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
Mar 13, 2018, 7:08 pm
#121
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA Plat, National EE, Marriott Plat, HH Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 401
Hmm, I am booking a BA ticket on AA metal (using the $200 AARP discount) in business class. Will I earn 2x EQM and distance based EQD if I credit to AA?
Mar 13, 2018, 7:12 pm
#122
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
a) if the flight is coded AAxxx then you will earn 2x
b) if the flight is coded BAxxx then you will earn 1.5x.
This is irrespective of who sold the ticket. So in your case it sounds like you have case (a) (but do confirm whether your coding is really AA), in which case you will earn 2x.
Last edited by Pseudo Nim; Mar 13, 2018 at 8:11 pm
Mar 13, 2018, 7:26 pm
#123
Join Date: Jul 2001
Programs: AA EP
Posts: 2,203
The ticketing carrier, ie 001 is not at all relevant to crediting. It Is all about the marketing carrier.
If my understanding of AA earning is correct based on Dave's note above, then:
1. tickets beginning with 001 where everything is AA coded (so AA mainline flights are AAxx or AAxxx or whatever, and all partner flights are AAxxxx) then you WILL earn 2x for discount business (C, D, R) and 3x for full-fare J
2. tickets NOT beginning with 001, i.e. anything booked with anyone else:
a) if the flight is coded AAxxx then you will earn 2x
b) if the flight is coded BAxxx then you will earn 1.5x.
So in your case it sounds like you have case 2a (but do confirm whether your coding is really AA), in which case you will earn 2x.
1. tickets beginning with 001 where everything is AA coded (so AA mainline flights are AAxx or AAxxx or whatever, and all partner flights are AAxxxx) then you WILL earn 2x for discount business (C, D, R) and 3x for full-fare J
2. tickets NOT beginning with 001, i.e. anything booked with anyone else:
a) if the flight is coded AAxxx then you will earn 2x
b) if the flight is coded BAxxx then you will earn 1.5x.
So in your case it sounds like you have case 2a (but do confirm whether your coding is really AA), in which case you will earn 2x.
Mar 13, 2018, 8:10 pm
#124
Join Date: Jan 2006
Location: In the air
Programs: Occasional RTW club
Posts: 6,924
Ah. Interesting. When I was writing that I was trying to think of a case where the marketing carrier would be AA, the operating carrier would be someone else, but the ticket stock would not be AA, but didn't think that was ever a thing. Edited my post.
Mar 14, 2018, 4:07 am
#126
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
As partially answered by others, if AA flight number then 2*EQMs and fare-based EQDs. But if BA flight number then 1.5 EQMs and distance-based EQDs.
If you have a mixture of AA and BA flight numbers then each will credit accordingly, but the precise fare breakdown for the AA# earning is unknown until you see your EQDs.
Also, in response to others, while it is true that ticketing stock is irrelevant to mileage earning, it is not irrelevant to things like upgrades, and generally airlines like to sell tickets on their own fight numbers (so it can be hard to get a BA flight on an AA ticket unless there is no codeshare on that flight).
Mar 14, 2018, 8:07 am
#127
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA Plat, National EE, Marriott Plat, HH Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 401
I don't think there are any circumstances where you would get 2*EQMs and distance-based EQDs.
As partially answered by others, if AA flight number then 2*EQMs and fare-based EQDs. But if BA flight number then 1.5 EQMs and distance-based EQDs.
If you have a mixture of AA and BA flight numbers then each will credit accordingly, but the precise fare breakdown for the AA# earning is unknown until you see your EQDs.
Also, in response to others, while it is true that ticketing stock is irrelevant to mileage earning, it is not irrelevant to things like upgrades, and generally airlines like to sell tickets on their own fight numbers (so it can be hard to get a BA flight on an AA ticket unless there is no codeshare on that flight).
As partially answered by others, if AA flight number then 2*EQMs and fare-based EQDs. But if BA flight number then 1.5 EQMs and distance-based EQDs.
If you have a mixture of AA and BA flight numbers then each will credit accordingly, but the precise fare breakdown for the AA# earning is unknown until you see your EQDs.
Also, in response to others, while it is true that ticketing stock is irrelevant to mileage earning, it is not irrelevant to things like upgrades, and generally airlines like to sell tickets on their own fight numbers (so it can be hard to get a BA flight on an AA ticket unless there is no codeshare on that flight).
Well if I buy the ticket on BA.com does AA know the fare paid?
Mar 14, 2018, 12:20 pm
#128
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
Yes, generally. Its quite unusual for BA to sell AA flight numbers, but when they do it seems clear that AA knows how much of the fare is coming to it.
However, there is, of course, always the chance that the information will go astray (especially during IRROPS) and then you might get credit according to the "data unavailable" table.
However, there is, of course, always the chance that the information will go astray (especially during IRROPS) and then you might get credit according to the "data unavailable" table.
Mar 14, 2018, 5:29 pm
#129
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA Plat, National EE, Marriott Plat, HH Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 401
Yes, generally. Its quite unusual for BA to sell AA flight numbers, but when they do it seems clear that AA knows how much of the fare is coming to it.
However, there is, of course, always the chance that the information will go astray (especially during IRROPS) and then you might get credit according to the "data unavailable" table.
However, there is, of course, always the chance that the information will go astray (especially during IRROPS) and then you might get credit according to the "data unavailable" table.
Mar 15, 2018, 2:38 am
#130
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
In general if you book AA flight numbers (including from Citi or Chase or Amex) you should be prepared to earn as fare-based. If that is going to be a poor deal, then, yes, you should book the partner codeshare. Note that taking the BA metal doesn't mean anything - its the flight number, not the metal that counts.
Mar 15, 2018, 8:26 am
#131
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA Plat, National EE, Marriott Plat, HH Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 401
No, I think we have many data points that say you will get what the rules say, which is fare-based on AA flight numbers. But there are a few data points that show it isn't 100% guaranteed, which the 'rules' also make clear, since there wouldn't be a "Data Unavailable" earnings table if AA didn't know that sometimes the data isn't available.
In general if you book AA flight numbers (including from Citi or Chase or Amex) you should be prepared to earn as fare-based. If that is going to be a poor deal, then, yes, you should book the partner codeshare. Note that taking the BA metal doesn't mean anything - its the flight number, not the metal that counts.
In general if you book AA flight numbers (including from Citi or Chase or Amex) you should be prepared to earn as fare-based. If that is going to be a poor deal, then, yes, you should book the partner codeshare. Note that taking the BA metal doesn't mean anything - its the flight number, not the metal that counts.
Mar 18, 2018, 6:18 pm
#132
Join Date: Oct 2008
Programs: AA Plat, National EE, Marriott Plat, HH Gold, SPG Plat
Posts: 401
If my understanding of AA earning is correct based on Dave's note above, then:
a) if the flight is coded AAxxx then you will earn 2x
b) if the flight is coded BAxxx then you will earn 1.5x.
This is irrespective of who sold the ticket. So in your case it sounds like you have case (a) (but do confirm whether your coding is really AA), in which case you will earn 2x.
a) if the flight is coded AAxxx then you will earn 2x
b) if the flight is coded BAxxx then you will earn 1.5x.
This is irrespective of who sold the ticket. So in your case it sounds like you have case (a) (but do confirm whether your coding is really AA), in which case you will earn 2x.
Mar 19, 2018, 2:30 pm
#135
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,673
No. If there are some AA flights and some CX flights then they will each earn from different tables and the AA flights will earn fare-based EQDs, but there's no real way to know how much they'll be.