Booking a vacation package through Costco Travel can feel like unlocking a secret deal: bundled savings, bonus Costco Shop Cards, and an easy one-stop checkout. Yet once the confirmation email lands in your inbox, a different set of questions often appears.
How do you pick or change seats on your flight? Are you supposed to manage your booking through Costco, the airline or both? Those answers are tied to how Costco Travel flights are handled after ticketing, which affects seat selection, schedule changes and what control you actually have before departure day.
How Costco Travel Handles Flights in Your Package
When you buy a flight-inclusive package from Costco Travel, you are not buying a stand-alone airline ticket the same way you would on an airline’s website. Costco Travel packages bundle flights with hotels, resorts, cars or cruises, and the air portion is governed by both airline rules and Costco Travel’s own terms and conditions.
Costco Travel explicitly notes that it does not sell flights on their own; they are only available as part of a package. That structure affects how you select seats, make changes and resolve problems after you book.
Your Costco Travel itinerary will show two crucial identifiers for every flight: a Costco confirmation and an airline confirmation number. The airline confirmation number is the key to unlocking self-service tools at the carrier’s site or mobile app.
It lets you look up your reservation directly with the airline, check in online and, in many cases, adjust seat assignments or add extras such as paid preferred seats and baggage. Costco Travel’s help materials specifically highlight that your airline confirmation can be used on the carrier’s website to update seat assignments and complete online check-in, often starting 24 hours before departure.
Behind the scenes, Costco Travel passes your passenger details and seat requests on to the airline, but the airline remains the operator of your flight. Airlines can and do change schedules, aircraft types and seat maps at their own discretion, and Costco Travel’s terms are clear that these operational decisions are outside its control.
That means even if you booked through Costco, the airline still has the final say over seat layouts, boarding, baggage rules and day-of-travel irregular operations such as delays and cancellations.
This split responsibility can be confusing. The simplest way to think about it is that Costco Travel is your travel agency for booking and most changes, while the airline is your transportation provider. You access both to manage your trip: Costco for package-level issues and the airline for seat maps, boarding passes and day-of-flight updates.
Selecting Seats at Booking Through Costco
During the online checkout process with Costco Travel, you will typically see a dedicated seat selection step after entering passenger information. If the airline provides a live seat map for your flight, Costco Travel displays that map so you can choose from the available options.
Once you pick your seats and complete payment, those requests are transmitted to the airline. If the airline confirms them at ticketing, the assigned seats appear on your Costco Travel invoice or itinerary.
Costco Travel emphasizes that all seat assignments at this stage are “on request” and are not guaranteed, even when they show as confirmed. Airlines may later substitute aircraft, alter cabin layouts, or re-seat passengers due to operational needs, equipment changes or weight-and-balance constraints.
The Costco Travel terms stress that seat assignments are entirely at the airline’s discretion and are subject to change without notice. This is true whether you book directly with the airline or through a third party, but it can feel more opaque when you have gone through an intermediary like Costco.
In recent years, travelers have also encountered more limited free seating options on many carriers. Costco Travel’s guidance acknowledges that complimentary pre-reserved seats may be limited or unavailable until check-in, particularly in basic or deeply discounted fare categories.
On these fares, the airline may hold back most aisle and window seats for sale as “preferred” or “extra legroom” inventory, or simply assign seats at the airport to encourage customers to pay for guaranteed spots in advance.
Practically, this means you should go into the seat selection step with realistic expectations. If you are hoping to seat a larger family together in the complimentary section, consider being flexible about aisle versus middle seats and booking as early as possible for better availability.
Where airlines offer modestly priced paid seats, upgrading to those options through the carrier can be an effective way to secure a block of adjacent seats, especially on longer flights.
When No Seat Map Appears or Only Paid Seats Are Left
Sometimes, when you reach the seat selection stage in a Costco Travel booking, you may see no seat map at all or a map with very few or no free seats displayed. This is not a glitch in the Costco Travel system.
In most cases, it means the airline has not made complimentary pre-reserved seats available to third-party systems for that particular itinerary or cabin. Costco Travel’s own FAQ explains that not all airlines offer free pre-reserved seating on all flights and that not all seats are released for advance assignment.
