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)
#331
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
Can someone confirm how an AA marketed and operated (well, Eagle/Compass operated, but AA flighth #) segment on a CX ticket would be credited for EXP? The rest of ticket is in CX E class, the SJC-LAX/LAX-SJC segments on AA in K.
Would that count as a special fare at 0.20 EQD per mile flown? And the 500 mile minimum doesn't apply, so ~61 EQD each?
Trying to figure out whether to pay a little extra to connect via LAX vs. my usual SFO-HKG flights, as I am likely to be a little short of EQD this year (and there's also about 300 miles more LAX-HKG, or 60 EQD each way.)
Fare difference is around $200 so 240 eqd for $200 seems like a fair deal at the margins, but that's assuming there are some EQD for the two AA segments...
Would that count as a special fare at 0.20 EQD per mile flown? And the 500 mile minimum doesn't apply, so ~61 EQD each?
Trying to figure out whether to pay a little extra to connect via LAX vs. my usual SFO-HKG flights, as I am likely to be a little short of EQD this year (and there's also about 300 miles more LAX-HKG, or 60 EQD each way.)
Fare difference is around $200 so 240 eqd for $200 seems like a fair deal at the margins, but that's assuming there are some EQD for the two AA segments...
#332
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
Can someone confirm how an AA marketed and operated (well, Eagle/Compass operated, but AA flighth #) segment on a CX ticket would be credited for EXP? The rest of ticket is in CX E class, the SJC-LAX/LAX-SJC segments on AA in K.
Would that count as a special fare at 0.20 EQD per mile flown? And the 500 mile minimum doesn't apply, so ~61 EQD each?
Trying to figure out whether to pay a little extra to connect via LAX vs. my usual SFO-HKG flights, as I am likely to be a little short of EQD this year (and there's also about 300 miles more LAX-HKG, or 60 EQD each way.)
Fare difference is around $200 so 240 eqd for $200 seems like a fair deal at the margins, but that's assuming there are some EQD for the two AA segments...
Would that count as a special fare at 0.20 EQD per mile flown? And the 500 mile minimum doesn't apply, so ~61 EQD each?
Trying to figure out whether to pay a little extra to connect via LAX vs. my usual SFO-HKG flights, as I am likely to be a little short of EQD this year (and there's also about 300 miles more LAX-HKG, or 60 EQD each way.)
Fare difference is around $200 so 240 eqd for $200 seems like a fair deal at the margins, but that's assuming there are some EQD for the two AA segments...
#333
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
#334
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: The Frozen Tundra
Programs: Former AA EXP, DL PM, BAEC Bronze, SPG GOLD, Marriott Gold, Hilton Gold, Hyatt Platinum
Posts: 159
Hello everyone,
So, anyone else experiencing EDQ calculation inconsistent classification? I am seeing the same routing I take, in some instances calculated as a "special fare" and others as "fare".
Tickets purchased via the corporate website - of course based on date and schedule fares totals vary.
I even had a trip that was booked direct off AA.com EQD'd as a "special fare".
So, anyone else experiencing EDQ calculation inconsistent classification? I am seeing the same routing I take, in some instances calculated as a "special fare" and others as "fare".
Tickets purchased via the corporate website - of course based on date and schedule fares totals vary.
I even had a trip that was booked direct off AA.com EQD'd as a "special fare".
#335
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Yes, in IRROPS (when moved to another carrier or even another AA flight), it's a dice-roll as to how many EQD you'll get.
I periodically go through my activity on AA.com and look for any segments which were posted by Distance (instead of Fare). Sometimes there's a good reason for them to be posted by distance (e.g. AAVacations). I recently asked AAdvantage to correct the posting for 4 past segments. It took them two weeks, but they did correct it eventually.
I periodically go through my activity on AA.com and look for any segments which were posted by Distance (instead of Fare). Sometimes there's a good reason for them to be posted by distance (e.g. AAVacations). I recently asked AAdvantage to correct the posting for 4 past segments. It took them two weeks, but they did correct it eventually.
Hello everyone,
So, anyone else experiencing EDQ calculation inconsistent classification? I am seeing the same routing I take, in some instances calculated as a "special fare" and others as "fare".
Tickets purchased via the corporate website - of course based on date and schedule fares totals vary.
I even had a trip that was booked direct off AA.com EQD'd as a "special fare".
So, anyone else experiencing EDQ calculation inconsistent classification? I am seeing the same routing I take, in some instances calculated as a "special fare" and others as "fare".
Tickets purchased via the corporate website - of course based on date and schedule fares totals vary.
I even had a trip that was booked direct off AA.com EQD'd as a "special fare".
Last edited by CloudCoder; Aug 14, 2017 at 9:27 am
#336
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
#340
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: country Western Australia
Programs: QF SG(LTS) - AA LTG(1MM)
Posts: 2,771
Based on the discussion, I would suspect that the fare class on an AA flight connecting to CX PEY long haul might be one of the few Y domestic flights "high enough" to be worthwhile to credit to a partner airline FF program. Though perhaps not to CX.......
Happy wandering
Fred
Happy wandering
Fred
#341
Join Date: Nov 2006
Programs: Marriott Platinum, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 3,727
Does anyone know how AAnytime award booked into J fare class earns EQD? Is it by retail cost of the ticket, special fare chart, or the "Earning when ticket/fare details are unavailable" chart?
Also, am I right that elite status only improves RDM earning, but doesn't affect EQM and EQD earning in any way?
Also, am I right that elite status only improves RDM earning, but doesn't affect EQM and EQD earning in any way?
#342
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
#343
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,814
Does anyone know how AAnytime award booked into J fare class earns EQD? Is it by retail cost of the ticket, special fare chart, or the "Earning when ticket/fare details are unavailable" chart?
Also, am I right that elite status only improves RDM earning, but doesn't affect EQM and EQD earning in any way?
Also, am I right that elite status only improves RDM earning, but doesn't affect EQM and EQD earning in any way?
And the answer to the 2nd question is "yes".
#345
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203