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)
Aug 21, 2018, 1:45 pm
#586
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
I recently flew LAX-PHL, purchased the R/T on AA.com, "V" bucket fare each way. i then upgraded the return (but not the outbound) using miles + $75 co-pay.
The outbound awarded EQD's/miles based on fare, but the return awarded based on distance. How often does upgrading w/ miles trigger the distance-based earn? Always, sometimes, or rarely?
If "always", the extra earning really offsets the cost of the upgrade on longer flights!
The outbound awarded EQD's/miles based on fare, but the return awarded based on distance. How often does upgrading w/ miles trigger the distance-based earn? Always, sometimes, or rarely?
If "always", the extra earning really offsets the cost of the upgrade on longer flights!
Aug 21, 2018, 1:48 pm
#588
Join Date: Aug 2017
Programs: AA PLT, IHG Spire
Posts: 551
I had that happen to me last time I upfared with cash (was going to use miles but total cost difference was only $140). I also used a paper voucher on the two flights as well. Combine that with the fact that the original fare may have priced in canadian dollars instead of US since I was leaving from Canada and I wasn't surprised to see they lost my fare basis. It took them 45 minutes on hold to calculate the price to upfare and My companion and I cost slightly different amounts even though both fares were supposedly the same.
Aug 21, 2018, 1:51 pm
#589
Join Date: Jun 2015
Location: New York
Programs: AA, CX, Hyatt, Marriott
Posts: 1,484
It's random and I don't think FT has a conclusive answer. Re-ticketing to a partner, IRROPS are common reasons why it was changed to distance-based, or even to the wrong class of services.
Oct 16, 2018, 12:44 pm
#591
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
Oct 19, 2018, 8:22 am
#592
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: BNA and FLL
Programs: National Executive Elite, IHG Diamond Elite, Hilton Gold, SW A List, Marriott Gold
Posts: 964
Trying to retain Gold status for 2019. Looking at this flight can someone confirm my estimated earnings? I don’t want to spend all this money to come up short.
MIA-LHR-MIA on BA metal ticketed through British Airways website in Premium Economy, class T both ways. aa.com charts show EQD earnings should be 20% of distance for T fare and EQMs are 1.5 times distance for T fare.
So I came up with:
EQDs = 8,849 distance miles times .20 = $1,769.80
EQMs = 8,849 times 1.5 = 13,273 miles
Am I correct on these assumptions? And is it typically almost always better to book on BA ticket stock to maximize the earnings for Economy Plus type tickets?
MIA-LHR-MIA on BA metal ticketed through British Airways website in Premium Economy, class T both ways. aa.com charts show EQD earnings should be 20% of distance for T fare and EQMs are 1.5 times distance for T fare.
So I came up with:
EQDs = 8,849 distance miles times .20 = $1,769.80
EQMs = 8,849 times 1.5 = 13,273 miles
Am I correct on these assumptions? And is it typically almost always better to book on BA ticket stock to maximize the earnings for Economy Plus type tickets?
Oct 19, 2018, 8:58 am
#593
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: PHL
Programs: AA EXP MM, HHonors Lifetime Diamond, Marriott Lifetime Ti, UA Silver
Posts: 5,037
Trying to retain Gold status for 2019. Looking at this flight can someone confirm my estimated earnings? I don’t want to spend all this money to come up short.
MIA-LHR-MIA on BA metal ticketed through British Airways website in Premium Economy, class T both ways. aa.com charts show EQD earnings should be 20% of distance for T fare and EQMs are 1.5 times distance for T fare.
So I came up with:
EQDs = 8,849 distance miles times .20 = $1,769.80
EQMs = 8,849 times 1.5 = 13,273 miles
Am I correct on these assumptions? And is it typically almost always better to book on BA ticket stock to maximize the earnings for Economy Plus type tickets?
MIA-LHR-MIA on BA metal ticketed through British Airways website in Premium Economy, class T both ways. aa.com charts show EQD earnings should be 20% of distance for T fare and EQMs are 1.5 times distance for T fare.
So I came up with:
EQDs = 8,849 distance miles times .20 = $1,769.80
EQMs = 8,849 times 1.5 = 13,273 miles
Am I correct on these assumptions? And is it typically almost always better to book on BA ticket stock to maximize the earnings for Economy Plus type tickets?
