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Jan 2, 2015, 4:26 am

Prospero

Moderator: British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges and Environmentally Friendly Travel

Join Date: Jan 2003

Location: London, UK

Posts: 22,212

BA Tier Point Runs | 2015 master thread

This thread is a continuation of the hugely popular BA Tier Point runs thread. This is intended to be a starting point for finding key origin and destinations to tailor your tier point runs, but you will still need to do some leg work to find the correct dates and flights. Also, don't forget that with some of these fares there will be a positioning cost associated to get to the start of the tier point run.

Acknowledgments
Special thanks all our members who graciously supported the 2014 BA Tier Point runs thread, in particular those who tirelessly updated the thread's wikipost. Much of the new information incorporated into this primer was transferred over from the old wiki.

Contents

Introduction and primer
Working with ticket rules
Using Google Flights and ITA Matrix
Historical data (Wikipost archive)

Introduction
Unlike Avios points which can be earned through a multitude of activities, Tier Points can only be earned through the pursuit of flying and are earned on all commercial BA and oneworld fares (subject to a few exceptions). The number of Tier Points you accrue is entirely dependent on the fare class (or selling class in BA lingo) your tickets are booked in. Below is the full earning chart which covers BA flights and oneworld partner flights. Please note, while flights on BA partners such as Alaska Airlines, Aer Lingus, and Meridiana do earn Avios points, they will not award Tier Points. See http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...l#post24088166 for more details.

† This table now reflects our understanding that the TP earn rate for lowest economy is applicable to some non-BA flights as well as BA flights, but the ba.com calculator has not yet been updated to show these, so for non-BA airlines these lists are subject to official confirmation.

Lowest economy booking classes:
BA: Q, O, and G fares
AA: G, Q, N, O, and S fares
AY: A, G, N, O, Q, R, S, W, and Z fares
IB: Q, O, and P fares
JL: N and Q fares
QR: T, Q, and O fares
UL: L, R, V, S, N, Q, O, and G fares
US: reportedly also has lowest booking classes, but the list is unknown at the time of writing.

BA/AY short haul+ routes:
Several short haul routes earn double Tier Points due to their extended length, such as:
LHR to/from ATH, HEL, IST, JMK, JTR, KBP, KGS, LCA, LED, LPA, OTP, and SOF
LGW to/from ACE, ALG, BJV, DLM, FUE, HER, LCA, LPA, MLA, PFO, SKG, RAK, RHO, TFS, and TIA
LCY to/from JMK and JTR
MAN to/from HEL (operated by BE for AY)

The following charts illustrate these routes currently operated out of London

BA: LHR - HEL | LED
AY: MAN - HEL

LCY - JMK | JTR
BA: LGW - ACE | ALG | FUE | LPA | MLA | SKG | RAK | TFS | TIA
BA: LHR - KBP | KGS | LED | LPA | OTP | SOF

LCY - JMK | JTR
LGW - BJV | DLM | HER | LCA | PFO | RHO
LHR - ATH | JMK | JTR | KGS | LCA

List of BA/other long haul, 6,000 miles and over:

BA: LGW - MRU
BA: LHR - CPT | EZE | HND | KUL | NRT | SIN

AA: DFW - HKG | ICN | NRT | PVG
AA: LAX - NRT | PVG | SYD
AA: ORD - PEK | PVG | NRT

CX: HKG - JFK | LAX | ORD | SFO | YVR | YYZ | JNB

IB: MAD - EZE | SCL | MVD

JJ: GRU - DOH | FRA

JL: NRT - BOS | CDG | JFK | LHR | ORD
JL: HND - CDG

LA: SCL - MAD (onward to FRA)
LA: SCL - AKL | SYD

MH: KUL - AMS | CDG | LHR

QF: BNE - LAX
QF: MEL - LAX
QF: SYD - DFW | DXB | JNB | LAX | SCL

QR: DOH - DFW | EZE | GRU | IAD | IAH | JFK | MEL | MIA | ORD | PER | PHL | YUL

RJ: AMM - ORD | DTW

Starting your run from Continental Europe
Here are a few popular examples to give you a flavour of what can be achieved at a relatively respectable price. Note, any fare prices shown in this post are indicative and reflect the rates checked at the time of writing. Fares do vary considerably, so check this thread from time to time for prevailing fares/offers/promotions etc

