Even if you love shopping at Costco, it may not be the first place you think of when it comes time to plan your summer vacation. That may be a mistake. There are a lot of great reasons to check out Costco Travel before your next trip. Here are four big ones.
1. You can save hundreds of dollars
The top reason to book through Costco Travel is the money you can save. I compared three real trips on Costco Travel vs. booking direct, and Costco was consistently cheaper.
At the low end, Costco Travel was 7% cheaper (which still worked out to more than $500 in savings in that case). And at the high end, Costco Travel was 15% less than booking directly through the travel companies.
And yes, those types of discounts also apply when you book Disney vacation packages through Costco Travel. Indeed, depending on the package you book, you could save 15% plus get an extra Disney Gift Card.
2. Executive members can earn 2% back
If you’re already a Costco Executive member, then you definitely want to check out Costco Travel. Costco Travel purchases are eligible to earn the 2% Costco Reward that makes the Executive membership so valuable.
Your typical vacation can start at $1,000, so that extra 2% back can add up quickly:
| Vacation Cost | 2% Costco Reward |
|---|---|
| $1,000 | $20 |
| $2,000 | $40 |
| $3,000 | $60 |
| $4,000 | $80 |
| $5,000 | $100 |
| $6,000 | $120 |
| $7,000 | $140 |
| $8,000 | $160 |
| $9,000 | $180 |
| $10,000 | $200 |
Source: Author’s calculators
Even better, that 2% is extra on top of what you’re already saving on your trip by using Costco Travel instead of booking directly.
3. Book your flights, hotel, and car in one go
Planning a major vacation can include a lot of moving parts. You book your flights with the airline, your accommodations through the hotel, and your vehicle through the rental car company. That’s three separate transactions with three different businesses. (And three different username/password combos to remember.)
You can skip all of that if you use Costco Travel. You can book flights, hotels, and rental cars all at the same time, in one package. Consider Costco Travel your easy-to-use digital travel agency.
4. Earn bonus points on most travel rewards cards
I didn’t use the term “travel agency” in the last point by accident; your Costco Travel purchases will generally show up on your credit card as a “travel agency” purchase.
Why is that important? Because a lot of top travel rewards credit cards consider travel agencies to be a valid part of their travel category. This means you can earn bonus rewards on those purchases, just as you would if you booked your travel directly with the airline, hotel, or rental car agency.
The main point to keep in mind is that Costco doesn’t accept any and all credit cards. You can only use Visa or Mastercard credit cards to make your Costco Travel purchase. This limits your card options, but it still leaves a ton of great travel rewards card options.
Another way to maximize your membership
When it costs you at least $60 a year just to be a Costco member, you need to make sure you’re getting your full value. The savings you can get through Costco Travel is just one more way to really make the most of your membership fee.
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