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)
Dec 15, 2017, 7:41 am
#496
Join Date: Jan 2012
Posts: 51
Quick question I can't seem to find the answer to on this thread. I was on a paid first class ticket and an IRROP caused me to be placed in economy, as it was all that was available to get me to my destination that day. If I put in a request for the refund of the difference between first and economy ticket will the refund amount be deducted from my EQD earned from the trip?
Dec 16, 2017, 9:48 am
#497
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: OH
Programs: AA EXP; HHonors Gold; IHG Platinum
Posts: 122
Quick question I can't seem to find the answer to on this thread. I was on a paid first class ticket and an IRROP caused me to be placed in economy, as it was all that was available to get me to my destination that day. If I put in a request for the refund of the difference between first and economy ticket will the refund amount be deducted from my EQD earned from the trip?
Dec 16, 2017, 4:26 pm
#498
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
Hey guys .. I am $573 EQD short of platinum for next year... is there ever any way to get more EQD or is it only the amount you spent... I was reading some site about your status or booking code could increase your EQD.. special rates?? Any help would be great ! thanks
Dec 21, 2017, 11:00 pm
#500
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 375
Dec 22, 2017, 12:06 am
#502
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
It should earn $15 + $17 for the fare components plus 300 for the YR surcharge giving $332
Distance is 9882 miles
If this was a special fare , then the EQDs should be 10% of distance flown which would be 988 which is still double - unless the person meant 499 one way
I would just go with the theory that the agent made a mistake and that you will get 332 EQDs
Last edited by Dave Noble; Dec 22, 2017 at 12:12 am
Dec 22, 2017, 1:13 pm
#503
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 375
The itinerary should not earn anything for taxes
It should earn $15 + $17 for the fare components plus 300 for the YR surcharge giving $332
Distance is 9882 miles
If this was a special fare , then the EQDs should be 10% of distance flown which would be 988 which is still double - unless the person meant 499 one way
I would just go with the theory that the agent made a mistake and that you will get 332 EQDs
It should earn $15 + $17 for the fare components plus 300 for the YR surcharge giving $332
Distance is 9882 miles
If this was a special fare , then the EQDs should be 10% of distance flown which would be 988 which is still double - unless the person meant 499 one way
I would just go with the theory that the agent made a mistake and that you will get 332 EQDs
Dec 22, 2017, 1:51 pm
#505
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Chicagoland
Posts: 375
Using standard fare-based AA calculations, this itinerary should net you 332 EQDs. If it is calculated as a "special fare", which is distance-based, you should get a minimum of 10% of miles flown for an Economy ticket. Since the distance for this is 9825 miles, that would mean ~982 EQDs in this case. No idea how the 499 figures was determined unless, as Dave Noble mentioned, it was for one way. Perhaps call back to confirm the EQDs, and ask if it is calculated based on fare or distance.
Last edited by melrowgo; Dec 22, 2017 at 4:12 pm
Dec 22, 2017, 4:02 pm
#506
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
it could be that the agent meant 499 each way which would be 998 - which is v close to what I calculated by distance of 988
if by fare ( as it should seemingly be ), the EQDs will be lower
As far as expectations go, I would ignore the agent's 499 and plan around 332
if by fare ( as it should seemingly be ), the EQDs will be lower
As far as expectations go, I would ignore the agent's 499 and plan around 332
Dec 23, 2017, 3:19 pm
#507
Join Date: Nov 2013
Location: SFO
Programs: AA PLT, Marriott Gold
Posts: 81
Admittedly a question I probably should have researched but I have > 50k miles and am about 300 EQDs short to requalify for PLT.
However, I noticed that the tickets I booked for Christmas for wife and I are only crediting my EQDs and not hers as well for the flights taken so far.
If I remove her FFN shouldn't I be able to get credit for those "dollars spent" with American on my reservation? Or is EQD simply dollars spent on one person? This whole EQD thing is confusing and I thought I planned it out to sneak by but I may have goofed I I can't get credit for wife's flight as well.
thanks in advance.
However, I noticed that the tickets I booked for Christmas for wife and I are only crediting my EQDs and not hers as well for the flights taken so far.
If I remove her FFN shouldn't I be able to get credit for those "dollars spent" with American on my reservation? Or is EQD simply dollars spent on one person? This whole EQD thing is confusing and I thought I planned it out to sneak by but I may have goofed I I can't get credit for wife's flight as well.
thanks in advance.
Dec 23, 2017, 3:22 pm
#508
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2000
Location: in the vicinity of SFO
Programs: AA 2MM (LT-PLT, PPro for this year)
Posts: 19,781
If I remove her FFN shouldn't I be able to get credit for those "dollars spent" with American on my reservation? Or is EQD simply dollars spent on one person? This whole EQD thing is confusing and I thought I planned it out to sneak by but I may have goofed I I can't get credit for wife's flight as well.
If your wife doesn't earn the miles, nobody does; if you remove her FFN, you could always claim the miles for her later, but it will have no effect on your EQD earning.
Might be worth seeing if there's a one-day turn you can do as an EQD run before the end of the year.
Dec 23, 2017, 3:31 pm
#509
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: IAH/PHL
Programs: AAdvantage PPro, LT Gold
Posts: 92
The wife and I have an up coming trip to Sweden next month. We will be travelling JFK to HEL to ARN and back on Finnair. If we book directly with Finnair how many EQMs and EQDs can we expect to get in economy? The wife is currently Platinum and I am Gold.
Dec 23, 2017, 6:16 pm
#510
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
See chart at https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...es/finnair.jsp
Last edited by bse118; Dec 23, 2017 at 6:17 pm Reason: clarity