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Going (Scott’s Cheap Flights) Review: Is This Flight Tool Worth Using?

One of the biggest barriers to entry when it comes to travel is airfare. It can be prohibitively expensive — especially in this post-COVID travel boom.

As anyone who’s spent time searching for flights knows, finding a cheap one can be an arduous and time-consuming task. Unlike other aspects of travel (say, museum entry fees or walking tour prices), flight tickets don’t have a set price. Instead, tickets are volatile and unpredictable. We can’t expect a nonstop journey from NYC to Tokyo to always cost the same amount (though that would be nice!).

And even if you find an affordable deal, it can be easy to get caught in decision paralysis, questioning whether you should really book it, or if you could find something even cheaper (this is something that happened to me a lot when I first started traveling).

But this volatility in pricing can actually be used to a traveler’s advantage — with the right tools.

That’s where Going comes in. It’s a tool designed to help you find cheap flights.

Formerly known as Scott’s Cheap Flights, Going is a membership-based website and newsletter that finds flight deals to over 900 destinations around the world. Most deals are 40-90% off normal prices, meaning members save an average of $550 USD on international economy seats (first-class flyers save $2,000 USD on average).

That’s a huge amount of savings!

Going started back in 2013 when Scott Keyes found an unbelievable deal from NYC to Milan: just $130 USD round-trip. He immediately booked the ticket, went to Italy, and had the time of his life.

When he came back, friends and family kept asking how he found such a great deal. So, he started sending a regular email to friends with the deals he found. By 2015, Scott’s Cheap Flights was born .

Many years — and over two million members — later, Scott’s Cheap Flights rebranded as Going. Same company, new name. Going encourages its members to take a reverse-booking approach to travel, which means choosing your destination and dates based on the flight deals that are available rather than deciding when and where you want to go and then looking for a bargain. It seems counterintuitive at first, but it means you can find incredible deals if you’re flexible.

I’ve known Scott for years and love what he has done with the company. I think he’s created one of the best tools for finding cheap flights there is. But don’t just take my word for it — here’s everything you need to know about Going to decide if it’s right for you!

How Going Works

At its core, Going is a membership website, meaning you have to sign up for some sort of plan to access its deals (one of the options is free, and all the plans offer free trials).

After signing up, it’s a super simple process to set up your account and get deals landing in your inbox:

There are three membership tiers: Limited, Premium, and Elite. While Limited is entirely free, you can take advantage of a 14-day free trial of both Premium and Elite before signing up.

New users can also get 20% off Premium with the code NOMADICMATT20.

The tiers break down as follows:

Limited (free):

• Small selection of deals on economy-class tickets for international travel, 1-2 days after they are found
• Can follow five US departure airports (but you can’t filter flights in any other way)

Premium ($49/year):

• Immediate notification of both international and domestic economy-class deals
• Alerts about rare mistake fares from your home airport (when the airlines incorrectly price a flight)
• Weekend Getaway alerts (for flights departing within the next month)
• Ability to filter what alerts you get
• Can follow up to 10 US airports

Elite ($199/year):

• Everything in Premium
• All mistake fares Going finds
• Deals on all ticket classes
• Unlimited number of departure airports
• Deals on award flights (for booking with points)
• Priority support

Here’s a full breakdown of the plans:

If you’re just looking for the odd flight deal, chances are the Limited plan will suffice for you. However, if you’re looking to travel more and want to really save money, Premium is a must. It has way more perks and offers a lot of value. And if you want deals on booking with points, you’ll need to sign up for the Elite plan as it is the only plan that includes award flight deals.

(If you’re a new user, don’t forget to use the promo code NOMADICMATT20 for 20% off Premium. )

Once you pick a plan and sign up, you’ll want to enter your home airport, as well as any additional airports that you might be willing to travel to for a great deal.

While the major benefit of being a member of Going is that you can just sit back, do nothing, and wait for a bargain to show up in your inbox, you can also search the Flight Deals page :

Here’s an example of what you can see on this page on the Limited Plan vs. the Elite Plan:

The Limited (free plan) view:

The Elite plan view (as you can see, there are hundreds more deals here, and this is filtered for Economy flights only):

How Going Finds Deals

It might be surprising to hear, but most of Going’s deals are found by their (human) Flight Experts using a set of criteria to determine what makes for a “deal.”

That means that they don’t just send you any and every cheap flight, but instead curate a selection of deals. They won’t send you a flight with several long layovers or an overnight layover, and they don’t send deals on budget airlines.

Instead, Going deals consist of nonstop or one-stop flights on full-service airlines with manageable layovers. They also make sure that a deal has at least ten different departure dates, so you’ll never encounter one that requires to you travel on a specific day. In short, they only pick decent flights, which I really appreciate.

On every deal, you’ll see a breakdown with a bit about the flight and destination, as well as sometimes a write-up including helpful tips and information from the Flight Expert who found the deal:

You’ll also see a price history for the flight, so you can see exactly how good of a deal it is. To me, this is super interesting:

Once a deal comes up that you want, all that’s left is to book it. Simply hit the “book” button on Going, which will then take you to the booking site. Usually it’s Google Flights, but sometimes it might be Skyscanner or similar platforms.

As you can see, when you click through, Going has already set all the filters so that the deal it found comes up:

When booking, you’ll want to act fast. Flight prices change all the time, so snag that fare while it still exists. That’s especially the case with mistake fares, as they’re rare and get scooped up or fixed quickly.

Remember, in the US you legally have 24 hours after purchasing a flight to cancel it, so book first and then quickly figure out any required logistics (time off, pet care, etc.), knowing you can cancel within a day if needed.

And that’s all there is to it!

Pros and Cons of Using Going

• Getting cheap-flight alerts delivered to your inbox (saving you a ton of time)
• Simple and easy to use
• Great, hands-on customer service
• Affordable tiers (including a free one)
• Allows for a variety of departure options to streamline your searches
• Paid membership is necessary for the best deals
• Only works if your home airport is in the US (including the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Guam)
• Award-flight availability is limited (in beta version for the Elite plan)

Should You Use Going?

Going is for travelers who want cheap airfare and can be flexible on dates and destinations in order to get the best deals. Going calls this its “reverse-booking” approach.

Going is for people that don’t have the time or inclination to constantly check for cheap fares, and would rather pay a small fee (the $49/year Premium plan is sufficient for most people) to unlock a world of deals.

Going also works best for travelers who can act quickly once a deal becomes available. While most deals are for travel 2-9 months in the future, since prices change so quickly, you’ll need to be able to book as soon as you get an email alert (but: remember the blanket 24-hour free cancelation policy on all US airlines).

On the flip side, Going is not a tool that will help you find cheap fares to a specific destination for a specific time. (If that’s all you want, simply set up a Google Flights alert for your required dates and destination.) The very nature of the service requires flexibility in order to take advantage of the best deals.

Going is also not for people who would rather spend the time searching for deals themselves rather than pay for a membership. You can find the flights that Going discovers on your own, as they’re publicly available on search engines like Google Flights, Skyscanner, and Kayak. However, that takes (a lot of) time, and one person would never be able to find all the deals that Going’s team of over 50 people can! Even I get tired of searching for flight deals sometimes!

I think Going is a great resource to help budget travelers find incredible flight deals all over the world. While you can certainly learn the tips and tricks for doing so on your own, Going saves you the time and energy it takes to look for deals so that you can keep living your life, wait for the perfect one to arrive in your inbox, book it, and get going.

Sign up with promo code NOMADICMATT20 to get 20% off a Premium Plan!

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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Costco Hawaii Vacation Review: 9 Things to Know Before You Buy

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Sometimes it can feel like booking a vacation is a full-time job. You want to do the research, plan the best itinerary, and get a good deal. Especially if you’re heading somewhere as expensive as Hawaii. With all that work you might wonder if going through a travel agency like Costco Travel is a better idea. 

Booking a Costco Vacation to Hawaii is right for someone who wants to book flights, hotel, and car all in one place for a good price. A Costco vacation to Hawaii isn’t cheap, but you can get some good deals. But there are also some reasons you may want to skip this and book your own trip.

We break down a review of Costo Hawaii Travel by covering nine things you need to know before you book. 

Costco Hawaii Vacation Review: 9 Things to Know

Curious about a Costco Hawaii Vacation? We reviewed different options and found nine things you should know: 

1. Vacation packages can save you money

A trip to Hawaii is expensive, so most people are looking for extra ways to save a few dollars on a trip. That’s where Costco comes in: they offer Hawaii vacation packages that aren’t cheap but offer a good value for the money. 

To see just how much you can save, we priced out a one-week trip to Maui in October 2020, staying at the Westin Kaanapali. The total cost of the Costco vacation package is $3,877 for flights for four people, a hotel room and a rental car. 

In addition to that rate, you also receive a $100 activity credit and a $199 Costco shop card. 

Booking everything separately, the total cost is $4,222, and you won’t receive an activity credit or a shop card. That’s a $345 savings just for booking through Costco. 

2. Booking less than a full package may not save you anything

What if you want to handle your own flight booking? That’s a great way to save money if you’re using miles with an airline. 

But you may not want to use Costco to book the hotel and rental car — you may not actually save any money.

Using the example from above and staying at the Westin Kaanapali for a week, booking the hotel and rental car with Costco costs $2,602. Booking the hotel and rental car separately, the total cost is $2,496, which includes a $100 activity credit. 

Yes, you read that right: using Costco to book the hotel and rental car results in you actually spending more. 

We double-checked this with another hotel on the island, the Fairmont Kea Lani. 

A package for six nights in October 2020 at the Fairmont Kea Lani costs $4,010 through Costco. This includes your rental car and a $100 activity credit. 

Booking the hotel and rental car separately will cost $4,003. Yes, you’re missing out on the $100 activity credit but you’re saving $7. 

Bottom line: the real savings come when you book full packages. 

3. Additional rental car driver added at no fee

Coming with a friend? You can add an extra driver to your rental car reservation for free if you’re booking with Alamo or Enterprise. Being that Alamo charges an extra $10 a day for an additional driver, this cost can add up. 

