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vacations online
By T. Foster Jones
A FEW ISSUES back, I described some of the
changes that had taken place on Costco Travel’s
new Web page at costco.com (“A new place to
(re)visit,” July 2008). The newly formatted Web
site, which went live in March, has an exciting
new look and enhanced information, including more photos, detailed maps, thorough
hotel overviews, room category descriptions,
cruise line and ship overviews, and destination
information provided by Fodor’s Travel. In the
center of the page, under the heading Hot
Deals, is a selection of vacation packages and
destinations listed as Buyer’s Choice or Your
Way, which provide vacation packages that run
the gamut of planning flexibility.
The folks at Costco Travel assured me
that this was just the beginning, and they’ve
already made good on their promise.
“Our biggest endeavor to date has been
the launch of our own online booking engine
in August 2008, which enables members to
book Caribbean, Hawaii and Mexico packages online,” says Shannon Parker, general
merchandise manager of Costco Travel.
“These are in addition to the offerings that
have been available for members to book
online for several years. These offerings
include Las Vegas and desert vacations with
US Airways; stays at the Disneyland Resort;
Alamo, Avis, Budget, Enterprise, and Hertz
rental cars; Trafalgar escorted vacations; and
Best Western lodgings.”
Both options offer Costco members great
value on vacations. The difference, according
to Shannon, is that the new booking engine
gives Costco Travel even greater flexibility to
take advantage of price fluctuations in the
travel market, create special offers and promote great prices and special value packages
at a moment’s notice.
Packages fall into the two previously mentioned categories: Buyer’s Choice, in which the
package components are selected by Costco
ISTOCKPHOTO/EGOR MOPANKO
Travel buyers as the best possible value for that
hotel and travel period; and Your Way, in
which members can pick and choose elements
to suit their needs, and the final price will
depend on the options they select.
In many cases, the packages may be
booked with or without airfare and other
options, such as airport transfers, a rental car,
a variety of room categories and trip protection. Members can plug in variations and the
price will be calculated automatically, allowing them to easily see the differences in price
and choose what’s best for their budget.
“To ensure the best possible experience
and service for Costco members, we began by
offering a selection of our most popular packages and our hottest deals,” says Shannon.
“These packages are always changing, so we
encourage members to keep watching the
Travel section of costco.com. As our development proceeds, we’ll gradually bring on our
other vacation choices to book online.”
As the holidays and the new year approach,
Shannon advises members to check out new
vacation products online, including Costco
Travel gift certificates (ideal for that hard-to-buy-for traveler), Trafalgar escorted vacations
in the U.S. and Canada, Orlando theme-park
vacations, stays at new Caribbean hotels, new
Kirkland Signature™ vacations, cruises on
Royal Caribbean’s Oasis of the Seas, and other
inaugural ships and sailings.
Says Shannon, “With the vacations members want at the value they expect, from the
comfort of their own computer, we’ve made
vacation planning almost as enjoyable as the
vacation itself!” C
The Costco Connection
For information on Costco Travel’s complete
product line, visit costco.com and click on
“Travel,” or call toll-free 1-877-849-2730.
