Last edit by: LDNConsultant
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Lucrative runs that have been reported under £3/TP - current availability not guaranteed
Route | Booking class | Fare | Booking channel | TPs | £/TP | credit
American Airlines
SFO-LAX-MIA-CUN | A/A/I | £498 return | aa.com | 620 TPs | £0.80/TP | chris1979
ORD-STL-DFW-SJU | A/A/I | £458 return | aa.com | 520 TPs | £0.88/TP | timezonehopper
SFO-LAX-MIA-CUN-MIA-LAX-LAS | A/A/I/I/A/A | £581 round trip | aa.com | 620 TPs | £0.94/TP | courtster
AMS-LHR-LAX-SFO-JFK-LHR-AMS | I/I/A/A/I/I | £1641 round trip | aa.com | 630 TPs | £2.60/TP | mccorry
IST-LHR/LCY-JFK-EZE-MIA-LHR-IST | I/I/I/I/I/I | £2106 round trip | aa.com | 790TPs | £2.61/TP | nth_utsera_sth_utsera
45 day advance purchase required, minimum stay 7 days.
British Airways
LGW-MLA | R | £248 return | ba.com | 160 TPs | £1.55/TP | LDNConsultant
LGW-RAK | R | £280 return | ba.com | 160 TPs | £1.75/TP | mfgr
Book by 31/12/13 for this price.
JER-LGW-AMS | J/R | £259 return | ba.com | 160 TPs | £1.62/TP | joejet
LGW-JER | R | £181 return | ba.com | 80 TPs | £2.26/TP
LGW-AMS | R | £199 return | ba.com | 80 TPs | £2.49/TP
BRU-LHR//LCY-JFK-SEA (last bit on AA) and back | I/I/A | £1,529 return | probably have to phone up | 920 TPs | £1.66/TP | stifle
Outbound 12/4-27/4 or 25/6-24/8, min stay Sat night, ticket by 2/1/14
Royal Jordanian
BEY-AMM-AQJ | D | £255 return | rj.com | 160 TPs | £1.59/TP | DeanB
Malaysia Airlines
SIN-KUL-KCH | D | S$660 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 160 TPs | £2.12/TP |HPN-HRL
DEL-KUL-BKK | Z | INR41,666 return |malaysiaairlines.com | 360TPs| £1.15/TP| Seshy
DEL-KUL-NRT | Z | INR92,395 return |malaysiaairlines.com | 560TPs| £1.64/TP| Seshy
ICN-KUL-SYD/MEL | Z | KRW1,582,600 return |malaysiaairlines.com | 560TPs| £1.65/TP| armagebedar
SIN-KUL-DXB | Z | S$1084 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.50/TP | qasr (+long haul equipment on KUL-DXB)
SIN-KUL-TPE | Z | S$1078 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.49/TP | qasr
SIN-KUL-DEL | Z | S$1018 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.41/TP | qasr
SIN-KUL-KTM | Z | S$1006 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.39/TP | qasr
Qatar Airways
CAI-DOH-BKK | £759 return | D/D/D/A | 360 TPs | £2.10/TP ExpatSomchai
DME-DOH-SGN | I | £1255 return | qatarairways.com | 560 TPs | £2.25/TP |continentalclub
Lucrative runs that have been reported under £3/TP - current availability not guaranteed
Route | Booking class | Fare | Booking channel | TPs | £/TP | credit
American Airlines
SFO-LAX-MIA-CUN | A/A/I | £498 return | aa.com | 620 TPs | £0.80/TP | chris1979
ORD-STL-DFW-SJU | A/A/I | £458 return | aa.com | 520 TPs | £0.88/TP | timezonehopper
SFO-LAX-MIA-CUN-MIA-LAX-LAS | A/A/I/I/A/A | £581 round trip | aa.com | 620 TPs | £0.94/TP | courtster
AMS-LHR-LAX-SFO-JFK-LHR-AMS | I/I/A/A/I/I | £1641 round trip | aa.com | 630 TPs | £2.60/TP | mccorry
IST-LHR/LCY-JFK-EZE-MIA-LHR-IST | I/I/I/I/I/I | £2106 round trip | aa.com | 790TPs | £2.61/TP | nth_utsera_sth_utsera
45 day advance purchase required, minimum stay 7 days.
British Airways
LGW-MLA | R | £248 return | ba.com | 160 TPs | £1.55/TP | LDNConsultant
LGW-RAK | R | £280 return | ba.com | 160 TPs | £1.75/TP | mfgr
Book by 31/12/13 for this price.