If the seat map is blank or shows no selectable options, Costco Travel suggests you go directly to the airline’s site using your airline confirmation number. There, you can review the carrier’s seating policies for your fare type and, where offered, pay for specific seats like extra legroom or preferred aisle positions.
Airlines increasingly monetize seat assignments, which can include not just premium cabin seats but also more desirable locations in economy. These fees are charged by the airline and are nonrefundable in many cases, even if there are later schedule changes.
In some instances, even the airline’s own website will not allow advance seating on your fare, especially on basic economy or highly restricted tickets. If you cannot pre-select seats online or through the airline’s customer service, your assignments will typically be made when online check-in opens, usually 24 hours before departure, or at the airport on the day of travel.
Costco Travel’s guidance underscores that if you are unable to secure pre-reserved seats, you will have to rely on check-in or airport staff to seat your party as favorably as possible.
Families and couples should not assume that the airline will automatically seat them together. If advance seat selection is blocked, it is important to check in as soon as the window opens and, if necessary, speak with agents at the airport gate to request seating together.
Many airlines will make reasonable efforts to keep family groups with young children together, but these accommodations are usually not guaranteed and may be constrained by how full the flight already is.
Using the Airline’s Website and App to Manage Your Seats
Once your Costco Travel package is ticketed and you have the airline confirmation number, the airline’s own digital tools become your best resource for fine-tuning your flights. With most major carriers, entering this confirmation code along with your last name on the airline website or in its mobile app will pull up your reservation, even though you booked via Costco Travel.
From there, you can typically review the current seat map, see which seats are complimentary versus paid, and make adjustments if your fare rules permit. Many travelers find that the airline’s own interface shows more granular options, including up-to-the-minute availability of paid exit-row or preferred seats that may not appear on third-party platforms at all.
In some cases, you may also be able to change your seat assignments without fees within the same price category, particularly if the airline has changed aircraft types or reconfigured the cabin.
Online check-in is another critical milestone in managing seats. As airlines move toward more dynamic seating, additional inventory sometimes opens closer to departure. Costco Travel and airline guidance alike recommend checking your reservation and seat assignments again about 24 hours before your flight, when online check-in begins.
At that time, you may find newly available standard seats or last-minute upgrades for purchase that were not offered at booking. Completing check-in early also reduces the likelihood that you will be involuntarily re-seated or bumped on an oversold flight.
If the airline has changed your aircraft or schedule and your carefully chosen seats have disappeared, your first step should be to look at the seat map through the airline’s site or app. If suitable alternatives are available, you can often reassign yourselves in a few clicks.
If not, calling the airline can sometimes yield better options than what appears online. Just keep in mind that any fare changes, cabin upgrades or voluntary flight switches are still subject to the original ticket rules created when Costco Travel booked your package.
Changes, Cancellations and Who to Call
Understanding who is responsible for what after you book is essential when your plans shift. Costco Travel’s terms and conditions make clear that changes to your air schedule, cancellations or rebookings must generally be handled through Costco Travel, not the airline.
Airlines often direct passengers back to the original booking agency when a ticket was issued by a third party. For many issues involving dates, destinations or fare types, Costco Travel is indeed your primary point of contact.
If you need to change your overall package dates, adjust hotels or cancel your trip, Costco Travel’s customer service should be your first call. They will explain any change fees or fare differences imposed by the airline and any supplier penalties from hotels or car rental partners.
Costco Travel notes that airlines may not allow rate reductions once tickets are paid in full and that many lower fares come with significant restrictions, including no changes allowed or future credit rather than refunds. If future travel credit is issued, it is usually limited to the same airline and traveler and must be used within a set time window, often one year from the original ticket issue date.
On the other hand, if your issue arises on or close to the day of travel, such as a same-day delay, misconnection or gate change, the airline is typically the most efficient resource. Airline agents at the airport and on customer service lines have direct control over rebooking onto alternate flights and resolving seat conflicts in real time.
While Costco Travel remains your agent of record, trying to resolve a last-minute cancellation exclusively through Costco’s call center can add unnecessary delays when aircraft are boarding and seats are disappearing quickly.
In some scenarios, you may ping-pong between the two. If a major schedule change or cancellation occurs well in advance, Costco Travel is responsible for helping you evaluate options in line with the airline’s policies, such as accepting new flights, shifting travel dates or canceling for credit.
