5 Reasons To Book Your Travel Through Costco – The Motley Fool

If you have a membership to Costco, it pays to explore your travel options.

Key points

• Costco is known for its competitive price points on household essentials.
• The warehouse club also offers a host of travel deals, including flexible payment options.

A lot of people are itching to travel more this year, and if you’re one of them, you have choices. You could book your travel through a site like Expedia, engage the services of a travel agent (which you’ll often enjoy for free), or arrange your next trip through Costco if you’re a member. Here are five benefits you might enjoy if you go the latter route.

1. Great customer service

Costco prides itself on great customer service. And that extends to its dedicated travel team. If you need help navigating your travel choices, you can speak to a travel consultant who can help you select the right itinerary. If you hit any snags after making your plans, such as if you book a cruise that gets canceled, you can call Costco for support.

2. Flexible payment options

When you book travel through Costco, you’ll often have the option to put down a deposit on your trip and pay off the balance over time. You may also have the option to cancel for a refund, partial refund, or credit at different stages throughout your payment schedule.

An Executive Membership at Costco costs $120, which is $60 more per year than a regular Costco membership. But in exchange, you get to earn 2% cash back on Costco purchases — and that extends to travel. Plus, if you use the right credit card, you can save even more. Costco members who book travel with a Costco Anywhere Visa® Business Card by Citi earn 3% cash back.

Costco vacation plans are designed for Costco members. Often, they go above and beyond what you’d get by booking independently. For example, your travel package might come with extra meal credits, a bottle of champagne in your hotel room, free airport transfers, or other perks that are only available to people who book through Costco.

5. Cash back at Costco

Some Costco purchases result in a Costco gift card, and travel counts in that regard. If you book your travel with Costco, you might get a percentage of your trip back in gift card form. If you shop there often, that’s the equivalent of cash.

Are there drawbacks to booking travel with Costco?

Costco is known for its discounted price points, but some of its travel itineraries are far from cheap. And some of Costco’s most popular destinations, like Alaska, are notoriously expensive to visit. That said, you might spend less to see those places if you book through Costco compared to another source.

Also, Costco offers vacation packages to a wide range of destinations. But does it cover every single destination? No. If you really want to get off the beaten path, Costco may not be a good source for your travel needs. But if you’re looking to explore popular vacation spots like Hawaii or the Caribbean, then it pays to see what options Costco has to offer.