Will award tickets earn EQMs? (Generally no.)
 

Hi everyone,

If this was previously answered in previous threads my apologies.

I have a reservation on hold with AA for 3 award tickets from Phx to BKK for me and family. Two PPro reps gave me different answers on earning EQMs for non revenue tickets. Once said you'll ONLY earn EQMs since its non-rev ticket and the other said you will NOT earn any EQDs, EQMs, RDMs.

Love to hear what everyone has experienced in the past with award tickets?

Itineary (All "T" booking code)

PHX-LAX
LAX-NRT (JL operated)
NRT-BKK (JL operated)

BKK-NRT (JL operated)
NRT-SAN (JL operated)
SAN-PHX

Of course not.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/travel-info/...n-airlines.jsp

Makes perfect sense that award tickets shouldn't earn anything. Thank you!

Certainly not. As they’re not revenue tickets, you’ll earn nothing. Enjoy the fact that you were able to acquire some nice award tickets.

There’s always an off chance IROPS will throw a passenger into a revenue fare bucket in error, but it’s akso possible those miles would be pulled back by AA.

Btw, there are no “PPro reps”. Gold, Platinum and Platinum Pro members get prioritized lines, answered by the same folks that answer the calls of non-status passengers.

Enjoy your travels!

<redacted>

There is no logic. If you call AA and report the discrepancy, AA will be happy to clawback the miles.

Agreed. This happened to me a few years ago when I accrued miles on an award flight. I immediately called them and had them removed. AA was happy to have me call. Why did I? I didn't want to be in the middle of an award flight sometime down the road only to have AA audit my account and take out miles that were never mine to be begin with. What if this happened when I was on vacation using an award ticket. Suddenly miles that were never entitled to me were yanked and now I don't have enough miles to satisfy the saver J flight I'm taking home. Obviously an example but nonetheless something that could be of a concern.

That does t sound very plausible to me, though clawing back miles does sound plausible. (We also know from previous evidence AA reads here.)

While I completely understand the logic of why an award ticket should not earn award miles or EQD, I’ve often wondered why it would not accrue EQM. You can’t redeem EQM, and you’re flying BIS miles, so counting towards elite status requalification seems plausible.

It’s not unprecedented in other travel industries; for example, you earn qualifying nights with Hilton for points stays.

<redacted> (Why EQM earned on award flight?)

something happened, maybe a change was made at the airport that resulted in a specific segment being coded as a revenue fare bucket vs miles.

It is not intentional and is a mistake in your favor.

AA awards EQMs for BA mileage tickets out of shame for collecting the outrageous surcharges charged by BA. ;)

Well, a BA award ticket should be considered a ticket bought with cash, and so earning miles is entirely appropriate.