Jan 17, 2017, 3:49 pm
Last edit by: JDiver
Earning Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM (and AA status)
on American Airlines and its partner airlines
on American Airlines and its partner airlines
Note: Earning EQM / and their purpose changed 1/1/2016, and values earned changed 1/1/2019 for AY, BA, IB.
New Elite Qualifying Miles earning
link to AAdvantage program changes for 2016 on aa.com
"You’ll continue to earn EQMs based on the airline and booking class purchased. Plus, Full-fare Economy, Business Class or First Class tickets on American-marketed flights will earn EQMs at a higher rate (up to 2.0 or 3.0 EQMs per flown mile) – getting you to elite status faster." - aa.com
Caveat: Some, even AA new Basic Economy fares as well as others' discount or deep discount economy fares may be credited with fractional or even no EQM / Elite Qualifying Miles. Read carefully.
Please see this page (link) on aa.com for earning AAdvantage miles flying oneworld and additional airline partners, then read the chart for that airline partner. Be sure to note some fares operated by oneworld and additional partners may earn full, partial or no AA miles (E.g. Cathay Pacific only earns AA miles on H, B and full Y fares in coach; BA and IB fares may earn as few as 0.5 EQ Miles per mile flown as of 1 Feb 2016.)
Link to AAdvantage program update page on aa.com
link to AAdvantage program changes for 2016 on aa.com
"You’ll continue to earn EQMs based on the airline and booking class purchased. Plus, Full-fare Economy, Business Class or First Class tickets on American-marketed flights will earn EQMs at a higher rate (up to 2.0 or 3.0 EQMs per flown mile) – getting you to elite status faster." - aa.com
Caveat: Some, even AA new Basic Economy fares as well as others' discount or deep discount economy fares may be credited with fractional or even no EQM / Elite Qualifying Miles. Read carefully.
Please see this page (link) on aa.com for earning AAdvantage miles flying oneworld and additional airline partners, then read the chart for that airline partner. Be sure to note some fares operated by oneworld and additional partners may earn full, partial or no AA miles (E.g. Cathay Pacific only earns AA miles on H, B and full Y fares in coach; BA and IB fares may earn as few as 0.5 EQ Miles per mile flown as of 1 Feb 2016.)
Link to AAdvantage program update page on aa.com
Read The AAdvantage Terms and Conditions here
Glossary:
- Award mile ("RDM" often "Redeemable Mile" on Flyertalk): a unit that can be spent on an award, such as a bonus, purchased, or other AAdvantage mile.
- Base mile: A unit based on a flown mile (can be a percentage of flown miles on AA partners) used to calculate redeemable (award usable) miles (changes late 2016 to revenue based system)
- Bonus Mile: Award Mile earned through various activities including flying, credit card use, hotel stays, auto rentals, shopping etc. with various American Airlines partners. See Earning AA Award / Redeemable Miles / RDM on AA, partners later 2016.
- Elite Qualifying Dollars (EQD): credit for spend on AA and partner airlines over the calendar year (base fare plus carrier imposed fees, but excluding taxes, government and ancillary fees); minimum EQD spend now required for status. See more here.
- Elite Qualifying Mile (EQM): A unit used to earn status, based on flown miles X purchased class of service for the marketing airline.
- Elite Qualifying Segment (EQS): A unit used to earn status equivalent to a sector flown by a qualifying flight (but note when the same flight number is flown over two or more sectors the entirety will generally count as one segment. "You’ll still earn 1 EQS (Elite Qualifying segment) for each eligible segment you fly." - aa.com (NOTE: the new AA Basic Economy fares earn 0.5 EQS.)
- Flown mile: actual miles flown (as published by AA - Great Circle Mapper, etc. are close
- Marketing airline is the airline "plating" or issuing the boarding pass, e.g. QF operated by FJ. The marketing airline's chart on aa.com (not the airline's) determines your miles earning on airline partners. (Neither the airline selling or issuing the ticket makes any difference.)
