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)
Jan 8, 2017, 2:08 am
#76
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: London
Programs: AA EXP 2 MM
Posts: 2,823
Having just reread the BA fare rules, someone tell me if I've got this right. Let's say I find round-trip tickets LHR-PHL priced at £500 on AA *and* BA. As I read it, if we assume that, say, £200 of the fare is government taxes (just for simplicity), then with the £ at $1.25 AA you'd expect EQDs to come out at 375, BUT in the 2nd to lowest BA class they calculate EQDs as 10% of distance flown, which comes out to roughly 700 EQD (7000 miles flown).
That being the case, it would be advantageous for me to fly BA rather than AA. Is this really what they want?
wg
That being the case, it would be advantageous for me to fly BA rather than AA. Is this really what they want?
wg
So far as I know, the only way to upfare is by making a phone booking. Making a telephone booking with BA would cost £10 in UK, $25 in US. But in UK travel agents like Trailfinders do not charge a fee for BA itineraries originating in London. (Presumably there are similar deals in US?)
Jan 8, 2017, 12:25 pm
#77
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: North Carolina
Programs: AA Platimum 1MM, HH Diamond
Posts: 25
Does $350 Payment for Coach to Business Class on International Flights count as EQD's
I have browsed the WIKI and tread and curious to know if the $350 payment (Plus 25000 miles) counts as EQD's when upgrading from Coach to Business on International flights. TIA
Jan 8, 2017, 1:15 pm
#78
Join Date: Mar 2010
Location: PHL
Programs: AA Executive Platinum; Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,662
Jan 10, 2017, 5:55 pm
#80
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2012
Location: KHOU/KIAH
Programs: AA EXP | Marriott Bonvoy Titanium| Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 11,247
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 baggage fees, Admirals Club® memberships, 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.
Jan 11, 2017, 10:15 am
#81
Join Date: Nov 2012
Programs: WN CP; AMEX MR, US, DL
Posts: 27
Must Return Leg Be Flown For EQD To Credit
I am looking at a very inexpensive RT ticket on AA. The return actually may not work for me, so I may take a one-way return on another airline.
If I by the RT ticket on AA and fly outbound, but I don't fly the return -- will I get the EQD for the full price of the ticket?
For that matter, if I miss a non-refundable flight altogether, what happens with EQD's
If I by the RT ticket on AA and fly outbound, but I don't fly the return -- will I get the EQD for the full price of the ticket?
For that matter, if I miss a non-refundable flight altogether, what happens with EQD's
Jan 11, 2017, 10:19 am
#82
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,597
I am looking at a very inexpensive RT ticket on AA. The return actually may not work for me, so I may take a one-way return on another airline.
If I by the RT ticket on AA and fly outbound, but I don't fly the return -- will I get the EQD for the full price of the ticket?
For that matter, if I miss a non-refundable flight altogether, what happens with EQD's
If I by the RT ticket on AA and fly outbound, but I don't fly the return -- will I get the EQD for the full price of the ticket?
For that matter, if I miss a non-refundable flight altogether, what happens with EQD's
Jan 11, 2017, 10:52 am
#84
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Thousand Oaks, Ca., USA
Programs: AA Lifetime Plat; Bonvoy Titanium Lifetime Elite;Hyatt Globalist; HHonors Diamond; United Silver
Posts: 8,314
Jan 11, 2017, 11:25 am
#86
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 27,042
The AA coded flight will credit as fare based. AA gets fare information when either 1)regardless of marketing carrier, flights are issued on its ticket stock, or 2)regardless of ticket stock when marketed as an AA flight.
Jan 13, 2017, 3:20 pm
#87
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: TPA
Programs: BA Silver; Hilton Gold; IHG Diamond Ambassador; Marriott Gold
Posts: 2,811
Which leaves us with the problem that we have no idea what portion of the total fare + CIF will be apportioned to the AA segments.
Jan 15, 2017, 4:02 pm
#88
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Near PHL, PA and GCM, CI and sometimes PLJ, Placencia. Belize
Programs: AA-EXP, DL-Gold, Bonvoy-Gold
Posts: 246
Jan 15, 2017, 5:01 pm
#89
Join Date: Dec 2010
Location: DEN
Programs: AA EXP, AA Million Miles, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,586
Jan 16, 2017, 12:48 am
#90
Moderator: American AAdvantage, Signatures
Join Date: Jan 2008
Location: London, England
Programs: UA 1K, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, National Exec, AA EXP Emeritus
Posts: 9,765
An off-topic question about compensation has been move to the correct place for that topic.
~Moderator
~Moderator