American is set to start service on four new international routes soon, and for the next few months they’re offering 3x BusinessExtrAA points:

American Airlines is strengthening our network to bring you more opportunities to take your business around the world. This spring enjoy our new and expanded service as we launch new nonstop flights between:

Dallas/Fort Worth and Lima, Peru (beginning April 2, 2013)
Chicago and Dusseldorf, Germany (beginning April 11, 2013)
Dallas/Fort Worth and Seoul, South Korea (beginning May 9, 2013)
New York (JFK) and Dublin, Ireland (beginning June 12, 2013)
In celebration of our global expansion, Business ExtrAA members can earn up to triple points each time you fly on one of these new nonstop routes:

Triple points for travel booked in First Class or Business Class
Double points for travel booked in Main Cabin

Earning bonus points is easy – simply register using promo code NEWSERVICE2013 and fly between April 2, 2013 and August 9, 2013.

BusinessExtrAA is American’s loyalty program for small business.  It’s a great way for companies to earn points that can be used for Admirals Club memberships, incentive programs, travel, and upgrades.  It’s free and employees will still earn AAdvantage Miles, and if you own your own business, it’s a great way to double-dip.

Registration is required before you travel.  Go here for complete details.

Now this isn’t something that happens very often: an airline fee gets eliminated. You can now book American’s Business ExtrAA flight awards with no service charges:

Effective October 8, 2012 Business ExtrAA members are no longer required to pay the Reservation Service Charge when booking Business ExtrAA flight award reservations. As we continue to improve our program, you will see more benefits that make your Business ExtrAA membership more rewarding.

American’s Business ExtrAA is a loyalty program that allows businesses to earn points for company travel that can be redeemed for flights, upgrades, Elite status, Admirals Club memberships, and other awards.

Employees still earn their full, individual AAdvantage credit for their travel and if you’re a business owner or your self employed, it’s a great way to double-dip and earn both points and miles.

Business ExtrAA awards have to be redeemed over the phone, and until recently, the telephone reservation fee was $25.

It’s always seemed like a flaw that they didn’t just waive the fee, or provide an online alternative that would give you a way to avoid the $25 charge.

Not only is it nice to see them improve an already good program, it’s kind of cool that I’ve seen that rarest of events: an airline fee that goes away!

Go here for complete details.

Photo: Man Bites Dog
Credit: joeymanley on Flickr

You probably noticed that Boarding Area was offline for some of the day yesterday. It was due to the same Amazon Web Services (AWS) outage that took Reddit, GitHub, and several other websites. Fortunately (or unfortunately depending upon how you look at it) nothing too exciting happened with AAdvantage or AA yesterday.  About the only real news item was that Netflix is going to end their AAdvantage Miles signup bonus after November 14, 2012.

Anyway, check your inbox for this new targeted offer from American’s Business ExtrAA small business loyalty program:

KEEP CALM & FLY FREE.

Earn a Flight Award fast from Business ExtrAA

When you register and your company meets the travel requirements through December 31, 2012, you can earn up to 25,000 AAdvantage miles for yourself and 2,000 Business ExtrAA points for your company – enough for a round trip MileSAAver and PlanAAhead award (fees of up to $10 apply per award).

That’s a flight award for you and a flight award for your company!

Here’s how it works:

• To earn 500 Business ExtrAA bonus points and 2,500 AAdvantage bonus miles you must register for this promotion by December 31 2012.

• To earn an additional 500 bonus points and 10,000 bonus miles you must book and fly one round-trip using your company’s Business ExtrAA account number by December 31, 2012.

• To earn an additional 1,000 bonus points and 12,500 bonus miles you must book and fly two additional round-trips (for a total of 3 round-trips) using your company’s Business ExtrAA account number by December 31, 2012.

• Minimum round-trip fare of $250 applies for qualification.

This is definitely a targeted offer:

This offer is available only to Business ExtrAA members who receive the mailing from American Airlines.

Registration is required before you travel. Visit www.aa.com/stressfreebiz for complete details.

Photo: Target
Credit: Lefteris Heretakis on Flickr

I’m on vacation this week so sorry for the shorter than usual posts, though you’re probably enjoying a break from the usual Oklahoma references and Lubbock put-downs.

American just launched the voting phase of their second annual BusinessExtrAA “Flights, Camera, Action” promotion:

VOTE FOR YOUR CHANCE TO WIN 25,000 AADVANTAGE MILES.

American Airlines recognizes that access and connectivity while traveling are critical to small businesses. So we asked small business owners to create a video telling us how the connections they make through travel help their business soar.

Vote for your favorite video and you’ll have a chance to win 25,000 AAdvantage miles.