- Operating airline is the airline operating the flight. except for AA and QF (and a very few others) to earn miles on a oneworld marketed flight, the operating airline must generally be a oneworld airline.
- Qualifying flight: an AA or partner flight on which one can earn EQM, EQS in this instance
On American Airlines, qualifying British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and Japan Airlines marketed flights: (all AA flights operated by various AA partners but as AA “codeshares” - your boarding pass states “AA 1234” and not AS, QF, EY, etc.)
Exceptions: There are certain airline ticket types that are not eligible for mileage accrual regardless of the booking class. These include, without limitation, the following:
- 3 EQMs/mile – Full-fare First or Business class fares
- 2 EQMs/mile - Discount First or Business class fares
- 1.5 EQMs/mile – Full-fare Main Cabin, or Premium Economy class fares
- 1 EQMs/mile - on most Discount Main Cabin
- 0.5 EQMs/mile on highly discounted the new Basic Economy fares
- All tickets issued as AAdvantage awards
- Other free ticket promotions including free or reduced rate tickets
- Companion tickets
- Charter flight tickets
- Travel agency/industry reduced rate tickets
- Infant tickets
- Items occupying a purchased seat (e.g. XTRASEAT)
- (Also Extra seats purchased by a passenger for him/herself)
- Unpublished fare tickets, including consolidator fares
- Tickets issued subject to special provisions
- oneworld marketed flights operated by non-oneworld airlines, with the exception of most Qantas (but not Jetstar operated) and Japan Airlines flights. E.g. QF operated by FJ, yes. BA operated by UK, no.
Earning EQM on AA partner airlines:
The amount of EQMs you earn on partner airlines has changed. Earning rates will vary depending on the marketing airline. On qualifying flights of airlines other than AA marketed flights, the maximum EQM that can be earned is 1.5 EQM per base mile flown,
EQMs may be earned at different rates and with differing fare classes, depending on airline, flown miles and fare class. Not all partner airlines' or their fares earn EQM. See here to partner airlines' miles earning charts link on aa.com.
Some non-oneworld partner airlines award only award / redeemable miles, not EQM (e.g. Etihad, Gulf, Fiji), unless flying them as an AA or QF marketed ("codeshare") flight.
Explore our partner airlines (link)
For example, using CX / Cathay Pacific Airways marketed flights operated by oneworld partners including AA, as of 1 Feb 2016:
The amount of EQMs you earn on partner airlines has changed. Earning rates will vary depending on the marketing airline. On qualifying flights of airlines other than AA marketed flights, the maximum EQM that can be earned is 1.5 EQM per base mile flown,
EQMs may be earned at different rates and with differing fare classes, depending on airline, flown miles and fare class. Not all partner airlines' or their fares earn EQM. See here to partner airlines' miles earning charts link on aa.com.
Some non-oneworld partner airlines award only award / redeemable miles, not EQM (e.g. Etihad, Gulf, Fiji), unless flying them as an AA or QF marketed ("codeshare") flight.
Explore our partner airlines (link)
For example, using CX / Cathay Pacific Airways marketed flights operated by oneworld partners including AA, as of 1 Feb 2016:
- 1.5 EQMs/mile - CX all published, purchased First Class fares
- 1.5 EQM / EQMs/mile - CX all published, purchased Business / Club fares
- 1.5 EQM / EQMs/mile - CX all published, purchased premium economy / Traveller Pus fares
- 1.0 EQM / EQMs/mile - CX all published, purchased full economy / Y and B fares
- 0.5 EQM / EQMs/mile - CX B or H Economy class fares
- 0 EQM all other published, purchased economy / fares
AAdvantage Elite minimum mileage guarantee (applies to EQM but not RDM)
How is the 500-mile EQM minimum benefit applied for AAdvantageelite members?
