Calculating the $$ value of points: Help

[rrdude]

We've been TS owners (Wyndham and Masanutten, VA) for nearly ten years. And I have let my wife do "all the TS stuff, calculations, MF, trading, pooling, etc., etc.

Now however, as I am trying to use a bunch of points for a surprise trip for her this December, I am seeing how GD ugly this whole TS thing can be. But that is the topic of many other postings I suspect. (hence my joining TUG right away too..."If Only I'd not been so gloriously ignorant before.......")

I want to use Wyndham's Plus Partners \ Vacation Break travel desk to rent a car. But the minumum fee is $59 just ANY reservation. (1 day or 1 month).

They want to charge me 66,407 points for a four day rental. (plus the $59 "Fee")

I'm trying to compare what it really cost me Dollar-Wise with those points and the fee, or would I be better off just paying $305 directly to Avis?

(btw, Vacation Break only lets you use "real points", not pool credits or other...)

Any advice or links to threads that discuss this?

 

[Jya-Ning]

No link, but assume you MF is about $5 per 1K, they are asking $5 * 66 + 59 or $389. That is not count how much you already paid in-front. But we can always assume it is gone and ignore it (really so?). Let us say your MF is $4 per 1K, it is similar to $4 * 66 + 59 or $323

Compare it to $305?

And have you ask the cancel policy? If you try to make reservation on-line, most company will not penalty on that. In fact, most does not ask for deposit. I don't believe that is the case here.

If you have too many points, it may not be too bad to consume it this way.

Have you tried to use Costco? They offer some discount (http://www.costcotravel.com/#11_rentalCars). And see what kind of car discount they have? Or just go to google and type cheap car rental in xx and do a search

Jya-Ning

 

[Bill4728]

Let us say that you have a TS which generates 154K points ( which many wyndham TS do) and say that your MFs are $800 /year

Then 66K /154K pts is 43% .. 43% of $800 is $345 plus the $59 is $403

So if you use your points, you'll pay approx $403 toward the car rental.

You may find that renting thru Hotwire or Priceline will get you a much better rate than direct thru the car rental / travel websites. I just paid $225 ( total with all taxes and fees) for a 7 day full size car rental in LA. The best price that Expedia had was $426.

 

[rrdude]

Sweet

Thanks both Bill and Jya, the calculation based on the MF makes perfect sense to me. And basically since I am trying to do this trip with airline miles (done) and Wyndham points that we won't use, I think I will go for it.

Trying to use as little "out of pocket" cash as possible. But man, my head is spinning after a couple of rounds with the "reservation agents" Just found out that there is a $25 reservation CHANGE fee if I do rent the car, then modify the dates, too.......

As most newbs to TUG must comment........."If only I'd found TUG sooner........"