Originally Posted by
TheSpecialMan
Apologies as I haven't read through this whole thread but I'm thinking about redeeming for a BXP2 certificate for a relative flying from US to Europe. The outbound leg was booked in Y, so it should be eligible, but I called the Business Extra customer service number and they told me there was no availability and they could put her on wait list.
The flight departs in 16 days, so I'm trying to decide a few things if I should redeem for the certificate:
How soon will it physically get to me?
When will I know if cleared for upgrade to Business?
Can I return the certificate and have points redeposited into my account if it doesn't get used?
Going from memory here, so don't quote me too exactly:
1) Certs ship twice a week and you should get it in the regular mail within two weeks (last record I have was a redemption on 4/13/16 and receipt on 4/22/16). You can pay for FedEx to be sure you receive it in time, but will probably be ok if you redeem today. You do not need to have the cert in hand in order to request the upgrade, but do obviously need it in hand to check in.
2) I would check J cabin availability (and fare buckets if you have ExpertFlyer) to guess at the odds of the upgrade clearing. You may clear a day or two before, or at the gate, or not at all.
3) Yes, you can return the cert for a $150 fee. This will NOT extend the expiration date of the points.
https://www.businessextra.com/faq.htm