JER-LGW-AMS | J/R | £259 return | ba.com | 160 TPs | £1.62/TP | joejet
LGW-JER | R | £181 return | ba.com | 80 TPs | £2.26/TP
LGW-AMS | R | £199 return | ba.com | 80 TPs | £2.49/TP
BRU-LHR//LCY-JFK-SEA (last bit on AA) and back | I/I/A | £1,529 return | probably have to phone up | 920 TPs | £1.66/TP | stifle
Outbound 12/4-27/4 or 25/6-24/8, min stay Sat night, ticket by 2/1/14
Royal Jordanian
BEY-AMM-AQJ | D | £255 return | rj.com | 160 TPs | £1.59/TP | DeanB
Malaysia Airlines
SIN-KUL-KCH | D | S$660 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 160 TPs | £2.12/TP |HPN-HRL
DEL-KUL-BKK | Z | INR41,666 return |malaysiaairlines.com | 360TPs| £1.15/TP| Seshy
DEL-KUL-NRT | Z | INR92,395 return |malaysiaairlines.com | 560TPs| £1.64/TP| Seshy
ICN-KUL-SYD/MEL | Z | KRW1,582,600 return |malaysiaairlines.com | 560TPs| £1.65/TP| armagebedar
SIN-KUL-DXB | Z | S$1084 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.50/TP | qasr (+long haul equipment on KUL-DXB)
SIN-KUL-TPE | Z | S$1078 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.49/TP | qasr
SIN-KUL-DEL | Z | S$1018 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.41/TP | qasr
SIN-KUL-KTM | Z | S$1006 return | malaysiaairlines.com | 360 TPs | £1.39/TP | qasr
Qatar Airways
CAI-DOH-BKK | £759 return | D/D/D/A | 360 TPs | £2.10/TP ExpatSomchai
DME-DOH-SGN | I | £1255 return | qatarairways.com | 560 TPs | £2.25/TP |continentalclub
BA Tier Point runs | 2013 master thread
#76
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver. London Cycling Campaign. TfL Oyster
Posts: 712
SJU and MIA minimum connection times
In the push for gold I'm succumbing to something I said I wouldn't do and find myself plotting a TP run. Oh well, worse things I guess and at 410 TP / £552 in April not too shabby a ratio?
I think my connection times are kosher but they "feel" a little tight. If not just because I'm cramming a lot of flights, for me, into one day. Not much info on SJU that I can see but I am told it is a very easy airport and I am a US passport holder [though not resident in US]. As far as I can tell SJU is completely domestic for all intents and purposes anyway. I will most likely have one checked bag. Do these times seem ok to folks in the know?
ORD 8:30 -- SJU 14:10 [1:05 in SJU]
SJU 15:25 -- MIA 18:25 [1:25 in MIA]
MIA 19:50 -- LAX 22:40
Yup, could probably pile on an extra MIA or MCO or LAS but this routing will get me to gold with minimum cost so I'm happy. Apologies if this has been covered in other threads, I've gone through these 5 pages and not seen so thought I'd add it into the mix of this very useful "how to" thread.
NTFM
I think my connection times are kosher but they "feel" a little tight. If not just because I'm cramming a lot of flights, for me, into one day. Not much info on SJU that I can see but I am told it is a very easy airport and I am a US passport holder [though not resident in US]. As far as I can tell SJU is completely domestic for all intents and purposes anyway. I will most likely have one checked bag. Do these times seem ok to folks in the know?
ORD 8:30 -- SJU 14:10 [1:05 in SJU]
SJU 15:25 -- MIA 18:25 [1:25 in MIA]
MIA 19:50 -- LAX 22:40
Yup, could probably pile on an extra MIA or MCO or LAS but this routing will get me to gold with minimum cost so I'm happy. Apologies if this has been covered in other threads, I've gone through these 5 pages and not seen so thought I'd add it into the mix of this very useful "how to" thread.
NTFM
#77
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 134
First official TP run LGW-RAK-LGW in CE £260 although I've managed to persuade twist my own arm and make a holiday out of it. 160+460=620=silver . I couldn't have done it without you guys (Seoul was the turning point!)
#78
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 242
I didn't do this as a tier point run - although it has helpfully requalified me as silver and got my husband to silver for the first time in a few years too - but I think JFK-SAN, which I flew last week, should also be looked at as a city pair? Unless AA are cancelling the route at some point soon?
It was not particularly cost-effective as the one way was c£475 - it was booked rather last minute, and was not a YUP, but rather direct into A. I am sure with some more forward planning it could be done a lot more cheaply, and no doubt with add-ons to/from LA.
Edited to add - whilst this was (I think) a two-class 767, and the seats looked very much like business class to me (still a big step up from the 757 First - yuck!), the boarding passes said 'First', and 210 tier points posted. I was only expecting 140 per the tier point calculator on BA.com which suggested that there was no First cabin on AA between JFK and SAN/SFO/LAX.
It was not particularly cost-effective as the one way was c£475 - it was booked rather last minute, and was not a YUP, but rather direct into A. I am sure with some more forward planning it could be done a lot more cheaply, and no doubt with add-ons to/from LA.