If you feel you are being bounced back and forth, it can help to ask each party clearly which specific actions they are able to perform on a ticket issued by Costco Travel, then proceed step by step.
Special Situations for Families and Groups
Travelers with children, older relatives or larger groups face particular challenges with seat selection, especially in an era of increasingly fragmented airline seating policies.
Booking through Costco Travel offers the convenience of bundling, but it does not override airline rules about family seating or guarantee that everyone will be together. If sitting near one another is a priority, you should plan for that from the first moment of booking rather than hoping the airline will sort it out later.
For families, using the initial Costco Travel seat map to cluster your group is a good first step whenever seats are available. If the free options are scattered, consider selectively purchasing a few paid seats through the airline to “anchor” your group, especially in long-haul economy cabins.
For example, paying for one aisle and one window in a block of three seats might make it easier for gate agents to move another traveler later so that a child can sit between parents.
If no seating is available at booking and your fare does not allow pre-selection, the strategy shifts to timeline management. Mark your calendar to check in as soon as the airline’s window opens, typically 24 hours prior, to maximize your chances of being auto-assigned together.
If you are still separated, arrive early at the airport and speak to the check-in or gate staff, explaining who in your party are minors or have special needs. While not guaranteed, many airlines prioritize seating young children next to at least one adult in their group and can often shuffle solo travelers who are more flexible.
Larger groups, such as destination wedding parties or extended families on holiday, should be especially wary of basic or highly restrictive fares that heavily constrain seating options.
In some cases, it may be worth asking Costco Travel whether upgrading to a less restrictive fare family on the same airline would offer better seating and change flexibility. Paying a bit more up front can mitigate the stress of trying to rearrange half a dozen scattered seats on a nearly full plane at the last minute.
Practical Tips to Protect Your Seats After Booking
Once your Costco Travel booking is confirmed, a few simple habits can greatly improve your chances of keeping the seats you want. Start by saving all confirmation numbers in an easily accessible place, including both the Costco Travel reservation and each airline’s own confirmation code. Add these to your mobile wallet or notes app, so you can quickly pull up your trips on carrier websites or at airport kiosks.
Next, set reminders to periodically check your reservation on the airline’s site. Given how frequently carriers adjust schedules and equipment, it is wise to review your flights at least a few weeks before departure and again a few days out.
Confirm that your departure and arrival times have not changed substantially, that your seat assignments are still present and that your passenger details, such as TSA PreCheck or frequent flyer numbers, are correctly attached.
If you spot a schedule change that has disrupted connections or significantly altered your plans, call Costco Travel promptly to explore your rebooking options under the airline’s policies.
As departure approaches, plan to complete online check-in as soon as it opens. Besides securing boarding passes, this is often the moment when airlines release any remaining standard seats that were previously blocked. If your group is still scattered, you may find new adjacent seats available at check-in time.
If that fails, get to the airport early enough to work with agents without the pressure of imminent boarding. Polite persistence and flexibility, especially about aisle versus window preferences, often lead to better outcomes than waiting to see what happens at the gate.
Finally, understand that even carefully chosen seats can change at the last minute. Aircraft swaps, weight-balancing requirements or the need to reseat families with infants can all trigger involuntary moves. In such situations, airline staff, not Costco Travel, make the call.
If a change materially impacts your comfort or your ability to sit with a child or dependent, calmly raise the issue with the gate agent or onboard crew. They may be able to coordinate swaps with other passengers or offer solutions within the cabin’s constraints.
The Takeaway
Booking flights through Costco Travel wraps airfare into a larger package, often at a solid overall value, but it also introduces a layer between you and the airline that affects how you manage seats and changes after purchase. Seat selection on Costco Travel is fundamentally a request transmitted to the airline, which retains complete control over final assignments and any subsequent changes.
When no seat map appears or free seats are scarce, it does not mean your trip is in jeopardy, but it does signal that you will likely need to work directly with the carrier through its website, app or airport staff to secure the seating arrangement you want.
Successful post-booking management with Costco Travel comes down to understanding roles and acting early. Use Costco for package-level changes, cancellations and questions about fees and credits, but rely on the airline’s systems for up-to-date seat maps, check-in and real-time disruption handling.
