future, just not with US Airways. I'll see how it works with Priority Access, which is important to me if I can get what I want. Either way, I will probably renew for next year.


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## Laurie (Jul 19, 2012)

My first year, yes as it turned out, but only because a city Hyatt (which was previously avail to all members for fewer TPU's) worked out nicely for me to piggyback with a conference.  Plus I needed a combine and a GC, each rebated $25, so for $5 I got to satisfy my curiosity about what's otherwise hidden. I saw there's not much. Therefore I didn't re-up at expiration, and won't until/unless I hear about specific non-timeshare destinations they're offering, or know I'll make it up in rebates. 

Honestly I'm surprised they don't offer more priority exchange choices. Even more hotel-type options in urban locations would be incentive to many, maybe the economics don't work.   BTW, I saw the $$ value of what the Hyatt was theoretically credited on my check-out statement: $600 for the wk, which broke down to about $75/nite = tax.


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## stanleyu (Jul 20, 2012)

We got it because it came with our upgrade to RCI Points. Otherwise I wouldn't have signed up. So what did we get for it? Recently we were hit upon by a resort group making a promotion (ie, trying to get us to buy in). They offered us a free stay at both domestic and foreign resorts (though we had to pay our own way to get there). They mentioned that since they saw we were Platinum members, we were discriminating and would especially appreciate their offerings. In other words, we were targeted because of our Platinum membership! So that is our big "benefit"!


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## bellesgirl (Jul 21, 2012)

Laurie said:


> ...BTW, I saw the $$ value of what the Hyatt was theoretically credited on my check-out statement: $600 for the wk, which broke down to about $75/nite = tax.


We also got a credit of $600 upon checkout at a Hyatt.  That must be how they value the exchange (which is a huge discount from the normal rate).  What was interesting was, we only stayed 5 nights, so the extra $150 was applied to other charges we made.  I think that was a mistake, but it worked for me!


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## elaine (Jul 22, 2012)

so, would this be the case?
I get platinum for my RCI points membership for $55 on August 1, 2012. 
As a result, then I get: 
"free" platinum my "free" corresponding weeks membership; 
rebate for guest certificate #1 issued on Aug. 1, 2012 on RCI points;
rebate for guest certificate #2 issued on sept 1, 2012 on RCI points;
rebate for combining RCI weeks TPUS on June 1, 21013.


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## jackio (Jul 22, 2012)

elaine said:


> so, would this be the case?
> I get platinum for my RCI points membership for $55 on August 1, 2012.
> As a result, then I get:
> "free" platinum my "free" corresponding weeks membership;
> ...



That sounds right.  To my knowledge, there is no limit on the rebates.
I used $50 in rebates, so my membership was worth it, IMO, but I really went into it to get the NY Affinia, and it disappeared pretty much as soon as I joined.


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## thebreards (Jul 30, 2012)

Does anyone know if the Hyatts are available for nightly stays (for weeks members) or does the platinum membership just open up the option to book- still in weekly increments?


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## Margariet (Jul 30, 2012)

thebreards said:


> Does anyone know if the Hyatts are available for nightly stays (for weeks members) or does the platinum membership just open up the option to book- still in weekly increments?



Still only in weeks.


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## thebreards (Jul 30, 2012)

We recently joined Platinum and it has already pretty much "paid for itself" just using the Dining Rewards.  My husband travels EXTENSIVELY for work so he has been using the $25 month dining credit on his trips.  This minimizes is dining out bills, but he still gets his max per diem.

We are getting ready to combine some weeks so once that is done with the $25 rebate it will have paid for itself.  

We really joined to access a Hyatt Property in maui for a trip next year.  As soon as we joined the current inventory popped up.  Nothing yet for 2013, but I am very hopeful that once the inventory is loaded it will have served it's purpose.  If not, we already have gotten the value out it.


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## MichaelColey (Jul 30, 2012)

There are other threads about this, but to me the only real value in Platinum is in the rebates.  If you're going to combine, buy extra vacations, or buy guest certificates more than twice a year, you come out ahead.  The other benefits are of questionable value:

Upgrades - Not very likely to happen, unless you travel to large resorts during off season.  It's usually easier to get larger units IN ADVANCE for slightly more TPU.  I haven't received an upgrade yet, but I often already have the largest unit booked.  It'll be gravy when/if it happens, but I'm not counting on it or assigning much value to it.

Priority Access - Very little inventory, and much of it is Hyatt hotels.  Affinia was a real gem the first year, but it hasn't been back.  Once again, it could be nice if you find a gem, but I'm not counting on it or assigning much value to it.

Restaurant.com certificates - I would probably value these closer to $2 each, so $24 for the year.  An okay perk (if you use them) but not a big factor.

Points Partner Program - You can use up to the higher of 50% of your points or 40k in the Points Partner Program.  This is a decent benefit if you have a low points cost and can find value in some of the options there.

Rebates - This really adds up for me since I combine a lot (4+ times a year, so $100+).

Undocumented perks, like frequently getting a 1 day head start on some of RCI's sales can be nice.  You can browse the sale options and sometimes find some real gems before they sell out.  (Not much help to me, though, because I almost always come out ahead by exchanging rather than buying extra vacations.)

The other perks are all fluff.  Experiential Vacation, Cruise, Shopping and Lifestyle stuff.


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## ampaholic (Jul 30, 2012)

I signed up and ended up asking for (and getting) my money back when the goofed on the accounting of rebates.

Not worth the hassle to me.

P.S. Can't you get Powhatan Plantation (Williamsburg) for early summer with your MROP?


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