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Business Extra ("ExtrAA") Program (master thread)

Old Nov 21, 2012, 10:53 am
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Last edit by: Prospero
American Airlines Business Extra Program (master thread)

Historical Notes
  • October 5th, 2021: New award types introduced: BXL1 for Platinum status and BXP0 to convert Business Extra points to AA miles at a 1:6 rate. New requirement introduced to redeem: Starting January 1, 2023, current members will be required to have three unique travelers and maintain $5,000 in qualifying Business Extra flight activity during the previous 12-month period to redeem points.This policy will go into effect immediately for new members who join the program on October 4, 2021 or later.
  • Feb 2018 - BXP1, BXP2, BXP3 Upgrade Certificates can be redeemed electronically, without the need to redeem or submit paper certificates. [URL="https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/29470237-post1150.html"[/url]
  • Dec 2015 - Unannounced more-restrictive changes to BXP upgrade certificates implemented. [URL="http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage/898180-business-extra-program-master-thread-consolidated.html#post25942133"[/url]
  • Nov 2015 - Europe AA Business Extra closed and migrated to AA-BA-IB On Business [URL="http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/american-airlines-aadvantage-combined-airline-program/1715008-aa-ba-ib-europe-business-programme-nov-30-2015-ex-business-extra-europe.html"[/url]
  • Oct 2014 - Business Extra Awards may be redeemed for flights on US Airways
  • Sep 2013 - Business ExtrAA brand changed to simply Business Extra
  • Sep 2012 - Upgrade Awards are no longer restricted to use within 30 days of travel [url=http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/19345217-post394.html[/url]

Key Information
  • Promotion Codes - For a current list of Business ExtrAA promotions, see: Business ExtrAA Bonus Offers (consolidated)

  • Point Expiration - Business Extra points expire on a rolling basis, two years after the year in which they are earned, on December 31 at midnight U.S. Central Time. Their validity can not be extended.

  • Award Redemption - All awards must be redeemed via the Business Extra website. Flight Awards are delivered electronically via email with an Electronic Authorization Number. Upgrade Awards and Admirals Club Day Passes are delivered in paper certificate form via regular mail. Redemption sweeps occur twice per week and expedited delivery is available if you provide your FedEx/UPS account number via email. Gold Status and Admirals Club Membership awards are processed and active in the member's account after approximately one week, with other membership materials delivered in the mail within 4 weeks.

    Note: BE awards must be booked on nonstop flights if they are available between your origin and destination.

  • Award Inventory Codes - Per Meeting Services, Business Extra Awards book into the following inventory (although there are conflicting reports from mvoight and InsipidMonkey on whether or not this information is accurate for PlanAAhead Awards, for which availability may be significantly less than MileSAAver Award and/or T inventory availability):Award Type Books Into
    PlanAAhead - Economy T
    PlanAAhead - Business* U
    PlanAAhead - First Z

    AAnytime - Economy Y
    AAnytime - Business* J
    AAnytime - First F

    Upgrade to Business* C
    Upgrade to First A

    * = First class cabin on 2-class flights
    = First class cabin on 3-class flights

  • Flight Award Reservations - Award Tickets must be booked through AA Meeting Services at 1-800-433-1790 (U.S. and Canada; others contact your local reservations office), and you will need to provide the Reservations Agent with the Electronic Authorization Number from your award certificate. As of Oct 2012, flight awards can be booked without a telephone booking service charge.

  • Flight Award Expiration - As published on the Business Extra website, Award Tickets must be booked within one year of redeeming the certificate, and are then valid for one year from booking:

    Award ticket must be issued by midnight one year from the original award redemption date. Tickets issued against Business Extra flight awards are then valid for one year from the ticket issue date.
  • Upgrade Award Reservations - Upgrade Awards may be applied once a reservation is Ticketed by calling AA Meeting Services or using the Business Extra website. Once requested online you will receive an email with a confirmation number and serial numbers for each upgrade certificate requested.

    Upgrade Awards carry fare restrictions (excludes B, N, O, Q or S fares). Take careful note of your fare when making a reservation. It is possible to "Upfare" a reservation from the lowest available fare to an BXP-upgrade-eligible fare by placing it on Hold at AA.com, calling AA to request the desired higher fare basis code, then completing the purchase online.

    You can specify ITA searches that exclude the ineligible fares as follows:jfk:: aa /f ~bc = b & ~bc = n & ~bc = o & ~bc = q & ~bc = s

    (Or you can place everything after the slash directly in the second advanced control box.)

    These filters can also be concatenated with other commands, such as maximum duration, separated with a semicolon:jfk:: aa /maxdur 800 ; f ~bc = b & ~bc = n & ~bc = o & ~bc = q & ~bc = s

  • Upgrade Award Expiration - Electronic BXP Upgrade Awards are valid for 1 year from redemption. Previously, paper Upgrade Awards were valid thru Jun 30 or Dec 31 of the following year, with the exact date depending on the batch of certificates available at the time of redemption.

