Thanks to all the information shared on this board, especially FewMiles' guides to fare codes and status challenges, I completed the last qualifying trip for a Gold challenge yesterday.

The trip was RT ORD-SFO on a Q fare. According to FewMiles' handy fare code chart, I believed the trip might be eligible for 100% Q-points, although I knew I would still make the challenge at 50%.

http://members.shaw.ca/fewmiles/AA/recht/fares.html#1

I just spoke with AAdvantage Customer Service to confirm that everything was in order.

Surprise! The rep told me that due to a "recent" change all Q fares would be considered consolidator fares and thus ineligible for mileage.

She was kind enough to post the mileage for me manually so that my Gold status would show in a couple of days.

She also acknowledged that there is nothing on the aa.com site to indicate this is a consolidator fare.

I had the foresight to save the detailed fare rules as a text file before I purchased the ticket:




Detailed Fare Rules
Click on the fare basis code for each city pair to view its particular fare rules.
NOTE: The most restrictive set of fare rules applies to the entire itinerary. In addition other fare rules may apply


City Pair Fare Basis Display Below
ORD to SFO Q0FSAA1N Yes
SFO to ORD Q0FSAA1N
No


Q0FSAA1N
Surcharges SURCHG OF USD 2.79 APPLIES PER ADT/CHD IN EACH DIRECTION. SURCHG IS BASED ON TRIP DATE RATHER THAN DATE OF ORIGIN.
Minimum Stay NOT APPLICABLE.
Refunds Reissues SEE PENALTY.
Penalties CANCELLATIONS TICKET IS NON-REFUNDABLE. NOTE - IF ANY PART OF THE TICKET IS UNUSED IT HAS NO VALUE AFTER TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE. CHANGES CHARGE USD 100.00 FOR REISSUE. NOTE - ON/PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE OF EACH FLIGHT/ CHANGES ARE PERMITTED - USD 100 CHANGE FEE APPLIES. CHANGES REQUESTED AFTER THE TICKETED FLIGHT DATE ARE NOT PERMITTED AND THE TICKET HAS NO VALUE. --- FARE DIFFERENCE AND CHANGE FEE MUST BE PAID AND TICKETS MUST BE REISSUED AT THE SAME TIME A VOLUNTARY CHANGE IS MADE. --- IF MULTIPLE CHANGES ARE MADE AT THE SAME TIME/ ONLY ONE CHANGE FEE WILL APPLY PER TICKET. IF FARES WITH DIFFERENT CHANGE FEES ARE COMBINED ON THE SAME TICKET/ THE HIGHEST FEE FOR THE FARE COMPONENTS IN THE CHANGED PRICEABLE UNIT/S/ WILL APPLY. --- I. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE - CHANGES TO ORIGINATING FLIGHT ON THE TICKET - THE ENTIRE TICKET MUST BE REPRICED WITH CURRENT NONREFUNDABLE FARES. ALL PROVISIONS OF THE NEW NONREFUNDABLE FARE I.E. ADV RSVN/ MIN/MAX STAY/ ETC MUST BE MET. ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE MUST BE COLLECTED. IF THE REPRICE RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE/ THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES LESS THE CHANGE FEE MAY BE RETURNED IN THE FORM OF A NONREFUNDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER VALID FOR TRAVEL VIA AA/AX ONLY. THESE FARES MAY NOT BE UPGRADED TO A REFUNDABLE FARE TYPE. --- II. