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
Jan 19, 2016, 8:00 am
#106
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
Naturally I don't mind if I reach EP faster than expected, but this doesn't make any sense.
Also got a bonus on the FC miles promo because I was on a status upgraded ticket but I guess after my returning flight was cancelled due to mechanical problems I got protected in FC but as a paying pax.
Any thoughts on the EQM vs BIS miles?
Also got a bonus on the FC miles promo because I was on a status upgraded ticket but I guess after my returning flight was cancelled due to mechanical problems I got protected in FC but as a paying pax.
Any thoughts on the EQM vs BIS miles?
Did you have any flights prior to 1/11? Your screen shot only shows activity since then.
Jan 19, 2016, 9:26 am
#107
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
I'm also awaiting the answer for my spreadsheet.
My contact is still investigating and I will report back when I have more info.
Cheers.
Jan 19, 2016, 9:31 am
#108
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SJC
Programs: AA, AS, Marriott
Posts: 6,060
Jan 19, 2016, 10:14 am
#109
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: KAUS
Programs: AA EXP; AC 100K
Posts: 132
Alright, more updates:
I have had 3 sub-500 mile segments since my last update. I decided to wait until today to call ACS. The only words that were exchanged were to tell them my PNRs and to state, "These segments were all under 500 miles. It is my understanding that as an EXP, I get 500 EQM for any flight under 500 miles, and two times that because of flying on a purchased P fare and sitting in the first class cabin."
Not joking, the EQM was posted on aa.com under my account within 17 minutes.
We may just be at a situation that you have to call ACS to get them corrected, a "ask and ye shall receive" situation, if you will. I feel maybe they are trying to change this to a "hidden benefit" over time, but wow are they going to be using a lot of man-hours for elites calling about this.
I have had 3 sub-500 mile segments since my last update. I decided to wait until today to call ACS. The only words that were exchanged were to tell them my PNRs and to state, "These segments were all under 500 miles. It is my understanding that as an EXP, I get 500 EQM for any flight under 500 miles, and two times that because of flying on a purchased P fare and sitting in the first class cabin."
Not joking, the EQM was posted on aa.com under my account within 17 minutes.
We may just be at a situation that you have to call ACS to get them corrected, a "ask and ye shall receive" situation, if you will. I feel maybe they are trying to change this to a "hidden benefit" over time, but wow are they going to be using a lot of man-hours for elites calling about this.
Jan 19, 2016, 10:32 am
#110
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: PHL - Go Flyers!
Programs: EMT-P
Posts: 564
Your flight in F earned either 2x or 3x EQMs, depending on the fare bucket, see here: http://www.aa.com/i18n/AAdvantage/ea...s/american.jsp
Did you have any flights prior to 1/11? Your screen shot only shows activity since then.
Did you have any flights prior to 1/11? Your screen shot only shows activity since then.
Since they booked me in F (as opposed to A) for my PDX-PHX-PHL then the EQM would be higher, but no matter how I do the calculation it doesn't seem to work out.
Not an issue since I earned more miles than I predicted but I was curious about the calculation.
Jan 19, 2016, 10:50 am
#111
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Columbia, SC
Programs: AA Plat, SPG/Marriot Gold, HHonors Diamond, Hyatt Expl
Posts: 2,363
No other flights. That makes sense (sort of). 12,002 - 8,946 = 3,056
Since they booked me in F (as opposed to A) for my PDX-PHX-PHL then the EQM would be higher, but no matter how I do the calculation it doesn't seem to work out.
Not an issue since I earned more miles than I predicted but I was curious about the calculation.
Since they booked me in F (as opposed to A) for my PDX-PHX-PHL then the EQM would be higher, but no matter how I do the calculation it doesn't seem to work out.
Not an issue since I earned more miles than I predicted but I was curious about the calculation.
Jan 19, 2016, 10:57 am
#112
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
Jan 19, 2016, 7:16 pm
#113
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: PHL - Go Flyers!
Programs: EMT-P
Posts: 564
Everything was originally booked in O with the return trip meant to be PDX-DFW-PHL but due to the cancelled flight they must have booked me into Y or B on the return. Thanks for the insight!
Jan 20, 2016, 8:10 am
#114
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
A voluntary standby same day change two weeks ago which cleared well before boarding started (and was followed by an upgrade) earned the expected 1.0 EQM/mile. Presumably the agent yesterday was in more of a hurry and chose the easiest fare bucket. Both agents were pmUS gate agents at outstations.
Nice side unintended benefit; in the past, I could never benefit from this sort of error in my favor since they only affected EQPs and I qualified with EQMs.
Jan 20, 2016, 9:41 am
#115
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
When it all posted, we were over on EQMs, explained by the standby flight apparently booking into Y. Had to play games with the spreadsheet to show the real booking class (for historical purposes) and still reflect the extra EQMs.
It really is so hard to tell looking at the display since everything shows as 'Y'.
Cheers.
Jan 20, 2016, 10:11 am
#116
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
Yup. I'm not surprised that it happens with IROPS and a ticket that needs to be reissued. I was a little surprised to see it happen with a very straightforward same day change. No complaints.
Jan 21, 2016, 11:01 am
#117
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: PHL - Go Flyers!
Programs: EMT-P
Posts: 564
Seems not uncommon. We had a LHR-LAX (SJC final) cancelled the other day,. so were rebooked LHR-DFW-SJC. We got into DFW very early and stood by on an earlier DFW-SJC, in coach. She hadn't even reissued the ticket yet and had to do manual override when we boarded.
When it all posted, we were over on EQMs, explained by the standby flight apparently booking into Y. Had to play games with the spreadsheet to show the real booking class (for historical purposes) and still reflect the extra EQMs.
It really is so hard to tell looking at the display since everything shows as 'Y'.
Cheers.
When it all posted, we were over on EQMs, explained by the standby flight apparently booking into Y. Had to play games with the spreadsheet to show the real booking class (for historical purposes) and still reflect the extra EQMs.
It really is so hard to tell looking at the display since everything shows as 'Y'.
Cheers.
Jan 21, 2016, 11:38 am
#118
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: YYF/YLW
Programs: AA, DL, AS, VA, WS Silver
Posts: 5,951
Sounds like the spreadsheet needs a "purchased" and "credited" column. Credited column can be hidden and normally set to just reflect the purchased column, but allow you to modify it manually.
Jan 21, 2016, 11:44 am
#119
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,533
(And there's a bug in the computation for that column that I should update on the page linked in the "spreadsheets" thread. Until then, anyone using the sheet and that column can email for the easy fix.)
Cheers.
Jan 24, 2016, 7:49 pm
#120
Join Date: Jul 2011
Posts: 1,634
AA miles earned on BA ticket on AA metal?
This summer I'm flying:
JFK-LHR-OSL
ARN-LHR-JFK
The one bolded leg is on AA and the other segments are on BA. The flight has been ticketed by BA (125 ticket stock) and is in business class throughout.
How many EQMs will I earn on the first leg? AA seems to award 2.0 EQMs per mile for discount business on AA but only 1.5 EQMs per mile for discount business on BA. Is it the ticketing carrier that controls or the operating carrier?
Thanks.
JFK-LHR-OSL
ARN-LHR-JFK
The one bolded leg is on AA and the other segments are on BA. The flight has been ticketed by BA (125 ticket stock) and is in business class throughout.
How many EQMs will I earn on the first leg? AA seems to award 2.0 EQMs per mile for discount business on AA but only 1.5 EQMs per mile for discount business on BA. Is it the ticketing carrier that controls or the operating carrier?
Thanks.