Sunday, July 13, 2008

Armed Forces Vacation Club

The Armed Forces Vacation Club is a vacation rental program for members of, and those affiliated with, the United States Department of Defense. The vacation rental program prides itself in its high-quality, 7 night vacation package for only $329.

Are they a Timeshare Resort?
No, they're not. Their program deals with excess units at timeshare resorts around the world that the owners are willing to rent out in the off season at a very reasonable rate. Many times the units are available for last minute travel (also known as Space-A, or space available), so those looking for vacation rentals have to be flexible. Again, they are not a timeshare broker, and participants will not be required to attend a seminar or be subject to any high-pressure sales pitches.

AFVC began the vacation rental program to a limited military audience in 1999, and was so popular that it was opened globally to to all seven Uniformed Services, active duty or retired (medical or regular), reserves, and National Guard by the end of 2000.

Additional AFVC Vacation Rental Programs
High demand - This program offers vacation rentals at premium resorts, throughout the year, for a negotiated rate. AFVC claims that this rate is "discounted commercial".

Nightly Getaway - An alternative to their 7 day program, this vacation rental package allows you to rent units by the night, providing more flexibility than a fixed-length option.

Off-Duty Travelers Advantage - This is a discount program affiliated with AFVC that allows general discount booking of flights, hotels, rental cars, and other vacation rental properties.

AFVC Drawbacks
The main downside of this program (providing you're eligible to use it) is the last minute nature of planning a vacation. If you're flexible and keep your eyes open you can find some terrific deals on premier locations worldwide. Also, some of the resorts are all all-inclusive, and the $329 standard 7 night fee does not include the fee for all-inclusive amenities. It comes down to a cost-benefit analysis of how much you think you'll spend on food and drink versus what the vacation rental is charging for the package. Run the numbers and see for yourself..

If you're eligible for this program and flexible with your travel dates, take a look. You'll be hard-pressed to find a better deal on a vacation rental.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hello. You’ve got a great blog. Vacation Travel Club is on this great site www.pissedconsumer.com. I went there to read the customers’ reports and feedbacks about it. I should say that not much bad was filed about it compared to others, however, it is still scary to be engaged in any misunderstandings.

Vacation Club said...

Great post on the AFVC. It truly is a great benefit offered to our military personnel past and present. If only more people knew about it!