Leverage Your Costco Membership for Fantastic Vacation Deals

When you think of shopping at Costco, you might picture a bustling store filled with oversized packages of everyday items and snacks. However, you may not realize that you can also book vacations through Costco, often at fantastic prices, using their in-house travel agency, Costco Travel.

Let’s explore what to expect when you utilize Costco Travel for your next getaway.

What is Costco Travel?

Costco Travel serves as Costco’s in-house travel agency. It is available to all Costco members, but you must create a separate Costco Travel account before making any bookings. While anyone can browse the Costco Travel website, only members can view prices and finalize travel arrangements.

Functioning like other online travel agencies, Costco Travel enables members to reserve vacation packages, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and theme park tickets. Note that flights cannot be booked individually through Costco Travel; they must be included in a travel package.

Is a membership required to use Costco Travel?

Yes, a Costco membership is required to access Costco Travel. There are two membership tiers available, both of which are valid. A Gold Star membership costs $60 annually, while an Executive membership is priced at $120 per year.

The Executive membership may be advantageous for frequent Costco shoppers, as it provides 2% cash back each year on eligible Costco purchases, including those made through Costco Travel, up to $1,000 annually.

This means that if you spend at least $3,000 a year at Costco (covering in-store, online, and Costco Travel transactions), the Executive membership becomes a more economical choice compared to the Gold Star membership.

Executive members can also access additional perks on select vacation packages. You can find these offers on the Costco Travel website under Deals>Member Specials>Executive Member Benefits. Benefits vary by package and may include a $100 spa credit, a $100 resort credit, a $100 shipboard credit, a private beach lunch, and more. These bonuses can often outweigh the price difference between the Gold Star and Executive memberships.

How to Book Through Costco Travel 

Hotels 

While it is possible to book a hotel through Costco Travel, your choices are somewhat restricted unless the hotel is included in a vacation package. Notably, some popular destinations, such as Maui, Cancun, and Punta Cana, do not provide any standalone hotel options through Costco Travel.

If you manage to find a standalone hotel available for booking through Costco, keep in mind that if it participates in a hotel loyalty program (like Hyatt, Hilton, Marriott, or IHG), you will probably not earn hotel points or elite night credits, and any status you hold may not be honored. This can make booking such hotels through online travel agencies like Costco Travel less appealing for many travelers.

Cruises

Costco Travel provides options for cruises on 11 different cruise lines, featuring some of the most popular brands in the industry, including Royal Caribbean, Disney Cruise Line, Norwegian, and Princess.

There are numerous cruise booking websites available, all offering fairly comparable pricing. The variations come in the additional perks such as drink packages, onboard credit, and, specifically with Costco Travel, complimentary Costco shop cards. The value of these shop cards can range based on the cruise and room type, typically falling between $25 and $95 for shorter cruises, and potentially reaching up to $425 for longer ones.

Although Costco Travel provides excellent cruise deals, a drawback is that you can only search for one month at a time. This limitation may create additional effort for those with flexible travel dates who wish to explore a broader range of options simultaneously.

Theme Parks

Costco members have the option to buy vacation packages for Disney (U.S. locations only) and Universal Orlando through Costco Travel. These packages typically include hotel stays and theme park tickets, along with perks like early park access, transportation, waived resort fees, or credits for food and beverages.

Rental Cars 

Using Costco Travel to book a rental car is simple, with options available from four major rental companies: Alamo, Avis, Budget, and Enterprise.

The results are shown in a clear grid layout, highlighting the lowest price for each car type in red. While this format is great for those who prefer ease, it’s worth noting that Costco Travel may not always offer the lowest rates, as it doesn’t include all rental car companies. 

Vacation Packages 

A Costco vacation package includes a hotel along with a flight and/or rental car. These packages are available for various destinations across North America, the South Pacific, Europe, and Africa. Additionally, specialty vacation packages are offered through select providers such as Contiki, Lion World Travel, Adventures by Disney, and Trafalgar Worldwide Guided Vacations.

Vacation packages from Costco Travel can provide significant savings compared to booking flights and hotels separately, often including extras like airport transfers and Costco shop cards. 

The value of these shop cards varies, typically increasing with the total cost of your vacation. We've seen Costco shop card offers ranging from approximately $150 to over $900 for a week-long vacation package.

Some packages include activities at no additional cost. While this can be a great benefit, be aware that the inclusion of these activities might raise the overall price compared to booking through other sites or separately. 

Costco Travel can help you save money, particularly on vacation packages, but it’s wise to compare prices across different websites to ensure you find the best deal and package for your needs.