Jan 3, 2016, 11:18 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Earning Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM (and AA status) earning in 2016
on American Airlines and its partner airlines
on American Airlines and its partner airlines
Note: Earning EQM / Elite Qualifying Miles and their purpose changed 1/1/2016
Please continue discussion in our 2017 version of the thread:
Earning AA Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM on AA, partner airlines 2017
Thanks!
/Moderator
New Elite Qualifying Miles earning
link to AAdvantage program changes for 2016 on aa.com
"You’ll continue to earn EQMs based on the airline and booking class purchased. Plus, Full-fare Economy, Business Class or First Class tickets on American-marketed flights will earn EQMs at a higher rate (up to 2.0 or 3.0 EQMs per flown mile) – getting you to elite status faster." - aa.com
Caveat: other than on American Airlines, discount or deep discount economy fares may be credited with fractional or even no EQM / Elite Qualifying Miles. Read carefully.
Please see this page (link) on aa.com for earning AAdvantage miles flying oneworld and additional airline partners, then read the chart for that airline partner. Be sure to note some fares operated by oneworld and additional partners may earn full, partial or no AA miles (E.g. Cathay Pacific only earns AA miles on H, B and full Y fares in coach; BA and IB fares may earn as few as 0.5 EQ Miles per mile flown as of 1 Feb 2016.)
Link to AAdvantage program update page on aa.com
link to AAdvantage program changes for 2016 on aa.com
"You’ll continue to earn EQMs based on the airline and booking class purchased. Plus, Full-fare Economy, Business Class or First Class tickets on American-marketed flights will earn EQMs at a higher rate (up to 2.0 or 3.0 EQMs per flown mile) – getting you to elite status faster." - aa.com
Caveat: other than on American Airlines, discount or deep discount economy fares may be credited with fractional or even no EQM / Elite Qualifying Miles. Read carefully.
Please see this page (link) on aa.com for earning AAdvantage miles flying oneworld and additional airline partners, then read the chart for that airline partner. Be sure to note some fares operated by oneworld and additional partners may earn full, partial or no AA miles (E.g. Cathay Pacific only earns AA miles on H, B and full Y fares in coach; BA and IB fares may earn as few as 0.5 EQ Miles per mile flown as of 1 Feb 2016.)
Link to AAdvantage program update page on aa.com
Read The AAdvantage Terms and Conditions here
Glossary:
- Award mile ("RDM" often "Redeemable Mile" on Flyertalk): a unit that can be spent on an award, such as a bonus, purchased, or other AAdvantage mile.
- Base mile: A unit based on a flown mile (can be a percentage of flown miles on AA partners) used to calculate redeemable (award usable) miles (changes late 2016 to revenue based system)
- Bonus Mile: Award Mile earned through various activities including flying, credit card use, hotel stays, auto rentals, shopping etc. with various American Airlines partners. See Earning AA Award / Redeemable Miles / RDM on AA, partners later 2016.
- Elite Qualifying Mile (EQM): A unit used to earn status, based on flown miles X purchased class of service for the marketing airline. On AA coded flights you earn from 0.5 EQM on Basic Economy to 3.0 full undiscounted J and F.
- Elite Qualifying Segment (EQS): A unit used to earn status equivalent to a sector flown by a qualifying flight (but note when the same flight number is flown over two or more sectors the entirety will generally count as one segment. "You’ll still earn 1 EQS (Elite Qualifying segment) for each eligible segment you fly." - aa.com (NOTE: New Basic Economy fares only earn 0.5 EQS.)
- Flown mile: actual miles flown (as published by AA - Great Circle Mapper, etc. are close
- Marketing airline is the airline "plating" or issuing the boarding pass, e.g. QF operated by FJ. The marketing airline's chart on aa.com (not the airline's) determines your miles earning on airline partners.
- Operating airline is the airline operating the flight. except for AA and QF (and a very few others) to earn miles on a oneworld marketed flight, the operating airline must generally be a oneworld airline.