Naturally, to get to the most cost advantageous origin, positioning flights (and most likely, overnight accommodation) is an inevitable factor. Dublin is the flavour of the moment for cheap (I class) transatlantic flights in business class. Thanks to the BA/AA/US Joint Business Venture, it is now possible to construct connections within the United States for very little extra. However, the lowest I class fares usually come with stop over and Saturday night stay restrictions, but it is possible to spread out your itinerary by constructing connections of up to 24 hours, if you prefer a trip that is gentler on the body.

North American domestic first/business class runs
Central America and the Caribbean have become hot spots for TP earning frenzies out of the United States in recent years. AA's Instant Upgrade fares from the west cost to Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Nicaragua amongst many other destinations in the region deliver excellent Tier Point yields. So much so, that with a little bit of planning and of course time, it is possible to rack up TPs at an alarming rate.

Planning and booking tips

When pricing up comparative routes, Google Flights is by far the most speedy and simple method. Enter origin and destination; dates of travel; select business class; select Oneworld in Airline filter; then Expand map to display requested route and comparative fares for nearly destinations.
If you need greater complexity, the ITA Matrix tool is highly recommended. It displays a wider range of options than Google Flights and detailed fare rules. Its great for trip planning at a forensic level. A guide to using the ITA Matrix tool can be found here. Note, the ITA Matrix tool cannot be used to book tickets
If you're old school, like me, the first step is to download and immerse oneself in AA's flight schedule: The current timetable is available, here.
Familiarise yourself with AA.com's Multi-City booking tool. Don't leave more than 24 hours between flights. Use the Sort by schedule option to locate the exact flights you found on the ITA Matrix tool.
Select city pairs (if possible) in excess of 2,000 miles apart (see charts below)
It is worth adding a few cautionary words about AA Domestic First where the service shares a flight number with an international flight, as J, D, and I class inventory may be sold before regular F, A, and P inventory is offered for sale on the down gauged domestic flight(s).
Avoid AA codeshare flights on non-oneworld metal. There is no TP credit on these flights
A321 (32B) - These AA narrow-bodies ply Transcon routes between JFK and LAX/SFO with business and first class. Well equipped, they are a very comfortable way to travel between coasts
757 - As fantastically racy as these aircraft are, the first class seat requires a health warning. Think very carefully before committing yourself to a 5 hour red-eye 757 flight. Row 1 on the 757 is also worth avoiding.
777 - Yes the big birds do operate on a few domestic routes (eg. MIA-LAX). Unlike their senior, and more petite 767-300 siblings, seats on the 777 aircraft are sold as business as well as the usual first and economy classes
MD-80 - Once the workhorse of AA's fleet but numbers are dwindling fast. Its first class cabin provides a reassuringly quiet ride
MCO - As American Airlines' low yield focus city, Orlando is your friend
Schedule changes - AA routinely gives its domestic timetable a jolly good shake (twice a year) so if you've booked your flights with plenty of advanced notice, expect a few changes to happen between now and the date of departure
For more information about using the ITA Matrix tool, planning trips that begin in Continental Europe and Ireland, as well as airports favourable to back-to-back turnarounds, see http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...ing-guide.html

The following diagrams illustrate American Airlines and US Airways routes greater than 2,000 miles. Note, the forward cabin on AA flights serving Canada and the Caribbean are sold as business rather than first class. Conversely, US Airways currently markets the forward cabin as First but this may change once the AA/US merger is finalised. Routes are subject to change so again downloading the latest timetable from aa.com is recommended.

