Jun 8, 2016, 10:32 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Earning Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) on AA and partner airlines
Minimum Spend" requirement for each status tier began 1 Jan 2017
Minimum Spend" requirement for each status tier began 1 Jan 2017
In addition to the required EQM or EQS (same as 2016) to earn status in 2017 and onward one must also earn "Elite Qualifying Dollars" / "EQD" spend credit as follows (during the calendar year):
"Starting January 1, 2017, we’ll add Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) to our earning requirements. Qualify in 1 of 2 ways:
- Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
- Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
EQDs will be awarded based on:
- Ticket price (base fare plus carrier-imposed fees, excluding any government-imposed taxes and fees) on American-marketed flights
- Flights marketed by oneworld® carriers, "Special Fares" such as some AA Vacations flights, Thank You Points purchased fares, etc. earn EQDs based on a percentage of the flight distance and the fare class purchased
With the addition of EQDs, the rule that 4 segments must be traveled on American or American Eagle during the qualifying year to receive elite status has been eliminated.
NOTE: EQD credit varies for "Special Fares" (e.g. "select flights" included in AAVacations packages), and the chart for those changed on 11 Jan 2017. See here.2019 Status qualification tiers and requirements: link
- [*]
- [*]
- [*]
- [*]
aa.com: aa.com is updated to show EQM, EQD and RDM/AW for your convenience when booking and in your account for keeping informed about your accruals.
Another impact of EQD is on upgrade priority within status tiers instead of time of upgrade request (FYI only, not discussion here):
Change to upgrade priority to EQD-based priority
The way your upgrade request is prioritized changed in 2017. You’ll be listed according to the type of upgrade, by your elite status level followed by the number of EQDs earned in the last 12 months. The date of upgrade request will no longer be used except to break ties not resolved by higher priority levels. Applies both upgrade request and airport list if request goes to airport list.
Partners (AS and oneworld): accrual of EQM and EQD as reflected on charts on aa.com.
FAQ
Q. How will AA EQD be calculated?
Yes: Base fare plus carrier imposed fees, e.g. YQ etc. (Status buyup fees will count.)
No: Taxes, government or airport imposed fees, e.g. PSC, APD, TSA, etc. and ancillary fees (see below)
Q. How will flights on other oneworld carriers, AS, and "Special Fares" qualify for EQD?
Partner earning tables are here and special fare table here on aa.com.
Q. Will checked bag fees, seat purchases, LFBU and 500-mile upgrades, buy miles, or other products/service fees count toward earning award miles and EQDs? (AA FAQ)
No, only the base fare paid for your ticket including any carrier-imposed fees will count toward earning award miles and EQDs. Fees for other products or services will not be awarded miles or EQDs, including but not limited to the following: checked (or overweight) baggage fees, Admirals Club® memberships (or passes), Wi-Fi passes, in-flight food and beverage purchases, in-flight entertainment, unaccompanied minor fees, pet travel fees, 500-mile upgrades, mileage upgrade cash co-payments, Mileage Multiplier, BuyMiles, GiftMiles, ShareMiles or other mileage purchases, ticket change fees, ticketing fees, same-day confirmed flight change or standby fees and service charges. (Status buyup fees will count, however.)
Resources:
GLOSSARY:
EQD: Elite Qualifying Dollars (base fare + carrier imposed fees, - government imposed taxes and fees
EQM: Elite Qualifying Miles (accrual depends on fare basis, airline and base miles flown)
EQS: Elite Qualifying Segments (discrete segment marketed as AA)
Platinum Pro: new tier beginning 1/1/17 requiring $9,000 EQD and 75,000 EQM or 90 EQS in one calendar year
Links
Link to FT: JUST THE FACTS: EQD, status tier, other changes announced 6 Jun 2016
Link to AAdvantage Program Updates page on aa.com (including FAQ).
Link to Gary Leff's "View from the Wing" blog article on these changes.
Link to Ben "Lucky" Schlappig's take in "One Mile at a Time" on View From the Boarding Area
GUIDE: Earning EQD / Elite Qualifying Dollars on AA & partner airlines (as of 2019)
Sep 20, 2017, 1:28 am
#406
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2011
Location: LAX
Programs: AAdvantage EXPLAT, Hilton Diamond, SPG/Marriott Gold, IHG Platinum, Citi Exec MC, Amex Plat
Posts: 1,443
It's probably more accurate to describe it as award miles being tied to EQD, but that doesn't really make a difference for practical purposes. It's likely that your fare paid in each direction was actually slightly different, hence different amounts of EQD and award miles, as per the rules.
So if you fly on a F ticket and earn 150% RDM (not counting elite bonus), your EQDs will be 30%.
