Costco Connection - January 2010

The agents know their stuff, as Costco Travel makes continuing education a priority. “It’s very important that our reservations agents are always kept current and knowledgeable on all our products to offer the best possible service,” says Shannon.

And Costco Travel truly delivers on the travel experience.

Value-added inclusions are affixed whenever possible at no additional cost. Extras might include hotel-room or stateroom upgrades, resort or shipboard credits, and savings on golf or spa services.

For instance, when the hubby and I booked our Egyptian vacation last year through Costco Travel/ Trafalgar, an escorted guide was included. Imagine our thrill at being led through the cradle of history by a real-life Indiana Jones, complete with a master’s degree in Egyptology and deep knowledge of many ancient Egyptian civilizations and languages.

Trademark vacations

Costco’s private label, Kirkland Signature™, is given only to those products that have met Costco’s strict standards of quality and value. Introduced a few years ago by Costco Travel, Kirkland Signature vacations are held to those same high standards and are often one-of-a-kind, offering exotic destinations and unique experiences, and reflecting 20 percent savings or more off the price of an equivalent vacation.

Past Kirkland Signature vacations have included packages, cruises, cruise tours and escorted vacations spanning the globe, from Alaska, Hawaii and Tahiti to South Africa, China, Costa Rica, Egypt and Vietnam.

At the moment, Costco Travel Kirkland Signature offers include a Trafalgar-escorted United States Wild West Adventure (see story on page 87) and a luxurious South African package featuring the elegant Rovos Rail and game drives.

Let your fingers do the planning

Costco Travel is always on the go, and new offer-
ings pop up almost daily. To stay abreast of what’s
available, visit Costco.com and click
on “Travel.” All offers, last-minute
deals, updated pricing and addi-
tional information are available here.
Spend time at “Hot Deals” in the center of
the home page. Selected weekly by a panel of

Costco Travel buyers, these sizzlers provide significant value to members.

“Buyer’s Choice” packages can include various components such as accommodations, transportation and/or tours at particular destinations that are especially negotiated by Costco Travel buyers, generally reflecting savings of at least 15 percent.

The Costco Connection For more on reservations, inquiries and assistance, call 1-877-849-2730 toll-free Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 8 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m., Pacific time, or visit Costco.com and click on “Travel.”

A special getawayfor Costco couples for Costco couples

WHILE I WAS VISITING the folks at Costco Travel, they told me about one of their latest offerings at the all-inclusive Couples Sans Souci Resort, nestled in Ocho Rios, Jamaica.

Costco members can get a one-bedroom beach-front suite with an oceanfront view and Jacuzzi tub, plus unlimited meals, horseback riding, golf, scuba diving, windsurfing and tennis instruction, and more.

For Costco members, Costco Travel has carved out a room-rate reduction plus an exclusive triple room upgrade and a $100 tour credit for a Chukka Caribbean Adventure (zip-lining, etc.) at savings of $1,240 per couple, hotel taxes and gratuities included.

Book this five-night package for $955 per person from January 1 to 31, 2010, and travel anytime from January 2 to April 3, 2010.

At Costco Travel, romance is alive (and affordable)!—PV

STOCKBYTE

“Your Way” is where members pick and choose elements. It’s fun and informative to plug in variations and watch the price change to meet budget needs.

Click on any of Costco Travel’s home-page menu selections and you will find booking options plus a wealth of destination and travel information, including maps, detailed hotel descriptions and photos.

For example, a quick search of the site recently showed swift getaways to Paris or London, snorkeling in Tahiti, collecting leaves in New England next fall, sipping a pint in Ireland on a Trafalgar tour, living the good life at the new Kauai St. Regis Princeville Resort, eating gelato in Italy or sailing off on a lengthy cruise to exotic ports in Africa, Asia or South America.

Online cruise bookings

The Costco Travel Web site’s latest launch, with a gradual rollout over the next few months, is online cruise bookings. When complete, nearly all of Costco Travel’s vacation offerings—including Hawaii, Mexico, Caribbean, Europe, Las Vegas, Desert Resorts, Disneyland® Resort and rental cars—will be bookable online.

The new cruise search engine is exceptionally shipshape. You can search using a wide set of cruise parameters, including destinations, month of travel, embarkation city and cruise line. You can then sort your search results by price, sail length or ship ratings (provided by Berlitz) and select an exact deck and cabin.

Best of all, the site can calculate a past-passenger rate. This is for those who may have traveled on a particular cruise line before and may be entitled to past-passenger benefits. So you can add this in the calculator and Costco Travel honors this.

Entering its 10th year, Costco Travel has provided members with a decade of great travel experiences and a lifetime of memories.

And with the kind of value Costco Travel provides, they make it remarkably easy for anyone— savvy traveler or not—to create a lifetime more.

Happy travels! C

COSTCO

Travel TIPS

■ Executive Members receive special benefits on many offerings. Look for the Executive Member card image.

■ All members receive 2% cash back for any Costco Travel purchase made with the True-Earnings® Card from Costco and American Express®.

■ Travel Guide to Savings, focusing on a selection of Costco Travel’s best deals, is distributed each May, July and November at warehouse service kiosks.

■ Many packages allow you to customize your travel dates, length of stay and room category to suit your needs.

■ Alamo, Avis, Budget and Enterprise car rental rates reflect up to 25 percent savings. Seek out special coupon offers too.

■ If you receive a mailer, e-mail, catalog or past-passenger discount from one of Costco Travel’s partners, you might be able to combine Costco member benefits. Always ask.