Jan 2, 2015, 8:37 am
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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below!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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This thread lists attractive tier point (TP) runs under £3 per TP grouped within different (departure) geographies
Please note the following:
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:
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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Historic information
2015 Archive (6 months Jan to Jun)
2014 Archive
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
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Historic information
2015 Archive (6 months Jan to Jun)
2014 Archive
BA Tier Point Runs | 2015 master thread
Dec 13, 2015, 9:07 am
#6286
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 89
After deliberating for quite a while, I ended up ignoring all your excellent advice and booking my first TP run - LHR HEL OSL HEL LHR for 240 TP at £520 (£2.17/TP) direct on Finnair.com (HEL LHR on BA).
Barely worth a mention on this thread but not too bad for something out of LHR that leaves at 10AM on a Saturday and gets back 9AM on a Sunday. This gets me well into Bronze for a few months, then upgraded a work trip LHR LAS LHR to WTP on a good deal with my own funds which tips the scales to Silver in April.
Not the most glamorous way to do it but practical - will try to use up the rest of my Priority Pass visits between now and then!
Barely worth a mention on this thread but not too bad for something out of LHR that leaves at 10AM on a Saturday and gets back 9AM on a Sunday. This gets me well into Bronze for a few months, then upgraded a work trip LHR LAS LHR to WTP on a good deal with my own funds which tips the scales to Silver in April.
Not the most glamorous way to do it but practical - will try to use up the rest of my Priority Pass visits between now and then!
Itinerary is:
Sat 09 Jan 10:20LondonHeathrowTerminal 3 15:15 HelsinkiHelsinki VantaaTerminal 2
AY832 AY
Finnair
2:55 Business (I)
Sat 09 Jan 16:40HelsinkiHelsinki VantaaTerminal 2 17:15 OsloGardermoenTerminal
AY659 AY
Finnair
1:35 Business (I)
Sat 09 Jan 20:20OsloGardermoenTerminal 22:45 HelsinkiHelsinki VantaaTerminal 2
AY658 AY
Finnair
1:25 Business (I)
Sun 10 Jan 07:40HelsinkiHelsinki VantaaTerminal 2 09:00 LondonHeathrowTerminal 3
AY5905 BA
British Airways
3:20 Business (I)
I make it:
LHR HEL 80
HEL OSL 40
OSL HEL 40
HEL LHR 80
Total 240
The HEL OSL HEL flights are operated by Nordic Regional Airlines (I assume this is flybe nordics?) - They have an AY ticket number so I assume this doesn't affect TPs earned? Has anyone done I on this route? What's it like?
Dec 13, 2015, 9:20 am
#6287
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,936
Yes, 240 TPs.
As an alternative to that there is also JER-LGW/LHR-HEL as a return which also gets 240 TPs and costs around £435. Same in that it can be completed in a weekend and you need a Saturday night away although this time in HEL. The airport Hilton is usually not that expensive and quite nice especially if you get a room with an in-room sauna.
As an alternative to that there is also JER-LGW/LHR-HEL as a return which also gets 240 TPs and costs around £435. Same in that it can be completed in a weekend and you need a Saturday night away although this time in HEL. The airport Hilton is usually not that expensive and quite nice especially if you get a room with an in-room sauna.
Dec 13, 2015, 9:30 am
#6288
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 89
Yes, 240 TPs.
As an alternative to that there is also JER-LGW/LHR-HEL as a return which also gets 240 TPs and costs around £435. Same in that it can be completed in a weekend and you need a Saturday night away although this time in HEL. The airport Hilton is usually not that expensive and quite nice especially if you get a room with an in-room sauna.
As an alternative to that there is also JER-LGW/LHR-HEL as a return which also gets 240 TPs and costs around £435. Same in that it can be completed in a weekend and you need a Saturday night away although this time in HEL. The airport Hilton is usually not that expensive and quite nice especially if you get a room with an in-room sauna.
For hotels I went for a slightly dubious £40/night hotel about 2kms down the road from HEL - I'm only there for about 7 hours so if it was longer it would definitely be the Hilton! Thanks for the heads up, I will bear it in mind for next time.
