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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
Sep 22, 2017 | 3:56 pm
#256
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: MEM, TLV
Programs: DL, AA PLT, US, HH Gold, BW Diamond, Avis PP, Choice PLT
Posts: 560
Just noticed the same thing... How do you get these flights posted? when I go to submit it says that I already got credit for that ticket...
Sep 23, 2017 | 4:25 am
#257
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: TPA/DFW/K15
Programs: AA EXP, Mar AMB, HH LT DIA
Posts: 1,683
Sep 23, 2017 | 11:53 am
#258
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Still going through ORD security when boarding has already started
Programs: AA EXP, UA Silver, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Hyatt Disco, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,321
Any issues using a BXP1 on a reservation with a lap infant on it?
Sep 24, 2017 | 12:31 am
#259
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
Sep 24, 2017 | 10:51 pm
#260
Join Date: Feb 1999
Location: City with Tax-Payer subsdized AA Maintance Base
Programs: Enough to Cause a Migraine
Posts: 1,862
Will BE allow you to book an upgrade award [obviously with required inventory being open] if you don't have the paper cert in hand, if it's been redeemed and the certificate is in transit?
Thanks!
Thanks!
Sep 25, 2017 | 8:49 am
#261
Join Date: May 2007
Programs: UA 1K, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 8,108
Based on my recent experiences with a few of these certs, this should be possible. The agent typically asks for the expiration date and for the cert number. You should be able to figure out the expiration date based on the date you ordered/redeemed the cert. As for the cert number, I'm usually at work or otherwise away from home (where the cert is) when calling in to make the request, I tell the agent as such, and I've never encountered any resistance. YMMV though, and if you come across an agent who refuses to apply the cert without you giving him/her the number, you could try HUCA-ing.
Sep 27, 2017 | 12:10 pm
#262
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: ALB;NYC
Programs: AA EXP; Hilton Gold; SPG/Marriott Gold; IHG Spire Ambassador
Posts: 58
Just a quick question about upgrade priority. Where is the upgrade hierarchy does an EXP using a BXP1 cert land? Is it with others using SWUs or does it not matter and ill get upgraded as if I wasn't using anything?
Sep 27, 2017 | 12:16 pm
#263
Join Date: May 2011
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP, LT Gold
Posts: 3,158
So an EXP with an SWU would not be ahead of or behind an EXP with a BXP1 on the basis of the upgrade instrument being used.
Sep 27, 2017 | 10:27 pm
#265
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 158
For Chase/Amex/Citi, etc - yes. As long as the flight is operated by a valid carrier you should get credit. I usually do a flight credit request after the fact but I suppose you could call and add your BE number to the reservation ahead of time.
Sep 28, 2017 | 4:16 am
#267
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: AA EXP, Amex Plt, AA AC
Posts: 174
Sep 28, 2017 | 7:01 am
#268
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Because of the July Fiasco (where tickets in July were only partially posted), I decided to go back and audit a year's worth of my Business Extra postings. Wow, the discrepancies are huge. I'm gonna send them a spreadsheet of the missing transactions.
These kinds of transactions are always missing:
Also, at first glance, it appears that if you have a schedule change after departure (for example, SDFC on the return trip) then the _entire_ ticket is missing from Business Extra.
I'm glad I did an audit of my past year's activity. 43 segments are missing, which is somewhere around 30 percent of all activity.
These kinds of transactions are always missing:
- If any segment of your ticket is signed over to another carrier (due to IRROPS), the _entire_ ticket is missing from Business Extra
- AA Vacations
Also, at first glance, it appears that if you have a schedule change after departure (for example, SDFC on the return trip) then the _entire_ ticket is missing from Business Extra.
I'm glad I did an audit of my past year's activity. 43 segments are missing, which is somewhere around 30 percent of all activity.
Sep 28, 2017 | 8:57 am
#270
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: AA EXP, Amex Plt, AA AC
Posts: 174
OK, I went back and checked July and it is looking like each of my flights is showing way less points than it should. I sent a letter to business extraa and requested they look at it. Is this all I need to do?
Because of the July Fiasco (where tickets in July were only partially posted), I decided to go back and audit a year's worth of my Business Extra postings. Wow, the discrepancies are huge. I'm gonna send them a spreadsheet of the missing transactions.
These kinds of transactions are always missing:
Also, at first glance, it appears that if you have a schedule change after departure (for example, SDFC on the return trip) then the _entire_ ticket is missing from Business Extra.
I'm glad I did an audit of my past year's activity. 43 segments are missing, which is somewhere around 30 percent of all activity.
These kinds of transactions are always missing:
- If any segment of your ticket is signed over to another carrier (due to IRROPS), the _entire_ ticket is missing from Business Extra
- AA Vacations
Also, at first glance, it appears that if you have a schedule change after departure (for example, SDFC on the return trip) then the _entire_ ticket is missing from Business Extra.
I'm glad I did an audit of my past year's activity. 43 segments are missing, which is somewhere around 30 percent of all activity.