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Old Jan 2, 2015, 8:37 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: theultimateflyer
Welcome to the thread — please read the wiki first as it contains lots of information which may answer your question. We keep track of other prices, as well as useful reference information for those planning tier point runs.

This is a community-maintained wiki post. Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below!


Current Promotions of Interest
  • from DUB to US IJN8S4Z1 reported here, e.g. JFK - €1,074, MIA - €1,119, LAS - €1,224, LAX - €1,296, HNL - €1,623, needs to be booked by 2 February, for outbound travel over Easter and summer 2016, see linked post for details
  • from DUB to US ILN8S4Z1 reported here, e.g. JFK - €920, MIA - €958, LAS - €1,048, LAX - €1,110, needs to be booked by 2 February, for outbound travel over November and Christmas & New Year 2016, see linked post for details

  • from DUB to US ILR28AP reported here, e.g. JFK - €1,538, MIA - €1,601, LAS - €1,751, LAX - €1,854, HNL - €1,834, this is an advanced purchase fare so no book by deadline, no stopovers, see linked post for details
  • from DUB to US ILN8S4E1 reported here, e.g. JFK - €1,538, MIA - €1,601, LAS - €1,751, LAX - €1,854, HNL - €1,834, this is an advanced purchase fare so no book by deadline, allows stopovers for €75, see linked post for details

  • from CPH to US ILR21AP reported here, e.g. JFK - £890, MIA - £1,132, ORD - £942, LAX - £1,277, HNL - £1,361, this is an advanced purchase fare so no book by deadline, no stopovers, see linked post for details
  • from CPH to US ILN2S4E1 reported here, JFK - £890, MIA - £1,132, ORD - £942, LAX - £1,277, HNL - £1,361, this is an advanced purchase fare so no book by deadline, allows stopovers for €75, see linked post for details

  • ILN2S4Z1 from OSL to HNL (19.5k/21.5k NOK (£1,520/£1,675) via. LON or via. HEL & LON)
    PERMITTED 23NOV 15 THROUGH 28NOV 15 OR 22DEC 15 THROUGH
    01JAN 16 OR 27MAR 16 THROUGH 31MAR 16 ON THE OUTBOUND
    TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.

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This thread lists attractive tier point (TP) runs under £3 per TP grouped within different (departure) geographies

Please note the following:
  • Current availability is not guaranteed.
  • All prices include taxes.

Please use the following convention when adding tier point runs to this wiki post:

Date fare checked | Price per Tier Point | Total Price | Total Tier Points | Route | Booking Classes | Booking Channel | Credit | Notes (if applicable) | Airlines

Please remember to:
  • Convert currencies to GBP, rounding to the nearest pound.
  • Post full routes and full booking classes.
  • Note any restrictions on booking in the Notes section.
  • List in order of price per tier point within the relevant departure area.

