Sep 8, 2017, 4:48 pm
Last edit by: thorofare
American Airlines "Special Fares" and EQD Earning
Link to aa.com Special fares: Earning Award Miles and Elite Qualifying Credits
"Special Fares" include some fares sold by other than AA, such as those sold in conjunction with a travel lodging package by AA Vacations, and those purchased with credit card points, such as Thank You Points and Membership Rewards points.
Like oneworld partner (and Alaska Airlines through 31 Dec 2017) fares, these earn Elite Qualifying Dollars based on a percentage of base miles / miles flown / flight distance and the fare class purchased.
Flights booked using Thank You Points, Membership Rewards, etc. where the cardholder is essentially buying your ticket most often are special fares as well.
NOTE: EQD credit varies for "Special Fares" (e.g. AA Vacations), and the chart for those changed on 1 Jan 2019. See here.
Link to aa.com Special fares: Earning Award Miles and Elite Qualifying Credits
"Special Fares" include some fares sold by other than AA, such as those sold in conjunction with a travel lodging package by AA Vacations, and those purchased with credit card points, such as Thank You Points and Membership Rewards points.
Like oneworld partner (and Alaska Airlines through 31 Dec 2017) fares, these earn Elite Qualifying Dollars based on a percentage of base miles / miles flown / flight distance and the fare class purchased.
Flights booked using Thank You Points, Membership Rewards, etc. where the cardholder is essentially buying your ticket most often are special fares as well.
NOTE: EQD credit varies for "Special Fares" (e.g. AA Vacations), and the chart for those changed on 1 Jan 2019. See here.
AA "Special Fare" (AA Vacations, TYP, MR, etc.) Questions, EQD, Issues (merged)
Feb 1, 2018, 2:40 pm
#167
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Las Vegas
Programs: DL DM, AA PlatPro, Hilton DM, Hyatt Glob, Marriott Titanium, Hertz PC, National EE
Posts: 1,532
Data point on my AA Vacations booked O*-class SEA-LAX-PVG-DFW-SEA booking.
Outbound SEA-LAX-PVG. SWU applied and cleared a few days before travel. Posted correctly as a special fare.
Return PVG-DFW-SEA. SWU cleared on long-haul at booking (after calling in), DFW-SEA cleared the day before. However, I went standby (and flew in Y) on earlier DFW-SEA. Posted as fare. I called EXP line and verified and sent in for "fare review". I'm going to be patient and see if it updates in a day or two.
Companion also booked AA Vacations booked with O* and Q*. SWUs all cleared before flights. All segments posted correctly as special fares.
I bet the standby flight on my returned goofed things up.
One question for everyone. Companion's short segment (LAX-SAN) appears to have posted correctly as a special fare but 500-mile minimum only seemed to apply for EQM, not for EQD or Award miles. Is that everyone's experience?
UPDATE: Miles posted correctly now. The return is listed as Distance - manual posting.
Outbound SEA-LAX-PVG. SWU applied and cleared a few days before travel. Posted correctly as a special fare.
Return PVG-DFW-SEA. SWU cleared on long-haul at booking (after calling in), DFW-SEA cleared the day before. However, I went standby (and flew in Y) on earlier DFW-SEA. Posted as fare. I called EXP line and verified and sent in for "fare review". I'm going to be patient and see if it updates in a day or two.
Companion also booked AA Vacations booked with O* and Q*. SWUs all cleared before flights. All segments posted correctly as special fares.
I bet the standby flight on my returned goofed things up.
One question for everyone. Companion's short segment (LAX-SAN) appears to have posted correctly as a special fare but 500-mile minimum only seemed to apply for EQM, not for EQD or Award miles. Is that everyone's experience?
UPDATE: Miles posted correctly now. The return is listed as Distance - manual posting.
Last edited by bworrell; Feb 2, 2018 at 5:24 pm
Feb 1, 2018, 2:49 pm
#168
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,552
Feb 1, 2018, 3:08 pm
#169
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
I booked an AA Vacation package for JFK-ZRH (for an itn in June). Checking the booking info there are NO "*"s next to the fare code. I called AA Vacations to inquire why--the agent had no idea about "*"s.
The difference between special vs $ will net about $175 less for me. [I've booked lots of AA packages and "*" always appear...why not this one itn?
PS: Calling AA EXP desk about a Vacation package, they immediately pass me to AA Vacations. [But, after I complete my itn, is there any likelihood of getting the EQD adjusted to distance (and get $175 more EQDs?]
