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Re: RCI Exchange Experiences (by KC):

lanitap reports in part: >> I have booked over 100+ trips using RCI, and each and everytime have gotten what I wanted at quality locations.<< ================================================ That's certainly a minority viewpoint, but I am nonetheless glad for your reported satisfaction. It will be interesting to see if your view is still the same a year from now. Your contentment surely does not mirror the experiences of a whole lot of people consistently reporting (on several different timeshare sites) seeing their RCI exchange ability (and quality) steadily diminish in recent years. While I only rarely exchange, personally, I still find it very hard to believe that the lawsuit against RCI (filed over this very issue of decreasing exchange availability) is without merit. But that's ultimately for the courts to decide.

With RCI having acquired SnapTravel and Leisure Link, both events occuring within about the past four months for the sole purpose of RCI RENTING OUT weeks directly to the general public, it seems clearly inevitable that quality exchange inventory will continue to shrink in availability. The same weeks can't be (and already aren't) simultaneously available to several different markets and direct rentals are obviously much more profitable for RCI than merely collecting exchange fees from RCI members. Notable exceptions for availability are places like Orlando / Kissimmee, where there is just such a glut of timeshare facilities that there is virtually always something available there. Try exchanging with RCI for places like coastal SW Florida in winter or Hawaii (almost anytime) however, and the availability results become markedly different..."nada".