From Europe
17DEC | £0.75/TP | £909 | 1200 | DUB-LHR-JFK-PHX-HNL-PHX-JFK-LHR-DUB | I/I/A/A/A/A/I/I | aa.com | perthflyer | BA AA
30JUL | £0.93/TP | £335 | 360 | JER-LGW-SSH-LGW-JER | J/I/I/J | ba.com | dom462 | CE | BA
01 NOV | £0.99/TP | £1343 | 1360 | CPH-HEL-LHR-JFK-PHX-HNL-PHX-JFK-LHR-HEL-CPH | I/I/I/A/P/P/A/I/I/I | ITA Matrix | MrMutton
19 AUG | £1.01/TP | £1,375 (1938 EUR) | 1360 | DUB-HEL-LON-JFK-PHX-HNL-PHX-JFK-LHR-HEL-DUB | IIIAAAAIII | OttoMH | J/F | AY BA AA
16 AUG | £1.22/TP | £1,675 (21.5k NOK) | 1360 | OSL-HEL-LON-JFK-PHX-HNL-PHX-JFK-LHR-HEL-OSL | IIIAAAAIII | OttoMH | J/F | AY BA AA
16 AUG | £1.27/TP | £1,518 (19.5k NOK) | 1200 | OSL-LON-JFK-PHX-HNL-PHX-JFK-LHR-OSL | IIAAAAII | OttoMH | J/F | BA AA
14AUG | £1.31/TP | £470 | 360 | OSL-HEL-AGP-HEL-OSL | I-I-I-I | ITA | Flythe96flag | SH J cabin + possible red-eye (!) | AY
04 SEP | £1.31/TP | £1,220 (1681 EUR) | 910 | DME-MAD-JFK-LAX-MIA-MAD-DME | all in I | iberia.com | henkybaby | J | BA AA IB | works till 6/16 so far
23AUG | £1.34/TP | £1148 | 860 | DUB-PHL-PHX-LAS-PHX-JFK-LHR,LCY-DUB | I/P/P/P/P/I/I | ticketed on aa.com | megaloman | AA & BA (UD on 747 JFK-LHR)
17AUG | £1.67/TP | £1408 |840 |BHX-JFK-PHX-LAS & back | I-A-A-A-A-I | aa.com |Swiss Tony | AA ski slope bed on TATL | AA
26JUL | £1.81/TP | £72.70 | 40 | MAD-FRA | Z | lan.com | Prospero | 787 flat bed | LA
23NOV | £1.89/TP | £377 | 200 | DUB-LHR-MAD-SVQ r/t | I-I-I-I-I-I | ITA | Lorcancoyle | IM0B IB DUB to SVQ | BA and IB flights (I2 for domestic under IB code), random dates in December available, A340 on some dates (helpfully pointed out by Temps that domestic Spain is only 20 TPs)
17 AUG | £1.89/TP | £1818 | 960 | OSL-LON-KUL//SIN-SYD/SYD-PER/PER-SYD-SIN/SIN-LHR-OSL | BugAlugs | J | BA QF | INCSALE ended 14thSep - (Applied GUF via TA (moves J to F on BA longhaul and scores 1260 TPS in total)
31 DEC | £1.91/TP | £1220 | 640 | AMS-LHR-MIA-SCL // EZE-JFK-LHR-BCN | J/I/I-I/I/J | AA.com | nufnuf77 (can also return to LHR for £20 less but 40TP less
13NOV | £2.56/TP | £410 | 160 | LHR-HEL | ? | BA.com | Lorcancoyle | wide open as flight+hotel, can reduce with TCB cash back | BA
1JAN | £1.85/TP | £444 | 240 | JER-LGW/LHR-HEL | J/I/I/J | ITA Matrix | flatlander | Available most weekends first half of 2016, fare IM0R
24NOV | £1.91/TP | £765.00 | 400 | BUD-DOH-SHJ | I/A/I/A | QR.com | Wozza2404 | A320 | QR
7DEC | £2.24/TP | £942 | 420 | MAD-MIA-SXM-CLT-JFK-LHR | I/I/I/A/I | ticketed on aa.com | megaloman | other routings possible earning more TPs could have lower the price with added LHR-CDG leg to £865 (£2.06/TP)
22JAN | £2.29/TP | £640 | 280 | FCO-CMB-FCO | I/I | book on SriLankan website | theultimateflyer