The difference between special vs $ will net about $175 less for me. [I've booked lots of AA packages and "*" always appear...why not this one itn?
PS: Calling AA EXP desk about a Vacation package, they immediately pass me to AA Vacations. [But, after I complete my itn, is there any likelihood of getting the EQD adjusted to distance (and get $175 more EQDs?]
Feb 1, 2018, 3:23 pm
#170
Join Date: Dec 2015
Location: GNV
Programs: AA EP (life Gold), Global Entry, TSA Pre-Check, Marriott Plat, IHG Plat
Posts: 392
Just give AA a call at the end of the trip and ask them to recalculate the earnings using the special fare chart as opposed to revenue chart. Just explain that the tickets were booked through AA vacations, but got re-ticketed when the SWU cleared.
If your SWU doesn't clear on the return, in my experience, the return probably will post as special fare.
If your SWU doesn't clear on the return, in my experience, the return probably will post as special fare.
So, I'm back. The outbound *for me* posted as fare but for my wife as "special fare." the return, even though my SWU cleared <24 hours before our return, posted as "special fare," ironically.
I've emailed AAdvantage CS twice without luck. I also got an additional invoice of about $44/ticket. No idea why. I've emailed AA CS to find out why.
When I'm back from this conference, I will give them a ring.
This is one bizarre situation.
Feb 5, 2018, 9:39 am
#171
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SMF
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 77
Hello all,
I purchased an open jaw ticket from SMF to ATH returning out of NBO on thankyou.com which posted as special fare (no fare info available). Now looking at the mileage earnings, I have a couple of questions regarding the EQD calculation. The whole ticket was booked in V fare and the calculation method was: Distance - special fare as expected. Looking at https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp it seems that there is a distinction between earning when ticket/fare details are available and when unavailable. According to my understanding, my ticket/fare details were unavailable, so I should be getting EQD at a 20% rate instead of a 15% which is when ticket/fare details are available (and is what I actually got). Any prior experience with that? Do you think it's worth it reaching out to AAdvantage?
Thanks in advance
I purchased an open jaw ticket from SMF to ATH returning out of NBO on thankyou.com which posted as special fare (no fare info available). Now looking at the mileage earnings, I have a couple of questions regarding the EQD calculation. The whole ticket was booked in V fare and the calculation method was: Distance - special fare as expected. Looking at https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp it seems that there is a distinction between earning when ticket/fare details are available and when unavailable. According to my understanding, my ticket/fare details were unavailable, so I should be getting EQD at a 20% rate instead of a 15% which is when ticket/fare details are available (and is what I actually got). Any prior experience with that? Do you think it's worth it reaching out to AAdvantage?
Thanks in advance
Feb 5, 2018, 11:00 am
#172
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Oakland
Programs: AA Explat, UA former 1K + PremExec, DL
Posts: 1,151
Hello all,
I purchased an open jaw ticket from SMF to ATH returning out of NBO on thankyou.com which posted as special fare (no fare info available). Now looking at the mileage earnings, I have a couple of questions regarding the EQD calculation. The whole ticket was booked in V fare and the calculation method was: Distance - special fare as expected. Looking at https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp it seems that there is a distinction between earning when ticket/fare details are available and when unavailable. According to my understanding, my ticket/fare details were unavailable, so I should be getting EQD at a 20% rate instead of a 15% which is when ticket/fare details are available (and is what I actually got). Any prior experience with that? Do you think it's worth it reaching out to AAdvantage?
Thanks in advance
I purchased an open jaw ticket from SMF to ATH returning out of NBO on thankyou.com which posted as special fare (no fare info available). Now looking at the mileage earnings, I have a couple of questions regarding the EQD calculation. The whole ticket was booked in V fare and the calculation method was: Distance - special fare as expected. Looking at https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-p...cial-fares.jsp it seems that there is a distinction between earning when ticket/fare details are available and when unavailable. According to my understanding, my ticket/fare details were unavailable, so I should be getting EQD at a 20% rate instead of a 15% which is when ticket/fare details are available (and is what I actually got). Any prior experience with that? Do you think it's worth it reaching out to AAdvantage?
