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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
Aug 14, 2021 | 3:56 pm
#1336
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,541
Whats the timeframe for a BXP1 upgrade to process when waitlisted for a segment that has C inventory opened up? I received a notification from EF that C is available on my segment, but looking at my reservation, it still states waitlist.
Aug 16, 2021 | 6:28 pm
#1337
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,541
Well, my answer is never. Had to call in after 36 hours of 'C' opening up and was able to process the UG already tied to the segment.
Aug 16, 2021 | 6:49 pm
#1338
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
Yep, that's pretty much it. I don't even both waitlisting anymore. Just set an EF alert, call in and presto... you jump the waitlist queue.
Aug 16, 2021 | 7:13 pm
#1339
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: W29
Programs: It's Complicated...
Posts: 7,178
Aug 16, 2021 | 8:20 pm
#1340
Join Date: Jan 2017
Location: NYC
Programs: AS, AA, UA, Hilton, Marriott, Caesars DE
Posts: 2,541
Aug 16, 2021 | 9:30 pm
#1341
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
One thing I learned the other day -- BXP1s can only be processed one passenger at a time. So if you have 2 pax on a record, even if C2 pops up, you have to split the record and apply the BXP1s separately. Thankfully my EF alert went off during hours when Meeting Services was open so I just did it in one call, but otherwise you might have to call AA to split the record and then (if you're after hours) go to businessextra.com to apply the BXP1s yourself.
Regardless, there's never a good reason to waitlist a BXP1.
Regardless, there's never a good reason to waitlist a BXP1.
Sep 2, 2021 | 11:32 pm
#1343
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
Failing that, gift an AC membership or Gold status (or a flight, for that matter) to someone who could use it.
Sep 3, 2021 | 8:54 am
#1344
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: TBD
Posts: 842
I thought there was an established way of redeeming awards and returning them where the redeposited points have a new/later expiry? IIRC, there's discussion of that in this thread.
Failing that, gift an AC membership or Gold status (or a flight, for that matter) to someone who could use it.
Failing that, gift an AC membership or Gold status (or a flight, for that matter) to someone who could use it.
Sep 15, 2021 | 3:23 pm
#1345
Join Date: Dec 2007
Posts: 36
Anyone know when the next referral code or promo code will be available? I called and they said there wasn't one right now but they usually have one every month.
I don't know how to subscribe to ExtrAA without actually signing up, therefore negating the sign-up bonus.
Thanks!
I don't know how to subscribe to ExtrAA without actually signing up, therefore negating the sign-up bonus.
Thanks!
Sep 15, 2021 | 9:54 pm
#1346
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
Anyone know when the next referral code or promo code will be available? I called and they said there wasn't one right now but they usually have one every month.
I don't know how to subscribe to ExtrAA without actually signing up, therefore negating the sign-up bonus.
Thanks!
I don't know how to subscribe to ExtrAA without actually signing up, therefore negating the sign-up bonus.
Thanks!
Sep 21, 2021 | 3:01 pm
#1347
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: DFW, NYC, SIN, KUL, CGK, LON
Programs: AA EXP, AA5MM
Posts: 452
Waitlist BXP1 or go with free status based upgrade?
Thanks!
Sep 21, 2021 | 3:39 pm
#1348
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
I thought there was an established way of redeeming awards and returning them where the redeposited points have a new/later expiry? IIRC, there's discussion of that in this thread.
Failing that, gift an AC membership or Gold status (or a flight, for that matter) to someone who could use it.
Failing that, gift an AC membership or Gold status (or a flight, for that matter) to someone who could use it.
Sep 21, 2021 | 4:48 pm
#1349
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: EYW
Programs: AA Exe Platinum, AA & Delta Million Miler, Hilton LT Diamond, Marriott LT Titanium, United Silver
Posts: 540
Is it just me or does everyone have either a lot of flights missing and no flights populate when you run a statement search? Seems like the site always has a lot of issues. Any remedies to this?
Sep 22, 2021 | 2:02 am
#1350
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: RBKC
Programs: AA EXP and Eurostar Carte Blanche
Posts: 4,122
We gave up on Business Extra logging all our travellers' flights correctly. It's super prone to error. I don't understand why. But it just became too much of a hassle to contact them constantly to correct things. So now we get what we get and it's a nice bonus but we don't worry about the ones which slip through the cracks.