Your math is (almost) correct. The distance between MIA and LHR is 4425 miles according to gc map, so that would be 8850 round trip. That gives you 1770 EQDs and 13275 EQMs. Don't spend the extra $0.20 all in one place
Oct 19, 2018, 9:57 am
#594
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
As to whether it is 'always' better to book BA flight numbers to maximize earnings, the answer is generally Yes, but not if the fare is more than about $2000, when you'll get more EQDs (and the same EQMs) from AA flight numbers.
The other thing to remember is that if you are looking to upgrade a ticket then codeshares are almost always excluded from upgrade paths and ticket stock (and point of purchase) very much matters.
Nov 23, 2018, 10:30 am
#596
Suspended
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 860
AA coded flight on BA ticket
I have some AA coded segments on a BA issued ticket (which also contains BA coded segments) booked with a travel agent (AmEx Travel).
I'm trying to figure out if the AA coded segments would post based on distance or some opaque price calculation. The ticket was relatively cheap so I would only credit to AA if it was going to post using distance for EQD.
I've looked through the thread but couldn't see an answer for this case (although it may be that there is no answer and it's just random/based on unknown factors?).
Any idea how I could check it?
I'm trying to figure out if the AA coded segments would post based on distance or some opaque price calculation. The ticket was relatively cheap so I would only credit to AA if it was going to post using distance for EQD.
I've looked through the thread but couldn't see an answer for this case (although it may be that there is no answer and it's just random/based on unknown factors?).
Any idea how I could check it?
Nov 23, 2018, 3:35 pm
#597
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
I have some AA coded segments on a BA issued ticket (which also contains BA coded segments) booked with a travel agent (AmEx Travel).
I'm trying to figure out if the AA coded segments would post based on distance or some opaque price calculation. The ticket was relatively cheap so I would only credit to AA if it was going to post using distance for EQD.
I've looked through the thread but couldn't see an answer for this case (although it may be that there is no answer and it's just random/based on unknown factors?).
Any idea how I could check it?
I'm trying to figure out if the AA coded segments would post based on distance or some opaque price calculation. The ticket was relatively cheap so I would only credit to AA if it was going to post using distance for EQD.
I've looked through the thread but couldn't see an answer for this case (although it may be that there is no answer and it's just random/based on unknown factors?).
Any idea how I could check it?
Nov 24, 2018, 3:24 am
#598
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,702
Really? In this whole thread you couldn’t find the answer????
it will post spending on the marketing carrier of the flight. If it’s just an AMEX travel agency booking — maybe using a Corp discount — it should post as fare. The only time that it should correctly post as distance if there was some bulk fare used — which on standard TA bookings usually doesn’t happen.
U can try calling AA to see what RES seea regarding fare. Keep in mind RES is NOT what would/May come through on the revenue side of the ticket. Easiest is to call your TA and ask what the fare basis codes are. Heck, they may be on ur confirmation.
it will post spending on the marketing carrier of the flight. If it’s just an AMEX travel agency booking — maybe using a Corp discount — it should post as fare. The only time that it should correctly post as distance if there was some bulk fare used — which on standard TA bookings usually doesn’t happen.
U can try calling AA to see what RES seea regarding fare. Keep in mind RES is NOT what would/May come through on the revenue side of the ticket. Easiest is to call your TA and ask what the fare basis codes are. Heck, they may be on ur confirmation.
I have some AA coded segments on a BA issued ticket (which also contains BA coded segments) booked with a travel agent (AmEx Travel).
I'm trying to figure out if the AA coded segments would post based on distance or some opaque price calculation. The ticket was relatively cheap so I would only credit to AA if it was going to post using distance for EQD.
I've looked through the thread but couldn't see an answer for this case (although it may be that there is no answer and it's just random/based on unknown factors?).
Any idea how I could check it?
I'm trying to figure out if the AA coded segments would post based on distance or some opaque price calculation. The ticket was relatively cheap so I would only credit to AA if it was going to post using distance for EQD.
I've looked through the thread but couldn't see an answer for this case (although it may be that there is no answer and it's just random/based on unknown factors?).
Any idea how I could check it?
Last edited by 777lover; Nov 24, 2018 at 3:33 am
Nov 24, 2018, 7:07 am
#599
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Texas Hill Country
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Hyatt Explorist, UA 1MM
Posts: 2,118
Looking for hard data points from those who may have flown JFK-MAD-JFK with IB and credited to AAdvantage. Fare class is T (non-upgradable Premium Economy). I get 1432 EQDs when applying 20% to distance, but hoping to see some real world numbers. Thank you!
Nov 24, 2018, 8:17 am
#600
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,702
Your math seems right. What else are u looking for?