Ask a group of Vacation Specialists
how a Bluegreen owner can get the
most out of his or her Bluegreen
Vacation Points and you get a
surprising assortment of responses.
When
Colorful Places asked your
Vacation Specialists, their answers
revealed some great point-maxing
strategies and we're sharing them
with you. Put them to work this year
to get the most and the best vacations
for your Bluegreen Points.
Everyone we talked to agreed that
recalling the adage
"the early bird
gets the worm" was a great first step
to making the most of Vacation
Points. Remember the
11-month
reservation
window and make your vacation
request as early as possible within
the booking window.
You can
book 11
months in advance if you're using
your annual or saved Points. As you know,
you
cannot use Saved Points for vacations
in peak seasons like Special, Leaf,
Ultra-Red or High-Red.
"Flexibility" explained one Vacation
Specialist, "is so important," and she's
right, of course. Having a few back-up
plans virtually ensures success.
Consider
alternative resorts.
Choose several dates you can work
with, and be willing to downsize or
upsize your accommodations.
"
Take advantage of every possible
promotion." That's more good advice.
Last fall, Bring-a-Friend and Extra-
Night promotions at some resorts
made Points go even further. More
Points promotions are planned for 2008, too.
A seasoned Vacation Specialist gave
the question a moment of careful
thought before he responded. "The
exchange company may be the
best resource for maximizing the value
of Points," he explained. "If you know
you aren't able to vacation this year,
call in early to request an exchange."
Once arranged, you can take up to
2 years to use your week. And think
of the places you can go — Madrid or
Montreal, Calcutta or Cancun. As our
thoughtful Specialist says, "This is an
exceptionally good plan when you
know you have Points that may be
expiring."
If you find yourself with an abundance
of Points, here are a couple of bright
suggestions to keep them from going
to waste. You might consider using
Points as a gift. A vacation is
ideal as an anniversary or wedding
present. Even two nights away can be a delightful
honeymoon — and it's easy
to arrange. You can also give your
Points to charity. To arrange this gift,
make a reservation in the name of the
charity and then supply the traveler's
name to Bluegreen a few weeks before
the reservation. Using this idea allows
the Bluegreen owner to use Points as
a
tax-deductible, charitable
contribution. Be sure to check with
your legal counsel or accountant for details.
Remember that as a
Bluegreen Traveler Plus™ member, you
have additional ways to maximize
your Points, too. If you're short on
Points, you can rent additional Points
if you need more to make another
vacation possible. Points can be
rented in increments of 1,000. They
are valid for a one-time deposit into
your account and and you have up to
12 months in which to use them.
Review your Traveler Plus PointSmart
SM
benefits and you'll find Hot Weeks — a great way to get maximum "pow"
for your Points. If you're a Traveler Plus member, sign in to
Bluegreen Online and go to
Traveler Plus > PointSmart > Resort Hot Weeks to find these last-minute vacation opportunities online. You must
check in and out on specific days at
specific resorts, but wow, you'll
really save Vacation Points!
Hot Weeks stays require only 3,000
Points for a 7-day stay and you
may use saved Points.
You can track your Points
online,
so you'll always know how many you have at
your disposal, ready to send you on
a wonderful week or a fabulous few
days someplace special. For personal
help making the most of your Points
and the best vacations possible, call
a Vacation Specialist. Yours is waiting
at
800.456.CLUB (2582).