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE - CHANGES TO CONTINUING/ RETURN FLIGHTS WHEN THERE IS NO CHANGE TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION OR STOPOVERS. --- A. CHANGES MAY BE MADE ON/PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE OF EACH FLIGHT FOR THE CHANGE FEE WITHOUT REGARD TO THE ADVANCE RSVN OR DAY/TIME REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED THE CHANGE MEETS ALL OTHER FARE RULES. FLIGHT SPECIFIC FARES ARE EXCLUDED AND MUST REMAIN WITHIN THE TIMES SPECIFIED FOR THAT FARE. --- B. WHEN THE CHANGE VIOLATES THE TICKETED FARE RULES I.E. MIN/MAX STAY/ EMBARGO DATES/ SEASON/ ETC THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE AND THE LOWEST SOLUTION WILL APPLY. --- B1. REPRICE THE CHANGED CONTINUING/RETURN FARE COMPONENTS WITH A COMBINABLE NONREFUNDABLE CURRENT FARE. THE CURRENT FARE MUST BE EQUAL TO OR HIGHER THAN THE ORIGINAL TICKETED FARE VALUE FOR THE CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS. ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE MUST BE COLLECTED. THE ADVANCE PURCHASE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE REPLACEMENT FARE MUST BE EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THE MOST RESTRICTIVE ON THE ORIGINAL PRICEABLE UNIT. --- B2. THE ENTIRE TICKET MAY BE REPRICED USING CURRENT NONREFUNDABLE FARES. ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE MUST BE COLLECTED. IF THE REPRICE RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE/ THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES LESS THE CHANGE FEE MAY BE RETURNED IN THE FORM OF A NONREFUNDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER VALID FOR TRAVEL VIA AA/AX ONLY. ADVANCE PURCHASE IS MEASURED BETWEEN THE ORIGINAL ISSUE DATE AND THE DEPARTURE DATE OF THE PRICEABLE UNIT. --- III. PRIOR TO DEPARTURE - CHANGES TO CONTINUING/ RETURN FLIGHTS WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION OR STOPOVERS. --- A. THE ENTIRE TICKET SHOULD BE REPRICED WITH CURRENT NONREFUNDABLE FARES. ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE SHOULD BE COLLECTED. IF THE REPRICE RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES LESS THE CHANGE FEE MAY BE RETURNED IN THE FORM OF A NONREFUNDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER VALID FOR TRAVEL VIA AA/AX ONLY. ADVANCE PURCHASE IS MEASURED BETWEEN THE REISSUE DATE AND THE DEPARTURE DATE OF THE PRICEABLE UNIT. --- WHEN A NONREFUNDABLE FARE CANNOT BE FOUND/ THE PASSENGER MUST PURCHASE A NEW REFUNDABLE FARE TICKET. --- IV. AFTER DEPARTURE - WHEN THERE IS NO CHANGE TO ORIGIN/DESTINATION OR STOPOVERS. --- A. CHANGES MAY BE MADE ON/PRIOR TO TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE OF EACH FLIGHT FOR THE CHANGE FEE WITHOUT REGARD TO ADVANCE RSVN OR DAY/TIME REQUIREMENTS PROVIDED THE CHANGE MEETS ALL OTHER FARE RULES. FLIGHT SPECIFIC FARES ARE EXCLUDED AND MUST REMAIN WITHIN THE TIMES SPECIFIED FOR THAT FARE. --- B. WHEN THE CHANGE VIOLATES THE TICKETED FARE RULES I.E. MIN/MAX STAY/ EMBARGO DATES/ SEASON/ ETC THE FOLLOWING OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE AND THE LOWEST SOLUTION WILL APPLY. --- B1. REPRICE THE CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS WITH A COMBINABLE NONREFUNDABLE CURRENT FARE. THE CURRENT FARE MUST BE EQUAL TO OR HIGHER THAN THE ORIGINAL TICKETED FARE VALUE FOR THE CHANGED FARE COMPONENTS. ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARE PLUS THE CHANGE FEE MUST BE COLLECTED. THE ADVANCE PURCHASE REQUIREMENT FOR THE REPLACEMENT FARE MUST BE EQUAL TO OR LESS THAN THE MOST RESTRICTIVE ON THE ORIGINAL PRICEABLE UNIT. --- B2. PRICE THE FLOWN FARE COMPONENTS USING HISTORICAL ONE WAY FARES. PRICE THE UNFLOWN FARE COMPONENTS USING ONE WAY CURRENT FARES. COMPARE THE TOTAL FROM THE ORIGINAL TICKET TO THE NEW TOTAL OF THE FLOWN AND UNFLOWN FARE COMPONENTS. ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE MUST BE COLLECTED. IF THE REPRICE RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE/ THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES LESS THE CHANGE ‡ FEE MAY BE RETURNED IN THE FORM OF A NONREFUNDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER VALID FOR TRAVEL VIA AA/AX ONLY. --- V. AFTER DEPARTURE - CHANGES TO CONTINUING/RETURN FLIGHTS WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE TO ORIGIN/ DESTINATION OR STOPOVERS. --- A. PRICE THE FLOWN FARE COMPONENTS USING HISTORICAL ONE WAY FARES. PRICE THE UNFLOWN FARE COMPONENTS USING ONE WAY CURRENT FARES. COMPARE THE TOTAL FROM THE ORIGINAL TICKET TO THE NEW TOTAL OF THE FLOWN AND UNFLOWN FARE COMPONENTS. ANY DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE MUST BE COLLECTED. IF THE REPRICE RESULTS IN A LOWER FARE THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES LESS THE CHANGE FEE MAY BE RETURNED IN THE FORM OF A NONREFUNDABLE TRAVEL VOUCHER VALID FOR TRAVEL VIA AA/AX ONLY. --- VI. PASSENGERS MAY STANDBY FOR EARLIER/LATER SAME DAY AA NONSTOP AND/OR CONNECTING FLIGHTS BETWEEN THE SAME ORIGIN AND DESTINATION AIRPORTS. --- A. THERE IS NO ADDITIONAL COST PROVIDED THE FLIGHT/S/ AND ROUTING ARE APPLICABLE FOR THE FARE CHARGED. --- B. IF THE CHANGE IS NOT APPLICABLE FOR THE FARE CHARGED I.E. INVALID ROUTING/AIRPORT/DEPARTURE TIME/ ETC THEN THE PASSENGER MUST PAY THE DIFFERENCE IN FARES PLUS THE CHANGE FEE. --- C. UNLESS RESTRICTED BY THE FARE CHARGED/ WHEN TICKETED FROM/TO CHI/HOU/NYC/WAS THE PASSENGER MAY CHECK-IN AND STANDBY FROM/TO ONE OF THE AIRPORTS LISTED BELOW. CITY - AIRPORT CHI - MDW/ORD HOU - HOU/IAH NYC - EWR/JFK/LGA WAS - DCA/IAD APPLICABLE FARE DIFFERENCE AND/OR CHANGE FEE FEE AS OUTLINED IN B ABOVE WILL APPLY. --- VII. AFTER EACH TICKETED DEPARTURE DATE 1. NO CHANGES PERMITTED. 2. TICKET HAS NO VALUE. 3. NO STANDBY PERMITTED.
Flight Applications NO FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS APPLY.
Maximum Stay RETURN TRVL MUST COMMENCE NO LATER THAN 30 DAYS. MEASURED FROM DPTR FROM ORIGIN TO DPTR FROM LAST STOPOVER POINT.
Advance Reservation Ticketing Restrictions TKT MUST BE PURCHASED WITHIN 1 DAY AFTER RES IS MADE. SGMTS USING THIS RULE MUST BE CONFIRMED.
Eligibility RETURN TRAVEL AT THIS FARE MUST COMMENCE BY 31JAN04. BASED ON TRIP DATE RATHER THAN DATE OF ORIGIN.
Embargo Dates NO EMBARGO RESTRICTIONS APPLY.
Day Time Application FROM CHI TO SFO, APPLIES DAILY 5:45 A.M. - 7:15 A.M. OR 12:45 P.M. - 4:45 P.M. OR 7:45 P.M. - 11:59 P.M.. ------- FROM SFO TO CHI, APPLIES DAILY 5:45 A.M. - 8:55 A.M. OR 2:45 P.M. - 11:59 P.M..
Sales Restrictions TICKETS MUST BE ISSUED: BY AA ISSUE IN WWW NOTE: TICKETS MUST BE PURCHASED VIA AA.COM OR THE TRAVELOCITY WEB SITE ONLY.
Seasonality NO SEASON RESTRICTIONS APPLY.


Has anyone else run into this so far?