- Qualifying flight: an AA or partner flight on which one can earn EQM, EQS in this instance
AAdvantage Status Four Annual American Airlines Segment Requirement
*Must fly at least four segments on American Airlines during the qualifying year to receive elite status. no longer a requirement as of 1/1/2027.
- AA marketed flights / AA codeshares operated by other carriers count. It has been reported codeshares operated by American Airlines also count.
On American Airlines marketed flights: (AA flights operated by AA and AA codeshares)
Exceptions: There are certain airline ticket types that are not eligible for mileage accrual regardless of the booking class. These include, without limitation, the following:
- 3 EQMs/mile – Full-fare First or Business
- 2 EQMs/mile - Discount First or Business
- 1.5 EQMs/mile – Full-fare Main Cabin, or W Premium Economy on AA codeshares
- 1 EQMs/mile - Discount Main Cabin
- 0.5 EQMs/mile - Basic Economy fares (new Feb 2017)
- All tickets issued as AAdvantage awards
- Other free ticket promotions including free or reduced rate tickets
- Companion tickets
- Charter flight tickets
- Travel agency/industry reduced rate tickets
- Infant tickets
- Items occupying a purchased seat (e.g. XTRASEAT)
- (Also Extra seats purchased by a passenger for him/herself)
- Unpublished fare tickets, including consolidator fares
- Tickets issued subject to special provisions
Earning EQM on AA partner airlines:
The amount of EQMs you earn on partner airlines has changed. Earning rates will vary depending on the marketing airline. On qualifying flights of airlines other than AA marketed flights, the maximum EQM that can be earned is 1.5 EQM per base mile flown.
EQMs may be earned at different rates and with differing fare classes, depending on airline, flown miles and fare class. Not all partner airlines' or their fares earn EQM. See here to partner airlines' miles earning charts link on aa.com.
Some non-oneworld partner airlines award only award / redeemable miles, not EQM (e.g. Etihad, Gulf, Fiji), unless flying them as an AA or QF marketed ("codeshare") flight.
Explore our partner airlines (link)
For example, using BA / British Airways marketed flights operated by oneworld partners including AA, as of 1 Feb 2016:
The amount of EQMs you earn on partner airlines has changed. Earning rates will vary depending on the marketing airline. On qualifying flights of airlines other than AA marketed flights, the maximum EQM that can be earned is 1.5 EQM per base mile flown.
EQMs may be earned at different rates and with differing fare classes, depending on airline, flown miles and fare class. Not all partner airlines' or their fares earn EQM. See here to partner airlines' miles earning charts link on aa.com.
Some non-oneworld partner airlines award only award / redeemable miles, not EQM (e.g. Etihad, Gulf, Fiji), unless flying them as an AA or QF marketed ("codeshare") flight.
Explore our partner airlines (link)
For example, using BA / British Airways marketed flights operated by oneworld partners including AA, as of 1 Feb 2016:
- 1.5 EQMs/mile - BA all published, purchased First Class fares
- 1.5 EQM / EQMs/mile - BA all published, purchased Business / Club fares
- 1.5 EQM / EQMs/mile - BA all published, purchased premium economy / Traveller Pus fares
- 1.0 EQM / EQMs/mile - BA all published, purchased full economy / Traveller Y and B fares
- 0.5 EQM / EQMs/mile - BA all other published, purchased economy / Traveller fares
AAdvantage Elite minimum mileage guarantee (applies to EQM and RDM)
How is the 500-mile EQM minimum benefit applied for elite members?
If your flight is less than 500 miles we’ll raise the base EQM amount to 500 prior to applying any multipliers, according to the booking code purchased. After applying the multiplier, the number of EQMs awarded could be less than 500. For example, if your flight is 300 miles in length, we will raise the base EQM amount to 500. If the multiplier to be applied is 0.50, you will earn 250 EQMs for the flight.
