How to earn a free round-trip award through AA's Business Extra program
Editor's note: At TPG, our top priority is providing our readers with the information you need to make educated decisions about travel and your rewards-earnings strategy. This is not the best time to travel, domestically or internationally, but we are sharing this promotion because it can offer a good value for those who still need to travel for essential reasons.
While the Big Three US airlines (Delta, United and AA) tend to copy each other pretty closely when it comes to the details of their loyalty programs, there's one area where American really stands out above the competition: While all three legacy carriers offer separate loyalty programs for small businesses, American's Business Extra program is by far the richest.
Business Extra members accrue points in addition to the normal AAdvantage frequent flyer miles they earn from flying, and can redeem these Business Extra points for award flights, upgrades, lounge access and more. Now, View from the Wing is reporting that new Business Extra members can earn 2,000 Business Extra points by enrolling at businessextra.com with promo code 202KMM and taking a single flight by June 30.
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Obviously with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, now is not the right time to be traveling unless it's unavoidable. But there are plenty of people who continue to travel because their jobs have been deemed essential who may be able to get great value out of this offer.
Business Extra members normally earn points at a rate of 1 per $5 spent on eligible flights, so this bonus nets you the same number of points as if you'd spent $10,000 on American Airlines flights.
Business Extra points can be used toward a number of different redemptions, but these 2,000 points could net you a domestic round-trip economy award (excluding transcontinental flights) if you redeem them for a "BX1A" award. These awards book into the T fare class, meaning you should be able to use them on any flight that has regular sAAver level award space.
Further Reading: Guide to earning and burning with American Airlines' Business Extra program
Another great option, especially if you plan to fly on a more premium transcontinental route, would be to redeem your 2,000 points for up to 3 "BXP1" awards, which are one segment upgrades within North America, including Hawaii and the Caribbean. BXP1s cost 650 Business Extra points each, so you could use this new member bonus to earn three upgrades and still have a few points left over.
Perhaps the single best redemption would be to book a cheap business class fare on a premium transcontinental route operated by one of AA's specially configured three-cabin A321Ts, featuring lie-flat business and first class in addition to economy. Upgrade inventory from business to first class is very easy to come by, and in addition to the incredible lie-flat seat, first class passengers can also access AA's exclusive Flagship First dining facility on the ground (currently closed due to the coronavirus pandemic).
Bottom line
No matter how good the promotion is, you should only be making plans to travel in the next few months if you absolutely need to, primarily if you're traveling for work in a job that's been deemed essential.
Business Extra is a great option to "double dip" on American flights, earning Business Extra points and AAdvantage miles at the same time. If you're not yet a member of the Business Extra program, signing up with this promotional offer and taking one flight by June 30 is a great way to boost your account balance from the start.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 5X | New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App. |
| 3X | Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines. |
| 2X | Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com. |
| 1X | Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases. |
Pros
- Valuable dining and food-related credits
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- No foreign transaction fees
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Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $8,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- New! Earn 5X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid hotel stays booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points on flights booked through AmexTravel.com, the Amex Travel App, or purchased directly from airlines.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points on prepaid car rentals booked through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App and cruises booked and paid through AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- Pay It® lets you tap in the American Express® App to quickly pay for small purchase amounts throughout the month and still earn rewards the way you usually do. Plan It® gives you the option to split up big purchases into equal monthly payments with a fixed fee. You’ll know upfront exactly how much you’ll pay.
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- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year at over 10,000 qualifying U.S. Resy restaurants after you pay for eligible purchases with the American Express® Gold Card. That’s up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
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- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Enjoy up to $120 in Uber Cash annually with your Gold Card. Just add your Card to your Uber account and you'll get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an Amex Card for your transaction.
- New! As an American Express® Gold Card Member, you can enjoy complimentary Hertz Five Star® Status. Enjoy benefits like skipping the counter at select locations, adding an additional driver at no additional cost*, and vehicle upgrades**. Benefit enrollment and Hertz Gold+ registration are required. *Additional drivers must meet standard rental qualifications and must be a spouse or domestic partner to qualify as complimentary. Other additional drivers subject to fees. **Benefits are subject to availability and vary by location. Additional Hertz program Terms and Conditions including age restrictions apply.
- Take advantage of a $100 credit towards eligible charges* at over 1,300 upscale hotels worldwide when you book The Hotel Collection through AmexTravel.com or the Amex Travel App **. *Eligible charges vary by property. **The Hotel Collection requires a two-night minimum stay.
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- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.