Sep 22, 2017, 12:29 pm
#407
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 181
I've read through this thread and wanted to make sure I understand correctly:
If I book a ticket entirely through a partner like BA, where the fare is a throughfare completely sold by BA, but there are segments marketed and operated by AA, AA will still get fare information and will post as fare-based (some percentage) on those legs?
Example YVR-LHR: YVR-DFW marketed and operated by AA (class H), DFW-LHR marketed and operated by BA (class T), but the entire ticket is a throughfare sold by BA, AA will still get fare information, and post the YVR-DFW as a percentage of the fare?
Essentially, if the BA T fare is very low, it would be much preferable to book YVR-DFW as a BA operated by AA flight (class B) and have it credit as per the BA distance-based table?
However, PlatinumScum mentioned that he had CX marketed, AA operated flights that credited as fare-based. This should not be happening, correct?
If anyone has had experience earning EQDs on an AA marketed and operated route on a fare sold by a partner airline, please let me know!
If I book a ticket entirely through a partner like BA, where the fare is a throughfare completely sold by BA, but there are segments marketed and operated by AA, AA will still get fare information and will post as fare-based (some percentage) on those legs?
Example YVR-LHR: YVR-DFW marketed and operated by AA (class H), DFW-LHR marketed and operated by BA (class T), but the entire ticket is a throughfare sold by BA, AA will still get fare information, and post the YVR-DFW as a percentage of the fare?
Essentially, if the BA T fare is very low, it would be much preferable to book YVR-DFW as a BA operated by AA flight (class B) and have it credit as per the BA distance-based table?
However, PlatinumScum mentioned that he had CX marketed, AA operated flights that credited as fare-based. This should not be happening, correct?
If anyone has had experience earning EQDs on an AA marketed and operated route on a fare sold by a partner airline, please let me know!
Sep 22, 2017, 2:38 pm
#408
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PHX
Programs: AA ExPlat, United Gold, IHG Amb Plat, HHonors Diamond(Aspire), Bonvoy LT Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 453
However, PlatinumScum mentioned that he had CX marketed, AA operated flights that credited as fare-based. This should not be happening, correct?
If anyone has had experience earning EQDs on an AA marketed and operated route on a fare sold by a partner airline, please let me know!
If anyone has had experience earning EQDs on an AA marketed and operated route on a fare sold by a partner airline, please let me know!
This matches my last couple of experiences. Booking with CX... PHX-HKG-BKK-HKG-PHX, the AA segments posted as fare based while the CX segments posted as distance based.
Sep 22, 2017, 4:45 pm
#409
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 181
If indeed all AA operated flights are crediting as fare-based, regardless of whether they were sold and marketed by a partner carrier, then I am best off just purchasing the AA marketed and operated flights, as they are significantly cheaper than the BA marketed, AA operated flights...
Sep 22, 2017, 4:50 pm
#410
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 181
Does AA receive the fare information when both the marketing carrier and the ticket stock is BA, but AA is the operating carrier?
Sep 22, 2017, 5:51 pm
#411
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
Ticket stock is irrelevant to this
For YVR-LHR , BA has a non stop service which avoids any economy class travel at all
Sep 23, 2017, 8:55 am
#412
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,484
I flew on a BA ticket, BA marketed flights, with the first segment on AA metal on Wednesday. BA did actually feed the ticket revenue on to AA, and I was curious how EQD would happen.
That flight posted today. For AUS-DFW, I got a whopping $19 EQD, and it says, "Method: Distance."
While that may be low, for the remainder, I was in BA WT+/PE, which should more than make up any difference.
That flight posted today. For AUS-DFW, I got a whopping $19 EQD, and it says, "Method: Distance."
While that may be low, for the remainder, I was in BA WT+/PE, which should more than make up any difference.
Sep 23, 2017, 9:41 am
#413
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Sep 23, 2017, 9:43 am
#414
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Of course AA would get fare info as they could see your ticket But since it posted as Distance, they didn't get the fare info for calculation of EQDs. It worked as it was suppose to.
I flew on a BA ticket, BA marketed flights, with the first segment on AA metal on Wednesday. BA did actually feed the ticket revenue on to AA, and I was curious how EQD would happen.
That flight posted today. For AUS-DFW, I got a whopping $19 EQD, and it says, "Method: Distance."
While that may be low, for the remainder, I was in BA WT+/PE, which should more than make up any difference.
That flight posted today. For AUS-DFW, I got a whopping $19 EQD, and it says, "Method: Distance."
While that may be low, for the remainder, I was in BA WT+/PE, which should more than make up any difference.
Sep 23, 2017, 9:54 am
#415
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: PHX
Programs: AA ExPlat, United Gold, IHG Amb Plat, HHonors Diamond(Aspire), Bonvoy LT Plat, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 453
Were the AA segments that you mentioned also marketed by AA? Also, do you know if your fare PHX-BKK was a throughfare sold by CX (such QLXSPCL)?
