Vacation Points Clubs

A vacation points club allows travelers to pre-purchase "points" that can be applied to annual vacations. These points sometimes represent real interest in a real estate property, or else are often linked to a "home" resort that will be your primary vacation destination. Points are generally purchased for a set amount, and then assessed an annual fee per point during the period of ownership. Usually, the number of points required will vary, depending on how many people are expected to be in your group, the season in which you usually wish to travel, the quality of accommodations you prefer, and other factors. Sometimes there are other ways to save points (and thus money) depending on the particular program. Buena Vista Exeter, for example, allows you to use only half the normally required points if you book your hotel within 30 days of your intended arrival, resulting in a substantial savings -- or even two vacations a year for the price of one!

Other factors to look for - membership in a larger body. If the club belongs to RCI, which is an exchange company, you have even more options, often being able to exchange your points for your home resort for an opportunity to stay at any resort within the RCI network. This will dramatically increase your list of possible vacation destinations if you wish to travel to a different location each year.

Another benefit with some clubs are discounts on a variety of vacation-related services. These can include auto rental, airline flights, travel insurance, and similar services.

Rollover points (or the option to borrow from next year's points) also provide the best value and allow you to keep the maximum benefit of your purchased points even if unforeseen circumstances affect your ability to travel at a particular time. If you had planned your vacation during the last month of the year, you wouldn't want to lose that year's vacation altogether (even though it was already paid for) simply because a change of plans caused you to have to put your vacation off until January.

Also, if you are interested in flexibility from year to year, make sure the program you are considering offers this option, as some are restricted to a single resort.