For families and groups, plan ahead by prioritizing seat selection at every stage, from initial booking to online check-in, and be prepared to advocate for your needs at the airport.
With realistic expectations and a few proactive habits, you can enjoy the savings and convenience of Costco Travel without sacrificing comfort in the air. Knowing when to contact Costco, when to turn to the airline and how to read the signals from seat maps will help you move from purchase to boarding with confidence instead of stress.
FAQ
Q1. Can I choose my airline seats when I book a Costco Travel package?
In many cases you can. After entering passenger information during the Costco Travel booking process, you are taken to a seat selection page if the airline has provided a seat map. You can then choose from available seats, and those requests are sent to the airline. If confirmed at ticketing, the seat assignments will appear on your Costco itinerary, although the airline can still change them later.
Q2. What if no seat map appears on Costco Travel for my flight?
If you do not see a seat map, it usually means the airline has not released complimentary pre-reserved seats through Costco’s system for your fare or route. In that case, you should use the airline confirmation number from your Costco itinerary to look up your reservation on the airline’s website or app. There you can review seating options, including any paid preferred seats, or learn whether seats will only be assigned at check-in.
Q3. Why did my confirmed seats disappear before my trip?
Airlines routinely change aircraft types, cabin layouts and schedules. When that happens, existing seat assignments can be wiped out or shifted automatically. Even if your Costco invoice showed confirmed seats, they were always subject to change by the airline. If your seats disappear, log in to the airline’s site to see the new map and try to reselect suitable seats or contact the airline for assistance.
Q4. Should I call Costco Travel or the airline to change my flights?
For most advance changes to dates, routes or overall packages, you should contact Costco Travel first, because it issued the ticket and controls package components. Costco can explain airline change fees, fare differences and any penalties from other suppliers. For same-day operational issues like delays, cancellations at the gate or last-minute rebooking, the airline is usually the better first contact because its agents can reissue boarding passes and move you to alternate flights in real time.
Q5. Can I pay the airline for better seats if I booked through Costco?
Yes. Booking through Costco Travel does not stop you from purchasing extra legroom, preferred or other paid seats directly from the airline. Once you retrieve your reservation on the carrier’s site using the airline confirmation number, you can generally select and pay for those upgrades, subject to availability and the fare rules attached to your ticket.
Q6. How can I make sure my family sits together on a Costco Travel booking?
Start by selecting adjacent seats on the Costco Travel seat map whenever possible. If that is not available, use the airline’s site to see if paid seats can keep your group together. If you still cannot pre-select seats, check in online exactly when the window opens and then speak with airport staff early on departure day, explaining which travelers are children or have special needs. While not guaranteed, airlines often try to seat families together when they can.
Q7. Can I manage my Costco-booked flight through the airline’s app?
In most cases you can. Use the airline confirmation number from your Costco itinerary to pull up the reservation in the airline’s app. From there, you can view and sometimes change seats, add frequent flyer or Known Traveler numbers, pay for extras and complete mobile check-in. Any major itinerary changes or cancellations, however, should still go through Costco Travel.
Q8. What happens if I miss a flight on a Costco Travel itinerary?
If you miss a flight, the airline may automatically cancel the rest of your itinerary, including return flights. You should immediately contact the airline’s customer service at the airport to see if they can rebook you, and then contact Costco Travel as soon as practical to understand how the change affects the rest of your package. Be prepared for possible change fees, fare differences or the need to purchase a new ticket, depending on the fare rules.
Q9. Are seat selection fees refundable if my flight changes?
Generally not. When you pay an airline for a specific seat, the fee is usually nonrefundable, even if the airline later changes aircraft or moves you. Some carriers may try to reseat you in a comparable location or offer a voucher if they cannot, but this is at their discretion. Booking through Costco Travel does not alter those airline rules, so it is wise to confirm the carrier’s seat fee policy before paying.
Q10. How early should I arrive at the airport for a Costco Travel flight?
Costco Travel and airline guidance align in recommending that you arrive at least two hours early for domestic flights and at least three hours early for international departures. This is particularly important if you still need to sort out seat assignments, check baggage or address any issues that arose after booking. Early arrival gives you time to work with airline staff to resolve seating or documentation problems before boarding begins.