Should You Book Travel Packages Through Costco?

More than 135 million people worldwide hold a Costco membership. The retail giant is best known for selling bulk food items, homewares, gas, and electronics, but Costco also offers a highly useful vacation planning service. It’s called Costco Travel, and you can use it to book hotels, rental cars, and cruises on their own, as well as all-inclusive vacation packages. But how does Costco Travel stack up to other third-party services such as Expedia and Priceline? And is it better than booking directly with the hotel or rental company itself? Let’s take a look at the pros and cons of using Costco Travel.

Membership Required

The first thing to note is that using Costco Travel requires a Costco membership, which you can purchase online or in-store. This may be a nonstarter for people who’d rather not pay an up-front fee, especially when you consider all of the other booking services that are free to use. However, a basic Costco membership is priced at $65, and the potential savings — for travel bookings or other home purchases — could be worthwhile, depending on your travel and shopping patterns.

The Perks of Using Costco Travel

Using the Costco Travel website is similar in many ways to booking your vacation on another third-party site or directly with the hotel. You’ll plug in the dates of your trip and the location you’re looking to visit and review a list of options. But often, what helps Costco stand out are the add-ons and vacation packages they offer, which you may have difficulty finding elsewhere.

Costco partners with various hotels and resorts around the world to provide guests with added benefits. The company also says on its website that it carefully vets destinations, hotels, cruises, and packages for their quality, “just like items in a Costco warehouse.”

For instance, using Costco Travel may net you a complimentary beverage credit at a luxury Las Vegas hotel or a free breakfast buffet at a Mexican beach resort. Many Costco Travel bookings also include a bonus digital Costco gift card, which can be used for everyday online shopping at Costco. 

Furthermore, if you’re a Costco Executive Member (a higher membership tier that costs $130 annually), you can get 2% back on any qualified Costco Travel purchases. This may result in hundreds of dollars in cash back, depending on the total price of your booking. Members can also take advantage of Costco’s affordable travel insurance provided by Zurich, which offers peace of mind should anything go awry during your vacation.

How Much Can You Save Using Costco Travel?

In addition to added perks, Costco Travel offers potential savings compared with other services. This is especially true if you reserve a Costco Travel package, in which flights, hotels, and car rentals are all lumped together — often at a significantly lower cost than if you were to book individually. The Costco Travel website boasts, “We use our buying authority to negotiate the best value in the marketplace, and then pass on the savings to Costco members.” 

For example, at the time of publication in March 2025, Costco offers an all-inclusive stay at the Hyatt Ziva Cap Cana Resort in the Dominican Republic, which includes unlimited meals, select drinks, and nightly entertainment. The package also includes flights, transportation from the airport to the resort, and a $495 digital Costco shop card per room. 

Say you’re looking to book a five-night stay for two adults at the end of April, with round-trip flights from New York’sJFK Airport. All in, the Costco package costs $6,863.80.

Now, what if you were to book that same trip on your own? If you book the hotel directly with Hyatt, the standard rate for the hotel stay alone would run you a total of $6,907. A round-trip flight from JFK to Punta Cana would cost you around $400 per person on top of that, and you’d also need to pay a local cab service for transportation to and from the resort.

In this example, you’d end up paying more than $800 less if you used Costco Travel, and you’d get the $495 Costco digital shop card as a bonus. While these numbers will vary depending on when and where you travel, it goes to show that booking a Costco Travel package can be worthwhile for the savings alone.

The Downsides of Costco Travel

For all of the benefits, there are some downsides to using Costco Travel. First, while flights are included in many travel packages, you can’t book a flight through Costco on its own. So, if you used Costco to book a hotel and rental car individually instead of as part of a package, you’d need to book your flight elsewhere. 

Additionally, even though Costco partners with many major brands, some hotels and car rental companies may opt out of working with the retailer. This includes Hertz and several other brands, so that’s something to be aware of when booking. Some hotel dates or airline seats may also not be available through the platform, or there may be minimum stay requirements.

While there’s always a risk with making travel arrangements through a third-party provider rather than booking directly, if, in the rare case the hotel cannot honor your reservation, you should contact Costco Travel. They can help you find alternate accommodations or a refund. If you need to make any changes or cancel your trip, you can do so online at the Help Center or call to speak to an agent. Cancellation and change policies vary, and fees may apply.

Finally, using Costco Travel may mean sacrificing loyalty points that you’d acquire if booking with the hotel directly. Loyalty points are a fantastic way to earn free nights and other valuable perks during future stays, but the financial savings of booking with Costco Travel may offset the value of those potential points. However, note that if you’re booking a room only at a Hyatt property, Costco does allow you to earn points with the World of Hyatt program. 

Is Costco Travel Worth It?

It depends on what type of trip you’re looking to book, but in general, Costco Travel packages can offer noticeable savings over booking each element individually — not to mention the convenience of not having to figure out a complex itinerary. And perks like digital gift cards and complimentary meals can be icing on the cake. However, a good rule of thumb is to always price out each portion of your trip and comparison shop to see if you can get a better deal by booking direct. 

But if you’re still on the fence and have any questions about a potential booking, Costco specialists are available to help with planning, which is another potentially valuable tool. Be sure to also check back in for Costco’s limited travel deals, as new ones are regularly added throughout the year.