Your vote will help select the top 3 videos from each category, who will vie for the First Prize in each category. The Grand Prize winner will be chosen from these 3 First Prize Winners and will win 80 tickets on American Airlines and exposure to thousands of potential customers.

To enter:

• Visit aa.com/flightscameraaction

• Complete all required fields on the online entry form;

• Follow the instructions to view and vote for 1 posted video in each of the 3 categories (“Established”, “Non-profit” and “Start-up”), that you believe best illustrates how the connections made through travel impact the Entrant’s company and you will receive 1 entry for each vote for a maximum of 3 entries per email address per day.

• On or about September 26, 2012, a random drawing will be conducted from among all eligible entries received.

Voting ends at 11:59 a.m. CT time on September 14, 2012.  Go here to enter.

Last Friday I offered a reader giveaway with a winner being selected in a random drawing on Monday morning. Well, it’s already Monday morning (wow, the weekend went by quickly) and the results are in:

Congratulations go to The Traveler!!  You’re the lucky winner of an AAdvantage logo pencil cup and a 10% AA discount code.

Thanks to a reader for sharing an extra discount code (thanks WIS!) and the AAdvantage folks for providing the pencil cup!  And thanks to everyone that participated!

Speaking of giveaways, Monday’s Frugal Travel Guy Deal of the Day is sponsored by AAdvantage. So go here to share you favorite American Airlines related advice for a chance to win 2,5000 AAdvantage Miles!

Last Friday, The Weekly Flyer had a great post reminding readers about the American Airlines Business ExtrAA “Flights. Camera. Action.” video contest.  The promotion offers small businesses a chance to win free travel:

Upload a short video to American Airlines telling them how the connections you make through travel help your business soar – and you might win up to 80 round-trip tickets for your company and exposure to thousands of potential customers.

The first round is about to end, and soon 27 videos will be selected to advance to the next round and viewers will get a chance to vote and help select nine finalists.

The deadline to enter is coming up on August 10.

Last year, there were several interesting submissions: some from mobile app developers, a company that specializes in gondola tours, film production companies, non-profits, even a company that sells a kit so that you can grow your own mushrooms using recycled coffee grounds.

One video that you didn’t see last year was this submission from a nudist resort in Palm Springs, California.  I came across it while I was looking for some vacation ideas material for the blog.

(Faced with the choice between covering the 1,500  bonus AAdvantage Miles offer from FTD or nudity, I asked myself “what would  a cable news executive do”….)

Actually, there’s no nudity in the video, thought not surprisingly it still didn’t make the finals.  The owner of the Terra Cotta Inn writes:

We have always said that nudist resorts need to start acting mainstream to be more accepted in America and this TV commercial is a start.

Well sadly our commercial was not selected. We saw many of the semi finalists and most were not of the quality of ours. So share this with all your nudist friends, facebook friends, etc. Let the world know that nude recreation is very popular and let American Airlines know that they should have approved this entry for their contest instead of being so afraid of nudist resorts.

They also invite anyone that has a good idea for “mainstreaming nude recreation in America” to contact them.  I can think of a couple of things they might try: offer AAdvantage Miles with each stay, or maybe invite Loyalty Travler out for a review!

Business ExtrAA is the American Airlines rewards program for small business, and there are two new promotions worth mentioning:

Earn Up To Triple Business ExtrAA Points

For U.S. domestic non-stop travel between New York and select cities, register using promotion code APR12NYCBONUS by June 30, 2012 and travel between May 1 and June 30, 2012 to earn:

• Triple points for travel on First Class, Business Class or Main Cabin Full fares
• Double points for travel on Other Main Cabin fares

Travel between New York and these cities:

Atlanta
Austin
Baltimore
Boston
Charlotte
Chicago
Cincinnati
Cleveland
Columbus
Dallas/Fort Worth
Detroit
Indianapolis
Las Vegas
Los Angeles
Miami
Minneapolis
Nashville
Norfolk VA
Orlando
Pittsburgh
Raleigh Durham
San Diego
San Francisco
San Juan
Seattle
St Louis
Tampa
Washington DC.

Points are earned at a rate of 2 points per $10 spent on travel and round-trip domestic awards are available for 2,000 points. (Something to note – until recently, flights origination out of DFW and Miami earned points at half the rate – only 1 point for every $10.  As of April 1, flights originating from both airports earn 2 points/$10).

Registration is required before travel. Go here to sign up or for complete details.

National Small Business Week

The U.S. Small Business Administration proclaimed May 20-26 as National Small Business Week. American Airlines appreciates all that small businesses do for the U.S., promoting innovation, job creation, and economic competitiveness.

