Several airlines offer small business loyalty programs, these are generally stackable with the miles that individual travelers earn for their itineraries. The idea is to quote the small business number at booking and the company earns points in addition to the passenger.
American’s program is called Business ExtrAA. Since points expire after two calendar years following the year in which they’re earned, single travelers unaffiliated with a company don’t generally earn significant rewards through their own travel alone, especially since the points-earning is spend-based rather than miles-based. But even a solo traveler can earn some modest points for their travels, for instance lounge passes. And certainly even lower and mid-spending solo top tier elites will likely earn the points necessary for an extra free roundtrip ticket or to nominate someone for AAdvantage Gold status after a year or two.
So I do find the small business programs on the whole worthwhile signing up for, even if traveling on your own. And if you travel with family it’s doubly so — they earn the points for their travels and you get an extra bonus for their travels as well.
Business ExtrAA is currently offering a a 2000 point signup bonus to “companies based out of the New York-Newark-Bridgeport, NY-NJ-CT-PA Combined Statistical Area” who credit one roundtrip to the program by January 31.
Sign up with promotion code BIGNY2 and ensure that you use an address in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, or Pennsylvania.
The signup bonus also includes an additional 8,000 bonus points for crediting $15,000 in spend to the program, and an additional 10,000 bonus points for $30,000 in spend.
But I’m just focused on the signup bonus for a single trip here — it’s equivalent to a free domestic coach roundtrip, enough for half a dozen club lounge passes, or 83% of the way towards a free Gold status nomination.
Gary,
I am assuming that really don’t need to have any real business(I know people give e.g of ebay seller and consider it as business, does it suffice) and requirement is you only have address in listed regions. So can I also tell my friends the acct number I get and credit their aa trips to this account. Also, are there other programs like these on other US carriers worth signing for?
Thanks,
Dracs
Anybody know what is the is the cheapest round trip ticket on AA out of the NY area?
Thanks for posting the idea! I always assumed it was for large corporations only. My wife has a one person business and we are both AA Gold on our own dime. I signed up her business and it appears we should get some small perks out of it.
@sbe: why bother fly it YOURSELF? you just need ask somebody who happens to fly AA during the promotion period to be your “employee”, and that flight doesn’t have to be out of NY area.