If you don’t book through Costco but you still want to add an extra driver at no additional charge, try out our favorite car rental booking tool, Discount Hawaii Car Rental . 

4. Easy, one-stop booking

Price isn’t always the biggest motivator. Sometimes you just really want a convenient Hawaiian vacation. Costco travel offers that. 

Just enter your dates and your departure city into the booking portal and they take care of the rest. Your flights, hotel, and rental car will be booked with just a few clicks. Plus, everything is managed all in one place. No need to search through your email for different confirmations. Costco has you covered. 

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5. Additional cashback

Have an executive membership? You can get 2% back on your purchase. On a $5,000 vacation package, that’s an additional $100 back in Costco rewards. While 2% might seem like a lot when compared to the total cost, you can just add that to the savings that you get from booking a trip with them. 

If you have a Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi, you’ll get 3% cashback. On a $5,000 vacation, you’ll get $150 back. 

6. Activities could be better

Hawaii truly has some of the best activities. Snorkeling, helicopter rides, hiking. The islands offer something for almost anyone. 

And, the Costco travel package comes with a $100 activity credit. This activity credit is generally not enough to pay for one activity for one person. So if you want to use the credit, you will have to pay an additional cost in many situations. 

Herein lies the problem: the activities you can use the credit towards are fine. But, they might not be the activities that you actually want to do. 

For example, the Pride of Maui Sunset Dinner Cruise is a good option to get out on the water and use your credit. But if you had your heart set on a catamaran or a sailboat or a smaller group, this isn’t the activity for you. 

If you have your heart set on very specific activities, like a sunset sail or a luau, it’s probably better to skip booking with the activity credit and pay for the activities that you actually want to do. You’ve likely saved a few hundred dollars on a vacation package

Related read: Should You Book the Feast at Lele or Old Lahaina Luau?

7. Hotels and vacation rentals available

We love a good hotel in Hawaii, but sometimes a vacation rental is a better fit (especially when you’re traveling with kids). Costco offers the ability to book at both hotels and vacation rentals, giving you some great choices. 

Costco hotel options in Hawaii include some top-notch places like:

Maui hotels:

• Westin Kaanapali
• Sheraton Kaanapali
• Fairmont Kea Lani
• Ritz Carlton Kapalua
• Four Seasons
• Grand Wailea

Oahu hotels:

• Disney Aulani
• Outrigger Waikiki Hotels
• Waikiki Beach Marriott
• Hilton Hawaiian Village
• Moana Surfrider
• Turtle Bay Hotel

Kauai hotels:

• Sheraton Kauai Coconut Beach
• Kauai Marriott
• Grand Hyatt
• Koloa Landing Resort

Big Island hotels:

• Westin Hapuna Beach
• Sheraton Kona Resort & Spa
• Hilton Waikoloa Village
• Fairmont Orchid

The one thing that’s missing: access to the boutique hotels on the islands. There are some wonderful, smaller, or independently run hotels on the island. If that type of accommodation is more your style, booking with Costco isn’t the best choice for you. 

8. The cancellation policy isn’t great

If you’re the type of person who doesn’t do well with pre-booking commitment (like me), Costco isn’t a good fit. After booking the trip, you’re subject to a fairly rigid cancellation policy, with the highest refunded amount of 75%. 

This isn’t a problem for everyone. But if you think there’s a chance your plans might change, booking with Costco isn’t going to work out in your favor.

I also should note that Costco received terrible reviews during the initial wave of COVID vacation cancellations. People were left without refunds or waiting on hold for hours. I think most travel companies struggled to handle this situation well, but the negative reviews will give you pause. Sometimes in these situations, it’s better to book directly with the hotel or airline. 

9. It’s pre-paid

This can be a good thing or a bad thing depending on who you are. If you love going on vacation knowing it’s all paid for, Costco Hawaii Vacation packages are for you. Everything is pre-paid in advance and you take off knowing that you’re not going to come home to massive credit card bills (well, aside from food and activities which can be very expensive). 

But if you don’t love paying for a vacation before you go, booking with Costco might hurt a little. You can pay on a schedule so you’re not shelling out the entire amount at once, but you will have pre-paid the entire cost of the package you book before you leave for your trip. 

Costco can be a great place to book your travel for Hawaii. You’ll likely save a lot of money by purchasing a full package and you’ll have all of the details taken care of with just a few clicks and decisions. 

But there are some clear drawbacks to using them. Weigh your choices carefully and you’ll book the trip you’re dreaming of your way.

And if you’re planning a trip to Hawaii booking with Costco or not, our free itineraries will be a big help . 

Related reads:

• What is the Cheapest Hawaiian Island?
• Hawaii Vacation Grocery List (with a printable list)
• The 14 Best Things to Do on a Budget in Maui

Oahu Wayfinder Itinerary

Maui Wayfinder Itinerary

Kauai Wayfinder Itinerary

Cruising Hawaii Guide

Big Island Wayfinder Itinerary

I'm the co-founder, with my husband Jordan, of The Hawaii Vacation Guide. We have lived on Maui and Oahu and continue to travel, experience, and learn about the Hawaiian Islands. We travel with our kids, Henry and Edith. I am a planner! I love to plan trips from the mainland and island-hopping adventures, excursion days, and everything in-between. I spend a lot of my time in Hawai'i on a SUP and my favorite time of year in Hawai'i is whale season!

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• Flight Denver - Las Vegas (DEN - LAS) $43+
• Flight Oakland - Las Vegas (OAK - LAS) $47+
• Freehand Chicago $35+
• Chicago Getaway Hostel $46+
• Travelodge by Wyndham Downtown Chicago $103+
• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - ORD) $33+
• Flight Atlanta - Chicago (ATL - MDW) $37+
• Flight Dallas - Chicago (DFW - ORD) $51+

San Francisco

• Hi San Francisco Downtown Hostel $51+
• The Mosser $73+
• Chancellor Hotel On Union Square $114+
• Flight Ontario - San Francisco (ONT - SFO) $36+
• Flight Los Angeles - San Francisco (LAX - SFO) $53+
• Flight San Diego - San Francisco (SAN - SFO) $58+

Washington, D.C.

• Generator Hotel Washington DC $70+
• Days Inn by Wyndham Washington DC/Connecticut Avenue $123+
• Georgetown Residences by LuxUrban, Trademark Coll by Wyndham $148+
• Hotel Harrington $164+
• Citizenm Washington DC Noma $168+
• Beacon Hotel & Corporate Quarters $174+
• Henley Park Hotel $192+
• Hyatt Place Washington DC/US Capitol $196+
• Morrison Clark Historic Inn $200+
• Citizenm Washington Dc Capitol $200+
• Arc Hotel Washington DC, Georgetown $201+
• Washington Plaza Hotel $202+
• Flight Atlanta - Baltimore (ATL - BWI) $34+
• Flight Boston - Baltimore (BOS - BWI) $56+
• Flight Dallas - Baltimore (DFW - BWI) $63+
• Flight Houston - Baltimore (HOU - BWI) $79+
• Flight Houston - Baltimore (IAH - BWI) $79+
• Flight Los Angeles - Baltimore (LAX - BWI) $83+
• Flight Chicago - Baltimore (ORD - BWI) $95+
• Flight Dallas - Washington, D.C. (DFW - DCA) $95+
• Flight Minneapolis - Washington, D.C. (MSP - DCA) $99+
• Flight San Francisco - Washington, D.C. (SFO - DCA) $99+
• Flight Atlanta - Washington, D.C. (ATL - DCA) $107+
• Flight Minneapolis - Baltimore (MSP - BWI) $117+
• Hotel Boutique Casa Mallorca $70+
• Suites Malecon Cancun $71+
• Avani Cancún Airport Hotel $84+
• Flight Dallas - Cancún (DFW - CUN) $165+
• Flight Orlando - Cancún (MCO - CUN) $180+
• Flight Houston - Cancún (HOU - CUN) $182+

United States

• Flight Newark - Fort Lauderdale (EWR - FLL) $51+
• Flight Newark - Miami (EWR - MIA) $55+
• Flight San Francisco - Las Vegas (SFO - LAS) $61+
• Kauai Palms Hotel $191+
• Tip Top Motel $194+
• Kauai Beach Villas $220+
• Flight Los Angeles - Hawaii (LAX - USHI) $188+
• Flight San Francisco - Hawaii (SFO - USHI) $212+
• Flight Ontario - Hawaii (ONT - USHI) $258+
• Super 8 by Wyndham San Diego Hotel Circle $85+
• California Suites Hotel $93+
• Best Western Seven Seas $105+
• Flight Phoenix - San Diego (PHX - SAN) $48+
• Flight San Jose - San Diego (SJC - SAN) $56+
• Flight San Francisco - San Diego (SFO - SAN) $58+
• Shared Living Not A Hotel $34+
• Super 8 by Wyndham Phoenix West $54+
• Hometowne Studios by Red Roof Phoenix - Dunlap Ave. $57+
• Flight Ontario - Phoenix (ONT - PHX) $38+
• Flight Dallas - Phoenix (DFW - PHX) $50+
• Flight Los Angeles - Phoenix (LAX - PHX) $57+

