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Note: older posts have been archived to ARCHIVE: Business Extra Program master thread (consolidated)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)
Jul 25, 2019, 12:21 pm
#931
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: TX
Programs: AA: EXP MR: Ti
Posts: 495
Agree that, if true, this is a hit to the value of BXPs. That said, at times C-class inventory is released close to flight time but prior to the airport standby list being cleared. There are also passengers without stickers and/or status that could be interested in using a BXP regardless of waitlist/standby priority.
Jul 25, 2019, 2:17 pm
#932
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: VA
Programs: AA EXP, DL Gold, Hilton Lifetime Diamond, Wyndham Diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 293
I just redeemed my first BE award - a BX1B for my daughter. I've been collecting points for a few years and had some that were going to expire.
The agent said only one (1) BX1B was needed for the round trip. Is that accurate?? (I assumed one was needed each way.)
The reservation has been ticketed. I just don't want them to cancel the ticket on her, so I wanted to double check.
Thanks in advance..
The agent said only one (1) BX1B was needed for the round trip. Is that accurate?? (I assumed one was needed each way.)
The reservation has been ticketed. I just don't want them to cancel the ticket on her, so I wanted to double check.
Thanks in advance..
Jul 25, 2019, 2:23 pm
#933
Join Date: Aug 2011
Programs: AA EXP, Amex Plt, AA AC
Posts: 174
I just redeemed my first BE award - a BX1B for my daughter. I've been collecting points for a few years and had some that were going to expire.
The agent said only one (1) BX1B was needed for the round trip. Is that accurate?? (I assumed one was needed each way.)
The reservation has been ticketed. I just don't want them to cancel the ticket on her, so I wanted to double check.
Thanks in advance..
The agent said only one (1) BX1B was needed for the round trip. Is that accurate?? (I assumed one was needed each way.)
The reservation has been ticketed. I just don't want them to cancel the ticket on her, so I wanted to double check.
Thanks in advance..
Jul 25, 2019, 4:31 pm
#935
Join Date: Jun 2002
Posts: 551
Attempted to check in online for a flight tomorrow morning that I had upgraded using a BXP1 upgrade certificate. Was surprised when I could not do so. In the olden days (OK last year), this made sense as AA needed to collect my certificate. But now there are now physical certificates, so why can't I check in online?
Do I need to bring a print out of my upgrade certificate confirmations?
Do I need to bring a print out of my upgrade certificate confirmations?
Jul 25, 2019, 9:05 pm
#936
Join Date: Apr 2009
Posts: 48
Attempted to check in online for a flight tomorrow morning that I had upgraded using a BXP1 upgrade certificate. Was surprised when I could not do so. In the olden days (OK last year), this made sense as AA needed to collect my certificate. But now there are now physical certificates, so why can't I check in online?
Do I need to bring a print out of my upgrade certificate confirmations?
Do I need to bring a print out of my upgrade certificate confirmations?
Jul 26, 2019, 10:15 am
#937
Join Date: Jan 2015
Programs: Alaska Gold 75K, AA EXP, United 1K
Posts: 472
1) it happened to me (I viewed the actual PALL list and saw my upgrade with a BXP waitlisted for C fall behind elites of same level requesting a Comp R waitlisted (they also had lower fare classes)
2) I asked at the AC and they pulled up some internal page on upgrade priority that vaguely seemed to suggest the same thing
3) someone else reported calling the phone center (don’t know if it was meeting services/business extra or EXP line) and they confirmed as well
2) I asked at the AC and they pulled up some internal page on upgrade priority that vaguely seemed to suggest the same thing
3) someone else reported calling the phone center (don’t know if it was meeting services/business extra or EXP line) and they confirmed as well
Jul 26, 2019, 11:27 am
#939
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,443
Jul 26, 2019, 2:29 pm
#940
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
Jul 29, 2019, 4:03 pm
#941
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: USA
Programs: AA Gold, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 310
Is it foolish to blow these points on Gold status or Admiral's club membership? I'm asking as someone who has tons of AA miles and would only pay for cash AA flights under deeply discounted economy (therefore unrealistic for upgrade certs).
