Costco Travel Avis 157

We booked a 4-night Punta Cana vacation package through Costco Travel, and while the resort stay ultimately turned out wonderful, the airline disruption handling created a very frustrating and time-consuming experience.

Our outbound American Airlines flight was canceled twice, causing us to lose a full day of our trip. To still salvage the vacation, we had to purchase last-minute tickets from a different airline at our own expense. Thankfully, the resort recognized that this situation was outside of our control and extended our stay by one night at no charge so we could preserve the original trip length.

The most disappointing part was the return flight handling. Because the outbound flights were canceled by the airline, we needed to move the return by one day simply to preserve the original length of stay. Costco charged about $200 for this date adjustment.

However, when we contacted American Airlines directly, they advised that their Travel Notice Exception Policy allows the unaffected return date to be changed to protect the original length of the trip when outbound travel is disrupted. They also confirmed that the ticket itself remained valid for the adjusted return date, which made the additional charge even more confusing and upsetting.

In addition, we are still awaiting the reimbursement review for the canceled outbound flight and separately had to pursue the refund of our unused checked bag fee directly with the airline. I don’t understand this process since the airline gave Costco full control over our ticket.

Not every representative we spoke was polite and knowledgeable to handle this airline issue. This situation required multiple calls, repeated explanations, and a significant amount of time spent managing airline ticket issues during what should have been a relaxing vacation.

I am sharing this as constructive post-trip feedback because we book through Costco Travel specifically for peace of mind and support during unexpected disruptions. The most disappointing part is that Costco Travel refuses to give even an inch in offering a remedy to the situation.

I wanted to share my heartfelt thanks for the exceptional service provided today by Sherry in Oklahoma. 

When we encountered an issue with our Alaska Cruise, Sherry went above and beyond, proactively reaching out to team leaders, reviewing our emails and even contacting Cunard on our behalf. 

Her dedication and commitment to resolving our problem were truly impressive. 

Sherry is a shining example of the kind of customer service that makes Costco Travel our #1 Choice. 

Thank you for having such an amazing team member like Sherry - we're grateful for her help and thrilled to continue doing business with Costco Travel! 😊

Just got back from a cruise today with P&O booked through Costco travel, I read some negative reviews before posting this but genuinely I was absolutely delighted with the service we received, we had a couple medical requests and Costco called 3-4 times in the lead up to the holiday to ensure everything was ok and if there was anything they could do to help. They also called the day before to ensure our parking was all sorted and arranged. The holiday was fantastic although appreciate that credit goes to P&O but for there part I thought Costco’s service was exceptional. Thanks to everyone for making our holiday fantastic !!!

I rented a car 6 weeks (or maybe a little longer) before my trip because I wanted to make sure I could get one. I also wanted to get off my flight and quickly get my car because we were getting in after 10:30 at night. I booked thru Costco travel and booked with Budget rental car. When I got to the counter they said they only had electric vehicles. I don’t have anywhere to charge an electric car if I got one. They then said they could give me a small pick up truck. My car port at my place won’t fit a pick up truck plus I have never driven a truck. Why would they rent me a car and only have electric ones. If they are going to rent electric cars it should only be to people who specifically check they want an electric, not everyone has the means to charge them. I went to the next counter and they were sold out. Fortunately when I got to Enterprise they had a few cars left. They lady said it would probably be more money than my Costco rental since I was renting last minute. We were both surprised when my total bill was only $30 more and I am driving a nicer vehicle than the one from Costco. I was able to cancel my Costco budget rental car. I am still going to check my credit cards to make sure I don’t get charged for cancelling. Budget is the worst rental car company- I will never rent from them again. What was suppose to be an easy car pick up process added 30 more minutes to my trip plus the stress of trying to finding a car to drive at that late hour. Budget needs to label their cars properly and not group electric cars with gas cars. They should be in their own category or categories if they come in different sizes. I am a loyal Enterprise car renter from now on.

Disappointed with the inflexibility to accommodate a date change for a cruise. Yes we understand it was a non refundable fare but life happens and we were willing to pay a penalty for our change which was a like for like cruise (same ship/same itinerary) just different sailing dates. But we were told absolutely no change ( do want to call out the agent who spent over an hour trying to help us but could not get the management at the escalation desk approve) even with a reasonable fee. We would have to pay almost the entire fare and more to make the change.
Lessons learned - Costco deals are good but too restrictive and harsh for a consumer.

