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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
May 22, 2017, 8:31 pm
#121
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: 6,663
Making them electronic probably has a countervailing effect of decreasing expiration/spoilage significantly, but maybe still better for AA in the end.
May 24, 2017, 11:18 pm
#122
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco
Programs: DL DM, 1MM AA PLT 2MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, and...Smiles Diamante
Posts: 2,783
I've used the BXP1 certificates several times before, but don't have the answer to the following question:
Does a through flight count as one segment? For example, AA 1704 from SFO to BDL has a stop in CLT.
Does a through flight count as one segment? For example, AA 1704 from SFO to BDL has a stop in CLT.
May 25, 2017, 1:10 am
#123
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: 6,663
My strong hunch says yes; and, if so, that would be perhaps the first good reason to book a through flight (assuming you had confirmable C space).
May 25, 2017, 1:34 am
#124
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: San Francisco
Programs: DL DM, 1MM AA PLT 2MM, Marriott Lifetime Titanium, and...Smiles Diamante
Posts: 2,783
Thanks. Miraculous to see something like SFO-BDL pop up in C in this day and age with AA.
If it's still sticking around when Meeting Services opens, I'll give them another call and try. The first agent yesterday didn't seem to get my request.
If it's still sticking around when Meeting Services opens, I'll give them another call and try. The first agent yesterday didn't seem to get my request.
May 25, 2017, 8:48 am
#125
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,590
Interesting. I wonder if the rate at which paper BXP1s are not collected by airport agents has anything to do with it. Presumably making them electronic will reduce the rate of duplicate redemption to zero. And presumably it's hard to police it now (at least in cases where they don't ask you for the serial number, which they didn't ask me last month) because the certs are commonly transferred.
Was told yesterday that this implementation should be completed by year-end.
May 25, 2017, 9:47 am
#126
Join Date: Apr 2000
Location: Palm Beach/ New England
Programs: AA EXP 3MM, DL GM, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 4,382
C must be available on the whole flight, and I believe you need to be assigned to the same seat on both segments to process the upgrade, so it will usually be the bulkhead. After you clear into C, you can move to different seats by asking the agent to break the PNR.
May 25, 2017, 11:46 am
#127
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,626
I've had to recently give serial numbers, but I'm not sure how it is policed. I've several times applied BXP1 certificates and then changed plans and didn't need the certs, so I presume those serial numbers are still good. Of course, 50% of the time the TA doesn't even know to collect a paper certificate...
May 25, 2017, 12:20 pm
#128
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: DFW
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 1,590
I've had to recently give serial numbers, but I'm not sure how it is policed. I've several times applied BXP1 certificates and then changed plans and didn't need the certs, so I presume those serial numbers are still good. Of course, 50% of the time the TA doesn't even know to collect a paper certificate...
It may just be a policy that is in place to dissuade folks from using again since many agents aren't taking them. IMO, using a bxp1 more than once is theft.
May 31, 2017, 9:44 pm
#130
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: DCA
Programs: American AAdvantage EXP, World of Hyatt Explorist, Marriott Rewards Titanium, MGM Rewards Gold
Posts: 426
I thought points are supposed to post on the 20th of each month. Has anyone else not seen points post for this month yet?
May 31, 2017, 10:48 pm
#131
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: 6,663
Jun 1, 2017, 3:48 am
#132
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Spoke to BE today and they claim u can't go on the PALL with a BE upgrade. They say many agents don't know this rule but the rule is u can't use a BPX at the airport. She said they expect to automate things sometime this year and that this would likely change.
Aymmv.
Aymmv.
That's a great question. I know that IF the upgrade space (C inventory) is available the itinerary has to be ticketed PRIOR to the BXP1 upgrade being applied (even though applying a BXP1 upgrade does NOT result in a re-issue). I have had some meeting services agents mistakenly apply the BXP1 upgrade to a reservation that is on hold and by doing so it will prevent the reservation from ticketing all together (and the systems will refuse payment via website or live rep). I was unaware that meeting services would waitlist a reservation that is on hold (prior to ticketing) but good to know if that is the actual process.
Therefore, based on the extrapolating the above, I highly doubt that a waitlisted BXP1 upgrade will clear prior to ticketing and if it does it might require removing the upgrade (and losing the C inventory altogether or to another waitlisted pax) just to get the ticket to issue after payment. I would highly recommend that anyone that waitlists a BizExtra upgrade prior to ticketing verifies it’s still waitlisted after ticketing (my guess based on what I know about the systems it is should stick however but who knows for sure).
