This week I'm setting off on what is, for me, another longer than usual trip, a British Airways Holidays based tier point run. Due to the rules and limitations that were in effect at the time of my booking, this trip will earn me 640 BA tier points that will then accrue another 640 bonus tier points a couple of weeks later. These 1,280 tier points will significantly advance me towards the 5,000 points required for my first foray into Gold Guest List status within the BA Executive Club.

The itinerary for this trip is:

Day 0 - Overnight at NCL airport hotel
Day 1 - Newcastle-London-Bucharest 120 (240) TP
Day 2 - Bucharest-London-Jersey 120 (240) TP
Day 3 - Jersey-London-Istanbul 120 (240) TP
Day 4 - Istanbul-London 80 (160) TP
Day 5 - London-Athens 80 (160) TP
Day 6 - Athens-London-Newcastle 120 (240) TP

It's important to note that this particular itinerary style for double points on a BA holiday is no longer available. At the time of my booking, many months ago, the terms and conditions permitted multiple return trips to the UK. These terms were revised at a later date to restrict the offer to only one return to the UK. The relatively sedate pace is due to the requirement for 5 days of hotel or car hire within the booking.

Although I typically don't mention cost, the expense of a tier point run is often the first question asked. In this instance, the cost was very reasonable, working out to roughly £1.50 per tier point including the six nights of hotels, so around £1 per point in normal flights only Tier Point run terms.

There won't be much opportunity for exploration during the brief overnight stays, however I'll make sure to venture out onto the streets whenever possible. All the destinations on this trip are places I've been to before, with some being much more recent and familiar to me than others.

Unfortunately, I'm beginning my trip at a significant disadvantage due to a major lack of sleep. After a late return from Aberdeen on Sunday and an early train to Birmingham on Monday, only returning yesterday afternoon, my sleep schedule has taken a hit. With Crufts happening this week, hotel options around the NEC were either scarce or exorbitantly priced, leading me to choose a less familiar hotel. Unfortunately, the choice didn't pan out well due to an incredibly tired and soft bed, resulting in two nights of poor sleep. Exhausted, I went straight to bed upon returning home yesterday, only to wake up at 1am today. This is far from the ideal way to start six days of travel! I'm hoping to catch up on some much-needed sleep tonight but I attend an online quiz with friends every Thursday night, they may have to manage without me.

with that preamble done, it is time for me to pack the case, order an Uber, and make tracks for the airport hotel.