Jan 2, 2017, 6:09 pm
Last edit by: EsherFlyer
** AA Domestic First on two cabin will earn business TPs and avios for departures on or after 11 January 2017 - see reference posts for more details **
** Note that the practice of AA Domestic 3-class service flights booking into A for 210 TPs when I was no longer available ceased in September 2017. Discussion here. **
Welcome to the thread. This is a continuation of the highly popular 2016 Tier Point thread. We keep track of other prices, as well as useful reference information for those planning tier point runs.
Please read the first few posts in this thread first as it contains lots of information which may answer your question.
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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below!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
Sale Fares
Advanced Promotion Fares
See here in post # 8 for a 2017 archive of exEU sale fare, and see here in post # 445 for a 2016 archive of exEU sale fares.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This thread lists attractive tier point (TP) runs under £3 per TP grouped within different (departure) geographies
Please note that current availability is not guaranteed and 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:
Please see the links at the bottom of the wiki for archives of runs from previous years.
From Europe
24APR £0.90/TP £400 440 TLL-BA/AY-HEL-LON-GLA-KOI-ABZ ; TLL-BA/AY-HEL-LON-GLA-SDZ-ABZ (see post #1221)
02NOV £1.33/TP £583 440 LHR-HEL-TLL/TLL-HEL-LHR-NCL//NCL-LHR-HEL-TLL/TLL-HEL-LHR IIIIIIIIII Google Flights armouredant 2 nested tickets, both other a Saturday night. BA ticket, BA & AY metal, AY A350 possible LHR-HEL
08FEB £1.33/TP £346 260 JER-LGW-RAK-LGW-RAK I/I/I/I BA.com ramops
14AUG £1.65/TP £593 360 OSL-HEL-AGP-HEL-OSL I-I-I-I ITA Flythe96flag SH J cabin + possible red-eye (!) AY
26JUL £1.81/TP £72.70 40 MAD-FRA Z lan.com Prospero 787 flat bed LA
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
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)
24NOV £1.91/TP £765.00 400 BUD-DOH-SHJ I/A/I/A QR.com Wozza2404 A320 QR
11AUG £2.10/TP £420 200 AMS-LHR-GLA-LSI-ABZ-LSI-GLA-LHR-AMS I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I ITA Matrix --> Priceline.com MrMutton
13NOV £2.56/TP £410 160 LHR-HEL ? BA.com Lorcancoyle wide open as flight+hotel, can reduce with TCB cash back BA
From North, Central and South America
26Jan £1.50/TP £960 640 LGA-CMH-DCA-PHL-RDU-CLT-ATL-MIA-PTY and return I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I ITA Matrix--> BookWithMatrix dot com --> AA.com HPN-HRL other routings available; reverse routing is £40 more - see post 388 AA
10MAY £2.50/TP £203 80 ORF-CLT-ORD I/I AA.com
21MAY £2.08/TP £250 120 YYZ-PHL/LGA-CLT-ORF/PHF I/I/I AA.com
22NOV £1.43/TP £172 120 DCA-(LGA/BOS/PHL)-CLT-RDU (one way, reverse works as well) I/I/I ITA->BWM->priceline.com
From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
23Feb £0.99/TP £356 360 TPE-xKUL-PEN(JHB)-xKUL-TPE Z http://www.malaysiaairlines.com ermen two day min stay, promo fare MH
04JAN £1.10/TP £44 40 KUL-PEN D http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/uk/en.html fitch Works in both directions, rtn £80 if you can make the timnings work MH
11Nov £0.85/TP £307 360 TPE-KUL-SIN-KUL-TPE Z http://www.malaysiaairlines.com neofung
From Africa
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. The guide to using ITA matrix in post #4 (see 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 fewer
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). Alternatively, booking a return to one of the 40 tier point destinations with one way in CE and the return in ET (or vice versa if cheaper). Bilbao, Jersey and Amsterdam seems the most cost effective for this.
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 VNO via HEL will get you 240 TPs, as will JER-LGW/LHR-HEL e.g. LHR-HEL-OSL for £520. Also the BA fare for LHR-HEL-TLL at ~£235 is still available and would get 200 TPs for a return.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Historic information
2016 Archive
2015 Archive (6 months Jul to Dec)
2015 Archive (6 months Jan to Jun)
2014 Archive
.
** Note that the practice of AA Domestic 3-class service flights booking into A for 210 TPs when I was no longer available ceased in September 2017. Discussion here. **
Welcome to the thread. This is a continuation of the highly popular 2016 Tier Point thread. We keep track of other prices, as well as useful reference information for those planning tier point runs.
Please read the first few posts in this thread first as it contains lots of information which may answer your question.
