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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
Jan 22, 2021 | 7:59 pm
#1246
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Wanting First. Buying First.
Programs: Lifetime Executive Diamond Platinum VIP with Braniff, Eastern, Midway, National & Pan Am
Posts: 21,947
Jan 24, 2021 | 8:55 pm
#1247
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,364
was there any schedule change? Ive noticed that happening when a change happens and they retain the upgraded class
Jan 25, 2021 | 10:19 am
#1249
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
Feb 4, 2021 | 12:07 pm
#1250
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: DSM
Programs: AA Platinum, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Platinum, Fairmont Platinum, United Silver, National Exec
Posts: 1,037
Are stopovers allowed on Anytime USA-South Pacific (BX9E)?
Anyone know if a BX93 Anytime ticket from USA to South Pacific would allow for the following? DFW-LAX-SYD (stay for 2 weeks)-PSP (stopover for 3 days) -DFW? I don't see anything about this in the terms and conditions.
Feb 4, 2021 | 12:13 pm
#1251
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 15,178
Stopovers are not allowed on any AA awards; Doesn't matter if the award is booked with AA miles or BE points.
Mar 15, 2021 | 4:17 pm
#1252
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,815
Just a point that is made earlier in the thread but I thought I would make it more explicit than I've seen it, because it just stung me.
Due to AA's married segment logic, the fact that C inventory is available for a multi-segment trip does not mean that it will be available for any individual segment standing alone, which is apparently all that matters for BXP1 availability.
For example, KOA-PHX-AQB. As married segments C inventory may be available for this ticket and accordingly if you call and ask if you can upgrade with miles/copay, you will be told yes. And if you search it on expertflyer it will show C. However, if you try to upgrade the overwater segment using BXP1, it will only clear if there is C availability available for the KOA-PHX segment if it were sold as a stand-alone ticket. At least that's what happened to me. This really stinks, because AA is severely restricting C availability on certain nonstop routes and only allows them on connections.
Due to AA's married segment logic, the fact that C inventory is available for a multi-segment trip does not mean that it will be available for any individual segment standing alone, which is apparently all that matters for BXP1 availability.
For example, KOA-PHX-AQB. As married segments C inventory may be available for this ticket and accordingly if you call and ask if you can upgrade with miles/copay, you will be told yes. And if you search it on expertflyer it will show C. However, if you try to upgrade the overwater segment using BXP1, it will only clear if there is C availability available for the KOA-PHX segment if it were sold as a stand-alone ticket. At least that's what happened to me. This really stinks, because AA is severely restricting C availability on certain nonstop routes and only allows them on connections.
Mar 15, 2021 | 5:44 pm
#1253
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
nothing new. Not sure if you are tied into how you need to search on EF.
1. you must use the awards and upgrade tab for the query. You cant use a general availability tab since C became a dual RBC last year.
2. and as it has always been, you always need to search segment by segment.
and there is NO married segment logic on SWUs. What u are seeing is false positives that occur when u dont search segment by segment
1. you must use the awards and upgrade tab for the query. You cant use a general availability tab since C became a dual RBC last year.
2. and as it has always been, you always need to search segment by segment.
and there is NO married segment logic on SWUs. What u are seeing is false positives that occur when u dont search segment by segment
Just a point that is made earlier in the thread but I thought I would make it more explicit than I've seen it, because it just stung me.
Due to AA's married segment logic, the fact that C inventory is available for a multi-segment trip does not mean that it will be available for any individual segment standing alone, which is apparently all that matters for BXP1 availability.
For example, KOA-PHX-AQB. As married segments C inventory may be available for this ticket and accordingly if you call and ask if you can upgrade with miles/copay, you will be told yes. And if you search it on expertflyer it will show C. However, if you try to upgrade the overwater segment using BXP1, it will only clear if there is C availability available for the KOA-PHX segment if it were sold as a stand-alone ticket. At least that's what happened to me. This really stinks, because AA is severely restricting C availability on certain nonstop routes and only allows them on connections.
Due to AA's married segment logic, the fact that C inventory is available for a multi-segment trip does not mean that it will be available for any individual segment standing alone, which is apparently all that matters for BXP1 availability.