  • Returning Unused Awards - Points redeemed for awards but not yet applied to a ticket can be returned for no charge by using the 'returns' option in your account options. Points will be reinstated with an expiration date 2 calendar years from reinstatement (i.e., expiring on December 31 two calendar years from reinstatement). For awards already applied to a ticket, you must call Business ExtrAA customer services at 800-457-7072, or email [email protected]. Customers outside the US should use the email.
  • Business Extra Account Credit - A Business Extra number can be added to an existing reservation (for example, booked by a third-party travel agent) by calling AA Meeting Services.

    A Business Extra number can be added to an existing BA reservation as follows:
    1. Go to www.britishairways.com
    2. Select 'Manage My Booking' tab
    3. Follow the instructions to pull up your reservation
    4. Select the link towards bottom listed under 'Quick Links' 'Add On Business or Business Extra number'
    5. Add your Business Extra number and check the box to give your consent.

    Retroactive credit for completed travel can be requested via the Business Extra website.

  • Contact Business Extra

    Web home page: https://www.businessextra.com

    Booking and Ticketing (Meeting Services desk)
    www.aa.com
    1-800-433-1790 5:00 a.m. - 12:00 midnight (CT) 7 days a week

    Business Extra Customer Service
    1-800-457-7072 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. (CT) Monday - Friday
    Fax: 1-817-931-9029
    E-mail: [email protected]

    Link to aa.com BE contact web form
    http://www.aa.com/contactAA/viewEmai...businessExtrAA

    Link to BE web contact form

Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)
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Business Extra ("ExtrAA") Program (master thread)

Old May 30, 2019, 5:15 pm
  #901  
 
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: BOS
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K
Posts: 1,078
I hadn't found a post that provided a clear answer so wanted to share that I recently redeemed BE points for a J award to Europe on IB. Since the flights booked into a revenue fare code (R), I wasn't sure if they would earn miles. Low and behold, I earned EQM and RDM as if I had paid for these flights. Silver lining for the expensive taxes and more costly points than AA saver award would have been, but worth it since the points were expiring soon anyways and there was no saver awards on the dates I needed!
Assimilated Cajun likes this.
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Old Jun 4, 2019, 12:56 pm
  #902  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vail, CO
Programs: AA EXP/1mm, Marriott Titanium/LT Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 624
Is anyone else having issues with being able to use a BXP1 that gets waitlisted but never clears? Always seems to be an issue for me - when I try to use again I get an error that its "tied to another reservation." Yet another reason I am no longer waitlisting these - just putting on C-alerts and calling when space opens up
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Old Jun 4, 2019, 1:22 pm
  #903  
 
Join Date: Sep 2013
Location: ORD
Programs: Once a somebody now a nobody
Posts: 513
Originally Posted by uscjeff
Is anyone else having issues with being able to use a BXP1 that gets waitlisted but never clears? Always seems to be an issue for me - when I try to use again I get an error that its "tied to another reservation." Yet another reason I am no longer waitlisting these - just putting on C-alerts and calling when space opens up
I haven't wait-listed them in awhile either. As I travel mostly for leisure I only book flights I can confirm the upgrade. My trip last week instead of calling I actually applied the upgrade online (once my trip was ticketed) and it actually worked. I was shocked but was happy not to waste the 5 minutes to make the call.
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Old Jun 4, 2019, 2:52 pm
  #904  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vail, CO
Programs: AA EXP/1mm, Marriott Titanium/LT Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 624
Originally Posted by chicago747
I haven't wait-listed them in awhile either. As I travel mostly for leisure I only book flights I can confirm the upgrade. My trip last week instead of calling I actually applied the upgrade online (once my trip was ticketed) and it actually worked. I was shocked but was happy not to waste the 5 minutes to make the call.
100%. I called and got mine freed up then applied online. Gotta say - the online process is pretty quick and easy!
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 8:08 am
  #905  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Hi guys,

I live in the UK and am trying to find availability for LHR - LAX in April next year. Have a BX6B cert and enough points for a second. The new business.aa.com tool is indicating PlanAhead as available in Business on AA for the dates in the interstitial calendar and then when I click through shows nothing. I have tried many routings and I know this type is tricky to use. But is anyone else finding phantom space like this? Or is this an instance where I need to call?

Related: is it safe to say the 6Bs are nearly impossible to use? I can be flexible and don't mind another EU airport departure and any west coast airport for arrival...but I just don't see anything available from anywhere to anywhere for 04/2020.

Many thanks!

Last edited by natemoore12; Jun 5, 2019 at 8:15 am
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Old Jun 5, 2019, 8:27 am
  #906  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,360
Originally Posted by natemoore12
Hi guys,

I live in the UK and am trying to find availability for LHR - LAX in April next year. Have a BX6B cert and enough points for a second. The new business.aa.com tool is indicating PlanAhead as available in Business on AA for the dates in the interstitial calendar and then when I click through shows nothing. I have tried many routings and I know this type is tricky to use. But is anyone else finding phantom space like this? Or is this an instance where I need to call?