If your flight is less than 500 miles we’ll raise the base EQM amount to 500 prior to applying any multipliers, according to the booking code purchased. After applying the multiplier, the number of EQMs awarded could be less than 500. For example, if your flight is 300 miles in length, we will raise the base EQM amount to 500. If the multiplier to be applied is 0.50, you will earn 250 EQMs for the flight.
AAdvantageelite members will earn at least 500 (250, in reality - see immediately above) miles for flights under 500 miles on American Airlines and American Eagle (including codeshare flights booked as an American Airlines flight number) and participating AAdvantage and oneworld airlines: *LAN includes LAN Airlines, LAN Argentina, LAN Ecuador and LAN Peru.
AA new Basic Economy fares appear not to earn minima defined above?
The 500 EQM minimum is what multipliers should be applied to, not actual miles when flown miles are under 500. See:
Earning AA Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM on AA, oneworld, partner airlines 2016.
aa.com: link
How is the 500-mile EQM minimum benefit applied for AAdvantage
If your flight is less than 500 miles we’ll raise the base EQM amount to 500 prior to applying any multipliers, according to the booking code purchased. After applying the multiplier, the number of EQMs awarded could be less than 500. For example, if your flight is 300 miles in length, we will raise the base EQM amount to 500. If the multiplier to be applied is 0.50, you will earn 250 EQMs for the flight.
AAdvantage
- British Airways
- Fiji Airways (non-oneworld; RDM only)
- Finnair
- Gulf Air (non-oneworld; RDM only)
- Iberia
- LAN*
- Qantas
- Royal Jordanian
- SriLankan Airlines
- TAM Airlines
AA new Basic Economy fares appear not to earn minima defined above?
The 500 EQM minimum is what multipliers should be applied to, not actual miles when flown miles are under 500. See:
Earning AA Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM on AA, oneworld, partner airlines 2016.
aa.com: link
Elite Qualifying (EQM) or Redeemable (RDM)?
To determine if you earn EQM or RDM, read the "Earn miles" statement for each airline:
This will earn EQM:
This will not earn EQM, only RDM:
To determine if you earn EQM or RDM, read the "Earn miles" statement for each airline:
This will earn EQM:
Earn miles
Earn elite-qualifying AAdvantage miles when you fly on airberlin marketed and operated flights as well as airberlin codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
Earn elite-qualifying AAdvantage miles when you fly on airberlin marketed and operated flights as well as airberlin codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
- Buy an eligible published fare ticket booked in an eligible code
- Fly an eligible route
- Specific flights, routes or cities that are excluded from earning miles or award travel are listed as exceptions if applicable.
Earn miles
Earn AAdvantage miles when you fly on Fiji Airways marketed and operated flights as well as Fiji Airways codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
Earn AAdvantage miles when you fly on Fiji Airways marketed and operated flights as well as Fiji Airways codeshare flights operated by American Airlines. Simply:
- Buy an eligible published fare ticket booked in an eligible code
- Fly an eligible route
- Specific flights, routes or cities that are excluded from earning miles or award travel are listed as exceptions if applicable.
oneworld Codeshares Operated by non-oneworld Airlines or Affiliates
Other than flying Qantas(except Jetstar operated) and most Japan Airlines codeshares / marketed flights, oneworld codeshare flights must be operated by oneworld airlines and their oneworld affiliates to earn miles.
E.g. AA codeshare operated by EY, earn as if flying AA.
E.g. Flying EY, earn Redeemable (not Elite Qualifying) miles.
E.g. BA operated by Bangkok Airways, no AA miles.
E.g. BA operated by Vistara yields no AA miles.
E.g. QF flown by FJ will earn EQM.
Other than flying Qantas(except Jetstar operated) and most Japan Airlines codeshares / marketed flights, oneworld codeshare flights must be operated by oneworld airlines and their oneworld affiliates to earn miles.
E.g. AA codeshare operated by EY, earn as if flying AA.
E.g. Flying EY, earn Redeemable (not Elite Qualifying) miles.
E.g. BA operated by Bangkok Airways, no AA miles.