Dec 13, 2015, 10:20 am
#6289
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
Any demand for a section in the wiki for "easiest runs" ex-LON for a given number of TPs? Seems to be a regular question and not necessarily easy to unpick for someone new to the forum - not to discourage questions from newbies to these parts, but to help them narrow the question somewhat given ITA (even with Prospero's excellent post 3) can be somewhat unwieldy / intimidating
Think we've got a good number of suggestions / tips around for 45, 80, 120, 160 and 240 at the moment as a baseline
Think we've got a good number of suggestions / tips around for 45, 80, 120, 160 and 240 at the moment as a baseline
Dec 13, 2015, 10:22 am
#6290
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
Yes, 240 TPs.
As an alternative to that there is also JER-LGW/LHR-HEL as a return which also gets 240 TPs and costs around £435. Same in that it can be completed in a weekend and you need a Saturday night away although this time in HEL. The airport Hilton is usually not that expensive and quite nice especially if you get a room with an in-room sauna.
As an alternative to that there is also JER-LGW/LHR-HEL as a return which also gets 240 TPs and costs around £435. Same in that it can be completed in a weekend and you need a Saturday night away although this time in HEL. The airport Hilton is usually not that expensive and quite nice especially if you get a room with an in-room sauna.
Dec 13, 2015, 1:30 pm
#6291
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,936
Any demand for a section in the wiki for "easiest runs" ex-LON for a given number of TPs? Seems to be a regular question and not necessarily easy to unpick for someone new to the forum - not to discourage questions from newbies to these parts, but to help them narrow the question somewhat given ITA (even with Prospero's excellent post 3) can be somewhat unwieldy / intimidating
Think we've got a good number of suggestions / tips around for 45, 80, 120, 160 and 240 at the moment as a baseline
Think we've got a good number of suggestions / tips around for 45, 80, 120, 160 and 240 at the moment as a baseline
Dec 13, 2015, 1:57 pm
#6292
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
Am adding below to the wiki as a new section, feel free to edit and add sensible links you are aware of to it. I think links to examples of the routings others have used for these fares will be very helpful
(P.s. Zero pride of authorship here, go wild!)
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, 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)
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.
Need 125-160 TPs
Take a look at the shorthaul plus routes earning 80 TPs each way in business listed in the first post. 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. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25856888-post6286.html
(P.s. Zero pride of authorship here, go wild!)
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, 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)
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.
Need 125-160 TPs
Take a look at the shorthaul plus routes earning 80 TPs each way in business listed in the first post. 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. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/25856888-post6286.html
Dec 13, 2015, 2:13 pm
#6293
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
Just completed TP run booked last weekend for £257 - opted to book my own hotel to hit a milestone for IHG, but plenty could be had for £30 or so extra. And TCB available too...
£2.15 per TP before factoring in €250 compensation for a misconnect in MAD, that brings it down to £78 or so and 65p per TP. Plus I ended up with a free hotel in MAD and no charge for my cancelled hotel in BCN (could take a chance and use HotelTonight or similar once on the ground in MAD)
Outbound on Saturday:
LHR-MAD on IB3177 (15:45-19:10)
MAD-BCN on IB2738 (19:55-21:10)
Inbound on Sunday:
BCN-MAD on IB2705 (16:15-17:30)
MAD-LGW on IB3718 (18:15-19:35)
Doesn't leave a lot of time free in BCN as you need to get train at c. 14:30 (every 30 mins and takes about the same) to get to Terminal 2 and then shuttle bus to Terminal 1
£2.15 per TP before factoring in €250 compensation for a misconnect in MAD, that brings it down to £78 or so and 65p per TP. Plus I ended up with a free hotel in MAD and no charge for my cancelled hotel in BCN (could take a chance and use HotelTonight or similar once on the ground in MAD)
Outbound on Saturday:
LHR-MAD on IB3177 (15:45-19:10)
MAD-BCN on IB2738 (19:55-21:10)
Inbound on Sunday:
BCN-MAD on IB2705 (16:15-17:30)
MAD-LGW on IB3718 (18:15-19:35)
Doesn't leave a lot of time free in BCN as you need to get train at c. 14:30 (every 30 mins and takes about the same) to get to Terminal 2 and then shuttle bus to Terminal 1
Last edited by lorcancoyle; Dec 13, 2015 at 2:28 pm
Dec 14, 2015, 2:51 am
#6294
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wolverhampton
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Gold, Radisson Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,606
No interest in the ex-geneva to Sydney business class for 1370ish (with a 10% off code) on Qatar? Even on a simple hop at DOH, comes out at £2.28ptp for 600tps.