From North, Central and South America
31JUL | £0.39/TP | £484 | 1240 | HNL-LAX-BOS-MIA-BAQ-MIA-PHL-LAX-HNL | AAAIIAAA | ITA Matrix | Pawel Siewko | AA
16OCT | £0.55/TP | £298.50 | 540 | JFK-LAX-DEN-LAX-JFK | P-P-P-P | aa.com | Calum | AA A321t F seat between JFK & LAX (FARE GONE)
16JUL | £0.57/TP | £554 | 980 | LAX-LAS-PHX-PHL-CLT-TPA-MIA-PTY-MIA-PHL-PHX-LAS-LAX | PPPPPPIIPPPP | aa.com | Airprox | AA + US
27JUL | £0.80/TP | £15.94 | 20 | VVC-BOG-MDE | A | lan.com | JohnnyColombia | A is economy on LA | LA
08NOV | £0.84/TP | £772.50 | 920 | KOA-LAX-CLT-SJU-CLT-LAX-KOA | AAIIAA | aa.com | Lappe | Same day turnarounds available
30SEP | £0.87/TP | £808.00 | 920 | BOG-MIA-LAX-HNL-LAX-MIA-BOG | I-P-P-P-P-I | aa.com | JohnnyColombia | No comments
20SEP | £1.00/TP | £663.20 | 660 | LGA-BOS-LAX-PHX-LAX-BOS-LGA | P-P-P-P-P-P | americanairlines.co.uk | njf63 | TCON on 737 so not too comfortable but good availability next Mar/Apr
21AUG | £1.05 | £253 | 240 | BOS-PHL-PIT-PHL-BOS | PPPP | aa.com | Simon Schus | AA op by US
02NOV | £1.27/TP | £1250 | 980 | MCO-MIA-LAX-HNL | A | AA | Mr 1A
05AUG | £1.37/TP | £578 | 420 | LAS-PHL-LAS | A/P | aa.com | Lucanesque | First | AA op by US
28JUL | £1.43/TP | £400 | 280 | SCL-IPC-SCL | Z | lan.com - Chilean version | moonman85 | 787 flat bed | LAN
06NOV | £1.67/TP | £66.00 | 40 | JFK-YYZ | Z | tam.com.br | frb98mf | Fifth Freedom flight every Wed/Fri/Sun, 767 flat bed
13NOV | £1.06/TP | £705 | 660 | RIC-CLT-PHL-PHX-PHL-CLT-RIC | A | AA.com | wenzlydale | 2 trips this year - mixture of A320s and B757s not a lot of food offered but all the G&Ts you could wish for
07JAN|£1.24/TP | £668 | 540 | SEA-MIA-ATL-CLT-SEA | P/P/P/P | aa.com | EsherFlyer | 24h transcon bounce. All I could fit in...

From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
18AUG | £1.25/TP | £440.00 | 360 | BKK-KUL-ICN Return | Z | www.malaysiaairlines.com | Wozza2404 | A330 Angle Flat for long haul sectors | MH
12OCT | £1.68/TP | £1,546 | 920 | TLV-MAD-LHR-JFK-LAX-JFK-LHR-MAD-TLV | I/I/I/I/I/I/I | iberia.com | frb98mf | Business (bonus: A330/A340 on the TLV legs!) | IB
24NOV | £1.43/TP | £803 | 560 | CTS-HKG-DPS-HKG-CTS | I/I/I/I | cathaypacific.com | zeltergiset | One 24hr+ stopover in HKG allowed | CX
06JAN | £1.86/TP | £856 | 460 | HND-HKG-DPS-HKG-CTS | I/I/I/I | cathaypacific.com | Gastrocnemius | One 24hr+ stopover in HKG allowed | CX
11JAN | £1.26/TP | £707 | 560 | KTM-KUL-TPE-KUL-KTM | D/D/D/D | malaysiaairlines.com | zeltergiset | MH
11JAN | £1.68/TP | £940 | 560 | TPE-KUL-KTM-KUL-TPE | D/D/D/D | malaysiaairlines.com | zeltergiset | MH

From Africa
11AUG | £0.89/TP | £748 | 840 | ACC-LHR-MIA-LAX-MIA-LHR-ACC | I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I | iberia call centre | njf63 | CW / AA J | IB
15NOV | £2.00/TP | £1200 | 600 | CPT-DOH-JFK-DOH-CPT | I/I/I/I | QR Website | Calum | QR J on the B788/A350 & 46hrs of flying | QR

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Need a year-end TP run (ex-LON) to make / retain status?

Some tips for searching for the year-end TP run for newcomers, the below is indicative only, but hopefully provides a bit of guidance for relatively straightforward runs ex-LON. Prospero's guide to using ITA matrix in post 3 (here along with these ideas, might come in handy. Feel free to share results, problems or general questions in the thread as these may not always work and there might be better deals out there...

For overnight trips remember to check BA and Iberia for their flights and hotel option as well, can get hotel for almost no extra cost at times

Need 80 TPs or less
Club Europe return somewhere close by is best - DUB, AMS and JER usually cheapest. AMS and JER easier than DUB for an immediate turnaround. The BA.com low fare finder can be very useful.

