Originally Posted by
MSPeconomist
Your award flight will earn MQMs, MQSs, and MQDs. You'll get rollover of MQMs above 75,000. [If you had paid for the ticket with money rather than miles, the only difference is that it would earn RDMs too, IIRC at 9 per dollar.]
With award tickets you get MQD credit for taxes and fees, which you don't get when paying with "real" $.