If indeed all AA operated flights are crediting as fare-based, regardless of whether they were sold and marketed by a partner carrier, then I am best off just purchasing the AA marketed and operated flights, as they are significantly cheaper than the BA marketed, AA operated flights...
If indeed all AA operated flights are crediting as fare-based, regardless of whether they were sold and marketed by a partner carrier, then I am best off just purchasing the AA marketed and operated flights, as they are significantly cheaper than the BA marketed, AA operated flights...
The fare code on this was ELX60AP. I believe when doing the original search for this, the AA flights appeared as a CX code share, but after entering my AA FF#, they show up on the ticket as an AA flight. Also, it appears as though CX provides AA the pricing information for the whole ticket as I am able to see this information associated with the AA confirmation code under My Flights.
Sep 23, 2017, 10:03 am
#416
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Travel Safety/Security & Texas, FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: AUS / GRK
Programs: AA, HHonors, Hertz
Posts: 13,484
My ticket was issued by BA, with all BA flight numbers. But the first segment was on AA. My ticket listed it as a BA codeshare flight. The whole outbound trip showed up on the AA website and app for me, including BA flights. The total fare was listed, including the tax breakdown.
However, since the return is all on BA, that isn't on the AA site at all.
Sep 23, 2017, 11:50 am
#417
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Is kind of contradictory! Kind of who gets what type of detailed fare info for all segments vs say just a single segment or part of a through fare or the actual through fare, or the full ticket value. For this Eason, if AA is just the operating carrier they post via distance as they may or may not have enough of the fare info to use for AAdvantage. The examole I was given was a ticket cdg lhr Dfw aus where BA is the marketing carrier on all segments but AA is operating carrier Dfw aus. AA's "share of the revenue" is squat -- and I thought I was told that they didn't get a piece of the fuel surcharge as it was treated as a US add-on. So while they could possibly see the one way fare paid, it is not guaranteed. And the revenue behind the scenes may or may not be useful for AAdvantage so they post it as distance.
Don't these points contradict each other?
ticket was issued by BA, with all BA flight numbers. But the first segment was on AA. My ticket listed it as a BA codeshare flight. The whole outbound trip showed up on the AA website and app for me, including BA flights. The total fare was listed, including the tax breakdown.
However, since the return is all on BA, that isn't on the AA site at all.
ticket was issued by BA, with all BA flight numbers. But the first segment was on AA. My ticket listed it as a BA codeshare flight. The whole outbound trip showed up on the AA website and app for me, including BA flights. The total fare was listed, including the tax breakdown.
However, since the return is all on BA, that isn't on the AA site at all.
Sep 23, 2017, 11:53 am
#418
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Is kind of contradictory! Kind of who gets what type of detailed fare info for all segments vs say just a single segment or part of a through fare or the actual through fare, or the full ticket value. For this Eason, if AA is just the operating carrier they post via distance as they may or may not have enough of the fare info to use for AAdvantage. The examole I was given was a ticket cdg lhr Dfw aus where BA is the marketing carrier on all segments but AA is operating carrier Dfw aus. AA's "share of the revenue" is squat -- and I thought I was told that they didn't get a piece of the fuel surcharge as it was treated as a US add-on. So while they could possibly see the one way fare paid, it is not guaranteed. And the revenue behind the scenes may or may not be useful for AAdvantage so they post it as distance. There is something -- way above my pay grade --- about being the revenue transporting carrier and the revenue allocating carrier.
Sep 23, 2017, 2:38 pm
#419
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Instead of requiring us to read hundreds of posts, I wish someone would simply post the best way to buy the flippin' tickets.
There are only three variables:
Those three variables form 8 different combinations. Which one of the 8 is best?
For USA-UK in Premium Economy, I have found that the following produces by far the most points:
Are there any simple ways to determine the best deal, without having to work through 8 different permutations for every ticket? Getting 8 different estimates takes away from mundane things such as jobs, home life, sleep, etc.
There are only three variables:
- Operated by AA? Or operated by the other airline?
- Marketed by AA (i.e. AA Flight number)? Or marketed by the other airline.
- Bought from AA (e.g. on AA.com)? Or bought from another such (such as BA.com, Expedia. AAVacations.com)
Those three variables form 8 different combinations. Which one of the 8 is best?
For USA-UK in Premium Economy, I have found that the following produces by far the most points:
- Operated by BA (because AA doesn't have Premium Economy)
- Marketed by BA (so you'll get far more EQD and EQM for the same trip)
- Purchased at the cheapest source, which can vary from hour to hour
Are there any simple ways to determine the best deal, without having to work through 8 different permutations for every ticket? Getting 8 different estimates takes away from mundane things such as jobs, home life, sleep, etc.
Sep 23, 2017, 3:44 pm
#420
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