Los Angeles

• Boutique Hostel $34+
• Freehand Los Angeles $41+
• City Center Hotel Los Angeles $104+
• Four Points by Sheraton Los Angeles International Airport $108+
• Rotex Western Inn $108+
• La Quinta Inn & Suites LAX $125+
• USC Hotel $129+
• Flight Oakland - Los Angeles (OAK - LAX) $55+
• Flight San Francisco - Los Angeles (SFO - LAX) $58+
• Flight Dallas - Los Angeles (DFW - LAX) $66+
• Flight Chicago - Los Angeles (ORD - LAX) $74+
• Flight Denver - Los Angeles (DEN - LAX) $79+
• Flight Houston - Los Angeles (HOU - LAX) $82+
• Flight Houston - Los Angeles (IAH - LAX) $82+
• Selina Gold Dust $52+
• Motel 6 Miami. Fl $73+
• La Quinta Inn by Wyndham Miami Airport North $84+
• Miami Gardens Inn & Suites $86+
• Days Inn by Wyndham Miami International Airport $91+
• La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Miami Airport East $98+
• Holiday Inn Express & Suites Miami-Kendall $112+
• Radisson Red Miami Airport $113+
• The Palms Inn & Suites Miami, Kendall, Fl $114+
• Holiday Inn Miami West - Airport Area $119+
• Courtyard by Marriott Miami West/FL Turnpike $123+
• Flight Atlanta - Miami (ATL - MIA) $42+
• Flight Philadelphia - Miami (PHL - MIA) $47+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (ORD - MIA) $52+
• Flight Chicago - Miami (MDW - MIA) $55+
• Flight Baltimore - Miami (BWI - MIA) $60+
• Flight Raleigh - Miami (RDU - MIA) $63+
• Flight Boston - Miami (BOS - MIA) $68+
• Flight Charlotte - Miami (CLT - MIA) $75+
• Flight Detroit - Miami (DTW - MIA) $76+
• Flight Houston - Miami (HOU - MIA) $77+
• Hometowne Studios by Red Roof Denver - Glendale/Cherry Creek $64+
• Super 8 by Wyndham Denver Stapleton $75+
• Days Inn & Suites by Wyndham Denver International Airport $97+
• Microtel Inn & Suites by Wyndham Denver Airport $100+
• Comfort Suites Denver International Airport $101+
• Quality Inn & Suites Denver International Airport $101+
• Baymont by Wyndham Denver International Airport $101+
• Flight Minneapolis - Denver (MSP - DEN) $38+
• Flight Detroit - Denver (DTW - DEN) $63+
• Flight Chicago - Denver (ORD - DEN) $68+
• Flight Houston - Denver (IAH - DEN) $68+
• Flight Atlanta - Denver (ATL - DEN) $69+
• Flight Ontario - Denver (ONT - DEN) $69+
• Flight Orlando - Denver (MCO - DEN) $75+
• Hi Boston Hostel $61+
• Found Hotel Boston Common $101+
• Ramada by Wyndham Boston $153+
• Flight Baltimore - Boston (BWI - BOS) $55+
• Flight Miami - Boston (MIA - BOS) $68+
• Flight Orlando - Boston (MCO - BOS) $75+
• Ramada Plaza by Wyndham Atlanta Airport $63+
• La Quinta Inn & Suites by Wyndham Atlanta Airport North $101+
• Sonesta Atlanta Airport North $105+
• Flight Orlando - Atlanta (MCO - ATL) $23+
• Flight Baltimore - Atlanta (BWI - ATL) $36+
• Flight Detroit - Atlanta (DTW - ATL) $36+
• Generator Madrid $34+
• C&h Aravaca Garden $39+
• Toc Hostel Madrid $44+
• Flight New York - Madrid (JFK - MAD) $367+
• Rodeway Inn Fairgrounds-Casino $68+
• Econo Lodge Airport at RJ Stadium $69+
• Tampa Inn Near Busch Gardens $70+
• Flight Philadelphia - Florida (PHL - USFL) $46+
• Flight Newark - Florida (EWR - USFL) $51+
• Flight Chicago - Florida (ORD - USFL) $52+
• Flight Atlanta - Tampa (ATL - TPA) $45+
• Flight Raleigh - Tampa (RDU - TPA) $47+
• Flight Cincinnati - Tampa (CVG - TPA) $48+

New Orleans

• Ramada by Wyndham New Orleans $68+
• Wyndham Garden Hotel Baronne Plaza $93+
• Hampton Inn & Suites New Orleans Canal St. French Quarter $102+
• Flight Orlando - New Orleans (MCO - MSY) $53+
• Flight Dallas - New Orleans (DFW - MSY) $59+
• Flight Atlanta - New Orleans (ATL - MSY) $62+

Frequently asked questions about KAYAK

How do i find travel deals on kayak.

Simply use one of our travel search engines to scan for prices gathered from hundreds of travel sites. KAYAK’s search results pages have loads of filter options to help you find deals, discover exactly what you’re looking for and make booking seamless. Plus, there’s no extra fee from KAYAK.

How can I use KAYAK to manage my travel bookings?

KAYAK Trips creates a travel itinerary for you that will give you flight status alerts, can be shared with friends and more. Simply forward your booking confirmations to [email protected] or use the KAYAK app and sync your email account to keep all your travel plans organized in one app, even if you didn’t book with KAYAK. You can share your holiday plans with friends and family and also check out your travel stats for past vacations, like how far you’ve traveled, your most popular cities and how many times you’ve traveled around the world. Even if you don’t have signal, don’t worry, as you can access Trips to check out your itineraries whilst on the road. Your data is safe and secure with us and you won’t have to re-enter credit card info when booking future trips. If you want to make changes or cancel bookings, then you should contact the travel provider, which is provided on the booking confirmation.

What makes KAYAK a great travel app?

On the KAYAK app for iOS and Android you’ll find all the great travel offers found on the website and much more. There are special mobile rates and app only deals that allow you to save even more money. Plus, you can get notifications straight to your phone letting you know when prices for your next trip have dropped. But the KAYAK app is much more than just a travel app. Use the Trips function to manage your travel itinerary and get up to date status alerts on flights, check-in changes and to store your boarding pass. Even if you’re in the middle of nowhere on your travels, you can still access your travel notes via Trips, as no internet connection is required.

What are KAYAK Price Alerts?

Instead of manually checking back in on the price of your next flight or stay, let KAYAK do the hard work for you with KAYAK Price Alerts. Once you’ve saved your search, our data will determine how the price will rise or fluctuate over the coming days. You’ll then get a push notification letting you know when’s the perfect time to book.

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USA TODAY 10Best

10 travel memberships that are worth the money

November 11, 2021 // By Leila Najafi

By Leila Najafi November 11, 2021

We live in a subscription-obsessed world and there’s a subscription for everything you can imagine, from razors to clothing and even hot sauces. Travel memberships are on the rise, providing new ways to ease some of the stress that comes with traveling these days and help make the journey more seamless.

Whether you’re willing to pay a premium for exclusive travel experiences that provide a little more privacy or you're more budget-conscious and want to find the best travel deals, there’s a membership for every type of traveler. Here are 10 travel memberships that are worth considering.

Wheels Up offers private jet charter memberships so travelers can access a fleet of aircrafts, including a King Air 350i, an 8-passenger Citation Excel/XLS, and one of the fastest aircrafts, the Citation X. Wheels Up uses a dynamic pricing model offering competitive rates, so members can book flights on-demand with the flexibility to pay as they go.

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Additional m embership benefits include invites to signature events, President’s Circle status with Hertz, a complimentary trial of Inspirato Club subscription for 12 months (Core members only), certain perks at select Waldorf Astoria hotels across North America, a partnership with Delta SkyMiles, dedicated partnership rates with Porsche and more.

Membership cost: Three membership options are available – Connect, Core and Business. The Connect membership requires a one-time initiation fee of $2,995 and annual dues of $2,495 which begin on year two. The Core membership has an initiation fee of $17,500 and annual dues of $8,500 which begin on year two. The Business membership requires an initiation fee of $29,500 and $14,500 for subsequent years and includes up to six lead passengers.

Getting through airport security lines can be a drag, especially during holiday weekends and a pandemic that has increased the demand for more seclusion when traveling. PS (formerly known as Private Suite) is designed for first and business class travelers who are seeking privacy and convenience, allowing them to bypass LAX altogether.

Travelers check into a private terminal where they can relax in a fully-stocked luxury private suite that includes complimentary in-suite meals catered by h.wood Group , as well as additional services upon request such as in-suite massages, manicures and detailing services for personal cars. PS also provides a designated on-site TSA and Customs agent for expedited screening.

Upon boarding, travelers are transported across the tarmac directly to their aircraft in a BMW 7 Series sedan. Earlier this year, the Salon at PS launched, which features a new full-service lounge at the terminal for travelers who want the same benefits of PS but seek a more social experience.

Membership cost: Annual membership costs $4,500, which gives members access to a preferred rate of $3,250 for a one-way Suite experience for up to four travelers. The Salon is available to members and non-members for $695 per use per person.

Inspirato is a subscription-based luxury travel service that gives members exclusive access to over 150,000 luxury vacation homes and resorts around the world that are staffed by Inspirato. There are two membership types: Inspirato Club and Inspirato Pass. The former gives you access to the luxury residences and hotels around the world, on-site concierge and daily housekeeping with additional benefits such as late check-in and check-out, room upgrades, spa credits and more. However, members also pay nightly room rates.

With the Inspirato Pass, you automatically get the benefits of Inspirato Club plus nightly rates are already factored into the price of membership, so you can book as many vacations as possible in one month with one active reservation at a time. There is also no long-term commitment, so you can cancel the membership at any time.

Membership cost: Inspirato Club membership is $600/month plus a $600 enrollment fee and you pay nightly rates as you go. Inspirato Pass is a flat rate of $2,500/month which includes all hotel stays.

Scott’s Cheap Flights

A membership to Scott’s Cheap Flights includes flight deals and “Mistake Fares” accidentally published by airlines sent straight to your inbox. The team scours the internet for the lowest published airfare rates to popular destinations and shares them with members.

Subscribers can also track deals from a specific airport close to home or destinations of interest. A membership to Scott’s Cheap Flights is best for travelers who have flexibility on the destination and dates and are willing to fly based on low airfare rates. Flight deals don’t last long so you’ll have to act fast.

Membership cost: There are three membership tiers including Limited which is free, Premium costs $49/year and Elite $199/year.

PRIOR was started by a former travel editor who saw a gap in the market for travelers wanting a more immersive experience during their vacation. A team of experienced travel editors and local tastemakers on the ground design itineraries for curious travelers.

A PRIOR WORLD membership includes access to curated destination guides, unique local experiences in cities around the world, pre-planned group trips led by experts and for an additional fee, the team can create a custom itinerary based on your interests.

If you're a frequent traveler, PRIOR BESPOKE might be the membership better suited for you. For a flat fee per year, members get unlimited trip planning by their expert team of travel editors and membership managers.

Membership cost: PRIOR WORLD membership costs $249 per annum. PRIOR BESPOKE is $5,000 per annum.

