By Sherrie Newman
I first became aware of this Costco member- ship service when my niece booked her honey- moon through the Costco Travel website and gushed about how easy the planning was, how fabulous the resort turned out to be and how the final cost was exactly what they had expected, with no surprises. I wondered if Costco Travel would offer the global experiences I crave, so I looked into its services. I learned that Costco Travel was developed by Costco with the sole aim of providing an excel- lent travel service exclusively to Costco members. Not a traditional travel agency, it was built on the same Costco principles and standards of excel- lence focused on providing a choice selection of the highest-quality products at prices that offer the best value. As the company does with all Costco products, Costco Travel stands behind its ervices at every turn. Peter Gruening, general manager of Costco Travel, explains that “Costco Travel is designed to enhance the Costco mem- bership value, and we are dedicated to upholding the Costco mission by providing members with the quality vacations they want, the value they expect and the experience they deserve as a Costco member.” Sustaining the trust of Costco members is one of the most important goals of the company. Costco Travel employees understand that although travel and vacations are fun, they are also time-consuming and costly, so they work
I DEVELOP AN acute case of wanderlust with the arrival of spring; it’s excitement at the thought of packing my bags, grabbing my spouse and launching into some new and wonderful adventure. When it comes time to make these dreams a reality, I have made it a point to seek out what has become one of my most trusted travel partners: Costco Travel.
A VISIT TO Costco Travel’s website is like taking a quick trip around the world. Clicking on “Vacation Packages” lists international destinations such as the Caribbean, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Tahiti, Europe and Mexico, as well as guided tours through Trafalgar and Adventures by Disney®. U.S. destinations include Hawaii, Las Vegas and theme parks. Next to “Vacation Packages” is “Cruises.” Costco Travel works with 12 cruise lines, offering trips to or around Alaska, Asia, Australia, the Bahamas, Bermuda, the Caribbean, Hawaii, Mexico, New Zealand, the Panama Canal, South America and the South Pacific, as well as transatlantic cruises. Clicking further on subcategories in either “Vacation Packages” or “Cruises” shows a multi- tude of choices within each area, a depth and breadth of possibilities that would keep the most ardent travelers moving for the rest of their (very happy) lives.—SN
FRANCE FREEMAN
Where can
you go?
Costco Travel general manager Peter Gruening
attributes much of the company’s success to
reservations trainers like Zanda Krein (right).
hard to take the stress out of the booking experi-
ence and make members’ vacation investment as
cost effective as possible. Shannon Parker, general
merchandise manager, tells me, “We strive to keep
our finger on the pulse of what our members are
looking for, and then exceed their expectations.”
Costco Travel offers members three pri-
mary travel categories with exceptional val-
ues—cruises, vacation packages and car
rentals—in addition to a wide variety of desti-
nations and offerings such as theme parks,
hotels, private villas and guided vacations. (See
“Where can you go?”)