Elite members will earn at least 500 (250, in reality - see immediately above) miles for flights under 500 miles on American Airlines and American Eagle (including codeshare flights booked as an American Airlines flight number) and participating AAdvantage and oneworld airlines: *LAN includes LAN Airlines, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru. Minima seem to not apply to new Basic Economy fares.
The 500 EQM minimum is what multipliers should be applied to, not actual miles when flown miles are under 500. See:
Earning AA Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM on AA, oneworld, partner airlines 2016.
aa.com: link
How is the 500-mile EQM minimum benefit applied for elite members?
If your flight is less than 500 miles we’ll raise the base EQM amount to 500 prior to applying any multipliers, according to the booking code purchased. After applying the multiplier, the number of EQMs awarded could be less than 500. For example, if your flight is 300 miles in length, we will raise the base EQM amount to 500. If the multiplier to be applied is 0.50, you will earn 250 EQMs for the flight.
Elite members will earn at least 500 (250, in reality - see immediately above) miles for flights under 500 miles on American Airlines and American Eagle (including codeshare flights booked as an American Airlines flight number) and participating AAdvantage and oneworld airlines:
- airberlin
- Alaska Airlines
- British Airways
- Fiji Airways (non-oneworld; RDM only)
- Finnair
- Gulf Air (non-oneworld; RDM only)
- Iberia
- LAN*
- Qantas
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
- TAM Airlines
The 500 EQM minimum is what multipliers should be applied to, not actual miles when flown miles are under 500. See:
Further confirmation of above from inside AA. He (JonNYC) got a message from AAdvantage
Cheers.
So, they will do an adjustment for those that were shorted so far and the system will soon be fixed for real.
Cheers.
Originally Posted by JonNYC Vie
That's what I'm told as well-- fix on the way, system not operating as intended at present.
Further confirmation of above from inside AA. He got a message from AAdvantage
That's what I'm told as well-- fix on the way, system not operating as intended at present.
Further confirmation of above from inside AA. He got a message from AAdvantage
Originally Posted by AAdvantage
Thanks for your questions on EQM earning. There is a glitch in how the minimum mileage guarantee for EQMs is being calculated. The calculation should credit the 500 mile minimum before applying the EQM multiplier. Beginning in the next few weeks, we will be running a retroactive process to “true up” any accounts where the member did not earn the proper number of EQMs. This process will continue to run until the calculation can be reprogrammed in the AAdvantage system.
So, they will do an adjustment for those that were shorted so far and the system will soon be fixed for real.
Thanks for your questions on EQM earning. There is a glitch in how the minimum mileage guarantee for EQMs is being calculated. The calculation should credit the 500 mile minimum before applying the EQM multiplier. Beginning in the next few weeks, we will be running a retroactive process to “true up” any accounts where the member did not earn the proper number of EQMs. This process will continue to run until the calculation can be reprogrammed in the AAdvantage system.
So, they will do an adjustment for those that were shorted so far and the system will soon be fixed for real.
So, they will do an adjustment for those that were shorted so far and the system will soon be fixed for real.
Cheers.
aa.com: link
Elite Qualifying (EQM) or Redeemable (RDM)?
To determine if you earn EQM or RDM, read the "Earn miles" statement for each airline:
This will earn EQM:
This will not earn EQM, only RDM:
To determine if you earn EQM or RDM, read the "Earn miles" statement for each airline:
This will earn EQM:
Earn miles
Earn elite-qualifying AAdvantage miles when you fly on airberlin marketed and operated flights as well as airberlin codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
Earn elite-qualifying AAdvantage miles when you fly on airberlin marketed and operated flights as well as airberlin codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
- Buy an eligible published fare ticket booked in an eligible code
- Fly an eligible route
- Specific flights, routes or cities that are excluded from earning miles or award travel are listed as exceptions if applicable.