Priority Pass

Airport terminals may have come a long way in the last decade, but killing time for a three-hour layover in a crowded airport isn’t exactly on anyone’s list of things to do, especially on vacation. Trade the busy terminals for private lounge access with Priority Pass and enjoy guaranteed Wi-Fi and snacks.

Members of Priority Pass receive access to over 1,300 airport lounges globally, including several airline lounges such as Virgin Atlantic, Air France and Turkish Airlines. Several credit cards like the Chase Sapphire Reserve, American Express Platinum and Marriott Bonvoy Brilliant American Express offer free Priority Pass memberships as part of their member benefits.

Membership cost: Choose from three membership tiers which start at $99/year for the Standard membership plus $32 per visit and go up to $429/year for the Prestige membership which includes unlimited lounge visits.

TSA Pre-Check and Global Entry are services that allow travelers to expedite the security screening process upon departure and arrival. With CLEAR Plus, enrolled members get escorted to the front of the security line once they’ve been verified using facial recognition or fingerprint scans, so they no longer have to verify identification at security. However, for expedited clearance through security screenings, TSA Pre-Check or Global Entry are still required.

CLEAR uses biometric identifiers to create a unique ID assigned to each member that is used for verification at stations across airports, stadiums and other major venues nationwide.

Membership cost: A CLEAR Plus membership is $179 per year. American Express Platinum Card Members receive a $179 statement credit and United MileagePlus members receive a discounted membership rate.

Well Traveled

Well Traveled is a members-only social and booking platform that allows members to connect with friends to find and share travel recommendations. The community-driven platform is intended to make travel planning easier by allowing you to follow people in your network that you trust, in addition to other like-minded travelers who share similar budgets and travel preferences.

Members can also take advantage of the personalized booking service that includes perks like exclusive rates, room upgrades, food & beverage credits, complimentary breakfast and more. Currently, membership is invite-only but you can also apply to be considered.

Membership cost: $150 per year.

Travel + Leisure Club

Travel + Leisure Club is a new travel subscription service offered by Travel + Leisure Group. Members can pay a monthly fee for access to preferred pricing on curated itineraries and an average of 25% savings on hotels, resorts, car rentals and activities that are listed on Travel + Leisure GO, the online travel booking site. Plus, members get a subscription to the glossy print magazine.

Members also get access to a personal concierge that can assist with travel planning, scoring tickets to sold-out events, making dinner reservations and more.

Membership cost: Travel + Leisure Club is currently offering an introductory rate of $9.95/month.

Exclusive Resorts

Designed for families who value privacy, Exclusive Resorts is a small community of members (only 150 new members accepted each year) that get access to over 350 luxury residences around the world including the Amalfi Coast, Barcelona, Deer Valley, Kaua’i, Los Cabos, St. Barts and more.

Guests enjoy a more personalized experience with a dedicated on-site team who can assist with pre-trip planning details such as stocking the fridge with your favorite snacks, booking a massage or private chef, and housekeeping services.

Membership cost: There is a one-time, non-refundable initiation fee of $150,000 for a 10-year membership. Annual dues are $1,395/night and members travel 15-30 nights per year.

About Leila Najafi

Leila Najafi is a luxury travel writer based in LA who is a member of more subscription services than she'd like to admit.

Read more about Leila Najafi here.

Connect with Leila via: Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok

Everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money

Costco isn't just the place where you can buy toilet paper in bulk, inexpensive gas, cheap hot dogs and gift cards. You can also book great trips via the company's online travel agency, Costco Travel.

I know, I know: At TPG, we're often staunchly against booking travel through third-party sites , as there can be tradeoffs versus booking directly. But in recent years, I've become a big fan of the travel deals I can find via Costco Travel.

When planning our annual beach trip back in 2022, my best friend found a few options for Mexican all-inclusive resorts on Costco Travel and shared the links with me. I promptly told her we'd probably be better off booking directly and brushed off the idea of booking through Costco — neither of us even had a membership at the time.

However, comparing the prices and benefits at a few of the resorts proved my initial reaction wrong.

I actually got a Costco membership to book the deal since the cost of the membership was less than what we'd save by booking through Costco. We saved around $300 on a three-night stay at TRS Coral near Cancun (one of TPG's best all-inclusive resorts in Cancun ), not including the free hydrotherapy spa circuit and the $241 Digital Costco Shop Card included in the package.

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Our stay was fantastic, and I officially became a Costco Travel convert.

If you're curious about how to use Costco Travel to find deals, here's everything you need to know about Costco Travel — and why I love it for saving money on travel.

What is Costco Travel?

All Costco members have access to the Costco Travel booking platform, where you can find and book a wide range of travel — from vacation packages to hotels, cruises and rental cars. You can even book theme park vacation packages to Disney and Universal or specialty vacations such as an African safari.

Related: Costco cruise deals: How to save money booking travel at a warehouse club

Once you log in to Costco Travel, you can search for specific dates or destinations or browse through available deals and featured destinations. I personally love perusing the limited-time deals when I know I want to plan a getaway but don't have a specific destination in mind.

Trips booked through Costco Travel are often discounted and/or include perks and benefits you may not get by booking directly or through other booking portals. Usually, a trip booked through Costco Travel will also include a Digital Costco Shop Card (essentially a type of Costco gift card) of varying value.

What travel can you book through Costco Travel?

You can book hotels, cruises, rental cars and vacation packages through Costco Travel. Vacation packages range from hotel-only offers to all-encompassing packages that include airfare, hotel stays and rental cars. You can even build your own package.

However, one thing to note is that you can't book stand-alone flights via Costco Travel. There is an option to book flights through some vacation packages, but if you're only looking for airfare, you'll want to head to Google Flights to check out your options and book.

You can book Costco Travel offers both online and by phone.

Do you have to be a Costco member to use Costco Travel?

Yes. Costco Travel is an exclusive service for Costco members.

There are two personal membership levels: Gold Star and Executive. Gold Star costs $60 per year, while an Executive membership costs $120. The basic membership will give you access to all of Costco's services, including Costco Travel, while the Executive membership also comes with a 2% reward on all Costco (and Costco Travel) purchases.

I've found that the Costco Travel deals alone are worth paying the $60 Gold Star annual membership fee, even though I don't regularly use Costco for my grocery store runs.

Check sites like Groupon for discount Costco memberships, as you can sometimes save on that rate — or get an included gift card that helps offset the cost.

Is Costo Travel worth it?

Costco Travel has its pros and cons, but there are definitely times when it's worth it.

For example, let's look at a five-night stay in Maui in early April. At the time of writing, Costco is currently offering a hotel and rental car package for Hotel Wailea, a Relais & Chateaux affiliated property and one of TPG's favorite Maui hotels .

Here's one cost comparison breakdown of Costco Travel's deal versus booking directly:

Even without including the additional benefits, you're already saving more than $400 via the Costco deal. Add in the value you get from the card, daily breakfast and resort credit (which is more than $1,000 in value if you maximize all benefits), and you're looking at $1,442.45 in savings by booking through Costco Travel versus directly.

And since Hotel Wailea isn't a member of any major hotel loyalty program, booking through Costco Travel wouldn't mean missing out on elite night credits or other loyalty program benefits.

Here's another example — this time for a Universal Orlando theme park trip from June 4-6 for one adult and two children from Houston. The total cost when booking each part (hotel, tickets and airfare) individually came to $2,701.35, while booking it as a package via Costco saved just over $300.

That's a fair amount of savings you could use for some frozen butterbeer or even a new wand inside the Wizarding World of Harry Potter .

When is Costco Travel not worth it?

Not every offer on Costco is worth booking.

For one, you won't necessarily find the same availability on Costco Travel. For example, flights booked through Costco may have some seats blocked off, and certain dates for hotel stays may be unavailable. Additionally, not all rental car companies are bookable through Costco Travel (such as Hertz*, which is my preferred rental car company due to the perks I get through my Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card ).

Plus, some hotel stays have a minimum stay requirement. If you're on the hunt for a long weekend getaway, you may not be able to take advantage of some Costco Travel deals.

Even when you do find availability, you should always price-check what you can find by booking directly or through your credit card travel portal and hotel programs.

After booking our fantastic stay at TRS Coral just north of Cancun through Costco, I looked at booking through Costco again in 2023 when planning our annual beach vacation.

While Costco had a deal available for the same resort, we happened to be booking when the resort chain was having a Mother's Day sale for anyone booking directly. We were able to try out a new TRS resort closer to Playa Del Carmen, TRS Yucatan; we saved more than $100 on an even nicer suite than Costco Travel offered by booking directly (even when considering the Digital Shop Card we would have gotten by booking with Costco).

Something else to consider when booking hotels through Costco Travel is loyalty program rewards and elite status. There are a lot of hotels available to book through Costco Travel that are part of major loyalty programs, from Hyatt Honors to Marriott Bonvoy to IHG One Rewards and more. But booking through Costco Travel — just like booking through most other third-party services such as Expedia — means you likely won't earn loyalty rewards, elite night credits or have any elite night benefits honored.

You'll also have to use Costco customer service if you run into any issues rather than going directly to the brand. This is especially important when considering booking a vacation package that includes flights, given the higher potential for delays or cancellations.

Why I love Costco Travel

I am typically a staunch proponent of booking directly, but Costco Travel is an exception. I've found that the benefits I can get by booking some trips via Costco outweigh the cons (some of which include having to go through Costco for any customer service help or occasionally losing out on elite night credits).

Digital Costco Shop Cards

My favorite thing about booking trips through Costco Travel is the Digital Costco Shop Card I get after booking. The card's value varies from trip to trip (generally depending on how expensive the package you book), but you can get hundreds of dollars back to use at Costco.

The Digital Costco Shop Cards can be used for Costco warehouse purchases (a game changer with grocery prices so high due to inflation), but you can also use them toward future Costco Travel bookings. And remember — Costco doesn't just carry bulk grocery items. You could use a Digital Costco Shop Card to buy a new flat-screen TV for movie nights and game days, a new outdoor patio setup ahead of summer or even Costco Pharmacy prescriptions.

