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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
Sep 7, 2018, 8:08 pm
#661
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Thanks for the update
Sep 9, 2018, 7:48 am
#663
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,085
Looks like it's not so bleak; this was in today's newsletter thing:
"Quote:
If you've already completed the survey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and will help guide us as we look for ways to improve our program. Your 500 bonus points will be posted by September 7, 2018."
Hey, that's today.. None yet.............
"Quote:
If you've already completed the survey, we appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts. Your feedback is incredibly valuable and will help guide us as we look for ways to improve our program. Your 500 bonus points will be posted by September 7, 2018."
Hey, that's today.. None yet.............
Sep 17, 2018, 2:32 pm
#665
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: AA EXP, SPG Plat, HH Gold
Posts: 28
Hi
Was there a limit to the number of surveys the members of the same AA business extra account could submit? If two members submitted the same Business Extra # with surveys, would the count be credited twice with 500 points each? Any experience with such situations?
Was there a limit to the number of surveys the members of the same AA business extra account could submit? If two members submitted the same Business Extra # with surveys, would the count be credited twice with 500 points each? Any experience with such situations?
Sep 18, 2018, 7:21 am
#666
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: WAS
Posts: 1,626
Question re BE awards (in this case BX6B). I understand these are round-trip awards. If I have award inventory on hold in two separate one-way reservations, can BE/Meeting Services department ticket those two one-way reservations using one BX6B award? I'm concerned that holding the flights in separate records may create some confusion at the meeting services desk.
Sep 21, 2018, 10:39 am
#667
Ambassador: Alaska Airlines
Join Date: Nov 2008
Location: BWI
Posts: 7,390
Quick question, when waitlisting with BXP1 certificate should my reservation show that waitlisted segment as upgrade requested?
Just want to make sure my upgrade request was set up properly...
Right now I am seeing the option to request the upgrade for the segment I am attempting to use BXP1 with e-500s.
I also assume I'll be ahead of all elites waitlisted via complimentary upgrades but behind EXP and Plat Pros waitlisted with SWU/BXP/Miles+CoPay? I am a Platinum right now.
Just want to make sure my upgrade request was set up properly...
Right now I am seeing the option to request the upgrade for the segment I am attempting to use BXP1 with e-500s.
I also assume I'll be ahead of all elites waitlisted via complimentary upgrades but behind EXP and Plat Pros waitlisted with SWU/BXP/Miles+CoPay? I am a Platinum right now.
Sep 25, 2018, 1:57 pm
#668
Join Date: Sep 2015
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 158
BXP3 waitlist
I have a BXP3 waitlisted- I highly doubt it will clear before the gate (if at all). Do BXP3 requests get put on the airport standby list? Anything I should know about using a BXP3? This is my first time using one. Thanks!
Oct 5, 2018, 9:30 am
#669
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,313
Hi;
I got a great TATL fare, that was upgradeable at time of booking. Here's the fare breakdown:FARE-USD$ 167.00TAXES AND CARRIER-IMPOSED FEES$ 507.31TICKET TOTAL$ 674.31
Will I earn BE points only on the $167 or do I earn on the carrier imposed surcharges as well?
I got a great TATL fare, that was upgradeable at time of booking. Here's the fare breakdown:FARE-USD$ 167.00TAXES AND CARRIER-IMPOSED FEES$ 507.31TICKET TOTAL$ 674.31
Will I earn BE points only on the $167 or do I earn on the carrier imposed surcharges as well?
Oct 5, 2018, 1:19 pm
#670
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2004
Location: DFW/DAL
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT, AS MVPG, HH Diamond, NCL Platinum Plus, MSC Diamond
Posts: 21,422
Question re BE awards (in this case BX6B). I understand these are round-trip awards. If I have award inventory on hold in two separate one-way reservations, can BE/Meeting Services department ticket those two one-way reservations using one BX6B award? I'm concerned that holding the flights in separate records may create some confusion at the meeting services desk.
Why not call them and ask? You have to call to ticket anyway
Oct 5, 2018, 2:53 pm
#671
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: SAV/HHH
Programs: BA Lifetime Gold (current GGL), HH Diamond
Posts: 1,293
Just thought I'd share some experience from booking 4x BX7B awards this week.
Initially, I was surprised to find availability with LAX-PEK and HKG-LAX for the transpacific sectors. Of course, married segment availability meant those segments were only available with certain domestic connections, so ATL-LAX-PEK and HKG-LAX-DFW-SAV were the only options where I could secure 4 seats the whole way through. I had initially searched online and put those flights on AAdvantage hold.
Unfortunately Business Extra awards have more rules and restrictions, so those flights didn't work.
Stumbling block #1 - Double open jaw not allowed. (ATL != SAV + PEK != HKG ... one difference is OK, 2 is not)
Stumbling block #2 - Domestic to domestic connections cannot exceed 4 hours. Domestic to/from international connections cannot exceed 12 hours. (This turned out to be a real pain looking for 4 seats.)
Stumbling block #3 - Can't mix classes. I'd have been willing to take a shorter domestic segment in economy, but was told that was only possible if the flight in question was economy only. (Not sure I believe this one, but didn't press it.)
I dealt with 2 Meeting Services agents...and they were great, helping me understand the rules, and patiently helping search availability for the various options I presented. Married segment award availability is ridiculously difficult to search, but we finally found something that would work.
All in all, I can't complain. This was a great result...and much better value than what I had been expecting.
Initially, I was surprised to find availability with LAX-PEK and HKG-LAX for the transpacific sectors. Of course, married segment availability meant those segments were only available with certain domestic connections, so ATL-LAX-PEK and HKG-LAX-DFW-SAV were the only options where I could secure 4 seats the whole way through. I had initially searched online and put those flights on AAdvantage hold.
Unfortunately Business Extra awards have more rules and restrictions, so those flights didn't work.
Stumbling block #1 - Double open jaw not allowed. (ATL != SAV + PEK != HKG ... one difference is OK, 2 is not)
Stumbling block #2 - Domestic to domestic connections cannot exceed 4 hours. Domestic to/from international connections cannot exceed 12 hours. (This turned out to be a real pain looking for 4 seats.)
Stumbling block #3 - Can't mix classes. I'd have been willing to take a shorter domestic segment in economy, but was told that was only possible if the flight in question was economy only. (Not sure I believe this one, but didn't press it.)
I dealt with 2 Meeting Services agents...and they were great, helping me understand the rules, and patiently helping search availability for the various options I presented. Married segment award availability is ridiculously difficult to search, but we finally found something that would work.
All in all, I can't complain. This was a great result...and much better value than what I had been expecting.
Oct 9, 2018, 7:15 am
#673
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: JFK, DCA, BUR, YVR
Programs: AC, AS, BA, DL, HH (D), MR (T/LTP), UA (*S), UScAAre (PLT/1,87MM), WN
Posts: 5,207
Would it be safe to presume that you are flying an AA-codeshare w/ BA? You should also receive points on the carrier-imposed fees.
Oct 10, 2018, 6:34 pm
#674
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: SJC
Programs: AAdvantage 2MM+ Lifetime PLT; BA, CO, UA, US; SPG; HHonors Gold
Posts: 757
If you don't mind, could you please post the fare and the itinerary?
Oct 10, 2018, 10:12 pm
#675
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,313
Itinerary is AA metal TATL on 77W. Lax-lhr//cdg- lhr-lax
Fare breakdown is already posted above, no code shares
Fare breakdown is already posted above, no code shares
Last edited by beachfan; Oct 11, 2018 at 2:22 am