Earn miles
Earn AAdvantage miles when you fly on Fiji Airways marketed and operated flights as well as Fiji Airways codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
Earn AAdvantage miles when you fly on Fiji Airways marketed and operated flights as well as Fiji Airways codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
- Buy an eligible published fare ticket booked in an eligible code
- Fly an eligible route
- Specific flights, routes or cities that are excluded from earning miles or award travel are listed as exceptions if applicable.
oneworld Codeshares Operated by non-oneworld Airlines or Affiliates
Other than flying Qantas (and some Japan Airlines) codeshares / marketed flights, oneworld codeshare flights must be operated by oneworld airlines and their oneworld affiliates to earn miles.
E.g. AA codeshare operated by EY, earn as if flying AA.
E.g. Flying EY, earn Redeemable (not Elite Qualifying) miles.
E.g. BA operated by Bangkok Airways, no AA miles.
E.g. Iberia operated by SN yields no AA miles.
E.g. QF flown by FJ should to earn EQM.
Other than flying Qantas (and some Japan Airlines) codeshares / marketed flights, oneworld codeshare flights must be operated by oneworld airlines and their oneworld affiliates to earn miles.
E.g. AA codeshare operated by EY, earn as if flying AA.
E.g. Flying EY, earn Redeemable (not Elite Qualifying) miles.
E.g. BA operated by Bangkok Airways, no AA miles.
E.g. Iberia operated by SN yields no AA miles.
E.g. QF flown by FJ should to earn EQM.
Examples: (For a flight of 1,000 flown miles)
- AA marketed on full F fare class First: 3,000 EQM (regardless of status, regardless of operating airline)
- AA marketed on discounted First or Business (A, P, D, I, R): 2,000 EQM
- AA in deep discount economy: 1,000 EQM
- BA marketed qualifying flight in F First, Business (Club), Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus): 1,500 EQM (even if operated by AA)
- BA marketed qualifying flight in Economy (World Traveller) B, Y: 1,000 EQM
- BA marketed qualifying flight in Economy (World Traveller) H, K, L, M, N, S, V, G, O, Q: 500 EQM
NOTES:
- All AA marketed ("AA codeshares") flights in paid, qualifying fare classes earn 1.0 or more EQM (regardless of "metal" or operating airline
- oneworld marketed flights operated by oneworld airlines earn miles in accord with the marketing airline's miles earnings chart on aa.com (link)
- AAdvantage elites continue to be awarded 500 EQM minimum on qualifying flights - see above (non-elites also earn minimum 500 EQM on Shuttlesonly through the first half of 2016)
- oneworld marketed flights operated by NON-oneworld airlines do not earn EQ (or any) miles, with rare exceptions - QF, a few JL, marketed flights
- Exception: Qantas flights operated by other airlines earn AA EQ miles in qualifying fare classes, other than those QF codeshares operated by QF subsidiary Jetstar
- Some airline partners allow crediting base miles and earning redeemable miles (no EQM) flown "natively", such as Etihad or Fiji
Earn more EQMs via credit card earning
Also, as a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive card or AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard® credit cardmember, you’ll still earn 10,000 EQMs after you reach your qualifying spend for the year when you use your eligible AAdvantage credit card.
Learn more about the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive card
Learn more about the AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard®
Also, as a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive card or AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard® credit cardmember, you’ll still earn 10,000 EQMs after you reach your qualifying spend for the year when you use your eligible AAdvantage credit card.
Learn more about the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive card
Learn more about the AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard®
CAUTION: To earn status on AA you must fly a minimum of four qualifying segments on an AA marketed or operated flight within the qualifying year. (The exception has been for elite status challenges.)
The now obsolete thread: Earning AA miles / EQM on oneworld, partner & other airlines (OBSOLETE)
Signed in members with 90 days / 90 posts can edit this Wikipost; wiki contents may be printed by using the
(lower right wiki corner)UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Updated 23 Jan 2017 - JDiver
ARCHIVE: Earning AA Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM on AA, partner airlines 2016
May 16, 2017, 2:31 am
#886
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,548
Again, for AA , the EQDs are simply the cost of ticket minus taxes
For partner airlines, check the earning table to determine the EQD per mile. Again comparing against BA, it is 20% of distance.
