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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
Feb 6, 2020, 7:13 pm
#1141
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 177
Which inventory do they use for J to F on A321T using BXP1? My flights has plenty in A but when I called, but I was told none was available. I was also told they can't touch my record since I used the BXP1 online rather than calling in.
Feb 6, 2020, 7:19 pm
#1142
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: DTW / SJC
Programs: AA EXP, DL DM, Marriott Titanium, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 764
Did you already upgrade from Y to J using a BXP1?
Feb 6, 2020, 8:30 pm
#1143
Join Date: Apr 2009
Programs: American EXP; British Airways Gold
Posts: 1,896
I called Meeting Services this morning to apply a BXP1 upgrade to go from J to F on the A321T this summer. When I first asked, the agent said that there is no availability, but she could "waitlist" me. I replied "I am on aa.com right now, and the website indicates that I can apply a SWU to that flight". Ten seconds later, I had my upgrade.
I'm not sure if agents are just used to looking for upgrades from Y to J or what, but if you already know the availability is there, it's easy to challenge them. That being said, I saw multiple flights this summer where the F cabin was completely empty, and still there was no upgrade availability. Crazy.
Feb 9, 2020, 5:28 pm
#1144
Join Date: Jun 2006
Location: SFO/OAK
Programs: AA EXP 3.4MM, BAEC, UAMP, Skyteam (<10k) HH Gold, IHG Plat, Hertz Gold, GE/TSA TT
Posts: 2,723
I think the agent was just sloppy... this same thing has happened to me a number of times, and even for Y->J when EF showed C2 or more.
Feb 20, 2020, 10:00 am
#1146
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DCA, IAD (not BWI if I can help it)
Programs: UA 1MM 1K, Marriott Gold, Hyatt Explorist, status-free on AA, AS, B6, DL, WN, Amtrak, etc.
Posts: 1,481
I cashed in some expiring points on a couple of lounge passes (don't judge...) at the end of last year. Weeks pass, they don't show, and I finally think to call to ask. Nice rep asks me to send an e-mail requesting the missing ones, I do, and two days later they arrive via FedEx. Maybe not the most efficient process ever? I will enjoy my free avocado toast nevertheless.
Mar 11, 2020, 10:32 am
#1148
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,085
Mar 20, 2020, 12:25 pm
#1149
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,085
Waiving fees on award travel
Like you, we’re closely monitoring the news about
COVID-19, and we understand that some travel plans may have changed. To give you more flexibility, Business Extra members can reschedule an award flight with a departure date between March 1 and April 30, with a one-time change fee waiver.
If you’d like to rebook your trip, call our team at
1-800-457-7072 to cancel your existing reservation before your original departure date. You have until December 31, 2020 to provide your new travel dates and we'll process this one-time change fee waiver.
If you've already cancelled your trip and your original departure date was between March 1 and April 30, you still have until December 31, 2020 to call our team at
1-800-457-7072 and rebook with a one-time change fee waiver.
Up-to-date travel advisories
We are closely monitoring the latest COVID-19 advisories and will continue to evaluate the Business Extra program policies to best serve our members.
For the latest information, please visit American's Newsroom.
We're here to help!
8:00am to 7:00pm (CT) Monday - Friday
[email protected] | (800) 457-7072
Like you, we’re closely monitoring the news about
COVID-19, and we understand that some travel plans may have changed. To give you more flexibility, Business Extra members can reschedule an award flight with a departure date between March 1 and April 30, with a one-time change fee waiver.
If you’d like to rebook your trip, call our team at
1-800-457-7072 to cancel your existing reservation before your original departure date. You have until December 31, 2020 to provide your new travel dates and we'll process this one-time change fee waiver.
If you've already cancelled your trip and your original departure date was between March 1 and April 30, you still have until December 31, 2020 to call our team at
1-800-457-7072 and rebook with a one-time change fee waiver.
Up-to-date travel advisories
We are closely monitoring the latest COVID-19 advisories and will continue to evaluate the Business Extra program policies to best serve our members.
For the latest information, please visit American's Newsroom.
We're here to help!
8:00am to 7:00pm (CT) Monday - Friday
[email protected] | (800) 457-7072
Mar 21, 2020, 7:45 am
#1151
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,085
Mar 21, 2020, 9:30 am
#1152
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: DSM
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Fairmont Platinum, United Silver, National Exec
Posts: 1,035
I was able to redeposit 2 anytime international awards with no fee. The redeposited points also got a new 2 year expiration period. All things considered, very pleased with this outcome.
Mar 21, 2020, 5:57 pm
#1153
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2002
Location: NC
Programs: AAConciergeKey/1MM, DL DM/2 MM, UA Gold,Hilton Diamond, IHG Plat, Hyatt Globalist, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 11,967
Oh wow, that's awesome. I assumed that we had to rebook travel before voucher expired. Redepositing would be great! Do you think the leniency was because they were Anytime awards and not the more restrictive ones?
Last edited by SkyTeam777; Mar 21, 2020 at 6:02 pm
Mar 23, 2020, 2:43 am
#1154
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: All over
Programs: AA-LTP, HH-DIA, Marriott-LT+AMB, Hyatt-Globalist, Hertz-PC, UA-GS
Posts: 6,828
Could be.
Mar 23, 2020, 7:58 am
#1155
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: DSM
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Fairmont Platinum, United Silver, National Exec
Posts: 1,035
Oh wow, that's awesome. I assumed that we had to rebook travel before voucher expired. Redepositing would be great! Do you think the leniency was because they were Anytime awards and not the more restrictive ones?
I wasn't sure what to expect but didn't ask any questions when that was offered.
I wasn't sure what to expect but didn't ask any questions when that was offered.