Used Costco for a car rental—complete train wreck. Enterprise Rent-A-Car refused to honor the reservation. On the day of pickup, they told us we had to pay more for a lesser vehicle (downgraded from a BMW/Audi SUV to a Hyundai Sonata). We were essentially forced to either ruin our vacation or pay the higher price. Costco offered no help. Stay away. I have been a Costco member for 26 years.

Booked Coronado springs resort Disney trip through Costco. They do not disclose anywhere that much of this resort is motel-style with exterior doors. The online photos focus almost entirely on the beautiful Gran Destino Tower, which gives the impression that the resort is a traditional hotel. What they do not make clear is that most standard rooms are actually in separate buildings with exterior entrances — essentially motel-style accommodations.

Had we known this beforehand, we absolutely would not have chosen this resort. For the price being charged, this was extremely disappointing.

Some people may not mind motel-style layouts, but that is not what we expected when booking a Disney resort advertised this way. At the very least, Disney and Costco should clearly disclose the difference between the Gran Destino Tower rooms and the exterior-entry buildings so guests can make an informed decision.
Very disappointed with the lack of transparency.
Additionally, the room itself is uncomfortable. The air conditioning can not be lowered below 68°F, and the room fells way too humid. Best to book with a real travel agent.

We booked a trip of a lifetime Alaskan cruise with Costco. After we were done with booking and payments, it was discovered that Costco Travel could not help up with hotels in Canada or return flights from Fairbanks Alaska. This has been a nightmare and we will never use Costco Travel again because of this. They have left us high and dry with no ability to provide what they sold us.

Bad, bad , bad. The Costco Travel agent apologized and agreed with us, but there was nothing he could do. They sold us a package they could not deliver on.

I have always viewed Costco as a special company that looks out for their members giving quality and vetting on behalf of their members. I am deeply disillusioned. I recently spent $12,000 on a vacation package, trusting that the 'Costco' name meant a premium experience, boy was I wrong, It did not. We paid extra for private transfers, from the airport to the resort, we were left standing on the platform for 70 minutes by their third-party vendor, W2M/BD Experience, waiting for our private ride. After researching, I discovered this vendor has a 1.4-star rating across multiple platforms. When I brought this to Costco Travel’s attention, I didn't receive an apology or a commitment to fix the service. Instead, their representative (Jessica) said that the 'Buying Team' offered no timeline for improvement, or to fix the service, (they don't care). Her response was essentially that they 'understand' if I take my business elsewhere. I'm very disillusioned with Costco! I won't use Costco Travel again!
Member beware: The 'Costco Quality' you find in the warehouse does not exist at Costco Travel."

I booked a trip to Mexico and because of the recent events in the country I don’t feel comfortable traveling there with my toddler, so I had to cancel my trip. Although I am well within the cancellation timeframe it was a BIG hassle for us to cancel this trip. The airfare is non refundable and is refunded as a credit, which we are totally fine with. What they don’t tell you about that is you have to use the credit all at one time and you can’t book online with it so you have to call the airline to book which then also gets you charged a phone booking fee. I ended up having to use a $2300 flight credit on a $1200 flight credit, after spending 3 days on the phone with Costco trying to find out anyway that I could avoid losing so much money. Costco is meant to be a $ saver for middle class families, but instead they just cost me over $1000 due to circumstances outside of my control. On top of that, my vacation to Mexico was going to cost $6k and after looking outside Costco I realized you could book for half the price or left my booking on your own. I’m now taking 2 separate vacations to the cost of Costco’s 1. Even booking a rental car through Costco is a hassle if you need assistance. You’re not getting any extra support from Costco (even as a long time Executive member who spends thousands a year). So save yourself the headache and book on your own. Don’t fall for the hype.

Horrible rental car experience with Budget/Hertz in Brighton Michigan. Never have the cars we rent and no consequences. Costco continues to partner with them after numerous complaints.

Useless service. I booked rental cars twice. first time, I booked with Enterprise on the website and all was confirmed. Then I UBER'd to the rental facility only for them to tell me no car. I paid UBER fees for round trip for nothing. Second time, I booked with AVIS using Costco Travel and was also confirmed with Avis, after they collected my credit card data and other PPI info. When I called the AVIS office to make sure there's a car, again I was told no car is available. sounds like a data collection scam. Whats the point of this service other than to aggravate customers and cost us money and time.

