Interval International (II) Platinum membership worth it?

[Pmuppet]

Hello, I have researched the platinum membership advantages and basically I find three worthwhile features.

1. Discounted last chance/getaway offers ($50 off I believe)

Nice feature if there is a property that is of interest to you, but I am not sure how many really utilize this feature.

2. Free companion fare airline ticket

This sounded like a great option cause if I can save $200 on a flight to my destination, this membership would be a no brainer. But after looking into how this membership applies to my upcoming vacations I found first off they don't fly to Hawaii.

Secondly, I am going to Phoenix in March, so this was a great test. I was able to book a flight with the companion fare (finally got ahold of someone who could do a "what if I bought a platinum membership scenario and they priced out this trip for me). The price they were able to get two adults coach from Seattl eto Phoenix was $720. My price on Kayak was $730.

Bottom line, nice companion fare buzzword/marketing, but as I expected, they don't provide material savings.

3. The platinum member offers free guest certificates.

This would be beneficial if you have guests or rent out your exchanges 4-5 times a year. That isn't the case for me, so this would only be of marginal benefit.

Am I missing anything? I think the companion fare might be the only way to make the platinum membership attractive, but the two cases I used it didn't work for me. Could have just been my "test scenarios," but I doubt it. If it was truly a companion fare offer (like Alaska Airlines offers), everyone would have a platinum membership (and more importantly, they wouldn't try to upsell you every time you call their call center).

The fact I am asked to upgrade my membership 80% of the time I call indicates this is a profitable program to Interval.

Am I completely wrong in my assessment of the platinum membership program? Please let me know if I am.

 

[hypnotiq]

I think it's useless (I have it)

The companion thing isn't even remotely useful. It breaks everything down by zone and requires you to spend a min amount on the first ticket. Which is significantly higher than what you'd get from Expedia, etc.

 

[VacationForever]

I have platinum membership and the greatest benefit is the free guest certificate. I own a business and give away many of my exchanges to my staff. Free guest certificates are nice as it reduces the cost of my gifts...

 

[glypnirsgirl]

I have platinum membership and the greatest benefit is the free guest certificate. I own a business and give away many of my exchanges to my staff. Free guest certificates are nice as it reduces the cost of my gifts...

+1 - I use the guest certificates alot! All of my employees are given vacations as bonuses. It is one of the reasons that I bought the most recent timeshares. All of my employees have agreed that it is one of the best things about working for me.

elaine

 

[littlestar]

I like the free guest certificates as my family is large and we book a lot of Getaways. Very worth it for us. Also, the extra $50.00 off the price is nice.

I've had good luck with the companion fare vouchers - usually when I'm checking flight prices on the site I'll take my flight choice all the way through to just before you buy it and there's usually bonus savings at the end.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

I have it and have realized its usefulness in the getaway savings so far. I have booked 3 getaways in a short amount of time so that paid for it in my case. Seems to be break even at best though for me so not sure I will stick with it.

 

[Beefnot]

When I talked to II about it earlier this year, they said that four times per year Platinum members also get super-duper exclusive members-only Getaway offers as low as $99 for a Getaway week.

 

[VacationForever]

When I talked to II about it earlier this year, they said that four times per year Platinum members also get super-duper exclusive members-only Getaway offers as low as $99 for a Getaway week.

I have yet to see this....

 

[tschwa2]

This was an offer from earlier this year. I got a mid April week 1 bedroom for a guest for $69.00. It was $175 less than the regular getaway price. No 2 bedrooms were available in Park City. It was mostly studios and one bedrooms everywhere.

Platinum Escapes - Going on Now!
From February 29 to March 6, 2012 enjoy extraordinary discounts on these select destinations.

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Studios from $22 Per Week!
Travel dates: 5/3/12 - 5/31/12

Park City, Utah
Studios from $22 Per Week!
Travel dates: 4/13/12 - 4/22/12

Austria, Alps
Studios from $32 Per Week
Travel dates: 4/7/12 - 4/24/12

Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia
1-bedrooms from $32 Per Week!
Travel dates: 3/15/12 - 3/31/12

Williamsburg, Virginia
2-bedrooms from $62 Per Week!
Travel dates: 3/2/12 - 3/11/12

Orlando, Florida
1-bedrooms from $62 Per Week!
Travel dates: 5/4/12 - 5/13/12

Hurry, these great deals end soon!

Book Now!

