American Airlines and the Business Extra program are running a promotion for both new and existing frequent flyers that offers them enough bonus points for a free upgrade after completing one flight.
The Business Extra program is targeted toward small businesses and is run concurrently with AAdvantage, which means you can earn AA miles in both programs for the same flights. The Business Extra program allows earning by multiple business travelers, but the earning rate is not as rewarding—just 2X miles per dollar spent.
As part of the Business Extra program’s 20th anniversary, passengers can register for the promo and earn 650 Business Extra points, which is enough for a confirmed upgrade on a segment within North America and to Hawaii or the Caribbean regions.
The promotion rules vary slightly for new and existing members. As a new member, you can enroll in the program by Dec. 31 and take an eligible flight within 30 days (use the promo code BX20UPGWELCOME). As an existing member, make sure to register for the promo with the code UPGRADE and complete an eligible flight by Sept. 30.
The bonus points will post to your account within six to eight weeks, and you can redeem them for whatever you want, including a confirmed one-segment upgrade, Admirals Club passes, upgrade to AAdvantage Gold elite status with American Airlines or flight redemptions, as long as you have accumulated enough points for each option. Should you decide to redeem your points for a one-segment upgrade, please note that booking classes B, N, O, Q and S aren’t upgrade-eligible.
Be aware that the points in the Business Extra account expire Dec. 31, two calendar years after they were earned. For example, if you earn points mid-year in 2017, they will not expire until Dec. 31, 2019.
If you have any American Airlines flights coming up and you participate in the Business Extra program, you might as well earn the 650 bonus points.