Jun 8, 2016, 10:32 am
Last edit by: JDiver
Earning Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD) on AA and partner airlines
Minimum Spend" requirement for each status tier began 1 Jan 2017
Minimum Spend" requirement for each status tier began 1 Jan 2017
In addition to the required EQM or EQS (same as 2016) to earn status in 2017 and onward one must also earn "Elite Qualifying Dollars" / "EQD" spend credit as follows (during the calendar year):
"Starting January 1, 2017, we’ll add Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs) to our earning requirements. Qualify in 1 of 2 ways:
- Elite Qualifying Miles (EQMs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
- Elite Qualifying Segments (EQSs) + Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQDs)
EQDs will be awarded based on:
- Ticket price (base fare plus carrier-imposed fees, excluding any government-imposed taxes and fees) on American-marketed flights
- Flights marketed by oneworld® carriers, "Special Fares" such as some AA Vacations flights, Thank You Points purchased fares, etc. earn EQDs based on a percentage of the flight distance and the fare class purchased
With the addition of EQDs, the rule that 4 segments must be traveled on American or American Eagle during the qualifying year to receive elite status has been eliminated.
NOTE: EQD credit varies for "Special Fares" (e.g. "select flights" included in AAVacations packages), and the chart for those changed on 11 Jan 2017. See here.2019 Status qualification tiers and requirements: link
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aa.com: aa.com is updated to show EQM, EQD and RDM/AW for your convenience when booking and in your account for keeping informed about your accruals.
Another impact of EQD is on upgrade priority within status tiers instead of time of upgrade request (FYI only, not discussion here):
Change to upgrade priority to EQD-based priority
The way your upgrade request is prioritized changed in 2017. You’ll be listed according to the type of upgrade, by your elite status level followed by the number of EQDs earned in the last 12 months. The date of upgrade request will no longer be used except to break ties not resolved by higher priority levels. Applies both upgrade request and airport list if request goes to airport list.
Partners (AS and oneworld): accrual of EQM and EQD as reflected on charts on aa.com.
FAQ
Q. How will AA EQD be calculated?
Yes: Base fare plus carrier imposed fees, e.g. YQ etc. (Status buyup fees will count.)
No: Taxes, government or airport imposed fees, e.g. PSC, APD, TSA, etc. and ancillary fees (see below)
Q. How will flights on other oneworld carriers, AS, and "Special Fares" qualify for EQD?
Partner earning tables are here and special fare table here on aa.com.
Q. Will checked bag fees, seat purchases, LFBU and 500-mile upgrades, buy miles, or other products/service fees count toward earning award miles and EQDs? (AA FAQ)
No, only the base fare paid for your ticket including any carrier-imposed fees will count toward earning award miles and EQDs. Fees for other products or services will not be awarded miles or EQDs, including but not limited to the following: checked (or overweight) baggage fees, Admirals Club® memberships (or passes), Wi-Fi passes, in-flight food and beverage purchases, in-flight entertainment, unaccompanied minor fees, pet travel fees, 500-mile upgrades, mileage upgrade cash co-payments, Mileage Multiplier, BuyMiles, GiftMiles, ShareMiles or other mileage purchases, ticket change fees, ticketing fees, same-day confirmed flight change or standby fees and service charges. (Status buyup fees will count, however.)
Resources:
GLOSSARY:
EQD: Elite Qualifying Dollars (base fare + carrier imposed fees, - government imposed taxes and fees
EQM: Elite Qualifying Miles (accrual depends on fare basis, airline and base miles flown)
EQS: Elite Qualifying Segments (discrete segment marketed as AA)
Platinum Pro: new tier beginning 1/1/17 requiring $9,000 EQD and 75,000 EQM or 90 EQS in one calendar year
Links
Link to FT: JUST THE FACTS: EQD, status tier, other changes announced 6 Jun 2016
Link to AAdvantage Program Updates page on aa.com (including FAQ).
Link to Gary Leff's "View from the Wing" blog article on these changes.
Link to Ben "Lucky" Schlappig's take in "One Mile at a Time" on View From the Boarding Area
GUIDE: Earning EQD / Elite Qualifying Dollars on AA & partner airlines (as of 2019)
Sep 2, 2017, 9:23 pm
#391
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Bangkok, Thailand. No longer Palm Coast, FL though still exiled, again, from the Bay Area.
Programs: Only the good ones
Posts: 5,153
Has anyone had experience with EQD credit with Qatar Airlines?
