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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
Nov 1, 2021 | 8:43 pm
#1411
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott LT Plat | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 13,278
I ended up checking out and seeing if they actually charge my card. Indeed it is pending on my CC for $200 for the 5 x500mile Certs.
im not interested in another 1.5hr phone call at this point. My plan is to write to customer relations, dispute with credit card, file a DOT complaintin that order until I get a resolution. I do think its due to the schedule change but its so odd that the agents and the help desk and a supervisor couldnt make it work for me today.
im not interested in another 1.5hr phone call at this point. My plan is to write to customer relations, dispute with credit card, file a DOT complaintin that order until I get a resolution. I do think its due to the schedule change but its so odd that the agents and the help desk and a supervisor couldnt make it work for me today.
You're better off talking to Customer Relations.
Nov 1, 2021 | 8:58 pm
#1412
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Los Angeles
Programs: WN CP & A-List, National ES
Posts: 175
point well taken. I guess I will start with customer relations (I tweeted over an hour ago with no luck yet). If customer relations cant resolve I can attempt a DOT complaint but I doubt I will have to take any other action than an email to customer relations.
Nov 2, 2021 | 8:47 am
#1413
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 9,952
Nov 2, 2021 | 11:09 am
#1415
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 9,952
Nov 2, 2021 | 11:13 am
#1416
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 4,237
Nov 2, 2021 | 12:20 pm
#1417
Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: Scottsdale, AZ
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 333
Booked my wife on a BXP1A upgrade for an LAX to MCO trip a few weeks ago. Ticket was confirmed and ticketed with seat assignment in business class. Went to check in for the flight today and I was prompted to purchase 5, 500-mile upgrade at $40 a pop for a total of $200. Called meeting services and the rep reached out to help desk. Both were unable to do anything. Told me to send wife to airport tomorrow without boarding pass. I wasn't willing to do that since there is a current operational meltdown and its a short time window that she has to arrive and check in. After 1.5 hours on the phone and speaking to a supervisor who was unwilling to provide a workaround I decided to just pay the $200 and figure it out with customer relations after the fact. What would you have done? Will I have a problem getting the refund?
By the way neither my wife nor I are elite....I have no idea why it was trying to process the upgrade using 500-mile stickers when I had already used a BXP1A upgrade instrument. We live in a new reality where even when customer service reps know the system is broken they have no way to actually fix it. I wonder if this has to do with the shift away from giving agents full access to tickets and gives them a UI that is less functional when it comes to tickets.
By the way neither my wife nor I are elite....I have no idea why it was trying to process the upgrade using 500-mile stickers when I had already used a BXP1A upgrade instrument. We live in a new reality where even when customer service reps know the system is broken they have no way to actually fix it. I wonder if this has to do with the shift away from giving agents full access to tickets and gives them a UI that is less functional when it comes to tickets.
Nov 4, 2021 | 11:14 am
#1419
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: The FT AA forum, until it no longer wants me.
Programs: CK or bust
Posts: 1,913
Booked my wife on a BXP1A upgrade for an LAX to MCO trip a few weeks ago. Ticket was confirmed and ticketed with seat assignment in business class. Went to check in for the flight today and I was prompted to purchase 5, 500-mile upgrade at $40 a pop for a total of $200. Called meeting services and the rep reached out to help desk. Both were unable to do anything. Told me to send wife to airport tomorrow without boarding pass. I wasn't willing to do that since there is a current operational meltdown and its a short time window that she has to arrive and check in. After 1.5 hours on the phone and speaking to a supervisor who was unwilling to provide a workaround I decided to just pay the $200 and figure it out with customer relations after the fact. What would you have done? Will I have a problem getting the refund?
By the way neither my wife nor I are elite....I have no idea why it was trying to process the upgrade using 500-mile stickers when I had already used a BXP1A upgrade instrument. We live in a new reality where even when customer service reps know the system is broken they have no way to actually fix it. I wonder if this has to do with the shift away from giving agents full access to tickets and gives them a UI that is less functional when it comes to tickets.
By the way neither my wife nor I are elite....I have no idea why it was trying to process the upgrade using 500-mile stickers when I had already used a BXP1A upgrade instrument. We live in a new reality where even when customer service reps know the system is broken they have no way to actually fix it. I wonder if this has to do with the shift away from giving agents full access to tickets and gives them a UI that is less functional when it comes to tickets.
Hopefully you get your $ back.
Nov 4, 2021 | 2:00 pm
#1421
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Chicago
Posts: 470
- The upgrade can only be redeemed for a flight booked in G class or higher (N, Q, O, S, and B fares are not eligible)
Nov 4, 2021 | 2:36 pm
#1424
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 9,952
Nov 4, 2021 | 2:52 pm
#1425
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 4,237