I admittedly don't use Costco for groceries often (buying in bulk doesn't make a lot of sense for someone who lives alone), but I have used shop cards to help pay for Christmas presents and future Costco Travel trips. I've actually been looking into using my most recent Digital Costco Shop Card on a new pair of AirPods and a new TV mount for my living room.

Deals on non-points hotel stays and all-inclusive resorts

When I'm looking at booking a hotel stay at a brand like Hyatt or Marriott, I generally choose to book directly in order to earn elite night credits and points. However, when looking at properties not part of a major loyalty program, Costco Travel is often a go-to anytime I can find a deal.

Costco Travel has a nice deals section, and I usually look there first if I'm not sold on a specific destination for a getaway. While deals found on Costco generally have a narrow booking window, I've found that many offer a lot of flexibility for the actual trip dates.

A few examples of limited-time deals for January include Hotel Wailea from the example earlier in this guide, all-inclusive resorts in Mexico's Riviera Maya, and Disney and Universal theme park packages.

Simplifying group vacations

I'm often the travel planner in my friend group (which makes sense, considering what I do for a living), but not everyone is an avid points and miles user like myself. For group trips where we're splitting the cost of hotel rooms among multiple people, it often doesn't make sense to use points and miles to book.

Costco Travel vacation packages offer a way for all of us to save money, and it makes narrowing down potential destinations and hotels easier. Rather than everyone having to spend hours researching ideas and prices from across the internet — which might be my idea of a fun Wednesday night but isn't for some of my friends — I typically just send them to Costco Travel to see if any of the featured deals catch their eye.

Having reservation information for multiple aspects of a trip, such as a hotel and rental car package, makes sharing and saving the itineraries a breeze.

Bottom line

Whether or not you currently have a Costco membership, you shouldn't dismiss Costco Travel as just another online travel agency.

If you know where to look and are willing to price-check the deals you find, you can save a lot of money with Costco Travel deals. I've personally had a lot of success booking friends getaways to popular destinations like Mexico through Costco. Using the service has helped me save on other expenses with the Digital Costco Shop Card I've gotten with my bookings.

For me, the $60 annual membership fee to Costco has been more than worth it to utilize Costco Travel.

*Upon enrollment, accessible through the Capital One website or mobile app, eligible cardholders will remain at upgraded status level through Dec. 31, 2024. Please note, enrolling through the normal Hertz Gold Plus Rewards enrollment process (e.g. at Hertz.com) will not automatically detect a cardholder as being eligible for the program and cardholders will not be automatically upgraded to the applicable status tier. Additional terms apply.

Related reading:

• Key travel tips you need to know — whether you're a beginner or expert traveler
• The best travel credit cards
• How my Costco Anywhere Visa Card by Citi is a workhorse when it comes to cash back
• Where to go in 2024: The 16 best places to travel
• 6 real-life strategies you can use when your flight is canceled or delayed
• 8 of the best credit cards for general travel purchases
• 13 must-have items the TPG team can't travel without

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The 10 Best Group Travel Tour Companies for 2023

Caroline Morse Teel

Caroline Morse Teel is the Managing Editor for SmarterTravel Media. Follow her adventures around the world on Instagram @TravelWithCaroline.

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For those truly epic, once-in-a-lifetime destinations, you want to leave your itinerary to the experts. Whether your dream is to see the Big Five on an African Safari, trek tall mountains, explore European cities, or something even wilder, a group tour is the easiest way to do it.

However, picking the wrong group tour company is the quickest way to ruin your trip. Make sure you choose a tour company that aligns with your goals and travel styles. Do you want an intimate group tour or do you prefer to make lots of new friends in a big group? Does the price line up with what you like (luxury vs. budget)? Is the itinerary going to all the places you want to see? 

We’ve done the research and found the very best group travel tour companies for 2023 for every type of traveler.

Best Overall Group Travel: Exodus Travels

With trips on every continent, Exodus Travels covers anywhere on this planet that you could possibly want to go, from popular destinations like the Amalfi Coast to well off-the-beaten path adventures like Tajikistan. This award-winning group travel company boasts thousands of repeat customers who sign up for trips year after year (97% of past participants would recommend Exodus Travels to a friend). 

These small group tours operate with only around 12-16 people, and always feature experienced local leaders who can give you a unique insight into your destination. Exodus Travels caters to any type of travel style, including trips broken down by type of activity (think walking, cycling, multi-adventure, winter, or cultural) as well as type of traveler (family, age group, etc.). There are curated collections (coastal, “away from it all”, European wilderness, and trips of a lifetime) to inspire you, as well as self-guided options for when you want all the benefits of a group tour planner without the actual group. Looking for that special safari? Exodus Travels just partners with the African Wildlife Foundation to create carefully curated luxury adventures that go above and beyond the standard safari. 

Exodus Travels tours work for almost any budget, with options that range from affordable to premium. 

Top Trip: Explore under-the-radar Europe by foot on Exodus Travels’ Lakes & Mountains of Slovenia walking tour .

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Best Adventure Group Travel: World Expeditions

World Expeditions has been taking adventurous travelers to remote locations all over the world ever since its first group trek through Nepal in 1975. Today, World Expeditions offers active itineraries on every continent. Intrepid travelers can opt for trips themed around mountaineering, rafting, cycling, hiking, and more. 

World Expeditions aims to leave communities and places where they operate tours better than they found them. Trips are created using the company’s Thoughtful Travel Charter as a guideline, which emphasizes respect for the environment, sustainability, having a positive impact on local communities, protecting wildlife, and more. 

World Expeditions’ trips are capped at just 16 people to provide a good experience for participants, and there are no single supplements for solo travelers willing to share a room with someone of the same gender. 

Top Trip: Summit Africa’s tallest mountain on a fully-supported trek up Kilimanjaro on World Expeditions’ eight day trip up the beautiful Lemosho Route . 

Best Budget Group Travel: G Adventures 

For travelers on a budget, G Adventures offers cheap group tours that make dream destinations accessible to nearly anyone. (Think: sailing the Galapagos for just $1,124 , criss-crossing India’s Golden Triangle for $559 , or spending 8 days in Bali for less than $800.)

G Adventures is one of the best tour companies for solo travelers as well, as most trips don’t have a single-supplement. You can choose to share a room with another G Adventures solo traveler, or pay extra to have your own space.

G Adventures keeps costs down by opting for cheaper hotels and local meals, and making certain activities optional (for an additional cost). Pick your travel style—options range from “basic” to more luxe tours run in partnership with National Geographic. Family tours, local living tours (featuring homestays), and wellness-focused tours are also available. 

Top Trip: G Adventures’ China Express trip is a great way to see the highlights of China if you’re short on both time and budget. 

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Best Educational Group Tours: EF Go Ahead Tours

When you really want to learn about a destination, consider a group trip with EF Go Ahead Tours . EF is the world’s largest private education company, and the Go Ahead Tours arm capitalizes on the company’s relationships with local educators, historians, and tour guides to create group trips that take you deep into a destination. 

These small group tours generally cap at 38 travelers, and feature unique educational experiences. For a bucket list trip, EF Go Ahead Tour’s special event tours are particularly enticing, as they offer behind-the-scenes access to tough-to-plan trips like Oktoberfest in Munich or Cherry Blossom season in Japan. 

Intimidated by solo travel? EF Go Ahead Tours is a great option for solo travelers, since it offers designated trips for solo travelers , where everyone is traveling alone, making it less intimidating.  

Top Trip: Bring the tastes of Italy home with you on EF Go Ahead Tours’ Food & Wine: Piedmont & Tuscany tour (operated in partnership with America’s Test Kitchen), where you’ll learn how to make local dishes. 

Best Responsible Group Travel: Intrepid Travel

Looking for a responsible group travel operator that focuses on bettering the communities and destinations they visit? Intrepid Travel is the world’s largest travel B Corporation, a certification for companies doing good. 

Intrepid Travel’s tours focus on sustainability, diversity, inclusion, and sustaining communities. The company has its own charity, The Intrepid Foundation , which has donated over 7 million dollars to over 130 community organizations. 

Intrepid Travel’s small group tours attract a wide range of travelers, but they are especially great for younger travelers, as they have a large number of trips designed for people aged 18-29 . (Other trips, including family-focused trips, are geared toward any age.)

Top Trip: Experience unforgettable wildlife encounters on Intrepid Travel’s Premium Uganda & Rwanda trip which includes time with the mountain gorillas of Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest. 

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Best Private Group Travel: Kensington Tours

Whether your group consists of just two people or involves taking the entire extended family, Kensington Tours will take all the hassle of planning out of the equation. This private group operator creates personalized trips and itineraries tailored to your preferences, while their experts handle all the logistics and bookings. 

Plans are entirely flexible, and can even be changed while on the trip on a whim. Need some inspiration? Browse Kensington Tours’ travel ideas , to get some ideas for your next adventure. 

Top Trip: Sail around the stunning shores of Croatia and the Dalmation Islands on a private luxury catamaran on Kensington Tours’ fully customizable tour . 

Best Polar Group Travel: Chimu Adventures

Whether you’re headed north to the Artic or south to Antarctica, Chimu Adventures has the perfect polar group trip for you. Chimu Adventures has some of the most variety for polar trips, with options to fly, cruise, or a combination of both to get to your destination.

For an ultra-unique Antarctica trip, Chimu Adventures offers cruises departing from Australia or New Zealand (most Antarctica trips depart from Argentina). Can’t stay long? Book one of Chimu Adventures’ scenic flights to Antarctica , which fly as far as the south pole in one spectacular 16-hour day.

Chimu Adventures is one of the cheapest group trips to Antarctica, with rates starting under $5,000.

Top Trip: If you’re pressed for time (or simply don’t have the stomach for the Drake Passage), Chimu Adventures’ Antarctica Fly Cruise will get you to the ends of the earth quickly and smoothly.

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Best Group Tours for Solo Travelers: For the Love of Travel

Group tours can be a great way to meet new people, but they can sometimes skew on the older age range. If you’re between 25-39 and a solo traveler looking to meet new people, you’ll love For the Love of Travel . All participants on the trips are between 25-39, and according to the company, 80 percent are solo travelers—so you’ll make friends fast. Hoping to meet someone who will be more than just a friend on your next trip? Trips include a balanced number of “gal and guy spots” to ensure an even balance of genders within groups (and of course, non-binary genders are always welcome). 

