There have been a few threads this year about strange calculations being applied to flights under 500 miles as they’ve posted to our accounts. I finally took the unique step of contacting AAdvantage Customer Service several times to clarify exactly how the miles and bonuses are calculated for flights under 500 miles. The information below came from emails and conversations with three separate AAgents, and was confirmed by an Aadvantage Customer Service Supervisor. I noted a couple small areas at the bottom that I neglected to clarify with them, and thus don’t want to present those particular pieces as “official” according to AA.

The issue started with a "debate" over whether the class of service bonus was applied before or after the minimum mileage guarantee, and what the resulting EQM and EQP would be based on. Here's what I learned.

Sources for Miles

BASE: Base Miles according to flight mileage

COS: Class of Service miles according to http://www.aa.com/content/AAdvantage...ils/main.jhtml

ELITE: Elite Status Bonus according to http://www.aa.com/content/AAdvantage...us/bonus.jhtml

MMG: Minimum Mileage Guarantee miles according to the various elite membership guides available at http://www.aa.com/content/AAdvantage...tus/main.jhtml

BOOK: Booking Class Multiplier for EQM and EQP according to https://www.aa.com/content/AAdvantag...irements.jhtml

Where do the miles go?

RDM: Redeemable Miles
EQM: Elite Qualifying Miles
EQP: Elite Qualifying Points

How are they calculated?

These scenarios assume a Minimum Mileage Guarantee (MMG) of 500 miles, true for most (but not all) flights that earn AA mileage credit.

Standard Formulas for EQM and EQP:
EQM = MMG
EQP = BASE * BOOK (not MMG * BOOK, but total will be equal to no less than the MMG)

If the flight is between 334 and 500 miles
Y: RDM = MMG + ELITE
J/F: RDM = BASE + COS + ELITE

For a 400 mile flight by a PLAT or EXP, for example:

Flight booked in F:
400 (BASE) + 200 (COS) + 500 (ELITE) = 1100 RDM
500 (MMG) = 500 EQM
400 (BASE) * 1.5 = 600 EQP

Flight booked in M:
500 (MMG) + 500 (ELITE) = 1000 RDM
500 (MMG) = 500 EQM
400 (BASE) * 1.0 = 400, therefore MMG is used: 500 EQP

Flight booked in S:
500 (MMG) + 500 (ELITE) = 1000 RDM
500 (MMG) = 500 EQM
400 (BASE) * 0.5 = 200, therefore MMG is used: 500 EQP

If the flight is 333 miles or less

Y/J/F: RDM = MMG + ELITE

For a 200 mile flight by a PLAT or EXP, for example:


Flight booked in F:
500 (MMG) + 500 (ELITE) = 1000 RDM
500 (MMG) = 500 EQM
200 (BASE) * 1.5 = 300, therefore MMG is used: 500 EQP

Flight booked in M:
500 (MMG) + 500 (ELITE) = 1000 RDM
500 (MMG) = 500 EQM
200 (BASE) * 0.5 = 100, therefore MMG is used: 500 EQP

Flight booked in S:
500 (MMG) + 500 (ELITE) = 1000 RDM
500 (MMG) = 500 EQM
200 (BASE) * 0.5 = 100, therefore MMG is used: 500 EQP