If you need as few as 45 TPs you might consider booking economy flights and hoping for a proactive online upgrade offer - but they're not guaranteed to materialise (so not one if you have no more time left in your TP collection year)

Or a slightly more interesting fun run

Need 85-120 TPs
Iberia flights via MAD to regional Spanish airports will get you 120 TPs as the domestic Spanish flights are 20 TPs in business. Under £300 including hotel can be available. Check BIO, GRX, VLC, BCN, SVQ etc. Example here

Need 125-160 TPs
Take a look at the shorthaul plus routes earning 80 TPs each way in business listed in the first post (here) MLA, IST, HEL and RAK are usually available. If time sensitive take a look at BA flight and hotel option to HEL, where you can usually get the last BA flight out on a Saturday, airport hotel and first return Sunday for well under £500.

Alternative options include positioning to JER and flying JER-LGW-XXX (AMS usually works well and avoids switching airports)

Need more than 160 TPs
You'll most likely be heading north then - OSL or VLL via HEL will get you 240 TPs, as will JER-LGW/LHR-HEL e.g. LHR-HEL-OSL for £520
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 8:46 am
  #1621  
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Originally Posted by KARFA
Would this fit as a TP run? The cost is ~£1600 so is there a way to get less than £3/TP on this? You would need to be getting 540 TPs to do so.
140 TP four times, so 560 TP at £2.86/TP

Allowed here () but better deals can be had within North America!
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 8:48 am
  #1622  
 
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Originally Posted by KARFA
Would this fit as a TP run? The cost is ~£1600 so is there a way to get less than £3/TP on this? You would need to be getting 540 TPs to do so.
This itinerary earns 140+140+140+140=560 TP at 1600 pounds Ièd say is not a bad fare at all.
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 8:49 am
  #1623  
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Originally Posted by all ahead full
any other suggestions, and when do the 'first' US airways flights get downgraded to Business so you only get 40 as opposed to the current 60 TP's

Many thanks,
You should book those flights under a US or AA code (NOT a BA/AY/IB/... code) to get the 60 TPs.
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 8:51 am
  #1624  
 
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Smile

Originally Posted by Calchas
You should book those flights under a US or AA code (NOT a BA/AY/IB/... code) to get the 60 TPs.
Thanks understand that, but I thought with the forthcoming merger, they may reduce the TP's you get, hopeful stand to be corrected
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 8:55 am
  #1625  
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Originally Posted by KARFA
Well this is definately TP run territory. AY have a sale on for Chongqing (CKG) either exLHR or exMAN.

£899
Book by: 30 April 2015
Travel from: 25 March–30 June 2015
Minimum stay: 6 days or the night between Saturday and Sunday.
Maximum stay: Within the stated travel period.
Advance purchase: Tickets must be purchased at least 14 days before departure.
Stopovers not permitted.

TP earning 80+140+140+80=440 so £2.04/TP

CKG is one of the cities where you can benefit from 72hr visa free transit. KA run a flight to HKG from CKG. Or you could just hand around CKG for a day or two, see these TRs:
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...r-lhr-ckg.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/trip-...-man-ay-j.html
I was looking at this KARFA but I interpret the visa free rules as you have to continue your journey outside mainland China, and not just backtrack. Was immigration ok with you actually just arriving in Chongquing and departing back to HEL?
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 8:57 am
  #1626  
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Originally Posted by Calchas
140 TP four times, so 560 TP at £2.86/TP

Allowed here () but better deals can be had within North America!
Originally Posted by 2MMKid
This itinerary earns 140+140+140+140=560 TP at 1600 pounds Ièd say is not a bad fare at all.
Yes you are both right. Sorry, the maths head is not on today!
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 9:01 am
  #1627  
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Originally Posted by rxfleming
I was looking at this KARFA but I interpret the visa free rules as you have to continue your journey outside mainland China, and not just backtrack. Was immigration ok with you actually just arriving in Chongquing and departing back to HEL?
My understanding is that you must be in transit to a third country, so arrive CKG and carry on to HKG or somewhere outside China with 72 hrs. Merely staying in CKG for less than 72 hrs and heading back to HEL would not be a transit.

So I think if you used this to get to CKG and then went on to HKG or somewhere else within 72 hrs you would not need a visa. If you stayed in CKG or went somewhere else in China regardless of whether it was more or less than 72 hrs you need a visa.