For the Love of Travel offers weeklong (or longer) international trips as well as shorter weekender trips to nearby destinations like Mexico or Denver—perfect for people without a lot of vacation time.

Top Trip: Sleep in a glass igloo under the Northern Lights, go sledding with huskies, and warm up in traditional saunas on For the Love of Travel’s Lapland tour , already booking dates for 2024.

Best Biking Tours Group Travel: DuVine Cycling

Biking through the rolling hills of Italy or across the mountain roads of Chile sounds like a dream, but the logistics seem daunting (especially if you don’t want to haul all your own stuff from point-to-point). Enter: DuVine Cycling , a luxury small group tour company that specializes in bike trips. 

With trips across Europe, Latin America, Africa, Asia, and the United States, DuVine Cycling is a cyclist’s dream. Choose from all-biking trips or mix things up with a cycle and sail bike tour or a multi-sport adventure —no matter what, everything is included, from luxury boutique accommodations to top-quality name brand bikes. 

Top Trip: DuVine’s Holland Bike Tour promises “tulips, windmills, beer, and cheese”—what more could you need?

Best Luxury Group Travel: Abercrombie & Kent

Abercrombie & Kent has been delighting discerning travelers since 1962. Today, they take travelers on unforgettable adventures across over 100 different countries and all seven continents. Although Abercrombie & Kent’s trips are pricey, they encompass once-in-a-lifetime experiences like private jet tours around the world or luxury chartered cruises .

There are trips designed for solo travelers and families , and the small group journeys max out at around 14-18 guests.

Top Trip: Swim with whale sharks in the Philippines, feed proboscis monkeys in Malaysia, and photograph wild tigers in India on Abercrombie & Kent’s Wildlife Safari: Around the World by Private Jet trip , already booking dates into 2024.

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How To Use Costco Travel To Save Money

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Costco Membership

Costco travel, price comparisons, vacation package included activities, costco travel cruise deals, searching and booking, costco theme parks and specialty vacations, final thoughts.

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When you hear “Costco,” chances are the first thing that comes to mind is the big-box warehouse, a gigantic market where you can get wholesale prices on groceries, cheap home goods, affordable gifts, clothing, and alcohol. Did you also know Costco has an in-house travel agency?

Costco Travel offers vacation packages, hotel rooms, cruises, and rental cars to Costco members.

By taking advantage of the same bulk-purchasing power that it uses in retail, Costco can secure group rates when putting together vacation packages and bundles.

In this post, we’ll go over everything you need to know about Costco Travel and whether or not it can save you money on your next vacation.

There are 2 levels of Costco membership, and you must be a member to use Costco Travel .

• Gold Star: $60 per year
• Executive: $120 per year

Costco Executive members receive 2% back annually on qualifying Costco purchases, including Costco Travel purchases, up to $1,000 per year. This 2% reward comes as a certificate that can be redeemed for most Costco in-store purchases.

If you spend at least $3,000 per year on Costco purchases, including Costco Travel purchases, you’ll earn enough through the 2% yearly reward to negate the extra cost of the Executive membership.

A Costco membership is required to book vacations through Costco Travel. Costco Executive members can earn 2% in rewards on qualifying Costco purchases, including Costco Travel.

Costco Travel is an online travel agency available to Costco members only. It offers vacation packages, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and theme park and specialty bookings . Interestingly, you can’t book a flight through Costco Travel unless it’s included in a vacation package.

You can access Costco Travel by selecting Travel on the Costco website or by visiting costcotravel.com .

To view prices, you must be a Costco member, and you need to create a Costco Travel account, which is separate from your Costco.com account, before you can book anything. To do this, you just need your Costco membership number and an email address.

Costco Vacation Packages

A Costco Travel vacation package includes a hotel stay with a flight and/or a rental car. Searching for a vacation package works like any other online travel agency you may be familiar with. First, you need to input your travel destination, number of travelers, dates, and departure city.

The search results list, which defaults to Costco recommendations first, is easily filtered and sorted to find exactly what you’re looking for.

The total package price is displayed along with any included extras, such as a Costco digital shop card.

After choosing a package, click on View Deals & Customize . You can see what’s included in the package and select different flights or choose an upgraded room. The cost of your package automatically adjusts based on your choices. Remember that the price and extras, such as the Costco shop card that comes with many travel packages, may change as you alter your options.

Once you finalize the details of your Costco Travel package, you can select whether you want just to pay a deposit or pay for the entire trip. Payments can be made with a Visa or Mastercard . American Express cards aren’t accepted.

While only Visa cards are accepted in Costco stores, you can pay for a Costco Travel package using a Visa or a Mastercard.

We wanted to see how Costco Travel vacation package prices stacked up, so we checked out a few options. These examples include a 7-night package for 2 people, including hotel accommodations and flights.

Costco Travel offered the best packages for the first 2 examples. Not only was the package price the lowest, but Costco’s packages also included airport transfers and Costco shop cards, making them an even sweeter deal.

However, the third package illustrates that Costco Travel isn’t always the best option. In this example, Costco Travel was the most expensive. However, it included a daily breakfast buffet and a walking food tour. The cheapest option was Expedia, but that package was completely nonrefundable, which may not be worth the savings for some travelers.

One thing to look out for when booking a vacation package through Costco Travel is that they sometimes include extras that you don’t really want . If you remove these extras, the price drops, but some packages require you to add an activity.

For example, this European vacation package included a walking food tour in the quoted price.

After tour was removed, the price dropped by $582.44 ! That’s a huge price to pay for a walking tour, and it would have been easy to assume it was a part of the package when, in reality, it cost a lot extra.

The bad news is that some vacation packages don’t let you to opt out of an activity . In this example, there were 5 activity options available ranging in price from $582 to $1,590.

This can add a lot of unnecessary costs to a Costco Travel vacation package.

Costco Vacations travel packages include a hotel plus a flight and/or rental car. These packages often offer tremendous savings over booking through other websites or booking each element separately. However, Costco Travel won’t always offer the lowest price, so it’s good to shop around a bit before booking any vacation package.

Costco Hotels

Searching for a hotel through Costco Travel works just like any other online travel agency you may be familiar with. However, the options for booking a hotel without a vacation package are limited .

To begin, click on the Hotels tab on the Costco Travel website and then enter the city, dates, number of people, and the number of rooms.

Results appear on the next screen, with options to filter the list by a specific hotel, hotel chain, area, amenities, member reviews, and ratings. The results list can be sorted by price, but you only see prices if you enter your Costco number.

Remember that when you book a hotel through Costco Travel, you aren’t eligible to earn hotel loyalty points, nor will the hotel recognize any elite status you have . If you’re loyal to a particular hotel chain, such as Hyatt , Hilton , or Marriott , it’s important to weigh any savings against the benefits and points you’d give up.

After selecting a hotel, you can choose a different room, and the price will adjust automatically.

Payment options and cancellation policies can vary based on the hotel and rate you choose, so be sure to read the fine print carefully before you book.

We priced out a couple of hotel stays to see if Costco Travel offered competitive pricing. We found examples of Costco’s price being both higher and lower than the hotel website’s price. You may be able to find a great deal, but it’s not guaranteed.

There are a limited number of hotels you can book through Costco Travel unless you’re booking a package. You may find there are no options even in popular cities and vacation spots, so it can be frustrating to book a stand-alone hotel through Costco Travel.

Costco Cruises

Like many online travel agencies, Costco offers deals, perks, and specials when booking cruises. Sometimes, these can be quite valuable, but as always, it pays to shop around.

If you know more or less what you want, it’s easy to search for cruises on Costco Travel. Just go to the home page, click the Cruises tab, and enter your destination, departure month, specific cruise line (if you have a preference), and duration.

You can also select an option to search for Alaska cruise tours, which combines a cruise voyage and a guided land tour before or after the voyage.

The results page lists every matching available cruise, with options to filter and sort the results. Each result shows the available room types and any included extras, such as a Costco Cash Card (gift card), onboard credit, or discount.

The price listed in Costco Travel’s cruise search results is per person and doesn’t include taxes and fees.

One of the downsides of using Costco Travel to search for a cruise is that you can only search for 1 month at a time . While other cruise booking websites allow you to search by year or any combination of months, Costco Travel requires you to pick a specific month to travel.

When you find the right cruise, you can select your stateroom type, the number of people joining, and even the specific room location. You can also choose to add flights and pre- or post-cruise hotels to a package.

Some cruise lines offer their own credit card with cruise rewards, but a more general travel rewards card like The Platinum Card ® from American Express almost always offers a better value. For more information, check out our full guide to the best credit cards for booking cruises .

You can browse available deals, packages, and popular options if you aren’t set on a specific cruise, date, or region. You find these options by scrolling down on the Costco Travel cruise page, where you can explore by destination, category (such as last-minute cruises or luxury cruises), departure port, or cruise line.

We priced out cruises on Costco Travel and the cruise lines’ websites and found that the cost was usually lower with Costco Travel, especially considering they all came with Costco shop cards.

However, getting accurate pricing on a cruise can be tricky . For example, for the Norwegian cruise, the cost was higher on Norwegian’s website initially, but that’s because it included Free at Sea promotions. With those removed, the cost was the same. Booking through Costco came with a $70 shop card but didn’t give you the ability to add the Free at Sea promotions (which could be very valuable for some guests).

In our research, we’ve found that most cruise booking websites offer the same (or very similar) pricing. The difference is in the extras offered, like a Costco shop card, drink packages, or shipboard credit.

It’s always smart to price out a cruise on multiple websites, and Costco Travel could be a great place for Costco members to start.

Costco Car Rentals

Costco Travel also includes a stand-alone car rental booking feature in addition to letting you rent a car as part of a vacation package.

Unlike some other online travel agencies that offer just about everything under the sun, Costco sticks with 4 big car rental agencies: Alamo , Avis , Budget , and Enterprise.

If you would prefer to get your rental from another company like Hertz or Dollar , you should book directly or use a more inclusive portal like AmexTravel.com or Orbitz .