Or is club/status just such a waste of points that you would never consider it and would rather just use these BE points before using personal AA miles? Curious to hear what the BE experts think.
Or is club/status just such a waste of points that you would never consider it and would rather just use these BE points before using personal AA miles? Curious to hear what the BE experts think.
Jul 29, 2019, 5:38 pm
#942
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: OGG
Programs: AA Plat, A List Pref, Marriott Ambassador
Posts: 356
Exactly... About a month ago I booked two J seats roundtrip PHX to JFK November. Found the availability I needed using the regular booking engine and held the ticket, called meeting services and it was done. I had a bunch of points that were going to expire at the end of this year and it was a good way to burn 6,400 points. I haven't used (and probably won't) the new booking engine as it is easier for me to just find the flights and hold the ticket using the normal engine.
Aug 9, 2019, 10:35 am
#943
Join Date: Apr 2013
Location: Bay Area, CA
Posts: 9
Warning to everyone out there who uses (or tries to use) BXP upgrade certificates. Seems like a change went into place whereby the BXP upgrade priority now falls behind SWU, Miles upgrade and Elite complimentary/sticker upgrades. Which basically makes the BXP certificates a LOT harder to use and a lot less valuable.
Yep, echoing others above...waitlist priority status of BXP upgrades must've changed recently. On two recent trips I've applied BXP1 certificates to my reservation, only to have my name drop lower on the airport waitlist than it was before the certificate was applied. I've had three Meeting Services agents and two AC agents tell me this is correct. I even had one AC agent show me the upgrade list on her computer screen, both before and after my certificate was applied to highlight the difference. I asked why, as an EXP, it would ever make sense to use a BXP upgrade certificate if I would be higher priority with comp upgrades, and they basically said the only benefit is that a BXP can be confirmed ahead of the normal upgrade window if C inventory is available.
This is a bummer, especially since I have two BXP1's that were redeemed before this change, and now need to be used by end of year.
Aug 9, 2019, 1:06 pm
#944
Join Date: Feb 2019
Posts: 268
Yep, echoing others above...waitlist priority status of BXP upgrades must've changed recently. On two recent trips I've applied BXP1 certificates to my reservation, only to have my name drop lower on the airport waitlist than it was before the certificate was applied. I've had three Meeting Services agents and two AC agents tell me this is correct. I even had one AC agent show me the upgrade list on her computer screen, both before and after my certificate was applied to highlight the difference. I asked why, as an EXP, it would ever make sense to use a BXP upgrade certificate if I would be higher priority with comp upgrades, and they basically said the only benefit is that a BXP can be confirmed ahead of the normal upgrade window if C inventory is available.
This is a bummer, especially since I have two BXP1's that were redeemed before this change, and now need to be used by end of year.
Yep, echoing others above...waitlist priority status of BXP upgrades must've changed recently. On two recent trips I've applied BXP1 certificates to my reservation, only to have my name drop lower on the airport waitlist than it was before the certificate was applied. I've had three Meeting Services agents and two AC agents tell me this is correct. I even had one AC agent show me the upgrade list on her computer screen, both before and after my certificate was applied to highlight the difference. I asked why, as an EXP, it would ever make sense to use a BXP upgrade certificate if I would be higher priority with comp upgrades, and they basically said the only benefit is that a BXP can be confirmed ahead of the normal upgrade window if C inventory is available.
This is a bummer, especially since I have two BXP1's that were redeemed before this change, and now need to be used by end of year.
If one is using/redeeming the Premium Cabin upgrades, which require C space (ie: from economy to First on a 2-class domestic), are you saying that if you book this ahead of time, (witih C space available) you can actually be downgraded at the gate because someone with higher status shows up?
Aug 9, 2019, 1:34 pm
#945
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,443
Pardon my stupidity here, but:
If one is using/redeeming the Premium Cabin upgrades, which require C space (ie: from economy to First on a 2-class domestic), are you saying that if you book this ahead of time, (witih C space available) you can actually be downgraded at the gate because someone with higher status shows up?
If one is using/redeeming the Premium Cabin upgrades, which require C space (ie: from economy to First on a 2-class domestic), are you saying that if you book this ahead of time, (witih C space available) you can actually be downgraded at the gate because someone with higher status shows up?