Terms and Conditions of Platinum Escapes
Platinum Escapes offers are valid for purchase between February 29, 2012 to March 6, 2012. Only two Platinum Escapes may be purchased for a location per Interval Membership account between February 29, 2012 and March 6, 2012. All offers are in U.S. dollars, for one-week accommodations, subject to availability, and valid on new bookings only. Platinum Escapes offers shown are valid for travel between March 2, 2012 and May 31, 2012, some dates may not apply. Accommodations during holiday periods may not be available and/or may be priced slightly higher. Bookings must be made no later than 24 hours before the desired check-in date. Unit configurations available vary at each property. Platinum Escapes rates are subject to local taxes where applicable. Prices are subject to change until Platinum Escapes confirmation is issued. Interval is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the content of this email. Use of the Platinum Escapes program is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Individual Membership and Exchange set forth in the current Interval International Resort Directory. Upon the purchase of a Platinum Escape, you do not relinquish the timeshare period that you own. All Platinum Escapes confirmations are final and nonrefundable. Certain regional restrictions may prevent you from participating in certain offers. Select resorts may not be eligible for this promotion. See additional terms and conditions upon booking.

 

[VacationForever]

This was an offer from earlier this year. I got a mid April week 1 bedroom for a guest for $69.00. It was $175 less than the regular getaway price. No 2 bedrooms were available in Park City. It was mostly studios and one bedrooms everywhere.

Did you get notified about the special or happened to see it when you logged on to II?

 

[klpca]

Did you get notified about the special or happened to see it when you logged on to II?

There's a discussion about platinum escapes on the II community pages. It appears that these deals are supposed to be sent via email but it seems that many people haven't received the emails. I just signed up for the platinum level last month so if I get the email, I'll be sure to post the information.

 

[hypnotiq]

I have yet to see this....

Ditto. Ive been a member since mid March too.

 

[Pmuppet]

I have platinum membership and the greatest benefit is the free guest certificate. I own a business and give away many of my exchanges to my staff. Free guest certificates are nice as it reduces the cost of my gifts...

Yeah, I agree the free guest certificate is definitely a nice perk. Since I only have two exchanges a year (and therefore at most two guest certificates a year), the platinum membership doesn't seem attractive to me.

I imagine if I pick up 5-7 timeshares or start trading for my entire family, it would totally make sense.

Thank you everyone for your feedback. Sounds like it has its perks, but just not for me.

 

[hjtug]

There's a discussion about platinum escapes on the II community pages. It appears that these deals are supposed to be sent via email but it seems that many people haven't received the emails. I just signed up for the platinum level last month so if I get the email, I'll be sure to post the information.

Some platinum escapes are currently advertised on the II web site. I had not noticed until I saw this post: http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180246. I received no email on this. As with the platinum escapes offer from last March, the window for reserving is short as is the availability window. Only Las Vegas and Orlando are available in the US.

 

[klpca]

Some platinum escapes are currently advertised on the II web site. I had not noticed until I saw this post: http://tugbbs.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180246. I received no email on this. As with the platinum escapes offer from last March, the window for reserving is short as is the availability window. Only Las Vegas and Orlando are available in the US.

I noticed that on the sighting board too. Thanks Pam For future reference, the Platunim Escapes were mentioned in two places on my login page. So I guess you have to login every day. No email was received.

 

[Beefnot]

I see no reason to post Platinum deals in sightings. It's freely advertised to Platinum members. Here is what TSPam posted:

Hi,

Platinum Escapes

From October 10 to October 14, 2012 enjoy extraordinary discounts on these select destinations.

Las Vegas, Nevada
1-Bedrooms from $127 Per Week!

Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
Studios from $97 Per Week!

Orlando, Florida
1-Bedrooms from $127 Per Week!

Fairmont Hot Springs, British Columbia
1-Bedrooms from $127 Per Week!

Austrian Alps
Studios from $97 Per Week!

Paphos, Cyprus
1-Bedrooms from $189 Per Week!

Hurry, these great deals end soon!

Terms and Conditions of Platinum Escapes
Platinum Escapes offers are valid for purchase between October 10, 2012 to October 14, 2012. Only two Platinum Escapes may be purchased for a location per Interval Membership account between October 10, 2012 to October 14, 2012. All offers are in U.S. dollars, for one-week accommodations, subject to availability, and valid on new bookings only. Platinum Escapes offers shown are valid for travel between October 20, 2012, and December 17, 2012, some dates may not apply. Accommodations during holiday periods may not be available and/or may be priced slightly higher. Bookings must be made no later than 24 hours before the desired check-in date. Unit configurations available vary at each property. Platinum Escapes rates are subject to local taxes where applicable. Prices are subject to change until Platinum Escapes confirmation is issued. Interval is not responsible for any errors or omissions in the content of this email. Use of the Platinum Escapes program is subject to the Terms and Conditions of Individual Membership and Exchange set forth in the current Interval International Resort Directory. Upon the purchase of a Platinum Escape, you do not relinquish the timeshare period that you own. All Platinum Escapes confirmations are final and nonrefundable. Certain regional restrictions may prevent you from participating in certain offers. Select resorts may not be eligible for this promotion. See additional terms and conditions upon booking.