E.g. BA operated by Vistara yields no AA miles.
E.g. QF flown by FJ will earn EQM.
Examples: (For a flight of 1,000 flown miles)
- AA marketed on full F fare class First: 3,000 EQM (regardless of status, regardless of operating airline)
- AA marketed on discounted First or Business (A, P, D, I, R): 2,000 EQM
- AA in deep discount economy: 1,000 EQM
- BA marketed qualifying flight in F First, Business (Club), Premium Economy (World Traveller Plus): 1,500 EQM (even if operated by AA)
- BA marketed qualifying flight in Economy (World Traveller) B, Y: 1,000 EQM
- BA marketed qualifying flight in Economy (World Traveller) H, K, L, M, N, S, V, G, O, Q: 500 EQM
NOTES:
- All AA marketed ("AA codeshares") flights in paid, qualifying fare classes earn 1.0 or more EQM (regardless of "metal" or operating airline
- oneworld marketed flights operated by oneworld airlines earn miles in accord with the marketing airline's miles earnings chart on aa.com (link)
- AAdvantage
elitesmembers are awarded 500 EQM minimum on qualifying flights, 250 on Basic Economy fares.
- oneworld marketed flights operated by NON-oneworld airlines do not earn EQ (or any) miles, with rare exceptions - QF, a few JL, marketed flights
- Exception: Qantas flights operated by other airlines earn AA EQ miles in qualifying fare classes, other than those QF codeshares operated by QF subsidiary Jetstar
- Some airline partners allow crediting base miles and earning redeemable miles (no EQM) flown "natively", such as Etihad or Fiji
Earn more EQMs via credit card earning
Also, as a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive card or AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard® credit cardmember, you’ll can earn 10,000 EQMs after you reach your qualifying spend for the year when you use your eligible AAdvantage credit card.
Learn more about the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive card
Learn more about the AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard®
Also, as a Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive card or AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard® credit cardmember, you’ll can earn 10,000 EQMs after you reach your qualifying spend for the year when you use your eligible AAdvantage credit card.
Learn more about the Citi®/AAdvantage® Executive card
Learn more about the AAdvantage® Aviator™ Silver MasterCard®
The now obsolete thread: Earning AA miles / EQM on oneworld, partner & other airlines (OBSOLETE)
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GUIDE: Earning AA Elite Qualifying Miles / EQM on AA, partner airlines 2017 on
Sep 3, 2017, 10:08 am
#46
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,672
Before you choose your flights you can click on 'Details' which shows a popup window which will show you the precise fare class for each of the classes available on each of your segments. You can fairly easily rundown the list of available flights and see what the class is – much easier than proceeding through to the confirmation page on each and then starting again.
But in general if First or Business seems affordable, then it is double EQMs.
But in general if First or Business seems affordable, then it is double EQMs.
Sep 3, 2017, 1:02 pm
#47
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Apr 2001
Location: NYC
Posts: 27,221
Before you choose your flights you can click on 'Details' which shows a popup window which will show you the precise fare class for each of the classes available on each of your segments. You can fairly easily rundown the list of available flights and see what the class is – much easier than proceeding through to the confirmation page on each and then starting again.
But in general if First or Business seems affordable, then it is double EQMs.
Sep 14, 2017, 7:50 pm
#49
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: London (~75% of the year).
Programs: AA PPro
Posts: 472
AA marketed BA premium economy
Assuming google flights is right, I can buy a BA metal premium economy flight from Europe to JFK as an AA codeshare. If so, anyone know what it would earn?
Sep 14, 2017, 8:01 pm
#50
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
Sep 28, 2017, 7:21 am
#51
Join Date: Apr 2016
Location: SYD
Programs: QR Platinum (OWE) / BA GOLD (OWE)/ CI Emerald (ST E+)/ SQ PPS (*G)
Posts: 75
Self-rollover EQM?
