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)
#601
Join Date: Nov 2001
Location: Texas Hill Country
Programs: AS MVP Gold 75K, Hyatt Explorist, UA 1MM
Posts: 2,118
#602
Join Date: Oct 2002
Posts: 1,701
IC. Yes u are close. You could also call American and they could tell you the exact distance that they would recognize. Or just try making a fake booking and it will tell u.
#603
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: AUS, LAX
Programs: AA EXP - 2.2 MM, Admirals Club, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Avis Presidents, National Exec
Posts: 1,581
So $175 EQD short of requalifying. I'm trying to find a way to work around this without taking another trip. I've got 12 flights/segments booked between now and 12/31. Is there anything I can do with those existing tickets to put $175 into them? From the Wiki it sounds like cash co-pay for upgrade doesn't earn EQD, nor does buying miles, etc. What about mileage multitpliers? The fine print says it doesn't count towards elite miles, and the full T&C web site is down.
Am I really going to have to make a quick trip?
Am I really going to have to make a quick trip?
#604
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
So $175 EQD short of requalifying. I'm trying to find a way to work around this without taking another trip. I've got 12 flights/segments booked between now and 12/31. Is there anything I can do with those existing tickets to put $175 into them? From the Wiki it sounds like cash co-pay for upgrade doesn't earn EQD, nor does buying miles, etc. What about mileage multitpliers? The fine print says it doesn't count towards elite miles, and the full T&C web site is down.
Am I really going to have to make a quick trip?
Am I really going to have to make a quick trip?
#605
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: AUS, LAX
Programs: AA EXP - 2.2 MM, Admirals Club, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium, Avis Presidents, National Exec
Posts: 1,581
Thanks, I was hoping for something like that. Going to an Admiral's Club tomorrow, hopefully can find a ~$200 upfare.
#606
Join Date: Nov 2014
Location: NYC
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 254
This may be a dumb question, but I purchased RT JFK-MXP in PE via BA, with BA flight numbers (AA operated flight), specifically to maximize EQDs. I know the BA flight numbers are supposed to mean I earn EQDs based on distance, but when I pull up the reservation on AA, the fare I paid on BA is displayed. Should that worry me?
#607
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,600
This may be a dumb question, but I purchased RT JFK-MXP in PE via BA, with BA flight numbers (AA operated flight), specifically to maximize EQDs. I know the BA flight numbers are supposed to mean I earn EQDs based on distance, but when I pull up the reservation on AA, the fare I paid on BA is displayed. Should that worry me?
#608
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SBA
Programs: UA & AA 1 million miler
Posts: 1,134
I booked AA(P)+CX(L) flight (001 tickets).
I can see a receipt at AA.com but I don't know what EQD for this ticket is.
I know the CX flight is booked in L so I won't earn anything.
How can I find out EQD?
I can see a receipt at AA.com but I don't know what EQD for this ticket is.
I know the CX flight is booked in L so I won't earn anything.
How can I find out EQD?
#609
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: RDU <|> MMX
Programs: AA EXP 2MM, SK EBS
Posts: 12,482
There's no way to know for sure (that I'm aware of) what the EQD breakout between segments will be for itineraries such as this.
#610
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
I've got AA-codes flights on an OW partner's ticket stock (part of a larger international itinerary).
Though the ticket was not purchased from AA, would AA still have enough visibility of the fare / ticket costing details of the AA flights specifically to use that as the EQD value for the flights?
Or, is the ticket / fare considered not disclosed / unavailable, and EQDs be calculated based on miles flown with one of the two tables here applying?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp
Though the ticket was not purchased from AA, would AA still have enough visibility of the fare / ticket costing details of the AA flights specifically to use that as the EQD value for the flights?
Or, is the ticket / fare considered not disclosed / unavailable, and EQDs be calculated based on miles flown with one of the two tables here applying?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp
Last edited by crackjack; Mar 20, 2019 at 11:06 am
#611
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
I've got AA-codes flights on an OW partner's ticket stock (part of a larger international itinerary).
Though the ticket was not purchased from AA, would AA still have enough visibility of the fare / ticket costing details of the AA flights specifically to use that as the EQD value for the flights?
Or, is the ticket / fare considered not disclosed / unavailable, and EQDs be calculated based on miles flown with one of the two tables here applying?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp
Though the ticket was not purchased from AA, would AA still have enough visibility of the fare / ticket costing details of the AA flights specifically to use that as the EQD value for the flights?
Or, is the ticket / fare considered not disclosed / unavailable, and EQDs be calculated based on miles flown with one of the two tables here applying?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp
The only time I have had Fare unavailable show up is in your situation coupled with irrops causing the OW partner to rebook me.
#612
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
Thanks; I am still trying to decide whether to push for EXP this year, and EQDs apperrs to be the limiting factor... ($15k, 25% growth YOY! I want that kind of income growth!)
Guess I'll just have to expect a low EQD on the AA flights, and then just go from there.
Guess I'll just have to expect a low EQD on the AA flights, and then just go from there.
#613
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: SJC
Programs: UA 1K, AA ExecPlat
Posts: 820
I've got AA-codes flights on an OW partner's ticket stock (part of a larger international itinerary).
Though the ticket was not purchased from AA, would AA still have enough visibility of the fare / ticket costing details of the AA flights specifically to use that as the EQD value for the flights?
Or, is the ticket / fare considered not disclosed / unavailable, and EQDs be calculated based on miles flown with one of the two tables here applying?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp
Though the ticket was not purchased from AA, would AA still have enough visibility of the fare / ticket costing details of the AA flights specifically to use that as the EQD value for the flights?
Or, is the ticket / fare considered not disclosed / unavailable, and EQDs be calculated based on miles flown with one of the two tables here applying?
https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp
#614
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,132
I had a ticket like this recently that was ticketed by JL which included domestic AA segments. The JL segments posted by distance while the AA segment posted by fare. Viewing my itinerary on AA.com, they were able to display the total cost of the trip despite it being ticketed by another carrier.
#615
Join Date: Sep 2008
Location: AUS
Programs: BAEC Gold, AA PPro, Hyatt Globalist, Amex Plat
Posts: 7,043