To celebrate, we will offer your company a one-time bonus of 300 Business ExtrAA points if you fly anywhere on American Airlines between May 20, 2012, and May 26, 2012.

Sign up here using promo code NSB300BONUS.  Registration is required before you travel.

If you’re enrolled in the American Airlines Business ExtrAA program (sort of like AAdvantage Miles for small business), you can pick up some extra points if you travel though (or from) Dallas/Ft Worth to San Francisco, San Jose or Fresno:

In appreciation of your company’s business, we are excited to reward you with a special offer between now and April 30, 2012.

For U.S. Domestic1 travel to and from San Francisco, San Jose or Fresno via Dallas/Fort Worth, register using promotion code FEB12CALIFORNIA and earn:

• Triple Business ExtrAA points for travel on First Class or Main Cabin Full fares
• Double Business ExtrAA points for travel on Other Main Cabin fares

American has a rich and historic connection to California and is committed to offering a strong network and superior service. Your company’s Business ExtrAA points will add up quickly with this great promotion so don’t miss out!

Eligible First Class fares include fares booked in F, A, and P
Eligible Main Cabin Full fares include fares booked in Y
Eligible Other Main Cabin fares include all fares except those booked in E and T.

This isn’t a targeted offer.  From the terms and conditions:

To qualify for the bonus offer, the company must be based in the U.S. and enrolled in the Business ExtrAA program. Registration prior to travel using the FEB12CALIFORNIA promotion code now through April 30, 2012 is required.

Go here to sign up and for complete details.

***************************************

Deals We Like and Points, Miles and Martinis are teaming up to give away American Airlines discount codes!!  Go here to find out how to enter their contests.  

Photo: Extra hier gehts schnell
Credit: hmboo on Flickr

Check your email inbox for this new targeted offer from the American Airlines Business ExtrAA program:

Give Your Business a Boost. Earn 1,000 Business ExtrAA bonus points – that’s halfway to a round trip ticket!!

The American Airlines Business ExtrAA program has teamed up with VerticalResponse to offer your business the marketing tools you need to stay competitive — plus you will earn 1,000 Business ExtrAA bonus points after your first purchase of $5 or more before May 31, 2012. With 1,000 bonus points, you will have a great head start on your next round-trip ticket!

Your company can benefit from a variety of VerticalResponse solutions to help expand your business in a dependable, affordable way, with proven results. Try them out for free with a no-risk trial.

Open your business to a whole new audience with marketing programs including:
Email Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Event Marketing
List Building and Management
Postcards
Online Surveys

A 1,000 points is pretty sizable. It’s halfway to a round-trip domestic ticket. It’s an upgrade to first class with enough points left over to get a day pass to the Admirals Club.

I visited the promotion page and took a look at their services and prices and VerticalResponse has some pretty cool tools, and spending $5 is pretty easy.

For $5 you can send out a mailer to about 300 clients. Or for the same price, you can send out 6 post cards. Either way, VerticalResponse had some nicely designed templates and an online assistant to walk you through the process.

Again, it’s a targeted offer. Here’s the fine print:

You received this email because you have opted in to receive emails for Business ExtrAA Account News and Information.

*Based on Economy PlanAAhead award valid for the Continental U.S., Canada and Mexico. All taxes and fees, including reservation fees, assessed at the time of ticketing are the responsibility of the passenger.

This offer is available only to recipients of the email sent by American Airlines to select Business ExtrAA® members and is valid through May 31, 2012. Promotional bonus points available for new VerticalResponse customers only, who provide the requested information using the enrollment site provided via link from this email and complete a qualifying purchase with VerticalResponse of $5 or more between January 26, 2012, and May 31, 2012.

Points will post to your company’s Business ExtrAA account 6-8 weeks after promotion ends

Go here for complete details.

oneworld member Japan Airlines is pretty excited about their new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, so much so that they’ve even got a special website (in Japanese) to show off the new plane (hat tip to Pak’s JAL Blog).   

Their partner American Airlines must be pretty excited too, because they created a dedicated webpage to promote the start of JAL’s 787 Dreamliner service between Boston and Tokyo:

American Airlines continues to open more doors to Asia. Working with fellow oneworld member Japan Airlines, we will launch nonstop service between Boston and Tokyo Narita on April 22 on a brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Boasting advanced technology and an innovative cabin environment with larger windows and new lighting features, the 787 Dreamliner provides a peaceful and comfortable environment across the Pacific.

And to celebrate the occasion, American is offering a big fare sale, Double AAdvantage Miles and bonus Business ExtrAA points.

Double AAdvantage Miles Offer

Fly the brand new Boeing 787 Dreamliner to Tokyo!
Earn Double AAdvantage Miles

EXPERIENCE THE LUXURY OF THE 787 DREAMLINER.

