News You Can Use – $25 Off Vegas.com, Southwest Companion Pass After 3 Flights, and More!

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1.   $25 Off Vegas.com

Via Slickdeals, you get $25 off hotels, shows, and more from Vegas.com through February 28, 2015, when you use Visa Checkout.

Use promo code “Visa Checkout” in the “Heard About Us” link at the top of the page or on the billings page of your Visa Checkout account.

The $25 discount applies to lodging, attractions, and shows.

But stays booked through Vegas.com do NOT count towards Mlife tier credit.  Mlife is the awards program of MGM resorts.  And elite status gets you VIP Line night club access, buffet line passes, and more.

You also will not get credits toward elite status with MGM’s partner, Hyatt.  That’s because Vegas.com is a 3rd party site.  You usually do NOT get hotel stay credit when you book through 3rd party sites.

And to get Hyatt credit, you have to book through Mlife or Hyatt.

You can get 7% cash back at Vegas.com through TopCashBack and BeFrugal, but using the promo code might cancel out the cash back.

2.   Folks in Atlanta Can Earn Companion Pass With 3 Flights

MJ on Travel reports that folks in Atlanta can earn the Southwest Companion Pass with 3 flights.  The Companion Pass allows you to bring someone with you for nearly free on all paid and award Southwest flights!

If you live in 1 of these Atlanta zip codes this could be a great deal if you’ll use the Companion Pass enough to justify the costs of 3 round-trip flights.  With this special deal, the Companion Pass is good through the end of 2015.

However, I would NOT create a fake Atlanta address because you could lose your Southwest points, your Southwest elite status (if you have any) and possibly be prevented from flying Southwest in the future.

Folks who do NOT live in Atlanta can earn the Southwest Companion Pass by applying for 2 Southwest cards with 50,000 Southwest point sign-up bonus, meeting the minimum spending, and earning an additional 6,000 Southwest points.

3.   Get $5 When You Spend $25 During NYC Restaurant Week

You can get a $5 statement credit when you spend $25 during NYC Restaurant week, February 16, 2015, to March 6, 2015, with your enrolled American Express card.

I love to eat, so I couldn’t resist passing this along to folks who live in or are visiting New York this week.

You have to enroll your American Express card first.  There’s NO limit to the number of times you can get the $5 back.  Although, each dine has to be at least $25 at a participating restaurant.

But you could enroll multiple AMEX cards and split the bill to get $5 back on each $25 charge.

4.   Skip Long Lines and Free Access to Centurion Suite at Barclays Center

You can skip the long lines and get free access to the Centurion Suite at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.  And you get the same perks at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

But you have to be an American Express Platinum (personal), (business) or Centurion cardholder.

The Centurion Suite is part of the same program as the airport Centurion Lounges.

You can easily take the subway to the Barclays Center  to watch an NBA basketball game, NHL hockey game, or concert.

5.  AMEX and Costco Partnership Ends March 31, 2016

You will NOT be able to use American Express cards at Costco starting March 31, 2016.

That’s because American Express and Costco are ending their relationship.  This is NOT good news for folks who have been using their American Express cards to pay for purchases at Costco.

But you can still use your American Express cards, including your Bluebird and Serve cards, at Costco this year.

And for folks who are trying to meet minimum spending requirements, you can buy AMEX gift cards online and then use them at Costco.  Because currently, you can’t use Visa or MasterCard in Costco stores.