I've been a member of that site since about 2008.
It's expensive, but has its uses.
However, I've had a some success with it. You need to remember that this a bit like any other dating site. You won't meet women who will just jump into bed with you. They actually want to be dated, and have a connection. Therefore, you will need to fork out quite a lot in entertaining and getting to know each other before it goes anywhere. You will also most likely need to fork out, or jointly fork out for a hotel.
I've found that the best success is from women who have got in touch with me, not the other way round. Searching and emailing them seemed to be a waste of time.
The best way to 'work' the site is to get the gold plus membership and put yourself in "holiday" mode which freezes the clock on your membership. Wait for someone who you like the sound of to get in touch with you. Come off holiday to correspond etc, then go back on holiday when finished. Repeat.
The OP suggests lots of emails at the start. You can check to see how many are real by seeing your profile views. If they haven't viewed you, it's the site faking it. They do this a lot.
If your looking for something cheaper than punting, this is NOT it.
If your looking for something different, this could be something for you, assuming you prefer to get it on with someone who really likes you a lot too. And it's not one-off encounters, most hookups last quite a while, so you have some level of trust you don't have with punting, and of course, you can use protection at your mutual discretion.
Personally, I stopped using the site a while ago. You're much more likely to find someone in 'real life' who would be much keener to sleep with you, assuming you go out a lot to clubs and bars. Having said that I have had a great time with some great women.
Just my 2cents worth.