Aker

Due to COVID I haven't been travelling. However, I do have a couple flights that I would need to take from canada to the US before the end of the year. Seeing as though I already have secured SE for 2020 (due to the auto extension), I am a free agent for the remainder of the year.

I know AC waives the AQD requirement for NON-CAN residents. Do any US ones do the same for CAN residents?
Anyone in the same situation have a good suggestion as to a good US airline to status match/challenge to?

Thanks in advance.

canadiancow

No they do not.

Aker

Maybe not "waive it" but is it not $10k AQD vs. the standard 20k?

dr_torch

Correct. It is half for people residing outside of Canada.

tracon

Incorrect. It's twice as much for people residing in Canada.

YEG USER

I slightly edited your quote.

Anyways, I believe that the US3 have essentially ended their discounts on AQD (or whatever each program calls it) for foreign residents. I could be mistaken though as I only loosely pay attention to what is going on with the US programs these days.

Adam Smith

DL still waives MQD for non-US residents. I think UA eliminated recently. Don't know about AA or AS. OP, you could certainly find that out with a very quick trip to the relevant websites.

CZAMFlyer

UA eliminated the PQD exemption for non-US residents beginning this year, and instituted a PQP (points) system in place of their PQM/S/D thresholds.

24left

AA eliminated the exemption Jan 1 2017 when they changed their program. The sweet spots of course were flying OW partners and earning the EQDs as a percent of the miles.

homegrowned

Incorrect sir.

UA got rid of it this for 2020, DL (which I use) still waives for CAN residents. However to get the benefit you do have to either 1) write in and prove foreign residency 2) do it on your status match.
I did mine on a status match and picture of driver's license (with home address) was sufficient for this purpose. Note - passport was not sufficient on its own. However DL won't match you to their top tier (Diamond) and will get you to Platinum instead.

Adam Smith

The cow was replying specifically to the comment that AC waives the AQD requirement for non-residents, which is incorrect (they give a 50% reduction for those outside of Canada), making his reply correct

Aker

Was thinking of status matching to DL, but like you said they only match to PLATINUM.
Think my best option is a challenge to AA and enrolment in their business extra program (earns more points). issue is there is no Q Spend waiver for CAN residents.

LesDorgo

Why not use your SE and get the most out of it. you can fly points as you will not have to earn more.

garykung

Incorrect - AA never exempts EQD for non-residents.

24left

You are talking about now. And perhaps you misread what I wrote.

I never had any EQD requirements from AA until they changed the program. In 2015 and 2016, for example, all that mattered were mileage from flights.

I looked in my files and found an update from them in Sept 2016. I saved the page from the website which said:
"Advantage Program Updates
Elite Status in 2017
Starting January 1, 2017, we’ll add Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) to our earning requirements. Qualify in 1 of 2 ways:
EQDs will be awarded based on.....

"Flights marketed by oneworld® carriers and Alaska Airlines will earn EQDs based on a percentage of the flight distance and the fare class purchased"

So, to recap, at least when I had status with AA, for a few years, there was no dollar spend requirement. When AA changed the program, everyone, regardless of where in the world they lived, now had to earn EQD.