Related: is it safe to say the 6Bs are nearly impossible to use? I can be flexible and don't mind another EU airport departure and any west coast airport for arrival...but I just don't see anything available from anywhere to anywhere for 04/2020.

Many thanks!
Welcome to FT. I haven't used the BE online booking tool much, but when I tried it it seemed very clunky. You can always search availability at aa.com for a normal AAdvantage award, put on hold whatever you see that works, then call Meeting Services to book it using your BE certificate.

And yes, as BX6B's require sAAver space in business class on AA metal to/from Europe, they've become very hard to use, especially if you're looking for a route like LHR-LAX. sAAver space in busines on AA longhaul flights is somewhat of a unicorn, although with flexibility you should be able to find something. I've seen a decent amount of space from ZRH and AMS, for example.
JJeffrey is online now  
Old Jun 5, 2019, 8:34 am
  #907  
 
Join Date: Apr 2011
Posts: 16
Originally Posted by JJeffrey
Welcome to FT. I haven't used the BE online booking tool much, but when I tried it it seemed very clunky. You can always search availability at aa.com for a normal AAdvantage award, put on hold whatever you see that works, then call Meeting Services to book it using your BE certificate.

And yes, as BX6B's require sAAver space in business class on AA metal to/from Europe, they've become very hard to use, especially if you're looking for a route like LHR-LAX. sAAver space in busines on AA longhaul flights is somewhat of a unicorn, although with flexibility you should be able to find something. I've seen a decent amount of space from ZRH and AMS, for example.
Thanks! Im a long time lurker actually. Appreciate the quick reply. It actually wouldnt be so clunky if it displayed information that was correct...I tried going through the steps for a partner award for instance and everything was working as expected. I was perhaps overly optimistic that it was finding some magic availability that wasnt available on aa.com.

Ive got a bunch of Expert Flyer alerts set up so hopefully something pops up before December when the first certificate expires.
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Old Jun 6, 2019, 8:40 am
  #908  
 
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 268
Upgrade Award - what happens if downgraded due to equipment swap?

So let's say you book/use an Upgrade Award for a flight segment and then later, that flight changes due to equipment change and it's a one-cabin aircraft?
Do they re-instate the upgrade award with a new 1-year expiration?
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Old Jun 8, 2019, 6:24 pm
  #909  
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
 
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
I just booked a trip for August and the outbound sector is in V fare class (eligible for BXP1 upgrade) but when I went to business.aa.com and tried searching the PNR up in Business Extra Award Upgrade I got a message saying this kind of reservation is not eligible for Business Extra upgrades

Anyone experienced this? Or is it because there are no confirmable upgrade space I have to call and be waitlisted?
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Old Jun 14, 2019, 4:41 pm
  #910  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vail, CO
Programs: AA EXP/1mm, Marriott Titanium/LT Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 624
Originally Posted by golfingboy
I just booked a trip for August and the outbound sector is in V fare class (eligible for BXP1 upgrade) but when I went to business.aa.com and tried searching the PNR up in Business Extra Award Upgrade I got a message saying this kind of reservation is not eligible for Business Extra upgrades

Anyone experienced this? Or is it because there are no confirmable upgrade space I have to call and be waitlisted?
I have seen the same with V and could not figure out why. It lets you waitlist if no C space with other eligible fare codes
uscjeff is offline  
Old Jun 15, 2019, 9:04 am
  #911  
 
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vail, CO
Programs: AA EXP/1mm, Marriott Titanium/LT Gold, UA Silver
Posts: 624
Following up on the above. C opened on my flight tomorrow. Called BE Desk and was told BXP1s cannot be used on V fares. They really should have that on the site
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Old Jun 15, 2019, 9:40 am
  #912  
uxb
 
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,206
Originally Posted by uscjeff
Following up on the above. C opened on my flight tomorrow. Called BE Desk and was told BXP1s cannot be used on V fares. They really should have that on the site
I think G is the lowest fare bucket, but I dont remember V being excluded on domestic travel. It is excluded for international travel. If it is a domestic trip, then challenge them.
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Old Jun 15, 2019, 9:51 am
  #913  
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,623
V is not excluded. The excluded fare classes are listed right on the BE site. They are: B, N, O, Q and S.

I find the BE program is terribly run. Agents are clueless half the time. HUCA.
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Old Jun 15, 2019, 1:35 pm
  #914  
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SBA
Programs: UA & AA 1 million miler
Posts: 1,134
When I enter my First/Last name and record locater to see my itinerary at the BE booking site, it says "No Record Found"...
We two split our record locater earlier and maybe that's causing the issue??? My travel partner's itinerary doesn't show, either...
Of course at AA.com we can see our itinerary, though...
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Old Jul 5, 2019, 4:07 am
  #915  
 
Join Date: Jul 2019
Posts: 7
Hello. I'm having the same problem and I was wondering if you ever found a solution to this? Thanks.
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