For LAX-LHR that would work out as $1092
so , once again, it comes down to price. If fare is more than $1092 then AA would have a better EQD earning too
May 16, 2017, 8:17 am
#887
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,672
The OP said "Y (not expensive)" which I suspect means Y class, but not Y fare, which would mean 1.0 EQMs per mile on an AA flight #.
For a BA flight # in a 'not expensive' fare this would probably be 0.5 EQMs per mile and 0.1 EQDs per mile, giving 1092 EQDs for a round trip LAX-LHR, which is probably better than any AA fare less than $1300.
For a BA flight # in a 'not expensive' fare this would probably be 0.5 EQMs per mile and 0.1 EQDs per mile, giving 1092 EQDs for a round trip LAX-LHR, which is probably better than any AA fare less than $1300.
May 16, 2017, 2:10 pm
#888
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,548
The OP said "Y (not expensive)" which I suspect means Y class, but not Y fare, which would mean 1.0 EQMs per mile on an AA flight #.
For a BA flight # in a 'not expensive' fare this would probably be 0.5 EQMs per mile and 0.1 EQDs per mile, giving 1092 EQDs for a round trip LAX-LHR, which is probably better than any AA fare less than $1300.
For a BA flight # in a 'not expensive' fare this would probably be 0.5 EQMs per mile and 0.1 EQDs per mile, giving 1092 EQDs for a round trip LAX-LHR, which is probably better than any AA fare less than $1300.
Jun 1, 2017, 9:10 am
#889
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Rockville, MD, USA
Posts: 157
7000 mile Etihad flight credited only 1770 AA miles - is this right?
Hello
Flew a flight on Etihad in April from IAD to AUH, took the credit on AA but only received 1770 AA miles. Under summary it says "method: distance"
Is this an error? This flight is more than 7K miles long.
Thanks
Miz
Flew a flight on Etihad in April from IAD to AUH, took the credit on AA but only received 1770 AA miles. Under summary it says "method: distance"
Is this an error? This flight is more than 7K miles long.
Thanks
Miz
Jun 1, 2017, 9:16 am
#890
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 8,746
Presumably you were booked in M, Q, L, G, V, U, or E class. If so then yes, that would be correct - those classes earn 25% miles.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ad-airways.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ad-airways.jsp
Jun 1, 2017, 9:17 am
#891
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 52
Probably not an error.
All depends on the booking class. You earn miles based on the fare of the purchased tickeg. Economy M, Q, L, G, V, U, and E fares credit at 25% of the miles flown.
For IAD-AUH this would be something like 7,088 * 25% = 1,772.
Link to the AA's chart for travel on Etihad
For IAD-AUH this would be something like 7,088 * 25% = 1,772.
Link to the AA's chart for travel on Etihad
Jun 1, 2017, 9:18 am
#892
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: El Segundo, CA
Programs: AA ExPlat, National Executive Elite, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 108
You were booked in one of the following Economy fare classes: M, Q, L, G, V, U, E
Those fare classes only earn 25% mileage (based on distance) on AA when flying EY.
Those fare classes only earn 25% mileage (based on distance) on AA when flying EY.
Jun 1, 2017, 9:18 am
#893
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: NYC, SLC, LAX
Programs: AA EXP, UA Plat
Posts: 3,951
Most cheap economy fares on Etihad only earn 25% of the flown mileage.
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ad-airways.jsp
https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...ad-airways.jsp
Jun 1, 2017, 10:06 am
#894
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Rockville, MD, USA
Posts: 157
Thanks for the responses! That's horrible!
Do most airlines do this? Could have just as easily flown Air Canada, Emirates, united, lufthasa for the same cost!! (final destination was DEL)
Do most airlines do this? Could have just as easily flown Air Canada, Emirates, united, lufthasa for the same cost!! (final destination was DEL)
Jun 1, 2017, 10:29 am
#895
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: El Segundo, CA
Programs: AA ExPlat, National Executive Elite, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 108
yes, most airlines limit your mileage earnings when flying a partner (especially partners not in the same alliance on lower level economy tickets).
