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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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 24, 2021 | 2:39 pm
#1471
Join Date: Jun 2012
Posts: 337
Question about Small Business Saturday Promo
Just got this in an email. Looks like it's time to cash out for a bunch of BXP1 upgrades.
"Turn your points into more Business Extra awards
We're thankful for our Business Extra members and proud to support small businesses with programs that maximize the value of business travel. In honor of Small Business Saturday, we're excited to offer reduced point redemption values for select Business Extra awards to help your company's rewards go further.
Turn your points into more awards that make business travel simpler. Starting today, select awards with lower point redemption values are available in your Business Extra account through November 30, 2021.
Awards that take your company's rewards the extra mile:
U.S. Domestic One-Segment Upgrade
Regular: 650 points | Promo: 500 points
Admirals Club Membership
Regular: 3,300 points | Promo: 2,900 points
Admirals Club One-Day Pass
Regular: 300 points | Promo: 200 points
As always, Business Extra points can be redeemed for over 60 awards and start as low as 100 points. Log in to your account through the end of November to redeem awards for less.
We thank you for being a valued Business Extra member, and all of us at American Airlines look forward to welcoming you and your travelers on board soon."
"Turn your points into more Business Extra awards
We're thankful for our Business Extra members and proud to support small businesses with programs that maximize the value of business travel. In honor of Small Business Saturday, we're excited to offer reduced point redemption values for select Business Extra awards to help your company's rewards go further.
Turn your points into more awards that make business travel simpler. Starting today, select awards with lower point redemption values are available in your Business Extra account through November 30, 2021.
Awards that take your company's rewards the extra mile:
U.S. Domestic One-Segment Upgrade
Regular: 650 points | Promo: 500 points
Admirals Club Membership
Regular: 3,300 points | Promo: 2,900 points
Admirals Club One-Day Pass
Regular: 300 points | Promo: 200 points
As always, Business Extra points can be redeemed for over 60 awards and start as low as 100 points. Log in to your account through the end of November to redeem awards for less.
We thank you for being a valued Business Extra member, and all of us at American Airlines look forward to welcoming you and your travelers on board soon."
THANKS!
Nov 24, 2021 | 4:21 pm
#1472
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,364
Nov 24, 2021 | 7:31 pm
#1474
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott LT Plat | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 13,276
Nov 24, 2021 | 9:10 pm
#1476
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, BA Silver, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,949
BXP1 Upgrade Inventory Same as SWU Inventory?
If AA's site shows systemwide upgrades available on a given flight, can I assume that BXP1 Business Extra upgrades can also be used?
Nov 24, 2021 | 9:29 pm
#1477
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Still going through ORD security when boarding has already started
Programs: AA EXP, UA Silver, HH Gold, Bonvoy Gold, IHG Plat, Hyatt Disco, Reno Air MEGA Platinum
Posts: 10,321
BXP1s are for North America flights, but if you wish to use an SWU for a N. America flight, then yes, same inventory (C is the inventory code)
Nov 24, 2021 | 9:29 pm
#1478
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 4,237
Nov 24, 2021 | 9:39 pm
#1479
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: ORD
Programs: AA EXP >3 Million miles,HH Lifetime Diamond
Posts: 3,435
Same inventory bucket but I believe there are fare class restrictions for business extra upgrades. I remember a couple of years ago needing to upfare to an eligible fare class ..it wasn't a large cost but not sure what rules are in place these days.
Nov 24, 2021 | 10:34 pm
#1480
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: SFO
Programs: AC SE, AA EXP MM, BA Silver, UA Gold MM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, HH Dia, IHG Plat
Posts: 4,949
Nov 24, 2021 | 11:08 pm
#1481
Join Date: Dec 2014
Location: New York City + Vail, CO
Programs: American Airlines Executive Platinum, Marriott Bonvoy Ambassador Elite
Posts: 4,237
Nov 25, 2021 | 9:26 am
#1482
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Dec 2000
Location: PHL
Programs: AA PLT, UA SLV, MR LTT, HH LTD
Posts: 10,737
BXP1 cannot be used on fare codes S, N, O, G and Q.
Nov 25, 2021 | 9:42 pm
#1484
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: LAX
Programs: AA EXP.
Posts: 1,364
I would think so since a Plat Pro and EXP is more likely to be a buyer of a J to get status. and would want to use a J-F upgrade on a LAX-JFK etc but if thats not your thing then no. its a waste. maybe instead of using stickers for a companion though u could use the cert?
Nov 25, 2021 | 9:59 pm
#1485
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott LT Plat | Hyatt Explorist
Posts: 13,276
There are plenty of PPro and EXPs that don't frequently buy J. For them, it's as good as a SWU on a domestic flight and avoids the upgrade lottery