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)
#151
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: FNT, but DTW if I can't help it
Programs: AAdvantage Former EXP/Current PLT / Total Rewards - Diamond / Hilton HHonors - Gold
Posts: 757
I was booked JFK-LAS-JFK (all non-stops). Due to a snow storm in NYC, JFK-LAS was cancelled and rebooked LGA-ORD-LAS (these 2 segments are listed as W class).
All segments (for EQD computation) show as FARE based, except ORD-LAS which is listed as "method: distance--data unavailable"; I'm not complaining, but why did this happen?
All segments (for EQD computation) show as FARE based, except ORD-LAS which is listed as "method: distance--data unavailable"; I'm not complaining, but why did this happen?
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...carefully.html
It appears as though when re-ticketing occurs, strange things are happening in some cases.
#152
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
Take a look at this thread:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...carefully.html
It appears as though when re-ticketing occurs, strange things are happening in some cases.
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/ameri...carefully.html
It appears as though when re-ticketing occurs, strange things are happening in some cases.
#154
Join Date: May 2006
Location: SAN
Programs: Lots of faux metal
Posts: 6,425
To earn AAdvantage® miles when you fly on British Airways marketed and operated flights as well as British Airways codeshare flights operated by oneworld® carriers and affiliates:
Affiliate airlines
- BA Cityflyer
- Comair
- OpenSkies
- Sun-Air of Scandinavia
#155
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: SJC
Programs: AA EXP, Hilton Diamond, Hertz PC
Posts: 181
AA is showing some bizarre EQD earnings on a sample itinerary I priced on AA.com
On an itinerary BOS-CPH round trip:
Fare: $1.00
Taxes: $115.16
Carrier-imposed fees: $250.00
Subtotal: $366.16
I would expect to earn 251 EQDs for this, AA.com quotes 620 EQDs!!
6/8 of the legs I priced are calculating based on the distance earning table (10% of miles). The other two happen to be the transatlantic legs, and they give me 126 EQDs each, reflecting the price paid. They would give 441 EQDs each if they also used the 10% distance calculation
If anyone is interested in the exact breakdown, let me know.
On an itinerary BOS-CPH round trip:
Fare: $1.00
Taxes: $115.16
Carrier-imposed fees: $250.00
Subtotal: $366.16
I would expect to earn 251 EQDs for this, AA.com quotes 620 EQDs!!
6/8 of the legs I priced are calculating based on the distance earning table (10% of miles). The other two happen to be the transatlantic legs, and they give me 126 EQDs each, reflecting the price paid. They would give 441 EQDs each if they also used the 10% distance calculation
If anyone is interested in the exact breakdown, let me know.
#156
Join Date: Sep 2012
Location: Sun Prairie, WI
Programs: AA Executive Platinum, HH Diamond, National Executive
Posts: 1,786
I'm still a little confused about the whole EQD and EQM on partner airlines. Hoping someone can clarify.
I'm looking to book MEL to LAX on Qantas in May. Does it matter whether I book on AA ot QF website? Will I earn EQMs and EQDs by booking on both sites even though it's on a QF plane? It will be in J if that matters. Also, will the miles qualify towards my million miles count?
thanks
I'm looking to book MEL to LAX on Qantas in May. Does it matter whether I book on AA ot QF website? Will I earn EQMs and EQDs by booking on both sites even though it's on a QF plane? It will be in J if that matters. Also, will the miles qualify towards my million miles count?
thanks
#157
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
I'm still a little confused about the whole EQD and EQM on partner airlines. Hoping someone can clarify.
I'm looking to book MEL to LAX on Qantas in May. Does it matter whether I book on AA ot QF website? Will I earn EQMs and EQDs by booking on both sites even though it's on a QF plane? It will be in J if that matters. Also, will the miles qualify towards my million miles count?
thanks
I'm looking to book MEL to LAX on Qantas in May. Does it matter whether I book on AA ot QF website? Will I earn EQMs and EQDs by booking on both sites even though it's on a QF plane? It will be in J if that matters. Also, will the miles qualify towards my million miles count?
thanks
For earning, what matters is the "marketing" airline, which actually means the airline that appears in your flight number. The only exception is that, if it's partner-marketed, the "operating" airline (apparently QF in your case) must be a oneworld partner or affiliate.*
*UPDATE: As subsequent posts have pointed out, specifically in the case of QF, QF-marketed flights qualify, whether or not the operating airline is a oneworld partner or an affiliate. Sorry for the error.
On either website, what you earn will depend on whether you buy an "AA" flight vs a "QF" flight. For EQD (and RDM), on QF it would be mileage-based as opposed to fare-based on AA; on the other hand, EQM earning would be higher on AA. So be sure to do the math if you have a choice.
And whatever EQM you earn counts toward MM.
Last edited by SpammersAreScum; Feb 20, 2017 at 1:41 pm Reason: correcting error
#158
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
For earning, what matters is the "marketing" airline, which actually means the airline that appears in your flight number. The only exception is that, if it's partner-marketed, the "operating" airline (apparently QF in your case) must be a oneworld partner or affiliate.
#159
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAS/DXB
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,193
But only for flights from, to and within South Pacific region, correct? E.g QF marketed, EK operated flight SIN-DXB would earn nothing on AA.
#160
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,605
#161
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: LAS/DXB
Programs: LH HON
Posts: 1,193
Interesting, I always assumed the wording "Earn and redeem AAdvantage® miles for travel on Qantas within the South Pacific and between the South Pacific and:" made it pretty clear, that otherwise you wouldn't be eligible to earn miles - as the requirement is stated as "Fly an eligible route".
#162
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
...For earning, what matters is the "marketing" airline, which actually means the airline that appears in your flight number. The only exception is that, if it's partner-marketed, the "operating" airline (apparently QF in your case) must be a oneworld partner or affiliate.
#163
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
No; yes; yes.
For earning, what matters is the "marketing" airline, which actually means the airline that appears in your flight number. The only exception is that, if it's partner-marketed, the "operating" airline (apparently QF in your case) must be a oneworld partner or affiliate.
...
For earning, what matters is the "marketing" airline, which actually means the airline that appears in your flight number. The only exception is that, if it's partner-marketed, the "operating" airline (apparently QF in your case) must be a oneworld partner or affiliate.
...
#164
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
That isn't necessarily true. The operating carrier has to be listed as eligible but doesn't always have to be a OneWorld airline. For example Qantas codeshares on all carriers other than Jetstar are eligible for earning; book a QF codeshare on EK and can earn AA miles
Jetconnect
QantasLink
QantasLink
Or is the problem that I should have said "a oneworld partner or an affiliate" to avoid the inadvertent ambiguity?
#165
Suspended
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: FIND ME ON TWITTER FOR THE LATEST
Posts: 27,730
I said "a oneworld partner or affiliate". AA's page for QF lists the affiliates as
So, I want to make sure I know exactly what I got wrong. Are you saying that certain other operating airlines, which are neither oneworld partners nor affiliates, qualify? Even though they're not listed on the relevant page?
So, I want to make sure I know exactly what I got wrong. Are you saying that certain other operating airlines, which are neither oneworld partners nor affiliates, qualify? Even though they're not listed on the relevant page?