As with other reviewers here, we booked a package through Costco Travel to Jamaica prior to Hurricane Melissa devastating the island in October 2025. When the hotel closed until further notice, we called Costco Travel and cancelled the trip, after first confirming over the phone with Covermore/Zurich that our $200 per person airline cancellation fees would be covered by the trip insurance we purchased thru Costco. Despite verbal assurance over the phone and a trip insurance brochure featuring both Costco Travel and Zurich in the header that states “Protect travel investments and recover nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs if a trip is canceled for a covered reason. Covered reasons include: Named Hurricanes”, our claim was denied. The reason given was in the fine print of the policy that I only received after booking: 3) the time and date that the Accommodation first becomes Uninhabitable or Inaccessible must commence no more than seven days prior to his/her Scheduled Date of Departure. So, since the hurricane hit on 10/31 and our trip started 12/15, they wouldn’t cover it! Remember, our hotel and likely all in that area were closed until at least January 31. Costco washed their hands and said so sorry it is a third party, so they can’t do anything. Never mind everything they sell aside from Kirkland branded products is third party; they simply don’t stand behind their travel products so purchase from them with caution. Definitely don’t purchase airline tickets from them with a cancellation penalty.

We had the worst experience with Costco Travel. Before we canceled our upcoming RC cruise we were told by a Costco Agent that we would be getting a $1,200 refund. 3 weeks later I follow up only for Costo to tell me they are now not giving me the refund. I have probably spent over 20 hours talking on the phone to them. What a nightmare this process has been. Do not ever book with Costco travel! Only book direct!

Costco is great, but that doesn't mean Costco Travel is good. Our flight from Toronto to Cancun was cancelled due to snow and rescheduled 2 days later; that is what WestJet does for us. Costco Travel refused to choose another company's flight and asked to pay out of pockets to change to other flights. The representative talks for two hours and get nothing done. Do not use Costco Travel.

Booked a packaged trip to Jamaica. After hotel cancelled booking, Costco could not refund airline cost. Ended up having to pay $800 to cancel flight. Costco simply stated that there was nothing they could do.

We booked an Italy package via Costco as we did not have the time to book each city stay, trains travel etc. individually. Never heard from Costco other than the 2 emails regarding payment but was concerned 2 weeks before the trip when we still did not receive train tickets. They did not bother to inform us that they did not get the train tickets for the 1st leg of the trip so there was no way to continue the trip after reaching Rome.
After several calls to customer service and being on hold for over an hour, we were told they will refund that amount and we need to get our own train tickets.
We have used Costco few years ago(pre-Covid), the customer service now was terrible!!
Do Not waste your money and time, they are not worth it anymore if you have an international trip !!
Pick a professional travel agency or tours like Gate1 so you don’t ruin your vacation or pay all your money only to find out you have to book things yourself!!
I regret not believing the recent Costco travel reviews on public forums but hopefully this will help someone else.

I booked through Costco Travel and they allowed Avis to scam me. Avis did not have the car I reserved, they had NO comparable car to give me. It caused a 3 hour delay on my trip, I was sitting there waiting while they lied & kept saying one was on the way in 15 minutes. After 3 hours, my only option was to pay for an upgrade. The "upgrade" was a dirty pickup truck that smelled of cigarettes and had old dirty fast food stuffed in the pockets on the back of the seats. The pickup truck was not clean, and was not full of gas. I reached out to Costco and got a generic reply saying the charge is related to me not filling with gas. Imagine that after I had to triple pay for gas. ( I had to pay for gas when I picked up before leaving on a trip, when I returned the car to the airport, and THEN THEY CHARGED AGAIN? Are you kidding me?) Triple charged for gas. I really think it's just a form letter excuse and Costco did not care to check into it at all they offered zero assistance or care at all. Going to charge back on my CC do NOT use Costco and DO NOT use AVIS.

Costco Travel’s handling of my departure transportation was a complete operational failure. Despite written documentation stating that departure transportation would be confirmed by Destination Services, no confirmation was ever provided.

On Christmas Day, customer service was inaccessible. Representatives gave contradictory information, supervisors were dismissive and repeatedly disconnected calls, and no written confirmation or provider details were supplied. I was falsely told transportation was unpaid and pressured to pay again.

This lack of transparency, accountability, and support, especially involving international travel with a child, is unacceptable. Costco Travel failed to deliver what was contractually implied and emotionally harmed my family in the process.

We have used Costco Travel for a long time and have always been very satisfied with the service. Unfortunately, this experience was very disappointing. Although hotel transfers were included in our package, we were still required to pay cash for the pickup.

I opened a case with Costco Travel but received no response for two weeks. When I finally called, the agent was rude and simply told me that it would take time and that I should not follow up until the refund appears in my account, as they were unsure how long it would take.