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)
Feb 8, 2018, 1:52 pm
#526
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Where the flight is marketed by JL , it earns as per the JL earning table and so will be by distance
Feb 8, 2018, 1:58 pm
#527
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,107
If it is an AA flight which earns normally based on fare paid, then $300 will earn 300EQDs
If it if a special fare that earns by distamce , it will be 20% of distance = 100 EQDs
If it if a journey where fare in unavailable that earns by distamce , it will be 30% of distance = 150 EQDs
If it if a special fare that earns by distamce , it will be 20% of distance = 100 EQDs
If it if a journey where fare in unavailable that earns by distamce , it will be 30% of distance = 150 EQDs
If the flight is AA and fare is $300, it will earn $300 - taxes. (Base fare + airline surcharges).
Feb 8, 2018, 2:39 pm
#528
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
If it is a ticket where flight credit occurs based on distance , it earns what I stated. See https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp
Feb 8, 2018, 3:12 pm
#529
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 1,107
Which is what I said, and was referring to.
You had said it would earn $300, which would have been the full fare, which would not have been correct information and could confuse passers by.
Based on miles, yes, it earns according to the partner airlines specific chart which is also based on booking code as well.
You had said it would earn $300, which would have been the full fare, which would not have been correct information and could confuse passers by.
Based on miles, yes, it earns according to the partner airlines specific chart which is also based on booking code as well.
Feb 8, 2018, 5:57 pm
#531
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,624
Which is what I said, and was referring to.
You had said it would earn $300, which would have been the full fare, which would not have been correct information and could confuse passers by.
Based on miles, yes, it earns according to the partner airlines specific chart which is also based on booking code as well.
You had said it would earn $300, which would have been the full fare, which would not have been correct information and could confuse passers by.
Based on miles, yes, it earns according to the partner airlines specific chart which is also based on booking code as well.
that makes it eligible for 300EQDs if credited by fare
If an AA flight number, but credited by distance, it will earn by the other table I referenced
All partner marketed flights will credit by distance
if it is an AA flight number, then it will credit either by a value for the portion that is on AA flights or by distance
Feb 8, 2018, 7:07 pm
#533
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
And it is the flight number that matters, not whose ticket stock you are on, or whose metal you are on. A JAL flight with an AA flight number will earn according to AA's fare-based table, but an AA flight with a JAL number will earn according to AA's JAL distance-based table.
Feb 12, 2018, 7:00 am
#534
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: CHA/TYS
Programs: The Mac Daddy of Heimlich County (and low-ball status)
Posts: 2,868
If it is an AA flight which earns normally based on fare paid, then $300 will earn 300EQDs
If it if a special fare that earns by distamce , it will be 20% of distance = 100 EQDs
If it if a journey where fare in unavailable that earns by distamce , it will be 30% of distance = 150 EQDs
If it if a special fare that earns by distamce , it will be 20% of distance = 100 EQDs
If it if a journey where fare in unavailable that earns by distamce , it will be 30% of distance = 150 EQDs
Feb 17, 2018, 12:03 pm
#535
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,035
what are the experience of rerouting due to irregular operation to EQM and EQD for bulk and non-bulk fare?
My last trip had CUR MIA CLT LGA originally, and was rebooked to CUR MIA LGA at MIA, with MIA LGA in Y.
I earn more EQM and less EQD (i estimate that the EQD I earn per miles is the same but the routing MIA LGA has slightly
less miles than MIA CLT LGA than MIA LGA so I earn a bit less EQD. but my MIA LGA is posted as Y, so I get more EQM which I need more
than EQD this year. So I didnt write to AA about it.
now, I was in some class JFK CLT LAX (S maybe) booked via upside, and should be a bulk fare (no dollar value attached to the reservation, and the charged is not done
by AA). My JFK CLT is cancelled, and since my upgraded had cleared before, so I managed to rebooked into J class JFK LAX.
I wonder how it will post.
J class for bulk fare, 3x EQM and 150% base miles?
My last trip had CUR MIA CLT LGA originally, and was rebooked to CUR MIA LGA at MIA, with MIA LGA in Y.
I earn more EQM and less EQD (i estimate that the EQD I earn per miles is the same but the routing MIA LGA has slightly
less miles than MIA CLT LGA than MIA LGA so I earn a bit less EQD. but my MIA LGA is posted as Y, so I get more EQM which I need more
than EQD this year. So I didnt write to AA about it.
now, I was in some class JFK CLT LAX (S maybe) booked via upside, and should be a bulk fare (no dollar value attached to the reservation, and the charged is not done
by AA). My JFK CLT is cancelled, and since my upgraded had cleared before, so I managed to rebooked into J class JFK LAX.
I wonder how it will post.
J class for bulk fare, 3x EQM and 150% base miles?
Feb 17, 2018, 1:31 pm
#537
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,035
if it does post as 40% EQD, it will affect how I reroute my round the world fare.
Feb 19, 2018, 9:01 am
#538
Join Date: Sep 2008
Programs: A3 *G, AA exePlat, AS MVP 75k Gold, JL sapphire, UA silver
Posts: 4,035
post as fare method, 178 EQD but J class EQM.
Feb 26, 2018, 4:00 pm
#539
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Phoenix, AZ, USA
Programs: AA ExP (former HP/US), Marriott (former SPG) Lifetime Platinum, and most other major hotel programs
Posts: 455
I am looking at booking JJ flights between MIA and GRU in "I" (on AA metal), connecting to LA flights in "W" between GRU and ASU (on LATAM Paraguay* metal). Based on the chart on the AA web site, I am assuming I will get 150% of miles for EQMs and 20% of miles for EQDs (or maybe 22% for the LA flights). Total is 14,340 EQMs, 1912 EQDs. Does this sound correct?
* The AA web site specifically lists LATAM Brazil, Chile, Argentina, Columbia, Equador, Express and Peru, but not Paraguay. It doesn't show LATAM Paraguay as an exception, though, only Cuba.
Feb 27, 2018, 2:24 am
#540
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SBA
Programs: UA & AA 1 million miler
Posts: 1,134
Expedia Special Fare
I booked an Orbitz Air+Hotel package because AA.com was selling exact the same flights (same booking code) a bit higher even without a hotel than the Orbitz package, strange 
When I booked the Orbitz package, it showed "Special Fare". I know the 'Special Fare" doesn't show up all the time.
Anyway does that mean I will earn EQD by distance %?
When I checked the reservation at aa.com, taxes and carrier-imposed fees showed actual $ amount but the airfare showed $0
By the way the flights are all AA operated AA marketed (AA#).
When I booked the Orbitz package, it showed "Special Fare". I know the 'Special Fare" doesn't show up all the time.
Anyway does that mean I will earn EQD by distance %?
When I checked the reservation at aa.com, taxes and carrier-imposed fees showed actual $ amount but the airfare showed $0
By the way the flights are all AA operated AA marketed (AA#).
Last edited by MrJBoy; Feb 27, 2018 at 2:30 am