When I went for 3 nights back in 2013 when AY launched the route I stayed in and around CKG so I got a tourist visa.
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 9:10 am
  #1628  
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Originally Posted by all ahead full
Thanks understand that, but I thought with the forthcoming merger, they may reduce the TP's you get, hopeful stand to be corrected
That's up to BAEC ... we will see on April 28th !
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 9:24 am
  #1629  
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Originally Posted by rxfleming
I was looking at this KARFA but I interpret the visa free rules as you have to continue your journey outside mainland China, and not just backtrack. Was immigration ok with you actually just arriving in Chongquing and departing back to HEL?
One the few things I can be definite and categorical about .

It's a visa-free transit (to a third country) that's on the table, NOT a visa-free short visit to China, then back home.

The (relatively) good news is that Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan, qualify as third countries (or regions, to be diplomatic...).
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 9:27 am
  #1630  
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Originally Posted by IAN-UK
One the few things I can be definite and categorical about .

It's a visa-free transit (to a third country) that's on the table, NOT a visa-free short visit to China, then back home.

The (relatively) good news is that Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Taiwan, qualify as third countries (or regions, to be diplomatic...).
But I also thought they have to be part of the same ticket/eticket. So buying a separate flight on another carrier wouldn't work, would it?
I might be best going and getting a Tourist Visa from Edinburgh!
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 9:48 am
  #1631  
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Originally Posted by rxfleming
But I also thought they have to be part of the same ticket/eticket. So buying a separate flight on another carrier wouldn't work, would it?
I might be best going and getting a Tourist Visa from Edinburgh!
I did it with a totally separate onward ticket: there was some knock-about at the desk - I think because the visa-man wasn't certain from my documentation that I had a fully valid, kosher, paid for ticket. So best to make sure there's a ticket number and fare paid among your printouts.

But you've dented my confidence This was some time ago, and things could have finessed towards what I imagine was the spirit of the law - facilitating transfers rather than permitting manufactured stopovers. So perhaps through tickets are now required for a TWOV.


PS - why do you suggest Edinburgh - is it less of a circus than the London consulate?
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 9:49 am
  #1632  
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Originally Posted by IAN-UK

PS - why do you suggest Edinburgh - is it less of a circus than the London consulate?
I live in Glasgow and I can do everything by post!
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 10:40 am
  #1633  
 
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That AY fare is a good one - too bad that validity is only until the end of June (I'll be in Europe this summer but need to make a trip back to China at the end of July ...).

Originally Posted by IAN-UK
...
But you've dented my confidence This was some time ago, and things could have finessed towards what I imagine was the spirit of the law - facilitating transfers rather than permitting manufactured stopovers. So perhaps through tickets are now required for a TWOV.
....
There are no changes to the transit without visa (TWOV) requirements - the flights can be on separate tickets and can be a mixture of revenue and award bookings (not stand-by tickets though). All that is needed is a confirmed reservation. It is good to have as much supporting paperwork as possible though in case you encounter airline check-in staff who are less familiar with the rules.

Saying that CKG I am sure sees less TWOV traffic than PEK or SHA/PVG and the staff there might not be as clued-up, so if getting a visa is not too much hassle you may as well do this. That will also allow you to leave the Chongqing area and take the high speed train to Chengdu (lots more to see and do there than in Chongqing).

Note also that as far as the Chinese authorities are concerned the "transit" must just between the flight segments arriving into China and leaving from China, so

HEL-CKG-HKG-CKG-HEL - good for TWOV
HEL-CKG-HKG-HEL - also good for TWOV
HEL-CKG-HEL - not good for TWOV (no transit)
HEL-CKG-HEL-LHR - not good for TWOV (start and end are different countries, but flights into and leaving China are both from same country.

Lots more advice and feedback on TWOV here: http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/china...er-thread.html
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 12:53 pm
  #1634  
 
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Has anyone ever started a TP run from JER in the afternoon and took the positioning flight to JER the same morning? Any experiences? Risks? Positioning flight will be on a different PNR
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Old Mar 25, 2015, 1:23 pm
  #1635  
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BA Tier Point Runs | 2015 master thread

I would do a back to back at JER if I were you so you go out and come back on the same plane.
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