I have a reserved itinerary of approximately 24,000 miles (West coast-DOH-Asia and return) in business class (fare class R) that I am expecting should -- according the the AA web site -- give me approximately 4,800 EQDs (20%). Reservation was bought on the Qatar web site; all Qatar metal; no AA-operated segments.
Has anyone on this forum flown Qatar Business Class? Were the EQDs credited as shown on the web site? How long after the flights does it take for them to post?
Thanks for your help.
I have a reserved itinerary of approximately 24,000 miles (West coast-DOH-Asia and return) in business class (fare class R) that I am expecting should -- according the the AA web site -- give me approximately 4,800 EQDs (20%). Reservation was bought on the Qatar web site; all Qatar metal; no AA-operated segments.
Has anyone on this forum flown Qatar Business Class? Were the EQDs credited as shown on the web site? How long after the flights does it take for them to post?
Thanks for your help.
Sep 3, 2017, 3:37 pm
#392
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SBA
Programs: UA & AA 1 million miler
Posts: 1,134
I have purchased an AAvacations package.
I had an AA transportation voucher to pay for air portion, so I called AAV.
Before I called them, I double checked the booking codes had (*) asterisks.
I called and paid for hotel portion by credit card and then I got email confirmation.
However, it doesn't show (*) next to the booking code...Even worse when I checked my Vacation package online, it looked the air fare portion was essentially identical to what I saw on aa.com ($35 higher than the air portion of the package).
I also checked my reservation at aa.com and it shows bogus "Cost Summary".
I called back AAV within 24 hours and the second agent found the original correct vacation package price, then she issued a $35 refund to correct the mistake. I waited one week but still no $35 refund to my credit card, so I called AAV again. This time I talked to the supervisor and she was able to credit $35 to my credit card finally.
Anyway the booking code still doesn't show the (*) even AAV corrected the vacation package price.
I'm afraid I will get bogus fare base EQD ...
It should be distance base EQD.
I really want to fix this because distance base EQD is more than double compared to fare base EQD...
Did anyone have the same experience?
I had an AA transportation voucher to pay for air portion, so I called AAV.
Before I called them, I double checked the booking codes had (*) asterisks.
I called and paid for hotel portion by credit card and then I got email confirmation.
However, it doesn't show (*) next to the booking code...Even worse when I checked my Vacation package online, it looked the air fare portion was essentially identical to what I saw on aa.com ($35 higher than the air portion of the package).
I also checked my reservation at aa.com and it shows bogus "Cost Summary".
I called back AAV within 24 hours and the second agent found the original correct vacation package price, then she issued a $35 refund to correct the mistake. I waited one week but still no $35 refund to my credit card, so I called AAV again. This time I talked to the supervisor and she was able to credit $35 to my credit card finally.
Anyway the booking code still doesn't show the (*) even AAV corrected the vacation package price.
I'm afraid I will get bogus fare base EQD ...
It should be distance base EQD.
I really want to fix this because distance base EQD is more than double compared to fare base EQD...
Did anyone have the same experience?
Sep 3, 2017, 4:04 pm
#393
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, BA Silver, Hyatt Globalist, Hilton diamond, Marriott Platinum
Posts: 33,527
I have purchased an AAvacations package.
I had an AA transportation voucher to pay for air portion, so I called AAV.
Before I called them, I double checked the booking codes had (*) asterisks.
I called and paid for hotel portion by credit card and then I got email confirmation.
However, it doesn't show (*) next to the booking code...
I had an AA transportation voucher to pay for air portion, so I called AAV.
Before I called them, I double checked the booking codes had (*) asterisks.
I called and paid for hotel portion by credit card and then I got email confirmation.
However, it doesn't show (*) next to the booking code...
Cheers.
Sep 4, 2017, 2:28 pm
#394
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: PHX
Posts: 4,787
Your rolling 12-month average EQD is used as part of the tiebreaker for upgrade priority. (Requests are ranked first by status, next by 12-month spend.) Having said that, I'd spend extra money on EQD's only if it put me at a higher status (i.e. PlatPro), and then only if here was no other way to get there.
Sep 5, 2017, 12:12 am
#395
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: HSV (formerly AUS)
Programs: AA MM (like it matters!) All of my flying was personal travel, and COVID-19 stopped that.
Posts: 223
OK, a couple of questions.
