Value of RCI Platinum?

[kwelty]

I would like to know if RCI members have found it worthwhile to pay for Platinum especially for upgrading from a one bedroom to a two BR. Are the chances of success very good?

 

[tschwa2]

Chances of upgrading is not high unless it is a resort that regularly has 2 br units in the open availability at 14 days-3 days prior to check in that sit untalented for several hours.

 

[alexinorlando]

Rci Platinum is worth it if you book a significant amount of guest certificates and or last calls and get away weeks with them. Don’t do it just for the upgrades those are far and few between.

 

[tschwa2]

One of my favorite features as an rci points member is unlimited ongoing searches without preparing the exchange fee. I usually have 7-10 going at any given time.

 

[kwelty]

Thanks for the good advice. Since it is only the unit upgrades that I am interested in, I'll just stick with the basic membership.
Keith

 

[escanoe]

Chances of upgrading is not high unless it is a resort that regularly has 2 br units in the open availability at 14 days-3 days prior to check in that sit untalented for several hours.

This is generally true, but I have had remarkably good luck lately. I had a week in a 2BR at Spinnaker Waterside on HHI upgrades to a 3BR the first week of August this summer.

Seems to me there is a fair amount of inventory churn (maybe a lingering effect of the pandemic) that has given me a higher rate of success lately.

 

[tschwa2]

This is generally true, but I have had remarkably good luck lately. I had a week in a 2BR at Spinnaker Waterside on HHI upgrades to a 3BR the first week of August this summer.

Seems to me there is a fair amount of inventory churn (maybe a lingering effect of the pandemic) that has given me a higher rate of success lately.

other than a few random massanutten upgrades my only success (which was a good one) was a mid june week from Boardwalk one to Ocean time and I had ocean time booked for following week so it kept me from overlapping a day and got me a larger unit -which I did still have to move due to the fixed week nature of ocean time but they didn't make me move unit the new unit was ready.

You can't reliably expect upgrades/resort changes but can be a welcome surprise when they happen.

When ever I book Massanutten especially when I don't plan on staying the entire week I book Woodstone or Summit and request Regal Vistas and that upgrade happens about 1 in 4 so far.

 

[escanoe]

other than a few random massanutten upgrades my only success (which was a good one) was a mid june week from Boardwalk one to Ocean time and I had ocean time booked for following week so it kept me from overlapping a day and got me a larger unit -which I did still have to move due to the fixed week nature of ocean time but they didn't make me move unit the new unit was ready.

We like to go to Williamsburg a fair amount ... but are also okay going to Massanutten. For Labor Day (Friday check-in) they did not have a resort I wanted available in Williamsburg. So, I booked a $160 VV internal exchange for Massanutten and put a request in for several of the places we wanted in Williamsburg. It processed at 13 days out and got one of our preferred places in Williamsburg. It can be a good deal if you are okay taking your chances.

When ever I book Massanutten especially when I don't plan on staying the entire week I book Woodstone or Summit and request Regal Vistas and that upgrade happens about 1 in 4 so far.

Why this seldom works for me is we always need a Friday check-in when we stay less than a week at Massanutten. The lack of a Friday check-in option at Regal Vistas undermines my request before I can make it.

 

[tschwa2]

I've been doing a Sun-Sun into Woodstone and coming Wednesday or Thursday afternoon with a check out on Sunday to make it work.

 

[AwayWeGo]

Thanks for the good advice. Since it is only the unit upgrades that I am interested in, I'll just stick with the basic membership.
Keith

Since going Platinum 3 years ago, we got Unit Upgrades both times we requested them -- reserved 1BR units, got 2BR both times. (Each of those upgrades essentially paid for the cost of that year's Platinum membership.)

In our 1st year of Platinum status, the discounts we got on 3 Last Call reservations added up to the cost of upgrading to Platinum.

Based on that experience, we're apt to stick with Platinum a while longer, even though we don't bother with Ongoing Searches & seldom need Guest Certificates.

-- Alan Cole, McLean (Fairfax County), Virginia, USA.​