Dec 14, 2015, 3:57 am
#6295
Join Date: Feb 2010
Location: London
Programs: BA GGL (for now) and Lifetime Gold, Marriott fan thanks to Bonvoy Moments
Posts: 5,115
Tempting to a certain extent, personally I'm planning on using ex-OSL fare to SYD on BA next time I'm heading that direction, with a GUF applied to get F. If a straight choice between QR and BA J I don't think there'd be much of a contest though!
Dec 14, 2015, 4:01 am
#6296
Moderator: Qatar Airways
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: LHR/NCE/MIA
Programs: BAEC GfL & GGL, SQ Gold, Amex Centurion, Mucci des Chevaliers des Bons Mots et Qui Savent Moucher
Posts: 8,947
For a J Saver fare, the price is fine, but this is a fully flexible J fare, which should usually be far higher.
By all means book the GVA-SYD fare, but perhaps book a flexible (and refundable) flight to GVA!
Dec 14, 2015, 6:45 am
#6297
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,197
It's also the A320 (with flat bed), and a 19-hour layover in DOH on the outbound (though pretty quick inbound). Still that gives me an opportunity to get a hotel and it's visa-on-entry in Qatar, so it's not like I'd be haunting the lounge in that time. As it's not time critical for me, I'm happy enough with the layover.
If anything really special comes up on CX, especially if that allows me to do OSL-LHR-HKG-PER om the outbound and SYD-HKG-LHR-OSL inbound, I'll cancel and rebook.
Last edited by Cymro; Dec 14, 2015 at 12:50 pm
Dec 14, 2015, 12:35 pm
#6298
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Programs: BAEC GOLD
Posts: 53
Got Silver !
Just qualified for Silver thanks for the ideas posted here etc. ...
Just two points .. I used some avios for positioning in Spain via BA website on Iberia metal .. all points rewards flight's but still got avios and tier points .. 5 and 125 each way didn't think this happened ??? any ideas??
Why do Iberia use a A330300 on Madrid to London run ??? massive plane for a short trip bit lost why they use it?? any ideas???
Just two points .. I used some avios for positioning in Spain via BA website on Iberia metal .. all points rewards flight's but still got avios and tier points .. 5 and 125 each way didn't think this happened ??? any ideas??
Why do Iberia use a A330300 on Madrid to London run ??? massive plane for a short trip bit lost why they use it?? any ideas???
Dec 14, 2015, 12:47 pm
#6299
Join Date: Jan 2007
Posts: 4,709
Just qualified for Silver thanks for the ideas posted here etc. ...
Just two points .. I used some avios for positioning in Spain via BA website on Iberia metal .. all points rewards flight's but still got avios and tier points .. 5 and 125 each way didn't think this happened ??? any ideas??
Why do Iberia use a A330300 on Madrid to London run ??? massive plane for a short trip bit lost why they use it?? any ideas???
Just two points .. I used some avios for positioning in Spain via BA website on Iberia metal .. all points rewards flight's but still got avios and tier points .. 5 and 125 each way didn't think this happened ??? any ideas??
Why do Iberia use a A330300 on Madrid to London run ??? massive plane for a short trip bit lost why they use it?? any ideas???
AFAIK they use the A340 (don't know about an A330) on MAD-LHR for cargo reasons.
Dec 14, 2015, 2:29 pm
#6300
Join Date: Feb 2015
Programs: BA Exec
Posts: 16
Sorry, ignore my first answer!
Yes for BA1-4 you should get 210 TPs if booked prior to the April changes and under BA flight number or any of the oneworld codeshares. BA initially said no to this months ago but I think anyone who has challenged them has had it amended to the higher level.
Yes for BA1-4 you should get 210 TPs if booked prior to the April changes and under BA flight number or any of the oneworld codeshares. BA initially said no to this months ago but I think anyone who has challenged them has had it amended to the higher level.
