Originally Posted by
sambb
no wont work
To clarify a little, you will only be awarded the points based on your original booking class, not the points of the class into which you book (whether that's C, X, A, whatever). So unfortunately (and I don't think anyone here would get down on you for booking cheaply -- good for you!) you're going to need those extra couple hundred EQPs (by your math). Here's how you can do it:
1) Call AA and ask to upfare one of the segments to a 'V' fare. This is the lowest 1.0 EQP-earning fare. Sometimes this is really cheap (like $20). Sometimes it's not (like > $500). If the latter...
2) Book another flight! Any one-way or roundtrip fare on AA will do you as the minimum EQP you will earn on every flight is 500. If you don't have the time/cash to do that and are feeling ridiculously and foolhardily risky...
3) Hope for an irregular operations schedule (weather, mechanical, etc.) or oversold situation which will make them fly you on another flight. Usually if the change is made that late they will not rebook you into 'N' –.it's too much of a bother – but into one of the higher EQP-earning buckets. Also, I haven't looked at your flight schedule, but you could TRY to fly standby on a two-hop journey to your domestic destination. Both these strategies are STUPID but are put here for the sake of thoroughness 