I’ve got a flight in Nov, but by then I would have already satisfied the EQM threshold for next year. I’m wondering if I can leave the FFP blank and claim it missing in 2018 and get it credited as EQM for 2018?
Sep 28, 2017, 7:46 am
#52
Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: USA & UK -- AA EXP 3.5MM, Hyatt Diamond, SPG Plat, Avis President's Club
Posts: 6,411
Nice attempt, but they credit it back to the date of travel.
Oct 7, 2017, 4:52 pm
#53
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Programs: Honors Diamond; AA Ex Plat; AS MVP 75K
Posts: 225
It doesn't matter where you book it, it matters what the flight numbers are
If you book through Qantas and it is on a Qantas flight number, then you will earn as per the Qantas earning tables. If it on an AA flight number, then will earn as per the AA earning tables
If this is for Economy class and you book in any of N, G, S, O or Q classes, you will earn 25% of the distance flown for Award Miles and 5% of distance flown for EQDs ; book H, K, L, M or V and it will be 50% and 10% respectively
Any eligible discount economy fare will earn 50% of distance flown for EQMs
How EQMs/EQDs will compare against an AA flight number will depend on distance of the travel. EQMs in discount economy will be 50% of the AA flight number
If you book through Qantas and it is on a Qantas flight number, then you will earn as per the Qantas earning tables. If it on an AA flight number, then will earn as per the AA earning tables
If this is for Economy class and you book in any of N, G, S, O or Q classes, you will earn 25% of the distance flown for Award Miles and 5% of distance flown for EQDs ; book H, K, L, M or V and it will be 50% and 10% respectively
Any eligible discount economy fare will earn 50% of distance flown for EQMs
How EQMs/EQDs will compare against an AA flight number will depend on distance of the travel. EQMs in discount economy will be 50% of the AA flight number
Oct 7, 2017, 5:03 pm
#54
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,548
D class on an AY marketed flight - as long as it is operated by a OneWorld airline, earns 40% EQD
Since BA is a OneWorld airline, it will earn 40%
Nov 16, 2017, 8:52 pm
#56
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,548
Nov 18, 2017, 7:09 pm
#57
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
Just trying to determine where I should credit this upcoming flight to and I'm having a hard time figuring it out.
There's a couple factors.
1) I'm short like 7,500 miles for a 1-way business class award on AA from Canada-Southern South America, which might be a good way to redeem these miles. I rarely fly AA, or anyone in oneworld, so I'd kinda like to just burn off this account. But if I'm not gonna earn that from this trip, I could just buy the miles when a bonus comes along, or maybe do an SPG transfer. But I have no idea how many miles the trip will get me.
2) The alternative is credit to Alaska, where I KNOW how miles I'll earn because it's distance based. But I'll have to forego the earning from the Westjet flights. (Unless I can claim the miles later and credit just the Westjet to AA and the rest to AS)
I'm wondering if you guys can help me determine the miles, then I can likely make this call on my own.
(This was all booked on Cheapoair and it was only like $340 CAD)
YVR-YYZ on WS (fare class unknown, I'm still trying to find it)
YYZ-PHL-DUB on AA (fare class O)
DUB-LHR-YYC on BA (fare class S then O)
YYC-YVR on WS (fare class D)
I have no idea how to calculate this, if I had to guess I'd say my ticket was $209 CAD and then it says "taxes and agency fees" of $150 and change. So I can't tell the exact base fare and I presume the miles would be based off that? Can anyone shed some light here?
There's a couple factors.
1) I'm short like 7,500 miles for a 1-way business class award on AA from Canada-Southern South America, which might be a good way to redeem these miles. I rarely fly AA, or anyone in oneworld, so I'd kinda like to just burn off this account. But if I'm not gonna earn that from this trip, I could just buy the miles when a bonus comes along, or maybe do an SPG transfer. But I have no idea how many miles the trip will get me.
