I don't think it's related to PE specifically but more to the Meeting Services agents. IME over the past 3 years they have become no different than your basic AA phone agent, i.e. a majority have no idea what they're doing. They're poorly trained, make up stuff as to why an award or upgrade can't be booked, etc. Meanwhile you can HUCA once or twice and the next agent will have no problem booking it. Same ole AA garbage just in a different department.

It completely sucks that you lost C space on HKG-DFW due to the Merting Services incompetence.

Absolutely agree-I suspect calls are going to the same gen'l pool of AAgents (who have no idea what they're doing about almost everything) that are handling all calls, just being prioritized in a different way. The last 2 times I have tried to use a BXP1, it has taken me a minimum of 3 phone calls each time to get it done w/every agent insisting I have to call back for each step along the way.

As I told AA in the post-trip survey I got this week, when it asked why I had given them a 0 rating for likelihood of recommending AA to friends/family, they don't give me any reason TO fly them, but continue to give me lots of reasons not to!

Stories like this are why I keep storing up my BE points instead of redeeming them for BXP3s. I've been using M+CP when my SWUs are scarce lately. I have about 11K BE points available to redeem, but I think I'll continue to save them for J-F upgrades, or maybe for a different redemption. I'm too nervous to lose an upgrade from Y/W to J.

Maybe I missed this up the thread, so apologies if this is a redundant or asked/answered question... if C space opens on a flight outside of Meeting Services business hours, can a regular agent push a BXP3 through?

Not possible. Regular AAgents won't touch a BE award.

ugh. ok, thanks.

Just got an e-mail that BE awards and upgrades can now be searched and booked online.

https://www.businessextra.com/i18n/c...Award%20Launch

just got it as well.

cool ^

It's pretty amazing - suddenly lots of really useful functionality.
Switch from PlanAhead to Anytime on the same screen and some really exotic routing - London to Norfolk, VA is valid via LAX!
But, not any better availability I think - for example no saver transatlantic in November when I checked for PlanAhead.
I'll try the upgrade functionality later on.

Welcome to 2015, American! Lol

Now if we could request upgrades online with SWU or BXP3... maybe by 2025 we will be able to.

Just applied two BXP1 to a roundtrip transcon Y -> J upgrade both ways. No C inventory, so I expected to be on the waitlist. Might be my lucky day. The agent confirmed 3A on both flights, but ran into trouble. I knew 3A was F on the transcon bird but stayed quiet. Few minutes later, she "figured" it out and issued the upgrade. I check my reservation and my seats are indeed First-3A on both legs.

Is that a glitch or my lucky day?

sounds like both... hope it sticks!

I'd guess odds are in your favor... with BXP1s, they never seem to have to be reissued in the same way as SWUs... no separate email, etc. So if you have a seat & can choose a meal, you might just be set...

Unfortunately if they catch it and undo the upgrade you will certainly go back to Y and might then be stuck if J is full

BE inventory on the new tool is a small subset of flights that will actually work for a BE redemption.
As part of a round trip, I used the regular mileage redemption search tool looking for a business saver itinerary. The one I wanted had a short segment that had no business availability, was in coach, the rest was all in business. The itinerary was one of 20 or so choices on the regular award booking engine at aa.com, while the new businessextra.com booking engine did NOT offer that itinerary. It showed only about 3 choices (vs 20 regular mileage redemption itineraries for business saver).

So I put it on hold and called to see if business extra/meetings services would allow me to book it with a business saver BX1B for a free round trip business class domestic flight. The agent I spoke with said you couldn't mix itineraries and it would require TWO certificates. I pointed out it was a voluntary downgrade for 1 segment, so she "checked with reference" and came back and said oops you're right, and she booked it for me. So while the new site offers to book flights using BE points, there are a lot of other itineraries that you could be overlooking. I have yet to see any double connecting flights when itineraries are available for single connecting flights. (But they will be shows on the regular mileage booking site).

One thing I DO like about the new BE award flight search tool s the ability to filter in or out specific connecting cities. IE avoid Charlotte, or whatever.

BusinessExtra points now posting daily: https://www.businessextra.com/i18n/c.../postDaily.jsp