Thanks in advance
Mar 1, 2018, 10:17 pm
#173
Join Date: May 2009
Location: SMF
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 77
Tried to book a special fare from SFO to CDG via PHL on Chase UR and Citi Thank you today. The booking classes were Q on the domestic led and P (PE) on the transatlantic. I tried doing it online, 100% on a credit card, partially with points and over the phone and it always ticketed as normal (not special) fare with the total $ showing on AA.com. Has any of you had any luck lately booking international PE fares or it is supposed to work only in economy? FWIW, when I went through the fare rules the words "bulk fare" appeared multiple times in the body of the text. Any other tricks I could use?
Thanks in advance
Thanks in advance
Mar 2, 2018, 1:40 pm
#174
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: AAdvantage Gold, UA Silver, Hertz 5*, National EC E, Sixt Gold,
Posts: 7
On another note (and forgive my ignorance) but is there fundamentally a difference between booking special fares and booking flights on AA metal through partner sites in terms of EQD earn? I specifically fly JFK-LHR-BSL at least a few times a year and typically fly AA JFK-LHR but book through BA for 10% discount and slightly higher EQDs (at the expense of EQMs), but would consider hunting down special fares and buying on UR points instead if someone could explain to me when this would be a better option. More EQMs? More AMs?
Mar 5, 2018, 3:10 pm
#175
Join Date: Dec 2016
Location: CA
Posts: 304
I booked an AA Vacation package for JFK-ZRH (for an itn in June). Checking the booking info there are NO "*"s next to the fare code. I called AA Vacations to inquire why--the agent had no idea about "*"s.
The difference between special vs $ will net about $175 less for me. [I've booked lots of AA packages and "*" always appear...why not this one itn?
PS: Calling AA EXP desk about a Vacation package, they immediately pass me to AA Vacations. [But, after I complete my itn, is there any likelihood of getting the EQD adjusted to distance (and get $175 more EQDs?]
The difference between special vs $ will net about $175 less for me. [I've booked lots of AA packages and "*" always appear...why not this one itn?
PS: Calling AA EXP desk about a Vacation package, they immediately pass me to AA Vacations. [But, after I complete my itn, is there any likelihood of getting the EQD adjusted to distance (and get $175 more EQDs?]
Mar 5, 2018, 3:19 pm
#176
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EP, AA AC
Posts: 4,268
Greeting DAArksiders!
Just booked an AA Vacations trip to Cabo and it credited EQD on fare paid and not distance, but had to have ticket reissued due to spelling error with a name so do not know if that was the cause or not, but its another data point.
Safe Travels
Just booked an AA Vacations trip to Cabo and it credited EQD on fare paid and not distance, but had to have ticket reissued due to spelling error with a name so do not know if that was the cause or not, but its another data point.
Safe Travels
Mar 5, 2018, 7:41 pm
#177
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Madison WI
Programs: AA Lifetime PLT - 2.9MM, Lifetime AC, HHonors Gold, Marriott Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Hertz Precs Crcl
Posts: 2,212
It appears AA Vacation packages are no longer being coded as special fares for the flight. My recent trip posted as regular fare, unlike my previous trip to Europe last summer which did get coded as special fares. I'd take caution in booking through AAV if you're expecting special fare earnings.
Any number of things (like applying a SWU) can cause the ticket to have the fare calculated. Again, calling in should have the issue fixed if the original booking was (*).
Mar 8, 2018, 5:51 pm
#178
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: SBA
Programs: UA & AA 1 million miler
Posts: 1,134
Orbitz Air + Hotel Package
I booked an air + hotel package at Orbitz.com.
Would EQD be calculated by distance?
When I booked it, it says "Special Fare" next to the flight information.
I noticed that "Special Fare" didn't show up depending on travel dates.
Would EQD be calculated by distance?
When I booked it, it says "Special Fare" next to the flight information.
I noticed that "Special Fare" didn't show up depending on travel dates.
Mar 9, 2018, 7:15 am
#179
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: jfk area
Programs: AA platinum; 2MM AA, Delta Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 10,291
AA Vacations is running a March promo code is MARCH
. I was curious to see to see how big the discount using the code would be: 6 nights + business class fls to ZRH from JFK @$3200 gets me a $34.00 discount--WOW.
. I was curious to see to see how big the discount using the code would be: 6 nights + business class fls to ZRH from JFK @$3200 gets me a $34.00 discount--WOW.
Mar 9, 2018, 8:34 am
#180
Join Date: Jan 2011
Location: CLT
Programs: AA EXP
Posts: 866