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AAdvantage EQM-EQD JFK/LAX to Singapore Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Finnair Premium Economy and Business

This article examines AAdvantage EQM and EQD earned on Oneworld Alliance airline partners Cathay Pacific, Finnair and Qatar Airways in Premium economy and Business Class for New York, Los Angeles and San Francisco.

There are $1,500 to $1,600 Cathay Pacific Premium Economy tickets to Singapore from New York JFK, Chicago ORD and Los Angeles LAX or San Francisco SFO. One round trip Premium Economy ticket earns AAdvantage Gold elite.

Economy class tickets are priced from $840 from California with Japan Airlines and only $800 round trip on Qatar Airways from New York JFK.

Business Class tickets are as low as $3,075 round trip on Finnair New York JFK – Helsinki – Singapore, while LAX/SFO are over $4,500 with American/JAL.

For a couple of hours today there were Qatar Airways Business Class tickets Los Angeles to Singapore for $1,681 round trip. More on that fare deal at the end of this post.

Cathay Pacific Premium Economy Booking Code E ticket:

New York JFK – Hong Kong HKG – Singapore SIN – Hong Kong HKG – New York JFK

$1,618.99 round trip Premium Economy   Tue Mar 7 – Thu Mar 16

JFK-SIN $1619 CX Mar7-16

JFK – HKG – SIN – HKG – JFK = 19,318 flight miles.

AAdvantage EQM and EQD for Cathay Pacific Earn Table Premium Economy E ticket

19,318 flight miles x 1.50 EQM = 28,977 EQM  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at 25,000 EQM).

19,318 flight miles x 0.20 EQD = $3,863 EQD  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at $3,000 EQD).

19,318 flight miles = 19,318 redeemable miles + elite bonus (40-120%).

Ticket Price $1,619 / 28,977 EQM = 5.9 cents per EQM.

My rule of thumb for the past 16 years is I try and earn the highest elite level in a major airline without spending more than $4,000 per year. I have spent most of those years with 50,000 or 100,000 mile elite status with American, United and Alaska.

One round trip Premium Economy ticket on Cathay Pacific to Southeast Asia and/or Australia earns AAdvantage Gold 25,000 EQM/$3,000 EQD elite status. Two long-haul round trip tickets in Premium Economy earns Platinum 50,000 EQM/$6,000 EQD in 2017 for elite status to January 31, 2019.

You must fly at least 4 segments on American Airlines or American Eagle to qualify for Executive Platinum, Platinum or Gold status within the qualifying year.

https://www.aa.com/i18n/aadvantage-program/elite-status/aadvantage-elite-status.jsp (Dec 2016)

In 2016 there is an elite status requirement to fly a minimum four (4) flight segments on American Airlines or American Eagle. That provision is not shown on the AAdvantage Updates page. Not sure if 4 AA flights rule carries over to 2017, but I’ll assume it does until I learn differently.

 

Cathay Pacific Premium Economy Booking Code E ticket:

San Francisco SFO – Hong Kong HKG – Singapore SIN – Hong Kong HKG – San Francisco SFO

$1,418.99 round trip  Tue Mar 7 – Thu Mar 16

SFO-SIN $1471 CX-PE Mar7-16

SFO – HKG – SIN – HKG – SFO = 17,028 flight miles.

Same price and more miles flying  LAX – SIN 17,695 flight miles.

17,028 flight miles x 1.50 EQM = 25,542 EQM  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at 25,000 EQM).

17,028 flight miles x 0.20 EQD = $3,405 EQD  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at $3,000 EQD).

17,028 flight miles = 17,028 redeemable miles + elite bonus miles (40-120%).

Ticket Price $1,471 / 25,542 EQM = 5.8 cents per EQM.

 

Finnair Business Class I booking code $3,075 round trip

New York JFK  – Helsinki, Finland HEL – Singapore SIN – HEL – JFK

$3,074.74 round trip   Sat Mar 4 – Sun Mar 12

JFK-HEL-SIN Biz $3,075

JFK – HEL – SIN – HEL – JFK = 19,756 flight miles.

AAdvantage Earn EQM-EQD Table Finnair

19,756 flight miles x 1.50 EQM = 29,634 EQM  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at 25,000 EQM).

19,756 flight miles x 0.25 EQD = $4,939 EQD  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at $3,000 EQD).

19,756 flight miles x 1.25 Business Class code I bonus = 24,695 redeemable miles + elite bonus miles (40-120%).

Ticket Price $3,075 / 29,634 EQM = 10.4 cents per EQM.

Business Class is a luxury in ticket price. Premium economy tickets to Singapore earn EQM at far lower spend rate than Business Class.

 

Qatar Airways Business Class Los Angeles – Doha, Qatar DOH – Singapore SIN – DOH – LAX

This morning there was a short period of a few hours with Qatar Airways Los Angeles to Singapore Business Class tickets priced at $1,681 round trip.

I was already working on this post and the fare expired before I learned about it. The ticket price now is over $3,500 a few hours later, but ticket price is irrelevant to AAdvantage EQM and EQD and RDM redeemable miles earned for Qatar Airways Business Class I code. Check out the numbers below and be prepared to buy quickly the next time a Business Class deal shows up with this kind of AAdvantage elite miles earning.

$3,582.97 round trip  Tue Feb 21 – Tue Feb 28

LAX-SIN QR Biz $3583

LAX – DOH – SIN – DOH – LAX = 24,325 flight miles.

AAdvantage Miles Qatar Airways Earn Table.

24,325 flight miles x 1.50 EQM = 36,487 EQM  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at 25,000 EQM).

24,325 flight miles x 0.20 EQD = $4,865 EQD  (AAdvantage Gold Elite at $3,000 EQD).

24,325 flight miles x 1.00 (no Business Class code I cabin bonus) = 24,325 redeemable miles + elite bonus miles (40-120%).

Ticket Price $3,583 / 36,487 EQM = 9.8 cents per EQM.

Ticket Price $1,681 / 36,487 EQM = 4.6 cents per EQM.

Now if you landed this Qatar Business Class ticket for $1,681 this morning during the flash sale, then you got a real deal for AAdvantage elite.

5 Comments

  • Aleks December 6, 2016

    The 4-segment on AA requirement goes away in 2017.

  • Double Hook December 6, 2016

    I see the websites features are of the transporting airline. Is there any requirement the fares need to be booked through American to obtain any of the EQD or EQM benefits? In other words, is it okay to book through, say, Cathay, and apply my AAdvantage number?

  • Ric Garrido December 6, 2016

    @Aleks – good to know. I’ll have to seek out a link to the rule.

    @Double Hook – These EQM and EQD calculations are tickets booked with a partner airline and flight number (Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Qatar) and credited to AAdvantage.

  • […] AAdvantage EQM-EQD JFK/LAX to Singapore Cathay Pacific, Qatar, Finnair Premium Economy and Business […]

  • Jason Fisher December 11, 2016

    You have some great post. I will be almost sure that this will change in 2018. i have 3 member in my family and we fly 100% together. Ex. Plat for 3 years and 95% of the time with American Airlines. next year I have 6 trips booked for our family and NONE with American Airlines. It does not make sense when on the same route I can fly AA or Qatar or BA and earn more EQM and EQD by not flying AA. Not to mention that I like the other planes is another bonus. I just came home last night from Shanghai on a crap AA 777-200.
    I also try to keep it under 4K to earn top Elite but next year I will a little more but I get to fly Etihad and Qatar.

    Thanks Jason

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