Jun 1, 2017, 11:51 am
#896
Join Date: May 2008
Location: NYC
Programs: DL PM; UA 1K; AA 1MM
Posts: 4,505
If you fly Cathay, on a Cathay flight code, in coach, you have to book one of the top three fare classes or AA will give you zero miles.
Admittedly, it's all quite complex as it varies by partner, so you have to stay on top of it.
AA partner airlines and earnings (click each airline to see details. As noted, the details vary by airline):
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...r-airlines.jsp
DL partner airlines
https://www.delta.com/content/www/en.../airlines.html
UA partner airlines
https://www.united.com/CMS/en-US/Mar...ePartners.aspx
To further complicate it: On AA, if you fly the AA flight number, even if operated by a partner, you earn full miles. But if you book the partner code, you may earn partial or no miles (depending on the earning rules for the partner) for the same exact flight. DL does the same. UA, however, (I think) credits based on the underlying operating carrier earning scheme, even if you book the UA code.
Some days you need a phD to be a frequent flier unfortunately.
Jun 1, 2017, 12:20 pm
#897
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SEA, but up and down the coast a lot
Programs: Oceanic Airlines Gold Elite
Posts: 20,376
I flew on LH TATL in Y in 2008 and got 25% earning in LH Miles and More. Cheap fares generally do not earn well, regardless of the airline.
Jun 1, 2017, 4:00 pm
#899
Moderator: American AAdvantage
Original Poster
Join Date: May 2000
Location: NorCal - SMF area
Programs: AA LT Plat; HH LT Diamond, Maître-plongeur des Muccis
Posts: 62,948
Jun 7, 2017, 1:20 pm
#900
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: AAdvantage, Skymiles
Posts: 156
EQM Math, When to buy F Domestic?
I'm trying to do the math on this and seeing if it's worth $160 to upgrade to F on an upcoming domestic flight.
Currently gold due to an earlier BTR->PVG->BTR flight in J that puts me at 33k or so EQM for the year. I have another BTR->PVG->BTR run in J in July.
But prior to that trip, I have a domestic STL->BTR one way scheduled.
It looks like if I book the domestic STL->BTR in F, I'll hit Platinum on the trip to Shanghai, so that when I leave Shanghai I'll be Platinum. If I book the domestic STL->BTR in Y, it looks like I'll be at about 49,600 EQM when it becomes time to come home from Shanghai.
My preliminary math says it's not worth it to upgrade (but it's close): It's a $7000 ticket in J, so if I assume the return half is $3500 (no way of knowing), the difference in the multiplier (8x vs 7x) would give me an extra 3500 award miles. If the cheapest domestic reward flight is 12.5k miles one way, I'd be buying 1/3 of a cheap domestic flight with the upgrade. That cheap domestic flight would likely be under $480 to begin with.
Am I thinking about this right? This is my first time trying to evaluate this kind of game.
Currently gold due to an earlier BTR->PVG->BTR flight in J that puts me at 33k or so EQM for the year. I have another BTR->PVG->BTR run in J in July.
But prior to that trip, I have a domestic STL->BTR one way scheduled.
It looks like if I book the domestic STL->BTR in F, I'll hit Platinum on the trip to Shanghai, so that when I leave Shanghai I'll be Platinum. If I book the domestic STL->BTR in Y, it looks like I'll be at about 49,600 EQM when it becomes time to come home from Shanghai.
My preliminary math says it's not worth it to upgrade (but it's close): It's a $7000 ticket in J, so if I assume the return half is $3500 (no way of knowing), the difference in the multiplier (8x vs 7x) would give me an extra 3500 award miles. If the cheapest domestic reward flight is 12.5k miles one way, I'd be buying 1/3 of a cheap domestic flight with the upgrade. That cheap domestic flight would likely be under $480 to begin with.
Am I thinking about this right? This is my first time trying to evaluate this kind of game.