One other piece of advice: When you find an available BizExtra upgrade but have not ticketed the itinerary I recommend you put it on hold and then call meeting services. They have access not only to the front end systems that reservations reps use but also to the back-end systems so that can perform the two step process of forcing an immediate ticket issuance followed by application of the BizExtra upgrade. If you ticket the itinerary via website or reservations (even EP desk) then mtg svcs has to wait for it to queue for ticketing which can take hours and then you have to wait and risk the upgrade inventory going away not to mention waste the time to call back in after the ticket is issued.
Here is my experience over recent months with C (domestic) inventory opening up close to departure time (rated most frequently/likely to least frequently/likely):
T-25ish hours
T-5ish hours
T-100ish hours
The release of C (domestic) is based on route, historical, demand, overall premium load (and to a lesser extent economy load/anomalies) and certainly aircraft type. For example I never see C open up on a 2+ hour flight serviced by an A319 if less than 3 premium seats are for sale. On the other hand a on a B757 or B763 I occasionally see C open most likely at T-25 if it is not a trans-con.
In the event C doesn’t open up and you are waitlisted you should automatically be put on the airport waitlist (PALL) according to status but above all sticker/500 miles upgrades but below all eVIP/SWU upgrades. In addition, it should be noted that prior to the airport waitlist, normally revenue management is supposed to open up C space (to satisfy eVIPs, BizExtra Upgrades and Mileage upgrades) prior to opening up the other types of inventory that satisfy complimentary EP sticker/500 miles upgrades .
There are some weird processes now with regards to CK and Airpass members that violate a lot of what I have mentioned above but they are mostly manual processes and if you are not a member of either program they don’t really affect you.
Therefore, based on the extrapolating the above, I highly doubt that a waitlisted BXP1 upgrade will clear prior to ticketing and if it does it might require removing the upgrade (and losing the C inventory altogether or to another waitlisted pax) just to get the ticket to issue after payment. I would highly recommend that anyone that waitlists a BizExtra upgrade prior to ticketing verifies it’s still waitlisted after ticketing (my guess based on what I know about the systems it is should stick however but who knows for sure).
One other piece of advice: When you find an available BizExtra upgrade but have not ticketed the itinerary I recommend you put it on hold and then call meeting services. They have access not only to the front end systems that reservations reps use but also to the back-end systems so that can perform the two step process of forcing an immediate ticket issuance followed by application of the BizExtra upgrade. If you ticket the itinerary via website or reservations (even EP desk) then mtg svcs has to wait for it to queue for ticketing which can take hours and then you have to wait and risk the upgrade inventory going away not to mention waste the time to call back in after the ticket is issued.
Here is my experience over recent months with C (domestic) inventory opening up close to departure time (rated most frequently/likely to least frequently/likely):
T-25ish hours
T-5ish hours
T-100ish hours
The release of C (domestic) is based on route, historical, demand, overall premium load (and to a lesser extent economy load/anomalies) and certainly aircraft type. For example I never see C open up on a 2+ hour flight serviced by an A319 if less than 3 premium seats are for sale. On the other hand a on a B757 or B763 I occasionally see C open most likely at T-25 if it is not a trans-con.
In the event C doesn’t open up and you are waitlisted you should automatically be put on the airport waitlist (PALL) according to status but above all sticker/500 miles upgrades but below all eVIP/SWU upgrades. In addition, it should be noted that prior to the airport waitlist, normally revenue management is supposed to open up C space (to satisfy eVIPs, BizExtra Upgrades and Mileage upgrades) prior to opening up the other types of inventory that satisfy complimentary EP sticker/500 miles upgrades .
There are some weird processes now with regards to CK and Airpass members that violate a lot of what I have mentioned above but they are mostly manual processes and if you are not a member of either program they don’t really affect you.
Jun 2, 2017, 4:35 pm
#134
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,626
I have a few BXP1 certs that expire at the end of this month. Does anyone have recent experiences returning these awards? If so, care to share what happened with your points? The points I would've used to issue these certs likely would have expired last year.
Thanks!
Thanks!
Jun 2, 2017, 4:57 pm
#135
Join Date: Jun 2001
Location: LAX
Programs: AA Gold (prev. Ex Plat for 10 years); DL Plat; UA Gold; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,338
I had a similar situation - I had requested a BXP1 upgrade on a roundtrip and both legs cleared. Unfortunately, at check-in for both flights they pulled one of my systemwides instead. That was OK by me (it was LAX-JFK-LAX). But my certs were due to expire. I emailed them and they asked me to return them, and reissued me new ones that expire end of this year.