Nov 21, 2012, 10:53 am
Last edit by: Prospero
American Airlines Business Extra Program (master thread)
Historical Notes
Key Information
Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)
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:- Go to www.britishairways.com
- Select 'Manage My Booking' tab
- Follow the instructions to pull up your reservation
- Select the link towards bottom listed under 'Quick Links' 'Add On Business or Business Extra number'
- 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)
Business Extra ("ExtrAA") Program (master thread)
Jun 22, 2022 | 6:55 am
#1636
Join Date: Apr 2020
Posts: 330
New to Business Extra. Signed up for it in October 2021, was approved, but never realized I had to add my Business Extra number to bookings, which I am doing going forward.
I read on the website that I can request credit for flights going back up to a year, so I used the "missing flight" form on the BE website to try a flight from 10/08/21.
I received a response on that flight within a day or two. The flight was denied any points.
Disq. Reason: Ineligible for Base Points
Rejected: Coupon disqualified
Details about the flight:
Method: Fare
Business (J)
Round trip
Anyone know what I may have done wrong?
I read on the website that I can request credit for flights going back up to a year, so I used the "missing flight" form on the BE website to try a flight from 10/08/21.
I received a response on that flight within a day or two. The flight was denied any points.
Disq. Reason: Ineligible for Base Points
Rejected: Coupon disqualified
Details about the flight:
Method: Fare
Business (J)
Round trip
Anyone know what I may have done wrong?
Jun 29, 2022 | 11:54 am
#1637
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: TX
Programs: AA: EXP MR: Ti
Posts: 504
New to Business Extra. Signed up for it in October 2021, was approved, but never realized I had to add my Business Extra number to bookings, which I am doing going forward.
I read on the website that I can request credit for flights going back up to a year, so I used the "missing flight" form on the BE website to try a flight from 10/08/21.
I received a response on that flight within a day or two. The flight was denied any points.
Disq. Reason: Ineligible for Base Points
Rejected: Coupon disqualified
Details about the flight:
Method: Fare
Business (J)
Round trip
Anyone know what I may have done wrong?
I read on the website that I can request credit for flights going back up to a year, so I used the "missing flight" form on the BE website to try a flight from 10/08/21.
I received a response on that flight within a day or two. The flight was denied any points.
Disq. Reason: Ineligible for Base Points
Rejected: Coupon disqualified
Details about the flight:
Method: Fare
Business (J)
Round trip
Anyone know what I may have done wrong?
Was it a corporate booking? Those generally don't qualify as they are discounted fare.
Jun 29, 2022 | 12:05 pm
#1638
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,424
New to Business Extra. Signed up for it in October 2021, was approved, but never realized I had to add my Business Extra number to bookings, which I am doing going forward.
I read on the website that I can request credit for flights going back up to a year, so I used the "missing flight" form on the BE website to try a flight from 10/08/21.
I received a response on that flight within a day or two. The flight was denied any points.
Disq. Reason: Ineligible for Base Points
Rejected: Coupon disqualified
Details about the flight:
Method: Fare
Business (J)
Round trip
Anyone know what I may have done wrong?
I read on the website that I can request credit for flights going back up to a year, so I used the "missing flight" form on the BE website to try a flight from 10/08/21.
I received a response on that flight within a day or two. The flight was denied any points.
Disq. Reason: Ineligible for Base Points
Rejected: Coupon disqualified
Details about the flight:
Method: Fare
Business (J)
Round trip
Anyone know what I may have done wrong?
Jul 1, 2022 | 1:27 pm
#1639
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: TBD
Posts: 842
I've mostly used my points for upgrades, but I just redeemed 5,000 points for a US domestic roundtrip flight that would have cost $732, and it was super easy to use their website. Personally, I consider that incredible value when it would have cost 81K redeemable miles. I was torn between the Y ticket for 5K and the F ticket for 8K but ultimately went with the Y to save the points for a year admiral pass or perhaps just ~19,000 redeemables. What are others using BE points for these days?
Jul 2, 2022 | 4:44 am
#1640
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 7,476
I've mostly used my points for upgrades, but I just redeemed 5,000 points for a US domestic roundtrip flight that would have cost $732, and it was super easy to use their website. Personally, I consider that incredible value when it would have cost 81K redeemable miles. I was torn between the Y ticket for 5K and the F ticket for 8K but ultimately went with the Y to save the points for a year admiral pass or perhaps just ~19,000 redeemables. What are others using BE points for these days?
Jul 15, 2022 | 8:34 am
#1641
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 671
Sorry if this has been discussed earlier. With the new program eliminating 500-mile upgrades and Elites receiving automatic upgrades, if I am currently on a waitlist request for BXP1 upgrade, where does that approval fall within priority order against an Elite that is getting an automatic upgrade?
Im wondering if it will move me up more in priority than just relying on an automatic upgrade from my Platinum status.
Im wondering if it will move me up more in priority than just relying on an automatic upgrade from my Platinum status.