When renting a car, be sure to use a credit card that comes with car rental insurance . You’ll need to decline the rental company’s collision or loss damage waiver (CDW/LDW) for the credit card insurance to be active. Some of our favorite options, such as the Chase Sapphire Preferred ® Card , include primary coverage.

To search for a rental car, input the pickup and drop-off locations, dates, and times, and then click Search .

Search results are shown in a grid, with the 4 companies as the columns and the various classes of cars available as the rows. The lowest prices for each type of car are shown in red , and the price includes taxes and fees. You can click on any price to see the terms and conditions for that rental.

We did some price comparisons using the metasearch engine Kayak , and we always found lower prices on rental cars through other websites .

That doesn’t mean that Costco will never have the best price, however. Car rental prices fluctuate, so it’s always best to price out your rental on multiple websites before booking.

Costco Travel also offers the ability to book select theme parks and specialty vacations .

• Adventures by Disney
• Aulani, A Disney Resort and Spa
• Brendan Vacations Ireland & Scotland
• Disney Cruise Line
• Disneyland (vacation packages)
• Evan Evans Britain’s Finest Sightseeing Tours
• Insight Vacations
• Lion World Travel (African safaris)
• Luxury Gold
• Trafalgar Worldwide Guided Vacations
• Walt Disney World (vacation packages)

To book a theme park or specialty vacation package through Costco Travel, you first choose the package type you’re looking for.

Then, you can see each package’s inclusions and details. Each vacation package includes different components, so it’s important to read the details carefully.

Pricing information isn’t displayed until all package components are selected, so it can be a bit tricky to search based on your vacation budget .

For Costco members , using the retailer’s travel service can present an opportunity to save some cash on an incredible vacation. Through negotiated rates with hotels, tour providers, and more, Costco can sometimes offer generous discounts or great added perks.

As always, make sure to compare prices and read all terms. While Costco may offer a price advantage for one service, another portal might win for something else, while direct booking may be the best option for yet another aspect of your travel.

Lastly, if you plan to book a vacation package through Costco and have a Gold Star membership, you might want to consider upgrading to an Executive Membership for an extra $60 a year. The extra 2% rewards could make the upgrade well worth it.

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For rates and fees of The Platinum Card ® from American Express, click here .

Frequently Asked Questions

What is costco travel.

Costco Travel is a travel booking service exclusively for Costco members. It offers great deals on vacation packages, hotels, cruises, rental cars, and guided tours.

How does Costco Travel work?

The platform can offer competitive prices the same way it offers deals on retail products, and the same way that organizations like AAA can offer lower rates. By leveraging the size of its membership, Costco can ask travel service providers to offer lower prices for its members, driving business toward them in exchange.

Is Costco Travel a good deal?

That depends — it’s always smart to compare prices on your own to see. In some cases, Costco offers a better rate than other travel booking services or booking directly.

However, in other cases, Costco is more expensive or offers fewer options. For example, many hotels can’t be booked unless they are part of a package, and vacation packages won’t offer flights on some airlines, such as Southwest.

Can you cancel Costco Travel bookings?

Sometimes. Just like with any other travel service (or booking directly with a hotel or airline), each reservation can have different terms and conditions. Make sure to read the terms carefully every time you book to see if something can be canceled or refunded.

Can you book Costco Travel without a Costco membership?

No. You must sign up for a Costco membership ($60 to $120 per year) to book services through the Costco Travel portal.

Can I book on behalf of someone else?

Yes, as long as you hold a Costco membership. Just enter the other person’s name when prompted for traveler information.

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About Katie Seemann

Katie has been in the points and miles game since 2015 and started her own blog in 2016. She’s been freelance writing since then and her work has been featured in publications like Travel + Leisure, Forbes Advisor, and Fortune Recommends.

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WorldTrips is the best cheap travel insurance company of 2024 based on our in-depth analysis of the cheapest travel insurance plans. Its Atlas Journey Preferred and Atlas Journey Premier plans offer affordable travel insurance with high limits for emergency medical and evacuation benefits bundled with good coverage for trip delays, travel inconvenience and missed connections.

Cheapest travel insurance of 2024

Why trust our travel insurance experts

Our team of travel insurance experts analyzes hundreds of insurance products and thousands of data points to help you find the best travel insurance for your next trip. We use a data-driven methodology to determine each rating. Advertisers do not influence our editorial content . You can read more about our methodology below.

• 1,855 coverage details evaluated.
• 567 rates reviewed.
• 5 levels of fact-checking.

Best cheap travel insurance

Top-scoring plans

Average cost, medical limit per person, medical evacuation limit per person, why it’s the best.

WorldTrips tops our rating of the cheapest travel insurance with two plans:

• Atlas Journey Preferred is the cheaper travel insurance plan of the two, with $100,000 per person in emergency medical benefits as secondary coverage and an optional upgrade to primary coverage. It’s also our pick for the best travel insurance for cruises .
• Atlas Journey Premier costs a little more but gives you $150,000 in travel medical insurance with primary coverage . This is a good option if health insurance for international travel is a priority.

Pros and cons

• Atlas Journey Preferred is the cheapest of our 5-star travel insurance plans.
• Atlas Journey Premier offers $150,000 in primary medical coverage.
• Both plans have top-notch $1 million per person in medical evacuation coverage.
• Each plan offers travel inconvenience coverage of $750 per person.
• 12 optional upgrades, including destination wedding and rental car damage and theft.
• No non-medical evacuation coverage.

Cheap travel insurance for cruises

Travel insured.

Top-scoring plan

Travel Insured offers cheap travel insurance for cruises and its Worldwide Trip Protector plan gets 4 stars in our rating of the best cruise travel insurance .

• Worldwide Trip Protector offers $1 million in emergency evacuation coverage per person and a rare $150,000 in non-medical evacuation per person. It also has primary coverage for travel medical insurance benefits, which means you won’t have to file medical claims with your health insurance first.
• Cheap trip insurance for cruises.
• Offers a rare $150,000 for non-medical evacuation.
• $500 per person baggage delay benefit only requires a 3-hour delay.
• Optional rental car damage benefit up to $50,000.
• Missed connection benefit of $500 per person only available for cruises and tours.

Best cheap travel insurance for families

Travelex has the best cheap travel insurance for families because kids age 17 are covered by your policy for free when they’re traveling with you.

• Free coverage for children 17 and under on the same policy.
• $2,000 travel delay coverage per person ($250 per day) after 5 hours.
• Hurricane and weather coverage after a common carrier delay of any amount of time.
• Only $50,000 per person emergency medical coverage.
• Baggage delay coverage is only $200 and requires a 12-hour delay.

Best cheap travel insurance for seniors

Evacuation limit per person

Nationwide has the best cheap travel insurance for seniors — its Prime plan gets 4 stars in our best senior travel insurance rating. However, Nationwide’s Cruise Choice plan ranks higher in our best cheap travel insurance rating.

• Cruise Choice has a $500 per person benefit if a cruise itinerary change causes you to miss a prepaid excursion. It also has a missed connections benefit of $1,500 per person after only a 3-hour delay, for cruises or tours. But note that this coverage is secondary coverage to any compensation provided by a common carrier.
• Coverage for cruise itinerary changes, ship-based mechanical breakdowns and covered shipboard service disruptions.
• Non-medical evacuation benefit of $25,000 per person.
• Baggage loss benefits of $2,500 per person.
• Travel medical coverage is secondary.
• Trip cancellation benefit for losing your job requires three years of continuous employment.
• No “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) upgrade available.
• Missed connection coverage of $1,500 per person is only for tours and cruises, after a 3-hour delay.

Best cheap travel insurance for add-on options

AIG offers the best cheap travel insurance for add-on options because the Travel Guard Preferred plan allows you to customize your policy with a host of optional upgrades.

• Travel Guard Preferred upgrades include “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage , rental vehicle damage coverage and bundles that offer additional benefits for adventure sports, travel inconvenience, quarantine, pets, security and weddings. There’s also a medical bundle that increases the travel medical benefit to $100,000 and emergency evacuation to $1 million.
• Bundle upgrades allow you to customize your affordable travel insurance policy.
• Emergency medical and evacuation limits can be doubled with optional upgrade.
• Base travel insurance policy has relatively low medical limits.
• $300 baggage delay benefit requires a 12-hour delay.
• Optional CFAR upgrade only reimburses up to 50% of trip cost.

Best cheap travel insurance for missed connections

TravelSafe has the best cheap travel insurance for missed connections because coverage is not limited to cruises and tours, as it is with many policies.

• Best-in-class $2,500 per person in missed connection coverage.
• $1 million per person in medical evacuation and $25,000 in non-medical evacuation coverage.
• Generous $2,500 per person baggage and personal items loss benefit.
• Most expensive of the best cheap travel insurance plans.
• No “interruption for any reason” coverage available.
• Weak baggage delay coverage of $250 per person after 12 hours.

Cheapest travel insurance comparison

How much does the cheapest travel insurance cost?

The cheapest travel insurance in our rating is $334. This is for a WorldTrips Atlas Journey Preferred travel insurance plan, based on the average of seven quotes for travelers of various ages to international destinations with a range of trip values.  

Factors that determine travel insurance cost

There are several factors that determine the cost of travel insurance, including:

• Age and number of travelers being insured.
• Trip length.
• Total trip cost.
• The travel insurance plan you choose.
• The travel insurance company.
• Any add-ons, features or upgraded benefits you include in the travel insurance plan.

Expert tip: “In general, travelers can expect to pay anywhere from 4% to 10% of their total prepaid, non-refundable trip costs,” said Suzanne Morrow, CEO of InsureMyTrip.

Is buying the cheapest travel insurance a good idea?

Choosing cheaper travel insurance without paying attention to what a plan covers and excludes could leave you underinsured for your trip. Comparing travel insurance plans side-by-side can help ensure you get enough coverage to protect yourself financially in an emergency for the best price. 

