Planning a Spring Break Trip? Here's Why It Pays to Use Costco

When we think of spring break, we tend to imagine crowded beaches filled with rowdy college students blowing off steam. But in many cases, spring break can mean a nice respite from the grind for teachers, couples, and families with young kids whose plans are centered on wholesome relaxation.

At this point, you may be down to the wire when it comes to booking a spring break itinerary. And you may be spending your nights scouring the internet for deals and trying to piece together a vacation package on your own. But here's why going through Costco could make a lot of financial and logistical sense.

1. You can earn up to 5% back on your trip

Traveling isn't an inexpensive endeavor. So if you're going to raid your savings to pay for a trip, you might as well score as much cash back in the process as possible. And booking your trip through Costco Travel could put up to 5% back in your pocket.

How so? If you have the Costco Anywhere Visa® Card by Citi, you're eligible for 3% back on travel spending, including packages booked through Costco Travel (terms apply).

Meanwhile, if you have an Executive membership at Costco, most purchases you make give you 2% back. So when you combine these two benefits, you're looking at 5% back in total. If you book a $3,000 vacation, it means you could end up getting $150 back -- which, incidentally, is more than enough to cover the cost of a Costco Executive membership for a year (since the price there is $120).

2. You can potentially score a great last-minute deal

For some people, spring break has happened already. For others, it's not till late April. But if your spring break is rapidly approaching and you haven't yet booked an itinerary, you may be entering panic mode.

Costco, however, may be able to bail you out. Costco commonly offers last-minute travel deals, and if you find a package that works for you, you won't necessarily end up overpaying due to procrastination on your part. Plus, if you book a Costco package, you'll have all of the details taken care of, which means less stress for you.

3. You can score a host of freebies

Booking travel through Costco often means snagging extra perks that you wouldn't be privy to by booking a trip on your own. Costco vacation packages often include things like resort credits, for example, which you may be able to redeem for non-included activities or drinks.

Also, many of Costco's travel packages come with a Costco Shop Card for you to use after your trip. The Shop Card is Costco's version of a gift card, and it's basically free cash to use on any Costco item you want.

When you book travel through Costco, you don't just get access to deals; you also get access to helpful professionals who can walk you through your options and offer assistance should you hit any snags. So it definitely pays to consider using Costco Travel to secure your spring break plans this year.