Last edited by Microwave; Jul 18, 2022 at 2:28 am Reason: Merged cross postscross posting is not permitted on FlyerTalk
Jul 15, 2022 | 10:39 pm
#1642
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: DCA
Programs: AA PP 1MM, WOH Globalist
Posts: 1,353
Sorry if this has been discussed earlier. With the new program eliminating 500-mile upgrades and Elites receiving automatic upgrades, if I am currently on a waitlist request for BXP1 upgrade, where does that approval fall within priority order against an Elite that is getting an automatic upgrade?
I’m wondering if it will move me up more in priority than just relying on an automatic upgrade from my Platinum status.
I’m wondering if it will move me up more in priority than just relying on an automatic upgrade from my Platinum status.
If it does not clear before the day of departure, you would be added to the upgrade list ahead of elites at the same level of you who are requesting complimentary upgrades. Anyone with a higher status would get higher priority on the upgrade list regardless of upgrade instrument.
There is a master thread on PALL order that may have more information.
Last edited by Microwave; Jul 18, 2022 at 2:28 am Reason: Edited quote of edited post
Jul 15, 2022 | 10:48 pm
#1643
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 671
I believe BXP1 upgrades are treating the same as SWU/miles+copay for these purposes. Up until the day of departure you will need C inventory to open up (or A if you happen to be trying to upgrade a J ticket to F on a transcon).
If it does not clear before the day of departure, you would be added to the upgrade list ahead of elites at the same level of you who are requesting complimentary upgrades. Anyone with a higher status would get higher priority on the upgrade list regardless of upgrade instrument.
There is a master thread on PALL order that may have more information.
If it does not clear before the day of departure, you would be added to the upgrade list ahead of elites at the same level of you who are requesting complimentary upgrades. Anyone with a higher status would get higher priority on the upgrade list regardless of upgrade instrument.
There is a master thread on PALL order that may have more information.
Jul 22, 2022 | 7:29 pm
#1644
Moderator: Avis and Rental Cars
Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 8,070
Apologize in advance for the noobie question... I'm looking to book my first ticket using the Business Extra points. Is it possible to book for 2 passengers together? I can put in the origin/destination/dates but the "1 traveler" button won't let me select it to add more passengers. If I book for 1 pax, it shows several good options at 4.4k but I want to ensure I can book a 2nd pax on the same flights for 4.4k before locking the first one in. Any guidance?
Jul 26, 2022 | 5:30 am
#1646
Join Date: Nov 2015
Posts: 30
Flight HNL->DFW (late september)
I have available BXP1 certs, which I tried to apply and seem to have been waitlisted.
Currently no C inventory on EF, seems like the HNL->DFW flight only opens up a day or two before the flight presuming that business inventory "J" i think still exists.
I've been told by EXP Desk that Mile and Cash are equivalent to BXP1. From everything im reading I don't know that to be the case
1. EXP Complimentary Upgrade
2. Miles + Cash Upgrade
3. BXP1
It seems like BXP1, up until 24 hours in advance, is the best way to go.
Should I withdraw it after T-24?
can someone confirm I am looking at this correctly? IE is an EXP w BXP1, vs a EXP with miles and Cash upgrade higher?
Also I am traveling with my wife a standard member of AAdvantage (no status), on same PNR, lmk if that affects the answer
thanks
I have available BXP1 certs, which I tried to apply and seem to have been waitlisted.
Currently no C inventory on EF, seems like the HNL->DFW flight only opens up a day or two before the flight presuming that business inventory "J" i think still exists.
I've been told by EXP Desk that Mile and Cash are equivalent to BXP1. From everything im reading I don't know that to be the case
1. EXP Complimentary Upgrade
2. Miles + Cash Upgrade
3. BXP1
It seems like BXP1, up until 24 hours in advance, is the best way to go.
Should I withdraw it after T-24?
can someone confirm I am looking at this correctly? IE is an EXP w BXP1, vs a EXP with miles and Cash upgrade higher?
Also I am traveling with my wife a standard member of AAdvantage (no status), on same PNR, lmk if that affects the answer
thanks
Jul 27, 2022 | 3:39 am
#1648
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 15,222
Jul 28, 2022 | 11:16 pm
#1649
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 671
Is there any way to determine online if the upgrade I was granted utilized my BXP1 award, or if was a complimentary upgrade, in which case my BXP1 would still be available for future use?
Jul 29, 2022 | 12:40 pm
#1650
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: BDL, BOS
Programs: Marriott Lifetime Titanium, AA EXP, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 671
I believe BXP1 upgrades are treating the same as SWU/miles+copay for these purposes. Up until the day of departure you will need C inventory to open up (or A if you happen to be trying to upgrade a J ticket to F on a transcon).
If it does not clear before the day of departure, you would be added to the upgrade list ahead of elites at the same level of you who are requesting complimentary upgrades. Anyone with a higher status would get higher priority on the upgrade list regardless of upgrade instrument.
If it does not clear before the day of departure, you would be added to the upgrade list ahead of elites at the same level of you who are requesting complimentary upgrades. Anyone with a higher status would get higher priority on the upgrade list regardless of upgrade instrument.
This doesnt seem right based on njvandys earlier response and the thread that addresses upgrade priorities.
Can anyone tell me what is true?
Last edited by ymx; Jul 29, 2022 at 2:12 pm