Good Lifestyle

Internet may have made traditional travel agents much less necessary, but there are still some travel services Who are big in the game - namely Costco Travel and AAA. These members -based programs offer promotions on hotels, flights, holiday packages, etc. But will they save you in the long term? And is one better than the other? To find out, we have consulted travel experts. Read the rest for their reflections on Costco Travel against AAA and which has better offers.

Read this then: 5 surprising TSA items can tell you about airport safety .

To take advantage of any of these travel programs, you will have to be a member, so you will want to decide whether travel savings justify the cost of members.

"To get an AAA membership, you have to pay between $ 40 and $ 160, while Costco subscription is $ 60," said Jon Stephens , director of operations at Raquette vacation rental .

Depending on the level, a AAA membership You get road assistance, towing services and free rental cars. A Membership in Costco Allows you to shop at the warehouse store and use their service stations.

You can book flights and hotels via the AAA website without membership, but you will not get special discounts.

A great way that these programs differ is how you book. Costco trip is a research -based website that allows you to browse vacation packages, hotels, hotels and flights, rental cars, cruises and themed parks. You can reduce it by your destination, your local airport and your dates. You can also browse popular packages and limited -term offers.

THE AAA website Allows you to do the same thing essentially, with the addition of being able to search for flights separately. But AAA also gives you the possibility of connecting with a travel agent by e-mail or by phone. In some cases, you can even visit a local branch and meet an agent in person. If you are not a frequent traveler and want to ask questions and get a personalized experience, this is probably a better option.

However, it should be noted that "Costco Travel offers a 24/7 concierge service which can help any question or concern related to travel", explains Carlos Hunt , founder of Travel traces . It will not be a personalized experience, however.

For more travel tips delivered directly in your reception box, Register for our daily newsletter .

The biggest difference between these two travel services may be whether they allow you to book hotels and flights separately.

"Costco Travel does not offer flight reservations. Marie Clark , editor -in -chief Shopping and retail site Costcontessa. "AAA, on the other hand, offers autonomous ticketing for flights."

"For Hawaii and International Travel, Costco only offers travel packages," adds Clark, which means that you cannot even make a hotel reservation only. "So, if you plan to use miles for part of your international trip, the reservation on Costco Travel will probably not work for you."

In some cases, Costco packages could save money (enough for it to be logical to save your miles or points for another trip), but in other cases you may want that flexibility only reserves only a hotel or a flight through the service.

And because Costco focuses on packages and has limited partnerships, almost all the travel experts with whom we have spoken agreed that they had fewer options overall.

Regarding hotels, the two membership programs work with certain channels, which means that you will not get much on any hotel.

For domestic hotels, Costco contracts mainly with Hilton and IHG, but also Fairmont and Swisshotels (and Marriott if you book a package), explains Clark. AAA also contracts with these channels, as well as Radisson, Wyndham, Best Western, and more.

"The advantage of the AAA is the selection, the increase in Costco Travel is that by concluding agreements with only a few channels, I find that they negotiate better discounts," explains Clark.

Read this then: 7 Secrets of former Marriott employees .

Who you travel and what are your needs, travel benefits can add up and make a higher basic price at the end. AE0FCC31AE342FD3A1346EBB1F342FCB

"You are more likely to find significant additional advantages on Costco trips, such as store cards, free breakfast, children eat free, vacation loans, etc.", Clark sharing. "You will also see some on AAA, but according to my experience, the best offers are on Costco."

Adeel Khan , product manager at Businessclass.com , on the other hand, underlines how AAA offers emergency road assistance (important if you rent a car or make a road trip) and "exclusive discounts on attractions and themed parks". If you are traveling outside the United States, Stephens adds that you can get a free international driving license via AAA.

In the end, Costco Travel and AAA have certain advantages and disadvantages. It really depends on where you travel and how prices accumulate.

As Clark notes, AAA's announced prices do not include taxes, while Costco do it. "The trip in general has high taxes, so it is important to make sure to compare apples with apples in finding a good travel agreement."

You can then make a price comparison on both sites. For example, Clark compared a trip for two adults to the Xcaret to Riviera Maya for March 1 to 8, starting from Lax. "Using the same type of part and the same flights, the total cost was $ 1,200 cheaper on Costco, more Costco offered a $ 580 workshop card which (assuming that you buy regularly from Costco and could use this species) nets with a price difference of $ 1,800. "

Of course, it will not always be the case that costco is so cheaper, but it shows how there can be a difference between the two services.