Points vs. Weeks
Published
Timeshares are an investment in your vacation future. The longer you own one, the more money you will save on your yearly vacation costs. They can be a bit confusing to new owners, so here are a few tips to get the most out of your timeshare.
Many timeshare companies run on points now. They can be used at different resorts, for different weeks. They also may be able to be used to purchase airline frequent flier miles or cruise vacations. You can often bank your points year to year or book 2 shorter vacations. Be mindful of deadlines and expiration dates. Be sure to contact your timeshare company’s customer service department to get help using your points effectively. Many of these customer service representatives are timeshare owners themselves and know all of the ins and outs of booking.
So, what’s better, points or weeks?
Timeshare owner Jeff writes:
“I am a points type owner with Fairfield and yet I am an RCI weeks member. Points are always going to be much more flexible. For instance, although I like extended vacations, sometimes I just want to go for the weekend. I can do this with points.
A misconception people have about points is that you don't have a deeded property. This is not true. With Fairfield I have what is called an undivided interest which means I share the overall property with everyone else who owns at my resort, not just a particular unit in that resort. If you own a particular unit, you share ownership with everyone who has every other week in that year for that unit only. So, an undivided interest is the same except on a broader scale.”
So, it depends on what you are looking for. If you always want to go for a week to the same location, a week-based timeshare might be for you. If you want more flexibility, points are the way to go.
If timeshare ownership becomes too cumbersome for you, you can check out timeshare resale sites like Bay Tree Solutions in order to sell your timeshare fast and for the maximum value.