Why Booking Your Vacation Through Costco Travel May Not Be Worth The Savings

Costco members have access to Costco Travel, a reservation platform through which you can book hotels, cruises, vacation packages, rental cars, and more. It can be a great way for travelers to plan trips and save money. However, some claim Costco Travel is not as great as it seems. In their opinion, the only time when it actually makes sense to book through Costco Travel is when you're prearranging a Disney trip or a cruise, or looking to stay at a large resort and want a well-priced, comprehensive package. 

The big-box warehouse can also negotiate with resorts for perks such as dining or travel credits. Making a reservation through Costco Travel is also often cheaper than booking directly or through any other travel site. But some say that's where the perks end. If you want a more personalized booking experience where you can get all your questions answered in one place, support small businesses, and not be left hanging in the event of unexpected complications, Costco Travel may not be for you.

One of the main criticisms of Costco Travel is that there aren't a ton of options for hotels, lodging, and destinations. When booking a trip through the platform, you're usually limited to large resorts and popular destinations. This is not the resource you go to when you want to explore a hidden destination or support small, boutique hotels and B&Bs. Let's explore this a bit further. 

When you visit the Costco Travel homepage, you're greeted with a prompt to choose your destination, travel dates, number of people in your party, etc. When you click on "destinations" and the specific place you're interested in visiting, you're presented with well-known regions and big cities. Similarly, with hotels, your only options are large resorts. This works if you're just here looking for a good deal, but even then, you may find similar, if not better, prices if you book directly. It's also not great if you want to get off the beaten path and explore underrated travel destinations around the world.

Costco Travel is great at helping you get booked and ready to go for your trip, but according to past customers, it's not the best at accommodating you in the event of unexpected cancellations and delays. Writer Sarah Milner, who used Costco travel to book her first trip to Walt Disney World, told Travel Market Report that her return flight got canceled. Costco was able to help book a new flight for a later day, but was unable to extend her hotel stay. She ended up having to solve the issue herself by paying $400 for another flight on her original departure date. And this was after she paid $500 for travel insurance.

Other unhappy customers experienced similar situations and have taken to the internet to voice their complaints. "Costco Travel has been horrible to work with," a reviewer wrote on Trustpilot. "We had many flight changes in our travel package and they never once informed of us of any of the changes. One was a downgraded seat seat change from business to economy and they refused any compensation. We are out about 800 to 1000$. Luckily after contacting air Canada they ... [refunded] us because Costco refused it. I will never book with Costco again." These reviews warrant caution when booking travel through Costco. If you can, call a representative before you book to go over proper procedures in the case of unexpected complications.

Just as Costco Travel is limited in the types of lodging it offers, it falls short when it comes to personalizing your trip to fit your unique needs. It doesn't offer advice or knowledge that can help you prepare for your trip or give you personalized recommendations for places to visit and things to do.

For example, Costco Travel can't tell you which time of year is best to visit your desired destinations, promotions and deals to look out for, or events happening during your travel dates that you may want to check out. You'll have to do all that research yourself, which can be time-consuming. Expressing a similar sentiment, Milner recounted that she felt underprepared for a Walt Disney World trip she booked through Costco Travel. Despite doing a lot of research on her own, she ended up missing out on experiences she and her family would have enjoyed.

If you want to cut down on the time spent researching (and on the FOMO), you should try finding the perfect travel agent to plan your trip. Unlike Costco representatives, travel agents are experts on the destinations they help you book and are the perfect resource for personalizing your trip. They know which places to go, what to avoid, and tips and hacks that can make your trip easier. They can also help hunt down deals and discounts.