A fare class can tell a reader which Frequent Flyer Earn Category the published tables assign to the booking class. It is not a guarantee of rewards: the guidance says that some fare types, booking classes, flights, or routes may earn no points or status credits.
How to check it
The booking class is the first thing to look up. The reader locates the class for the fare under consideration, then finds its column in the relevant earning table. The Frequent Flyer Earn Category is shown at the top of that column. The fare type, flight, and route should be checked as well because the guidance warns that points or status credits may not be earned in some cases.
This tells the reader what the table assigns. It does not confirm that the selected flight or itinerary will earn points or status credits.
What the reader must still confirm
Because the warning can apply to the fare type, flight, or route as well as to the booking class, the category is a lookup result rather than a final rewards decision. The exact fare type, flight, and route still require separate confirmation.
The fare class should not be treated as a complete statement of baggage, changes, refunds, price, or other purchase terms. The cited guidance does not establish that it determines those matters; each relevant term must be confirmed against the applicable fare and airline rules before selection.