Nov 21, 12, 10:53 am
Last edit by: PHL
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"]POST]
- 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"]POST]
- 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"]POST]
- 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]POST]
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)
Oct 4, 22, 12:47 pm
#1696
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chicago
Posts: 425
Am I missing something about how to apply a BXP1 upgrade? I upfared the ticket. I know it's an eligible fare class. I checked EF for space. It's available. I went to this page:
https://business.aa.com/Home/Index
I clicked on the button that says Business Extra upgrade. I entered the first and last name on the ticket along with the record locater and it returns an error saying that record locater cannot be found. Is this because I just purchased the ticket? I'm sorry if this seems stupid. I feel dumb because I cannot figure this out.
https://business.aa.com/Home/Index
I clicked on the button that says Business Extra upgrade. I entered the first and last name on the ticket along with the record locater and it returns an error saying that record locater cannot be found. Is this because I just purchased the ticket? I'm sorry if this seems stupid. I feel dumb because I cannot figure this out.
Oct 4, 22, 1:37 pm
#1698
Join Date: Apr 2015
Location: Seattle, WA (US)
Programs: Oneworld (Emerald)
Posts: 121
Am I missing something about how to apply a BXP1 upgrade? I upfared the ticket. I know it's an eligible fare class. I checked EF for space. It's available. I went to this page:
https://business.aa.com/Home/Index
I clicked on the button that says Business Extra upgrade. I entered the first and last name on the ticket along with the record locater and it returns an error saying that record locater cannot be found. Is this because I just purchased the ticket? I'm sorry if this seems stupid. I feel dumb because I cannot figure this out.
https://business.aa.com/Home/Index
I clicked on the button that says Business Extra upgrade. I entered the first and last name on the ticket along with the record locater and it returns an error saying that record locater cannot be found. Is this because I just purchased the ticket? I'm sorry if this seems stupid. I feel dumb because I cannot figure this out.
Oct 4, 22, 10:30 pm
#1699
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-CCR/GGL/GfL
Posts: 11,673
Am I missing something about how to apply a BXP1 upgrade? I upfared the ticket. I know it's an eligible fare class. I checked EF for space. It's available. I went to this page:
https://business.aa.com/Home/Index
I clicked on the button that says Business Extra upgrade. I entered the first and last name on the ticket along with the record locater and it returns an error saying that record locater cannot be found. Is this because I just purchased the ticket? I'm sorry if this seems stupid. I feel dumb because I cannot figure this out.
https://business.aa.com/Home/Index
I clicked on the button that says Business Extra upgrade. I entered the first and last name on the ticket along with the record locater and it returns an error saying that record locater cannot be found. Is this because I just purchased the ticket? I'm sorry if this seems stupid. I feel dumb because I cannot figure this out.
Oct 4, 22, 10:34 pm
#1700
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 10,608
Oct 5, 22, 4:01 am
#1701
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: BOS
Programs: AA Plat
Posts: 294
Redemption strategy
I have some points expiring this year which sounds like can still do the return trick to extend for another year. But considering the new redemption rule ($5000 + 3 employees) kicking in next year, would it to be the best try to redeem all the points? Converting to AA miles seems to be the most easiest way without needing to have a trip planned. Anything I miss here?
Oct 6, 22, 5:06 pm
#1702
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kamuela, HI
Programs: AA-Plat
Posts: 451
1 Day Admirals Club Pass
Thanks to the new electronic delivery of 1-day passes into specific AA account wallets, I have 2 electronic wallet passes that will expire before the end of the year that I will not be using. I wanted to give them to a family member but when I contacted BusinessExtraa, I was told that once they are in your wallet, you cannot give them to anyone else to use.
Is there any method to extend the expiration date or assign them to someone else?
Is there any method to extend the expiration date or assign them to someone else?
Oct 7, 22, 10:01 am
#1703
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,956
Thanks to the new electronic delivery of 1-day passes into specific AA account wallets, I have 2 electronic wallet passes that will expire before the end of the year that I will not be using. I wanted to give them to a family member but when I contacted BusinessExtraa, I was told that once they are in your wallet, you cannot give them to anyone else to use.
Is there any method to extend the expiration date or assign them to someone else?
Is there any method to extend the expiration date or assign them to someone else?
Oct 7, 22, 12:34 pm
#1704
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kamuela, HI
Programs: AA-Plat
Posts: 451
Oct 7, 22, 10:04 pm
#1705
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,956
Oct 10, 22, 1:57 pm
#1706
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Kamuela, HI
Programs: AA-Plat
Posts: 451
The new system with having to assign awards to an account is really a disadvantge.
Oct 10, 22, 3:48 pm
#1707
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: Florida, USA
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hilton Gold, Avis Preferred
Posts: 15
Back in the day I used to be a UA fanboy but I'm now AA due a move a few years back. I hit EP this year and have 550k miles and started looking to book some flights for the fam for next year. Stupid question, where are all the normal priced business/first class flights? There seems to be nothing in terms of availability. When there is availability US to EU or US to Africa & Middle east is starting at 360k points per ticket! Am I missing something here?
Oct 11, 22, 3:24 am
#1708
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SJC
Programs: AAdvantage 2MM+ Lifetime PLT; BA, CO, UA, US; SPG; HHonors Gold
Posts: 699
Back in the day I used to be a UA fanboy but I'm now AA due a move a few years back. I hit EP this year and have 550k miles and started looking to book some flights for the fam for next year. Stupid question, where are all the normal priced business/first class flights? There seems to be nothing in terms of availability. When there is availability US to EU or US to Africa & Middle east is starting at 360k points per ticket! Am I missing something here?
Oct 11, 22, 9:41 am
#1709
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: OGG
Programs: AA Plat, A List Pref, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 350
There are opportunities but they are few and far between. Example, I booked 2 one way Biz MLE to PHX (via SFO) on QR & AA all biz at 70k miles per ticket for next may. Finding 3 consecutive flights at saaver levels is rare though. Without BA's search engine and expert flyer it would be like finding a needle in a haystack.
Oct 11, 22, 10:41 am
#1710
Join Date: May 2015
Location: DCA
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 6,511
I mean, I think that's a bit unfair. I can still find good business class awards on AA and UA. Whereas Delta has essentially decided to not offer business class awards at all by making them so absurdly priced.