2) The alternative is credit to Alaska, where I KNOW how miles I'll earn because it's distance based. But I'll have to forego the earning from the Westjet flights. (Unless I can claim the miles later and credit just the Westjet to AA and the rest to AS)
I'm wondering if you guys can help me determine the miles, then I can likely make this call on my own.
(This was all booked on Cheapoair and it was only like $340 CAD)
YVR-YYZ on WS (fare class unknown, I'm still trying to find it)
YYZ-PHL-DUB on AA (fare class O)
DUB-LHR-YYC on BA (fare class S then O)
YYC-YVR on WS (fare class D)
I have no idea how to calculate this, if I had to guess I'd say my ticket was $209 CAD and then it says "taxes and agency fees" of $150 and change. So I can't tell the exact base fare and I presume the miles would be based off that? Can anyone shed some light here?
Nov 18, 2017, 7:19 pm
#58
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
. Cathay SELLS HKG-JFK with a stop. The bags are tagged to JFK, not to YVR as a stop. Lastly, almost no airline will give you the more favourable ruling. I know in my two experiences I got the direct credit. Flew JFK-MNL with a stop in YVR and got credited for JFK-MNL not the stop. However I got credited for MNL-JFK in full even though I got off at YVR (but don't tell them!) and when I flew ORD-SEA with a stupid stop at SFO I got credited for ORD-SEA...wouldn't even let me switch to the non-stop when my flight was delayed like 4 hours
Nov 18, 2017, 9:26 pm
#59
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Jan 2002
Posts: 44,548
I might be able to clear this up, or just confuse people more. I'll try though, since I work at YVR .
Cathay SELLS HKG-JFK with a stop. The bags are tagged to JFK, not to YVR as a stop. Lastly, almost no airline will give you the more favourable ruling. I know in my two experiences I got the direct credit. Flew JFK-MNL with a stop in YVR and got credited for JFK-MNL not the stop. However I got credited for MNL-JFK in full even though I got off at YVR (but don't tell them!) and when I flew ORD-SEA with a stupid stop at SFO I got credited for ORD-SEA...wouldn't even let me switch to the non-stop when my flight was delayed like 4 hours
. Cathay SELLS HKG-JFK with a stop. The bags are tagged to JFK, not to YVR as a stop. Lastly, almost no airline will give you the more favourable ruling. I know in my two experiences I got the direct credit. Flew JFK-MNL with a stop in YVR and got credited for JFK-MNL not the stop. However I got credited for MNL-JFK in full even though I got off at YVR (but don't tell them!) and when I flew ORD-SEA with a stupid stop at SFO I got credited for ORD-SEA...wouldn't even let me switch to the non-stop when my flight was delayed like 4 hours
It is down to how the passenger is ticketed
For a journey A-C via B
If ticketed as a single segment A-C , then credit should be as per origin to destination
If ticketed as 2 segments, then it should credit for A-B and then B-C
For JFK-HKG or v/v , if ticketed as JFK-YVR-HKG - each segment credits - if ticketed as JFK-HKG - credits as per distance JFK-HKG
Nov 18, 2017, 9:29 pm
#60
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: YVR
Programs: OZ Diamond, Jiffypark Manhattan Gold
Posts: 4,485
CX also sells HKG-YVR and YVR-JFK as well as HKG-JFK
It is down to how the passenger is ticketed
For a journey A-C via B
If ticketed as a single segment A-C , then credit should be as per origin to destination
If ticketed as 2 segments, then it should credit for A-B and then B-C
For JFK-HKG or v/v , if ticketed as JFK-YVR-HKG - each segment credits - if ticketed as JFK-HKG - credits as per distance JFK-HKG
It is down to how the passenger is ticketed
For a journey A-C via B
If ticketed as a single segment A-C , then credit should be as per origin to destination
If ticketed as 2 segments, then it should credit for A-B and then B-C
For JFK-HKG or v/v , if ticketed as JFK-YVR-HKG - each segment credits - if ticketed as JFK-HKG - credits as per distance JFK-HKG
