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The Digital Costco Shop Cards can be used for Costco warehouse purchases (a game changer with grocery prices so high due to inflation), but you can also use them toward future Costco Travel bookings. You could use a Digital Costco Shop Card to buy a new flat-screen TV for movie nights and game days, a new outdoor patio setup ahead of summer or even Costco Pharmacy prescriptions. At the time of writing, Costco is currently offering a hotel and rental car package for Hotel Wailea, a Relais & Chateaux affiliated property and one of TPG's favorite Maui hotels. Although we know (and love) Costco warehouses for their bulk bargains, not all categories at Costco require plus-sized buys. (Think jeans, mattresses and wine, which can be purchased individually.) Cruises are the same. But the reality is that you can benefit from a Costco membership even if you never so much as enter a store.
Costco and Disney partner on major vacation offers for travelers - TheStreet
Costco and Disney partner on major vacation offers for travelers.
Posted: Tue, 16 Jan 2024 08:00:00 GMT [source]
Everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money
You'll also have to use Costco customer service if you run into any issues rather than going directly to the brand. This is especially important when considering booking a vacation package that includes flights, given the higher potential for delays or cancellations. I've found that the Costco Travel deals alone are worth paying the $60 Gold Star annual membership fee, even though I don't regularly use Costco for my grocery store runs.
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However, when looking at properties not part of a major loyalty program, Costco Travel is often a go-to anytime I can find a deal. I actually got a Costco membership to book the deal since the cost of the membership was less than what we'd save by booking through Costco. We saved around $300 on a three-night stay at TRS Coral near Cancun (one of TPG's best all-inclusive resorts in Cancun), not including the free hydrotherapy spa circuit and the $241 Digital Costco Shop Card included in the package. I am typically a staunch proponent of booking directly, but Costco Travel is an exception. I've found that the benefits I can get by booking some trips via Costco outweigh the cons (some of which include having to go through Costco for any customer service help or occasionally losing out on elite night credits).
Things You Didn't Know About Booking a Costco Cruise
The total cost when booking each part (hotel, tickets and airfare) individually came to $2,701.35, while booking it as a package via Costco saved just over $300. Please note, cruise prices do not include any additional government taxes or fees, administrative fees, gratuities, or fuel surcharges. The cruise lines reserve the right to collect any tax or fuel surcharge increases up until the time of sailing, even if the fare has been paid in full. For all travel, any government-imposed increases in fees or taxes are the passenger’s responsibility to pay, even if the reservation is paid in full. "Costco is usually the best deal," says KirkNC, who is careful to compare multiple outlets before locking in a fare. "We get around 8 percent back in onboard credits, which are refundable, so if we don't use them we get a credit back on our credit card."
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And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing. If you walk around a Costco warehouse, you'll see everything from a clothing aisle to a toy aisle to a beauty aisle. Costco also carries a wide variety of electronics, household appliances, and more. So all told, even if you don't buy a single grocery item at Costco, a membership could still very much end up being worth it. But the ability to bring home bulk items from Costco hinges on having a place to store them.
It's More Than the Usual Shipboard Credits
It features a lengthy 0% intro APR period, a cash back rate of up to 5%, and all somehow for no annual fee! If you live in a city, limited storage space may not be your only impediment to joining Costco. You might also have a hard time actually getting to a Costco store if you're someone without a car. Having reservation information for multiple aspects of a trip, such as a hotel and rental car package, makes sharing and saving the itineraries a breeze. Costco Travel has a nice deals section, and I usually look there first if I'm not sold on a specific destination for a getaway. While deals found on Costco generally have a narrow booking window, I've found that many offer a lot of flexibility for the actual trip dates.
You can book hotels, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages through Costco Travel. Vacation packages range from hotel-only offers to all-encompassing packages that include airfare, hotel stays and rental cars. All Costco members have access to the Costco Travel booking platform, where you can find and book a wide range of travel — from vacation packages to hotels, cruises and rental cars. You can even book theme park vacation packages to Disney and Universal or specialty vacations such as an African safari. Costco offers these benefits to their customers on select cruises; executive-level Costco members usually receive even greater credits. Costco members can find everything from groceries to household necessities to electronics to a pharmacy, and more.
Similarly, if you're someone who likes to travel, it could be worth joining Costco for the travel packages alone. A Costco vacation package to the Caribbean, for example, might cost you $2,500 for a week's stay. Booking a comparable package on your own or even with an outside travel agent might cost you $3,000. I'm often the travel planner in my friend group (which makes sense, considering what I do for a living), but not everyone is an avid points and miles user like myself. For group trips where we're splitting the cost of hotel rooms among multiple people, it often doesn't make sense to use points and miles to book. A few examples of limited-time deals for January include Hotel Wailea from the example earlier in this guide, all-inclusive resorts in Mexico's Riviera Maya, and Disney and Universal theme park packages.
Does a Costco Membership Make Sense if You Live in a City?
Members will also get savings on Costco Services, including the Costco Gas Station and Costco Tire Center, and others that can connect you with auto and home insurance, pet insurance, and identity protection. Booked direct through the cruise line, a the lowest-priced balcony cabin came to $1,894 per person, including a $100 onboard credit offer. Something else to consider when booking hotels through Costco Travel is loyalty program rewards and elite status. There are a lot of hotels available to book through Costco Travel that are part of major loyalty programs, from Hyatt Honors to Marriott Bonvoy to IHG One Rewards and more.
But booking through Costco Travel — just like booking through most other third-party services such as Expedia — means you likely won't earn loyalty rewards, elite night credits or have any elite night benefits honored. Costco Travel vacation packages offer a way for all of us to save money, and it makes narrowing down potential destinations and hotels easier. Costco isn't just the place where you can buy toilet paper in bulk, inexpensive gas, cheap hot dogs and gift cards. You can also book great trips via the company's online travel agency, Costco Travel. When I'm looking at booking a hotel stay at a brand like Hyatt or Marriott, I generally choose to book directly in order to earn elite night credits and points.
Costco Travel has its pros and cons, but there are definitely times when it's worth it.
Not only does Costco.com carry a wide range of products you can order to have shipped to your door (often for free), but you can easily book your travel online. So all told, a membership could pay even if you never see what a Costco warehouse looks like in person. If you know where to look and are willing to price-check the deals you find, you can save a lot of money with Costco Travel deals.
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