AIRLINE: Japan Airlines (includes codeshare flights booked as an American Airlines flight and operated by Japan Airlines)

AWARD: Double Miles

BONUS CODE: BOSTY

DATES: Travel between April 22, 2012 and June 30, 2012.

OFFER: In celebration of the new nonstop service on Japan Airlines between Boston and Tokyo Narita, earn double miles every time you fly the route on a new Boeing 787. This offer is valid for travel on purchased, published Business Class and select Economy Class fares from April 22, 2012 through June 30, 2012.

Here are the fare classes that qualify for the offer:

Offer applies only to AAdvantage members who purchase and fly on purchased, published Business Class fares booked in J, R, D or I

Economy Class fares booked in Y, W, B, H, K, M, L, V or S on American Airlines marketed flights

Business Class fares booked in J, C, D, X or I

Economy Class fares booked in Y, W, B, E, H, K, M, L, V or S on Japan Airlines operated flights

Double Business ExtrAA points:

To celebrate the new service, we want to reward you with unlimited double Business ExtrAA points for travel on the American Airlines marketed (AA) flight operated by Japan Airlines between April 22 and June 30, 2012.

Register your company for this offer by June 30, 2012, using promotion code BOSNRTDBL.

And just like the double miles offer, you’ll need to book your into a qualifying fare class:

AAdvantage double mile offer is valid on Japan Airlines operated nonstop flights for travel between Boston (BOS) and Tokyo (NRT) from April 22, 2012, through June 30, 2012. Includes travel on codeshare flights marketed by American Airlines and operated by Japan Airlines (booked under the AA flight number).

Here are the fares that qualify for the offer:

Offer applies only to AAdvantage members who purchase and fly on purchased, published Business Class fares booked in J, R, D or I

Economy Class fares booked in Y, W, B, H, K, M, L, V or S on American Airlines marketed flights

Business Class fares booked in J, C, D, X or I

Economy Class fares booked in Y, W, B, E, H, K, M, L, V or S on Japan Airlines operated flights.

A round-trip from Boston to Narita will earn 13,402 base miles, so with the double offer you’ll earn 26,804 AAdvantage miles, which is enough for a round-trip domestic award.

Registration is required before you travel.

Go here to sign up for Double AAdvantage Miles offer using registration code BOSTY.

To sign up for the Double Business ExtrAA points, go here and use registration code BOSNRTDBL.

Saturday is the OU-Texas game and here in Dallas the weekend started yesterday. Friends and guests started arriving Thursday, so it’s been a busy week. I’m ready for Monday so I can get a little rest!

BusinessExtrAA is a loyalty program from American Airlines that offers companies a chance to earn points that they can redeem for travel, upgrades, Admirals Club memberships, even AAdvantage elite status. And through January 2012, companies located in the state of New York and in Illinois can collect enough extra points that they earn 10 free trips for spending just $20,000:

It’s Easy to Enroll – and to earn free tickets for your company!
Enroll online for free and receive your company’s Business ExtrAA account number instantly.
Your company can quickly earn 2,000 Business ExtrAA bonus points – enough for a free round-trip ticket1 – when you:

Enroll your company in the Business ExtrAA program using referral code EARN10.
Have any employee fly one round-trip between October 4, 2011, and January 31, 2012, using the company’s new Business ExtrAA account number.

Want to earn up to 10 free tickets? Here’s how!

If your company spends $10,000 on qualifying flights between October 4, 2011, and January 31, 2012, your company will receive enough bonus points for 5 free tickets. Or spend $20,000 or more and earn the equivalent of 10 free tickets!

Fly and Spend Bonus Points (non cumulative) Number of FREE tickets1
First round trip 2,000 pts. 1
$10,000 10,000 pts. 5
$20,000 20,000 pts. 10

Employees can help your company earn bonus points by:

Adding your company’s Business ExtrAA account number in their reservations.

Updating their AA.com profile to automatically include your company’s Business ExtrAA account number for future bookings.

Plus, employees will still earn their personal AAdvantage miles, so everyone will benefit from doing business as usual.

Here are some of the terms of this offer:

This is a targeted offer valid only for new Business ExtrAA member companies based in New York or Illinois. Business ExtrAA companies located outside New York or Illinois, or with enrollment date on or prior to October 4, 2011, are not eligible for this offer. Offer valid between October 4, 2011, and January 31, 2012, and available only to new Business ExtrAA accounts.

Minimum round-trip fare of $250 applies for promotion qualification. Retroactive ticket requests may not be eligible for promotional points.

Go here to join using bonus code EARN10 or to register for this offer.

Have a great weekend! Go OU!