DFW to/from ANC, SJU, and HNL

JFK to/from SEA, LAS, LAX, SAN. and SFO

LAX to/from BOS, FLL, HNL, IAD, JFK, MCO, MIA, TPA, and YYZ

PHL to/from LAS, LAX, PDX, PHX, SAN, SFO, and SEA

2,000+ mile routes from other AA/US hubs
AA: DFW tp/from ANC, HNL, and SJU§
AA: JFK to/from LAS, LAX*, SAN, SEA, and SFO*
AA: LAX to/from BOS, FLL, HNL, IAD, JFK*, MCO, PBI, and TPA
AA: MIA to/from LAS, LAX*, SEA, SFO. and SLC
AA: ORD to/from SJU§ and ANC
US: ATL to/from SMF
US: PHX to/from ANC, BOS, EWR, HNL, JKF, PHL, and SJO
US: CLT to/from BGI, PDX, LAX, SAN, SEA, SFO, and SMF
US: DCA to/from LAS
US: RDU to/from LAX
US: SMF to/from BWI

* AA transcon 3 class service (A321T and B772) with First, Business and Economy
§ AA two class service with Business and Economy

Looking at the example below and having taken a LAS-MIA-SJU excursion myself a couple of years ago, I enjoyed the experience immensely. While not working the system with the same zeal as others and with that failing to join the ranks of the Managua GGLs, the two days R&R spent on the ocean front proved to be a splendidly rewarding by product.

Something to be aware of with premium cabins on flights operated by American Airlines: flights operating entirely within the United States are marketed as first class; those operating outwith the US are marketed as business class.

I've highlighted the LAS-LAX-MIA-SJU routing not because it is the best earner. There are other routings that yield a greater sum of TPs and invariably at a better price but because this is a such gentle itinerary. The outbound legs can be accomplished in a single day, albeit with an early start. The inbound is even easier and a noon start is possible, a beneficiary of the westerly routing where the changing time zones work in our favour.

Note, the flights between MIA and SJU are sold as business class and thus accrue 40 Tier points. For those planning a trip from the Midwest or East Coast to San Juan, it is worth considering DFW as a connection point, since DFW and SJU are in excess of 2,000 miles apart.

Examples from 2014:

Qatar Airways and Royal Jordanian deals between the EU and the Far East
While at the time of writing, this option may not represent the best TP earner, RJ and QR do still offer amazing value for business class travel between the Continental Europe and Asia.

Examples from 2014:

Business Class travel within Asia

Examples from 2014:

London Gatwick short haul premium leisure fares
Closer to London, BA's own premium leisure Club Europe fares are not to be sniffed at. Same day hops between Gatwick, Amsterdam, and Jersey are popular by virtue of the absence of Saturday night stay restrictions on many LGW discounted Club Europe fares. AMS sectors typically price out at around £100 per sector (in R class) and at around £90 to/from JER (again in R class)

Pro-active online upgrades (POUG) and airport upgrades offer additional opportunities to squeeze a few extra Tier Points out of deep discount economy BA tickets.

Examples from 2014:

Irregular operations
Irregular operations come part and parcel with air travel. Expect the best but prepare for the worst. In other words, allow plenty of wriggle room in your travel plans, think twice about short connections at MIA during the hurricane season, or at JFK in winter, or at ORD at any time other than spring and fall, noting Chicago's spring and fall seasons while lasting no more than a week each Mother Nature is inclined to blast Chicagoland with her wrath during these short seasons.

Although AA tend to be very helpful rearranging flights, they do often work on the basis of getting you onto the next available service irrespective of fare class. So, for example, If you face a weather related delay they are particularly unwilling to more than that. However if you look at Expert Flyer before approaching the Admirals Club agent then you can be proactive in making suggestions. Note, in rebooking AA flights, there is a risk of instant upgrades ending up as business or worse, economy. If the next available flight is sold out in first, AA are often open to requests for a seat on the following flight that has seats available in first class. This may involve joining the stand-by list. Working with Gate Agents or AAdmirals Club staff pays dividends. It pays to check revised booking class(es) with the agent. This is your only opportunity to ensure the flights are rebooked into the same class as your original booking (A and/or P), and your Tier Points post as planned.

Last edited by Prospero; Aug 8, 2015 at 4:13 am Reason: General update