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 22, 22, 7:14 pm
#1712
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 809
Jan 1 changes question
The only thing I forgot to ask them on a recent call if regarding the 3 unique traveling employees. I see online I show two including myself and met the spend of $5k over last twelve months. My third one has a flight late Dec and early Jan. The other employee that’s just flown doesn’t have anything booked in 2023 so after Jan 3 I’ll have 2 employees that have flown. Does this mean I will be ineligible to redeem in 2023 until my third employee flies? Due to changes kicking in for me Jan 1 I’m thinking yes but keep getting different answers from Biz xtra.
also, does anyone know if it’s the purchase date or day of flying of the employees that determines eligibility?
also, does anyone know if it’s the purchase date or day of flying of the employees that determines eligibility?
Oct 22, 22, 9:16 pm
#1713
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 10,639
Oct 23, 22, 11:04 am
#1714
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TPA/DFW
Programs: AA EXP, MB LTTE/A HH DIA, DL
Posts: 1,498
The only thing I forgot to ask them on a recent call if regarding the 3 unique traveling employees. I see online I show two including myself and met the spend of $5k over last twelve months. My third one has a flight late Dec and early Jan. The other employee that’s just flown doesn’t have anything booked in 2023 so after Jan 3 I’ll have 2 employees that have flown. Does this mean I will be ineligible to redeem in 2023 until my third employee flies? Due to changes kicking in for me Jan 1 I’m thinking yes but keep getting different answers from Biz xtra.
also, does anyone know if it’s the purchase date or day of flying of the employees that determines eligibility?
also, does anyone know if it’s the purchase date or day of flying of the employees that determines eligibility?
I'm way over the $5K, as two of us fly frequently. All I have to keep track of is the latest day of flying of one of the two infrequent flyers. I can redeem as long as one of them has flown within the last 12 months.
Oct 23, 22, 3:47 pm
#1715
Join Date: Jun 2005
Programs: AS MVPG
Posts: 2,187
I'm likely going to be short for the $5K spending on January 1st. I've seen talk of a counter that lists the unique travelers and amount spent, where exactly is that? I think I've looked at every bit of the website and I'm not seeing it listed at all.
Seeing that should also answer my question regarding if spending in January 2022 will count when looking at redeeming in 2023.
Seeing that should also answer my question regarding if spending in January 2022 will count when looking at redeeming in 2023.
Oct 23, 22, 5:57 pm
#1716
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 809
Oct 23, 22, 6:02 pm
#1717
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 809
I'm likely going to be short for the $5K spending on January 1st. I've seen talk of a counter that lists the unique travelers and amount spent, where exactly is that? I think I've looked at every bit of the website and I'm not seeing it listed at all.
Seeing that should also answer my question regarding if spending in January 2022 will count when looking at redeeming in 2023.
Seeing that should also answer my question regarding if spending in January 2022 will count when looking at redeeming in 2023.
Oct 23, 22, 11:27 pm
#1718
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,957
Id hate to wait till jan 15 and suddenly dip under the 5k and cant redeem for awhile,
Oct 24, 22, 4:36 am
#1719
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 896
Oct 24, 22, 5:40 am
#1720
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 10,639
Other than for ticket validity purposes, the date of purchase has no bearing on anything, be it with Business Extra or AAdvantage. Business Extra doesn't know that you've spent $X until you take the flight and the flight credits to your account. The date you buy the ticket is irrelevant.
Otherwise anyone could buy a ticket today for some date in the future, get credit for it, then cancel it.
Oct 25, 22, 7:37 pm
#1723
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 809
So if you don’t think you’ll qualify in time you can redeem for certs you’ll use and or turn into miles.
Oct 25, 22, 7:41 pm
#1724
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Santa Barbara, CA, Park City, UT
Programs: AA EXP, Delta Plat, Marriott Plat,Hilton Diamond, Hyatt Globalist, IHG Plat
Posts: 809
That's nonsense and just an agent getting words mixed up or having no idea what they're talking about.
Other than for ticket validity purposes, the date of purchase has no bearing on anything, be it with Business Extra or AAdvantage. Business Extra doesn't know that you've spent $X until you take the flight and the flight credits to your account. The date you buy the ticket is irrelevant.
Otherwise anyone could buy a ticket today for some date in the future, get credit for it, then cancel it.
Other than for ticket validity purposes, the date of purchase has no bearing on anything, be it with Business Extra or AAdvantage. Business Extra doesn't know that you've spent $X until you take the flight and the flight credits to your account. The date you buy the ticket is irrelevant.
Otherwise anyone could buy a ticket today for some date in the future, get credit for it, then cancel it.
Oct 26, 22, 7:47 am
#1725
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL, NYC
Programs: AA PLT, DL SLV, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH DIA
Posts: 9,785
Not sure if you received a response, but the T&Cs of the awards state explicitly:
Valid on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle, ticketed on American Airlines ticket stock (AA001). Not valid on flights operated by other airlines under a codeshare agreement, including codeshare flights marketed as American Airlines.
To my eye, this condition was inserted specifically to exclude BA (or IB, AY, CX etc. etc.) metal flights, even when they carry an AA flight number.
Valid on flights marketed and operated by American Airlines or American Eagle, ticketed on American Airlines ticket stock (AA001). Not valid on flights operated by other airlines under a codeshare agreement, including codeshare flights marketed as American Airlines.
To my eye, this condition was inserted specifically to exclude BA (or IB, AY, CX etc. etc.) metal flights, even when they carry an AA flight number.
