I’m sure this has been asked before, but unable to find it, but I know you divide the number of SkyMiles redeemed by 100 to get the MQD, minus any cash paid for taxes, etc. Is the value used to calculate the original SkyMiles redemption value, or the reduced rate (15%) due to the Amex card?

Second question, if you choose to pay with miles and cash, do you get mqd’s on both the miles redeemed and the cash paid?

Trying to calculate my potential mqd’s for the year is giving me a major headache

I appreciate any feedback

Thanks

Yes, the 15% Amex discount will reduce MQD earn as they will use the reduced mileage amount to calculate MQD. You will earn MQD on both miles and cash portion amount with Miles+Cash award redemptions, but you are effectively buying miles at 1.8 CPM with Miles+Cash. You can sometimes get 1.8 CPM of value out of award redemptions, but given how rare it is you are basically wasting cash with Miles+Cash award redemptions if you already have the needed miles to redeem an award in your account. It's only really useful for infrequent flyers who are short the miles required for a particular award by fairly close to the amount you are buying with Miles+Cash. In example below you are buying 5000 miles for $90. The Amex 15% discount does not apply to Miles+Cash award redemptions.

It's based on the post-discount award price. For PWM (which will nearly always be a better deal than miles + cash if you have a DL Amex), the cash portion earns MQD normally and the mile portion earns at the 1 MQD per 100 miles rate.

​​​​I don't recall how the miles + cash option earns. It might be as the award flight that you're buying miles for or it might be as if it were PWM.

As shown in example above, MQD earn on Miles+Cash awards is a hybrid based on miles used from account and the cash used to purchase additional miles to cover the award redemption price (325 + 90 = 415 MQD). You are getting MQD at 1:1 ratio for cash part, but you aren't really getting anything of value for it. You also get 1:1 MQD for FCM upgrade purchases, but you are also getting something of value for your purchase (an upgrade) and not just additional MQD.

Thanks! I appreciate the comments. Very helpful.

Does anyone have a data point to verify that MQDs are still earned on award tickets since the beginning of this year?

Yup, 4 flights so far.