Well, as a matter of fact it is still a hassle: as far as I know, you have to mention your Biz ExtrAA acct. number before purchasing the ticket. I found that it is nearly impossible to get credit for a flight after you have purchased the ticket. Also, you are basically tied to buying the ticket on aa.com or with a travel agent. If you are a startup, like us, that means no other online options when booking your tickets.

Aside from that, I think it is a waste to pay 1000 business points to get Gold status (you earn 1 point / $10 you spend on eligible tickets -- this means you have to pay $10,000 for Gold, so you get the idea). Also, international one-way upgrades are only 1200 points, which seems to me like a much better deal.