I'm on a round-trip HSV-DFW-NRT-BKK, BKK-NRT-DFW-HSV. The NRT-BKK and back legs are AA flight numbers on JL metal. The rest are AA flights.
1. Can I expect that the EQD and EQM numbers will be the same in both directions?
2. Just how sticky is AA going to be on the EQD numbers for PLT requal? Assuming #1 is "Yes", the return trip will put me 800 EQM over the line, but I will be 8 lousy EQD short. Anyone know whether slack will be cut, or do I need to plan on a weekend getaway somewhere?
I know, I know, I'll know the answer in a few weeks anyway, but it can't hurt to ask.
I'm on a round-trip HSV-DFW-NRT-BKK, BKK-NRT-DFW-HSV. The NRT-BKK and back legs are AA flight numbers on JL metal. The rest are AA flights.
1. Can I expect that the EQD and EQM numbers will be the same in both directions?
2. Just how sticky is AA going to be on the EQD numbers for PLT requal? Assuming #1 is "Yes", the return trip will put me 800 EQM over the line, but I will be 8 lousy EQD short. Anyone know whether slack will be cut, or do I need to plan on a weekend getaway somewhere?
I know, I know, I'll know the answer in a few weeks anyway, but it can't hurt to ask.
Sep 5, 2017, 1:00 am
#396
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,549
If you are using AA flight numbers in each direction, I would expect all of it to credit as per fare paid.
It may credit EQDs equally in both directions, but if the booking classes are different each way, then may well not be the same each way. Regardless, the total base EQDs shou;ld be 5* the base fare ( inc surcharges) paid
If 8EQDs beloew requirement, then based on another query earlier, I expect that you will have to plan another trip of at least $8 - or upgrade the fare on this booking to one slightly more expensive
It may credit EQDs equally in both directions, but if the booking classes are different each way, then may well not be the same each way. Regardless, the total base EQDs shou;ld be 5* the base fare ( inc surcharges) paid
If 8EQDs beloew requirement, then based on another query earlier, I expect that you will have to plan another trip of at least $8 - or upgrade the fare on this booking to one slightly more expensive
Sep 11, 2017, 2:30 pm
#397
Join Date: May 2014
Location: DFW
Posts: 96
Question on rebook due to flight delay. I had an AA ticket on AA metal from Atl to CDG (via CLT). ATL to CLT was delayed and I would have missed connection to CDG. AA rebooked me on BA from ATL to CDG via LHR.
Will my EQDs and EQMs be based on what I flew or based on what I purchased?
Will my EQDs and EQMs be based on what I flew or based on what I purchased?
Sep 16, 2017, 5:04 pm
#398
Join Date: Jul 2016
Posts: 51
EQD on partners
Hi,
Are EQD'S on partners based on the EQM's earned or the base miles? I recently flew an Iberia flight in Premium economy earning 5115 EQM's. Based on the 20% EQD earnings I should have earned $1023 EQD's but was only given $682. It seems like the EQD's were only based on the base miles.
Are EQD'S on partners based on the EQM's earned or the base miles? I recently flew an Iberia flight in Premium economy earning 5115 EQM's. Based on the 20% EQD earnings I should have earned $1023 EQD's but was only given $682. It seems like the EQD's were only based on the base miles.
Sep 16, 2017, 5:28 pm
#401
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: SFO
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 5,270
Sep 19, 2017, 9:33 am
#404
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: HSV (formerly AUS)
Programs: AA MM (like it matters!) All of my flying was personal travel, and COVID-19 stopped that.
Posts: 223
As it turned out, I came up 14 lousy EQD short. EQM is identical in both directions, and is equal to actual BIS miles flown. EQD, not quite. EQD is apparently tied to award miles, not actual miles flown, and the award miles are slightly different in the two directions. (Don't ask me, I don't know. Hollywood may have invented Creative Accounting, but the airlines are now the leaders in the field.)
I'm going to have a good excuse to fly to Austin before the end of the year, so it won't be a problem.
I'm going to have a good excuse to fly to Austin before the end of the year, so it won't be a problem.
Sep 19, 2017, 3:49 pm
#405
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: SFO
Programs: AA Plat, IHG Plat, HH Diamond, Hyatt Plat, Hertz Gold
Posts: 1,933
It's probably more accurate to describe it as award miles being tied to EQD, but that doesn't really make a difference for practical purposes. It's likely that your fare paid in each direction was actually slightly different, hence different amounts of EQD and award miles, as per the rules.