Edited to add - whilst this was (I think) a two-class 767, and the seats looked very much like business class to me (still a big step up from the 757 First - yuck!), the boarding passes said 'First', and 210 tier points posted. I was only expecting 140 per the tier point calculator on BA.com which suggested that there was no First cabin on AA between JFK and SAN/SFO/LAX.
Last edited by tishooo; Jan 6, 2013 at 10:04 pm Reason: baec tier points info
#79
Join Date: Feb 2011
Location: Troposphere (mostly)
Programs: BAEC Silver, SPG Somthingorother, et Mucci
Posts: 457
OH now says she wants to go to Vegas in March, so priced up WT+ through my mate who can use hot-deals and it's £800 each, but only 180 TP's, and I need 240. Is there a routing that will get the required points but keep us flying in the same class for most of the way? Don't mind dropping down to Y for a couple of hours. I am prepared to pay a bit more because I will save the £540 it was going to cost me to do the TP run in May. We were looking at the middle/late March with at least 7 nights
#80
Join Date: Oct 2012
Posts: 74
Absolutely. If you're lucky, you'll go step off the flight and get to go straight into the lounge. If you're unlucky they'll make you go out through arrivals and back through security, but even then you'd have plenty of time!
#81
Moderator: GLBT travelers, India-based Airlines and India; FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Asia
Programs: Yes!
Posts: 15,512
Very impressed with the formatting, content and structure of the opening post. Well done Prospero! ^
#82
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,681
Likewise. My year has just restarted and I have some time off right now. The CE fare is only marginally more than ET so why not! Hoping that 4 days (1 day in, 2 days there, 1 day out) will be enough to get use out of it. Is it worth doing an extra day....... ponder.........
#83
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,305
Likewise. My year has just restarted and I have some time off right now. The CE fare is only marginally more than ET so why not! Hoping that 4 days (1 day in, 2 days there, 1 day out) will be enough to get use out of it. Is it worth doing an extra day....... ponder.........
#84
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,681
Yeh. Possibly doing the trip with a friend so maybe will just do RAK on this one and then go back later in the year with the wife and do RAK+the rest.
#85
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: not far from MUC
Posts: 6,620
My contribution would be IST-SEA-IST on the AA INE7F6R1 fare for £1732. Hope I've got this right (& my thanks to angatol for helping me understand this one...)
Routed IST-LHR-BOS-JFK-SEA-JFK-BOS-LHR-IST this earns you 80+140+60+210+210+60+140+80 = 980 TPs at £1.77/TP.
What I like about INE7F6R1 is:
No minimum stay
so fly in to SEA one night, and out the next morning, any day of the week you need/like
Stopovers
1 free stopover included, 2 more at $160 each. Need to go to NYC? Just "overshoot" all the to SEA, back to NYC, then stay in NYC as long as you need using the free stopover
Transfers
Think this means you could route IST-MAD-LHR instead of IST-LHR but there's no TP benefit (although it's almost 900mi longer so would earn more Avios)
Advance purchase requirement
is only 7 days, pretty good for this kind of fare
Routed IST-LHR-BOS-JFK-SEA-JFK-BOS-LHR-IST this earns you 80+140+60+210+210+60+140+80 = 980 TPs at £1.77/TP.
What I like about INE7F6R1 is:
No minimum stay
so fly in to SEA one night, and out the next morning, any day of the week you need/like
Stopovers
1 free stopover included, 2 more at $160 each. Need to go to NYC? Just "overshoot" all the to SEA, back to NYC, then stay in NYC as long as you need using the free stopover
Transfers
2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
FREE ON AA ONLY IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE BETWEEN AA AND BA/IB IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE ON BA ONLY IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE BETWEEN BA AND IB IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE ON IB ONLY IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
ONLINE ON THE PRIMARY CARRIER
FREE IN THE UNITED STATES IN EACH DIRECTION
FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND
EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE
COMPONENT.
FREE ON AA ONLY IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE BETWEEN AA AND BA/IB IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE ON BA ONLY IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE BETWEEN BA AND IB IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
FREE ON IB ONLY IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
ONLINE ON THE PRIMARY CARRIER
FREE IN THE UNITED STATES IN EACH DIRECTION
FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND
EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE
COMPONENT.
Advance purchase requirement
is only 7 days, pretty good for this kind of fare
#87
Join Date: Jul 2011
Location: UK
Posts: 134
Likewise. My year has just restarted and I have some time off right now. The CE fare is only marginally more than ET so why not! Hoping that 4 days (1 day in, 2 days there, 1 day out) will be enough to get use out of it. Is it worth doing an extra day....... ponder.........
#89
Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2003
Location: London, UK
Posts: 22,191
Just a note of thanks for the feedback on the thread's primer. I've now expanded on the AY/BA short haul+ routes as well as the long haul routes in excess of 6000 miles.