For example, compare these two Travelex travel insurance plans:

• Travel Basic is cheaper but it only provides up to $15,000 for emergency medical expense coverage. You’ll also have to pay extra for coverage for children.
• Travel Select will cost you a bit more but it covers up to $50,000 in medical expenses and includes coverage for kids aged 17 and younger traveling with you. It also offers upgrades such additional medical coverage, “cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage and an adventure sports rider that may be a good fit for your trip.

Reasons to consider paying more for travel insurance 

Make sure you understand what you’re giving up if you buy the cheapest travel insurance. Here are a few reasons you may consider paying a little extra for better coverage. 

• Emergency medical. The best travel medical insurance offers primary coverage for emergency medical benefits. Travel insurance with primary coverage can cost more than secondary coverage but will save you from having to file a claim with your health insurance company before filing a travel insurance claim.
• Emergency evacuation. If you’re traveling to a remote location or planning a boat excursion on your trip, look at travel insurance with a high medical evacuation insurance limit. If you are injured while traveling, transportation to the nearest adequate medical facility could cost in the tens to hundreds of thousands. It may make sense to pay more for travel insurance with robust emergency evacuation coverage. 
• Flexibility. To maximize your trip flexibility, you might consider upgrading your travel insurance to “ cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage . This will increase the cost of your travel insurance but allow you to cancel your trip for any reason — not just those listed in your policy. The catch is that you’ll need to cancel at least 48 hours before your trip and will only be reimbursed 50% or 75% of your trip expenses, depending on the plan. 
• Upgrades. Many travel insurance plans have optional extras like car rental collision and adventure sports (which may otherwise be excluded from coverage). These will cost you extra but may give you the coverage you need. 

How to find the cheapest travel insurance

The best way to find the cheapest travel insurance is to determine what you’re looking for in a travel insurance policy and compare plans that meet your needs.

 “Travel insurance isn’t one-size-fits-all. Every trip is different, and every traveler has different needs, wants and concerns. This is why comparison is key,” said Morrow.

Consider the following factors when comparing cheap travel insurance plans.

• How often you’re traveling. A single-trip policy may be the most cost-effective if you’re only going on a single trip this year. But a multi-trip travel insurance plan may be cheaper if you’re going on multiple international trips throughout the year. Annual travel insurance policies cover you for a whole year as long as each trip doesn’t exceed a certain number of days, usually 30 to 90 days. 
• Credit card has travel insurance benefits. The best credit cards offer perks and benefits, and many offer travel insurance-specific benefits. The coverage types and benefit limits can vary, and you must put the entire trip cost on the credit card to use the coverage. If your trip costs more than the coverage limit on your card, you can supplement the rest with a cheaper travel insurance plan.
• The coverage you need. When looking for the best travel insurance option at the most affordable price, only buy extras and upgrades you really need. A basic plan may only provide up to $500 in baggage insurance, but if you only plan to take $300 worth of clothes and accessories, you don’t need to pay more for higher coverage limits.

Is cheap travel insurance worth it?

Cheap travel insurance can be worth it, as long as you understand the plan limitations and exclusions. Taking the time to read your policy, especially the fine print, well before your trip can ensure there won’t be any surprises about what’s covered once your journey begins.

“If a traveler is looking for coverage for travel delays, cancellations, interruptions, medical and baggage — a comprehensive travel insurance policy will provide the most bang for their buck,” said Morrow. But if you’re on a tight budget and are only worried about emergency medical care and evacuation coverage while traveling abroad, stand-alone options are cheaper.

Before buying travel insurance, you should also consider what your health insurance will cover. 

“Most domestic health insurance plans, including Medicare, will not cover medical bills abroad,” said Morrow. Even if you’re staying stateside, you may find value in an affordable travel insurance plan with medical coverage if you have a high-deductible health plan (HDHP). 

A cheap travel insurance plan is better than none at all if you end up in a situation that would have covered some or all of your prepaid, nonrefundable trip expenses.

Methodology

Our insurance experts reviewed 1,855 coverage details and 567 rates to determine the best travel insurance . From those top-scoring travel insurance plans, we chose the most affordable for our rating of the cheapest travel insurance.

Insurers could score up to 100 points based on the following factors:

• Cost: 40 points. We scored the average cost of each travel insurance policy for a variety of trips and traveler profiles.
• Medical expenses: 10 points. We scored travel medical insurance by the coverage amount available. Travel insurance policies with emergency medical expense benefits of $250,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Medical evacuation: 10 points. We scored each plan’s emergency medical evacuation coverage by coverage amount. Travel insurance policies with medical evacuation expense benefits of $500,000 or more per person were given the highest score of 10 points.
• Pre-existing medical condition exclusion waiver: 10 points. We gave full points to travel insurance policies that cover pre-existing medical conditions if certain conditions are met.
• Missed connection: 10 points. Travel insurance plans with missed connection benefits of $1,000 per person or more received full points.
• “Cancel for any reason” upgrade: 5 points. We gave points to travel insurance plans with optional “cancel for any reason” coverage that reimburses up to 75%.
• Travel delay required waiting time: 5 points. We gave 5 points to travel insurance policies with travel delay benefits that kick in after a delay of 6 hours or less.
• Cancel for work reasons: 5 points. If a travel insurance plan allows you to cancel your trip for work reasons, such as your boss requiring you to stay and work, we gave it 5 points.
• Hurricane and severe weather: 5 points. Travel insurance plans that have a required waiting period for hurricane and weather coverage of 12 hours or less received 5 points.

Some travel insurance companies may offer plans with additional benefits or lower prices than the plans that scored the highest, so make sure to compare travel insurance quotes to see your full range of options.

Cheapest travel insurance FAQs

When buying travel insurance, cheapest is not always the best. The most affordable travel insurance plans typically offer fewer coverages with lower policy limits and few or no optional upgrades. Add up your total nonrefundable trip costs and compare travel insurance plans and available features that cover your travel expenses. This strategy can help you find the cheapest travel insurance policy that best protects you from financial loss if an unforeseen circumstance arises.

Get the coverage you need: Best travel insurance of 2024

According to our analysis, WorldTrips , Travel Insured International and Travelex offer the best cheap travel insurance. Policy coverage types and limits can vary by each travel insurance provider, so the best way to get the cheapest travel insurance plan is to compare several policies and companies to find the right fit for your budget.

A good rate for travel insurance depends on your budget and coverage needs. The most comprehensive travel insurance plan is usually not the cheapest. But cheap trip insurance may not have enough coverage or the types of coverage you want. Comparing different levels of coverage and how much they cost can help you find the best cheap insurance for travel. 

The average cost of travel insurance is between 5% to 6% of your total travel expenses for one trip, according to our analysis of rates. However, you may find cheaper travel insurance if you opt for a plan with fewer benefits or lower coverage limits. How much you pay for travel insurance will also depend on the number of travelers covered, their ages, the length of the trip and any upgrades you add to your plan.

Travel insurance covers nonrefundable, prepaid trip costs — up to the policy coverage limits — when your trip is interrupted or canceled for a covered reason outlined in your plan documents. Even the cheapest travel insurance policies usually provide coverage for:

• Medical emergencies.
• Trip delays.
• Trip interruption.
• Trip cancellation.
• Lost, stolen or damaged luggage.

However, if you’re looking to save on travel insurance, you can shop for a policy that only has travel medical insurance and does not include benefits for trip cancellation .

Even when you buy cheap travel insurance, you can often use upgrade options to customize your policy to meet your specific needs. 

Some common travel insurance add-ons you may want to consider include:

• Rental car damage coverage. 
• Medical bundle.
• Security bundle.
• Accidental death and dismemberment coverage.
• Adventure sports bundle.
• Pet bundle.
• Wedding bundle.
• “Cancel for work reasons” coverage.
• “Interruption for any reason” (IFAR) coverage.
• “Cancel for any reason” (CFAR) coverage .

Blueprint is an independent publisher and comparison service, not an investment advisor. The information provided is for educational purposes only and we encourage you to seek personalized advice from qualified professionals regarding specific financial decisions. Past performance is not indicative of future results.

Blueprint has an advertiser disclosure policy . The opinions, analyses, reviews or recommendations expressed in this article are those of the Blueprint editorial staff alone. Blueprint adheres to strict editorial integrity standards. The information is accurate as of the publish date, but always check the provider’s website for the most current information.

Mandy is an insurance writer who has been creating online content since 2018. Before becoming a full-time freelance writer, Mandy spent 15 years working as an insurance agent. Her work has been published in Bankrate, MoneyGeek, The Insurance Bulletin, U.S. News and more.

Heidi Gollub is the USA TODAY Blueprint managing editor of insurance. She was previously lead editor of insurance at Forbes Advisor and led the insurance team at U.S. News & World Report as assistant managing editor of 360 Reviews. Heidi has an MBA from Emporia State University and is a licensed property and casualty insurance expert.

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Booking.com is offering cheap vacation deals to Paris, Dubai, and more

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more

Booking.com's new Getaway Deals are an excellent opportunity to book a destination vacation for less. Discounts start at 15% off and include an array of locations, from the beaches of Cancún to the streets of Paris. 

Whether you've been planning a trip or need some last-minute vacation deals, this promotion covers select stays anytime from now to October 31. All you need to do is book on Booking.com before September 30.  Though it's not uncommon to come across hotel discounts from booking sites online, this deal is a rare chance to save on a large selection of top destinations. It's a long-lasting opportunity, too, meaning you won't have to rush any of your planning, and can even choose the best time of year for your getaway.

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11 destinations from Booking.com's vacation deals

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• Browse hotels with Booking.com's cheap vacation deals

How much can you save with Booking.com?

When you shop through Booking.com's Getaway Deals, you can save 15% or more on your stay. It varies by location and hotel, but some offers feature over 50% in savings. We recommend taking your time to browse through all the available deals from your preferred locations to find the perfect balance of cost and amenities for your trip. 

Are these all-inclusive vacation deals?

These Getaway Deals are limited to stays only, meaning these bookings don't include flights, food, or rental cars. You can still book things like flights and attractions through Booking.com, and maybe even score a discount that way as well. 

When do Booking.com's Getaway Deals end?

Though you can book a trip that takes place in October, you have to book it online by September 30 to qualify for the deal. We recommend booking sooner rather than later to avoid room shortages and low stock at your preferred stays.

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