Weird MQD calculation
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,848
Weird MQD calculation
So this is odd. I flew a 2 segment, one way yesterday, that I purchased ~36 hours before flight time. I'm a DM on a K fare. Cost of the ticket was $276.48 + $14.60 in taxes, for a total of $291.08. That is what shows in Egencia, where I purchased my ticket. Looking at the receipt in "My Wallet" in the FlyDelta app, same numbers.
But when I look at my Skymiles activity, I earned $628 MQDs - $164 for the short segment, and $464 for the longer one.
In the other direction, the week before (also one way), I got $509 for a ticket that was $295.68 before taxes.
In the past, my MQDs were always exactly equal to my base fare rounded up to the next whole dollar. The only thing that I can think of that was any way unusual about these tickets would be that both were paid for entirely with credits from canceled flights. But I have done that before without a result like this.
Anyone seen anything like this recently?
But when I look at my Skymiles activity, I earned $628 MQDs - $164 for the short segment, and $464 for the longer one.
In the other direction, the week before (also one way), I got $509 for a ticket that was $295.68 before taxes.
In the past, my MQDs were always exactly equal to my base fare rounded up to the next whole dollar. The only thing that I can think of that was any way unusual about these tickets would be that both were paid for entirely with credits from canceled flights. But I have done that before without a result like this.
Anyone seen anything like this recently?
#3
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,848
I bet they are looking forward to THAT call!
Obviously I don't care much about the MQDs with the status extension. I can't really see any way that I wouldn't be able to make DM again for 2021 with 2 full years to accumulate. But it did earn me a lot of extra redeemable miles, since they seem to have awarded them to me based on ~$1,100 MQDs round trip, rather than the $600 I actually spent. 12.5k miles earned for a coach trip from PDX to IND and back.
Obviously I don't care much about the MQDs with the status extension. I can't really see any way that I wouldn't be able to make DM again for 2021 with 2 full years to accumulate. But it did earn me a lot of extra redeemable miles, since they seem to have awarded them to me based on ~$1,100 MQDs round trip, rather than the $600 I actually spent. 12.5k miles earned for a coach trip from PDX to IND and back.
#4
A FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Minneapolis: DL DM charter 2.3MM
Programs: A3*Gold, SPG Plat, HyattDiamond, MarriottPP, LHW exAccess, ICI, Raffles Amb, NW PE MM, TWA Gold MM
Posts: 100,112
Did Egencia give you an exceptional non published fare? People here might be able to tell you if you provide the exact fare codes including any designators at the end.
Alternatively, if you calculate MQDs based on distance flown (like for many partner tickets), does the answer agree approximately equal the MQDs you were given?
Alternatively, if you calculate MQDs based on distance flown (like for many partner tickets), does the answer agree approximately equal the MQDs you were given?
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,848
Did Egencia give you an exceptional non published fare? People here might be able to tell you if you provide the exact fare codes including any designators at the end.
Alternatively, if you calculate MQDs based on distance flown (like for many partner tickets), does the answer agree approximately equal the MQDs you were given?
Alternatively, if you calculate MQDs based on distance flown (like for many partner tickets), does the answer agree approximately equal the MQDs you were given?
I haven't done the math on the distance flown, but the routing was the same on both directions and it was $509 one way and $628 the other - that's 26.4% one way and 32.5% the other, for the same 1929 miles.
#6
FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 26,357
So this is odd. I flew a 2 segment, one way yesterday, that I purchased ~36 hours before flight time. I'm a DM on a K fare. Cost of the ticket was $276.48 + $14.60 in taxes, for a total of $291.08. That is what shows in Egencia, where I purchased my ticket. Looking at the receipt in "My Wallet" in the FlyDelta app, same numbers.
But when I look at my Skymiles activity, I earned $628 MQDs - $164 for the short segment, and $464 for the longer one.
In the other direction, the week before (also one way), I got $509 for a ticket that was $295.68 before taxes.
In the past, my MQDs were always exactly equal to my base fare rounded up to the next whole dollar. The only thing that I can think of that was any way unusual about these tickets would be that both were paid for entirely with credits from canceled flights. But I have done that before without a result like this.
Anyone seen anything like this recently?
But when I look at my Skymiles activity, I earned $628 MQDs - $164 for the short segment, and $464 for the longer one.
In the other direction, the week before (also one way), I got $509 for a ticket that was $295.68 before taxes.
In the past, my MQDs were always exactly equal to my base fare rounded up to the next whole dollar. The only thing that I can think of that was any way unusual about these tickets would be that both were paid for entirely with credits from canceled flights. But I have done that before without a result like this.
Anyone seen anything like this recently?
#7
Original Poster
Join Date: Mar 2016
Posts: 1,848
As you used a previously used ticket this is correct. MQD post based on the total miles of all flights on a ticket. Ie four segments totaling 1000 miles one is 100 miles, one is 500, and two are 200. MQD for 100 mile equals 10% of the tickets total fare value. 500 mile flight gets 50% and the 200 mile flights each get 20% as MQD. When you use a partially used ticket the system still sees the previously flown flights. Now that the mileage for each flight is different, the calculations change. If you go and look at the previous flown flights credit, they'll have been recalculated to be lower.
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: San Antonio
Programs: DL DM, Former AA EXP now AY Plat, AC 75K, NW Plat, Former CO Gold, Hilton Diamond, Marriott Titanium
Posts: 26,357
Ok, but there weren't any previously flown segments any of these tickets. The original tickets were purchased and then canceled prior to the flights due to the Covid-19 travel restrictions. The only thing that makes them different from any other time I have canceled a flight and used the credit was that these had the change fee waiver. I guess the other potential oddity is that both of the canceled tickets were quite a bit more expensive than the flights I bought with them - one was a $500 ticket (so has a couple hundred $ left as a voucher) and the other was over $700 & has about 400 left.