 

[hjtug]

It seems like many of the platinum benefits are designed to sound good so that they entice people to upgrade to platinum but for most folks, once you learn the details, a lot of the benefits turn out to be unusable. The platinum escapes so far seem to be quite limited in US locations and times. It seems that they have been offered only twice this year. By advertising the offers on the website for only a few days it is likely that many platinum members might miss them. On the other hand, this method of notification advertises the benefit to many non-platinum members.

 

[hypnotiq]

Funny, my didnt have LV on the list.

 

[klpca]

Also the weeks that had big discounts (I remember seeing a Vegas week for $47) were very limited and available within a very short timeframe - within the next 4 weeks, I believe. After that they were regular getaway prices.

For us, the primary reason to upgrade to platinum is for the free guest certs and the discounted getaway weeks.

 

[Saintsfanfl]

You should upgrade to platinum only if you are already planning to use enough getaways and/or guest certificates to at least break even on the cost. It would generally be a waste to do it otherwise.

For us the up front savings is more than the membership. We use alot of getaways within driving distance so we save $50 a pop. Sometimes we have even booked a cheap getaway and used both ends of the week and went home in between without missing much work. To each his own but for us it is worth it just based on that.

Sometimes getaways show up only for platinum members before they show up for everyone else. I haven't booked one of those yet but I see the value.

The Platinum escape deals are super cheap. Of course they are limited. That should go without saying. You can't pay a small fee and expect to get a week at a good resort for $50-$200 without it being extremely limited. Come on. For us if one of those works out at some point it's icing on the cake. Usually we already have something planned and booked when they pop up. I am thinking about not planning ahead at all and then snag one of those. Usually you still have up to 60 days which is enough notice for us on something driving distance.

 

[hjtug]

Funny, my didnt have LV on the list.

Interesting. They are changing from day to day.

 

[TSPam]

I think that the Las Vegas weeks were all taken within hours and so are not listed any more

 

[hjtug]

II: Renewal Code for Platinum and changes in Hertz Gold

I suspect II is at it still - offering benefits of dubious value for Platinum and Gold memberships.

We purchased II Platinum almost one year ago. We have done enough Getaways in the time to make it worthwhile. I just received mail from II that includes an offer for "$50 in Discount Dollars" if I renew for one year or $100 for a two-year or a three-year renewal. Sounded good. A footnote says "See insert for details." The insert talks about "Dining Dough Certificates" for use at restaurants. Not quite so good. On the reverse some fine print indicates the restaurants can be found on DiningDough.com but it seems like you cannot find the list of restaurants until you purchase the Platinum membership and get a redemption code. Not nearly so good. I will ignore this as a factor in my decision on Platinum renewal unless someone has already renewed and has information on what restaurants may be involved. The Promotion Code is: SHPNG3B.

Another benefit that I value from Platinum (or Gold) memberships is the free one class upgrade that I receive from the Hertz #1 Plus Gold membership. So I noted with interested a statement in the mailing saying, "Plus, new benefit update - Hertz Gold Plus Rewards." I went to Hertz.com and it seems that Hertz has replaced the #1 Plus Gold program with the new Hertz Gold Plus Rewards. Apparently there was a charge for joining the old program so it seems to have been a real benefit from II. However, the new program seems to be free and, if this is the case, the message more accurately might have said something like, "Plus, benefit update - no longer any Hertz benefit". I was worried that we will lose the free one car class upgrade under the new program. I telephoned Hertz and the rep confirmed that the new program is free, but claimed it will have all the benefits of the old, including the upgrade. It is hard for me to believe that Hertz will now give all the benefits at no charge.

 

[twinmommy19]

Yes I agree that II has reduced the benefits. The free airline certificate is now a discount certificate instead of a free flight... The benefits are substantially less than they were when the program first started. The priority view feature is pretty worthless and arbirtrary.

All that said - II will continue to get our business for Platinum level so long as they maintain the free guest certificate policy. The $50 off the getaways is a nice perk too, but it's the guest certificates that make it worth the added membership cost to us.

 

[Ron98GT]

I haven't found the Gold upgrade to be very useful, except for using the Entertainment Book. But now that Entertainment has gone bankrupt, nobody will accept the the Entertainment card/discounts. I was suppose to get $80 off a Cat Cruise out of Ko'Olina earlier this month, but then couldn't use the discount.

I tried to use the card last December for discounted hotel stays in Florida, but I got a better deal booking directly with Hilton.

I will not renew my Gold upgrade (what upgrade?).