For example, KOA-PHX-AQB. As married segments C inventory may be available for this ticket and accordingly if you call and ask if you can upgrade with miles/copay, you will be told yes. And if you search it on expertflyer it will show C. However, if you try to upgrade the overwater segment using BXP1, it will only clear if there is C availability available for the KOA-PHX segment if it were sold as a stand-alone ticket. At least that's what happened to me. This really stinks, because AA is severely restricting C availability on certain nonstop routes and only allows them on connections.
Mar 15, 2021 | 10:34 pm
#1254
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,815
nothing new. Not sure if you are tied into how you need to search on EF.
1. you must use the awards and upgrade tab for the query. You can’t use a general availability tab since C became a dual RBC last year.
2. and as it has always been, you always need to search segment by segment.
and there is NO married segment logic on SWUs. What u are seeing is false positives that occur when u don’t search segment by segment
1. you must use the awards and upgrade tab for the query. You can’t use a general availability tab since C became a dual RBC last year.
2. and as it has always been, you always need to search segment by segment.
and there is NO married segment logic on SWUs. What u are seeing is false positives that occur when u don’t search segment by segment
Edit — just read the miles copay thread and I guess not. I thought it had worked for me in the recent past but must have been longer ago than I remembered.
Last edited by lkar; Mar 15, 2021 at 10:52 pm
Mar 20, 2021 | 9:46 pm
#1255
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,377
...After a small fiasco waitlisting a BXP1, I moved up from 3A to 1A (pro tip: never waitlist a Business Extra upgrade--they don't clear even when there's upgrade space, and then it's a hassle to call to clear manually, and then I wasn't able to check in online because the system thought it had to collect additional taxes).
Either way wouldn't it be nice if the system included waitlisted BXP1s for clearance along with SWUs? Alas...
Mar 20, 2021 | 9:49 pm
#1256
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Denver DEN-APA
Programs: AF Platinum, EK Gold Royal Air Maroc OW Emerald Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 22,532
Question on this. I actually have a JFK-LAX BXP1 waitlisted for May, hoping there is space in advance. Curious when A upgrade inventory became available for this flight, when you had to call to get it to clear, etc...Was it at least in advance or was it at the airport? I honestly don't mind calling in to Meeting Services, and not checking in online isn't the end of the world for me...I'm just hoping it wasn't trying to call Meeting Services while standing at the gate or anything.
Last edited by SFO777; Mar 20, 2021 at 10:16 pm
Mar 20, 2021 | 10:32 pm
#1257
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,377
Thanks for that insight. I've never actually waitlisted them before. I have EF alerts and just query manually a few times per day, anyway. Was just worried that waitlisting might actually actively inhibit things (even basic functions) if I'm not on top of it. Don't mean to steer this thread off-topic!
Last edited by DMPHL; Mar 20, 2021 at 10:42 pm
Mar 20, 2021 | 10:38 pm
#1258
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Live: IWI; Work: DCA/Everywhere; Play: LAS/SJU/MLE
Programs: AA EXP, DL PM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Ambassador/LTP, Nat'l Exec Elite, LEYE Gold
Posts: 7,458
Question on this. I actually have a JFK-LAX BXP1 waitlisted for May, hoping there is space in advance. Curious when A upgrade inventory became available for this flight, when you had to call to get it to clear, etc...Was it at least in advance or was it at the airport? I honestly don't mind calling in to Meeting Services, and not checking in online isn't the end of the world for me...I'm just hoping it wasn't trying to call Meeting Services while standing at the gate or anything.
Either way wouldn't it be nice if the system included waitlisted BXP1s for clearance along with SWUs? Alas...
Either way wouldn't it be nice if the system included waitlisted BXP1s for clearance along with SWUs? Alas...
DMPHL just wait until you get the EF alert and then process the upgrade yourself on the business extra website!
Mar 21, 2021 | 1:45 am
#1259
Suspended
Join Date: Aug 2020
Posts: 963
To the contrary, Ive had many BXP1s that were waitlisted clear automatically over the years.
Mar 21, 2021 | 7:47 pm
#1260
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: LAX oriented World Digital Nomad
Programs: AA Exec Plat, Hyatt Globalist, MLife/Cosmo Identity Gold, Other Vegas too...
Posts: 1,466
Have they launched any Business Extra promos lately for brand new signups? How far into the past can you request flight credit, 3 months, 12?