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
Sale Fares
- from AMS/RTM to US ILN4T7S6/INX6T7S6 reported in this post and this post, e.g. NYC - €1,461, ORD - €1,492, LAS - €1,460, needs to be booked by 25 September, see linked post for details
- from PRG to US ILN4T8S6 reported in this post, e.g. IAD - £1,033, MIA - £1,133, ATL - £1,080, needs to be booked by 21 September, see linked post for details
Advanced Promotion Fares
- from DUB to US ILN8C1S6 reported here, e.g. NYC - €1,472, MIA - €1,578, see linked post for details
- froM DUB to US ILN8S4C1 reported here, e.g. JFK - €1,427, MIA - €1,532, LAS - €1,667, LAX - €1,795, HNL - €2,095, this is an advanced purchase fare so no book by deadline, see linked post for details
- from OTP to PHX ILN8R4C1 reported here, e.g. PHX - £1,252, see linked post for details
- from AMS to BKK INCEU60 reported here, e.g. BKK - £1,216, see linked post for details
See here in post # 8 for a 2017 archive of exEU sale fare, and see here in post # 445 for a 2016 archive of exEU sale fares.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This thread lists attractive tier point (TP) runs under £3 per TP grouped within different (departure) geographies
Please note that current availability is not guaranteed and 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.
Please see the links at the bottom of the wiki for archives of runs from previous years.
From Europe
24APR £0.90/TP £400 440 TLL-BA/AY-HEL-LON-GLA-KOI-ABZ ; TLL-BA/AY-HEL-LON-GLA-SDZ-ABZ (see post #1221)
02NOV £1.33/TP £583 440 LHR-HEL-TLL/TLL-HEL-LHR-NCL//NCL-LHR-HEL-TLL/TLL-HEL-LHR IIIIIIIIII Google Flights armouredant 2 nested tickets, both other a Saturday night. BA ticket, BA & AY metal, AY A350 possible LHR-HEL
08FEB £1.33/TP £346 260 JER-LGW-RAK-LGW-RAK I/I/I/I BA.com ramops
14AUG £1.65/TP £593 360 OSL-HEL-AGP-HEL-OSL I-I-I-I ITA Flythe96flag SH J cabin + possible red-eye (!) AY
26JUL £1.81/TP £72.70 40 MAD-FRA Z lan.com Prospero 787 flat bed LA
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
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)
24NOV £1.91/TP £765.00 400 BUD-DOH-SHJ I/A/I/A QR.com Wozza2404 A320 QR
11AUG £2.10/TP £420 200 AMS-LHR-GLA-LSI-ABZ-LSI-GLA-LHR-AMS I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I ITA Matrix --> Priceline.com MrMutton
13NOV £2.56/TP £410 160 LHR-HEL ? BA.com Lorcancoyle wide open as flight+hotel, can reduce with TCB cash back BA
From North, Central and South America
26Jan £1.50/TP £960 640 LGA-CMH-DCA-PHL-RDU-CLT-ATL-MIA-PTY and return I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I/I ITA Matrix--> BookWithMatrix dot com --> AA.com HPN-HRL other routings available; reverse routing is £40 more - see post 388 AA
10MAY £2.50/TP £203 80 ORF-CLT-ORD I/I AA.com
21MAY £2.08/TP £250 120 YYZ-PHL/LGA-CLT-ORF/PHF I/I/I AA.com
22NOV £1.43/TP £172 120 DCA-(LGA/BOS/PHL)-CLT-RDU (one way, reverse works as well) I/I/I ITA->BWM->priceline.com
From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
23Feb £0.99/TP £356 360 TPE-xKUL-PEN(JHB)-xKUL-TPE Z http://www.malaysiaairlines.com ermen two day min stay, promo fare MH
04JAN £1.10/TP £44 40 KUL-PEN D http://www.malaysiaairlines.com/uk/en.html fitch Works in both directions, rtn £80 if you can make the timnings work MH
11Nov £0.85/TP £307 360 TPE-KUL-SIN-KUL-TPE Z http://www.malaysiaairlines.com neofung
From Africa
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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. The guide to using ITA matrix in post #4 (see 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 fewer
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). Alternatively, booking a return to one of the 40 tier point destinations with one way in CE and the return in ET (or vice versa if cheaper). Bilbao, Jersey and Amsterdam seems the most cost effective for this.
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 VNO via HEL will get you 240 TPs, as will JER-LGW/LHR-HEL e.g. LHR-HEL-OSL for £520. Also the BA fare for LHR-HEL-TLL at ~£235 is still available and would get 200 TPs for a return.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Historic information
2016 Archive
2015 Archive (6 months Jul to Dec)
2015 Archive (6 months Jan to Jun)
2014 Archive
.
BA Tier Point Runs | 2017 master thread
May 18, 2017, 12:20 am
#1846
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: BA Silver, TK Elite, AB Gold, Iberia Plata, Best Western Rewards Platinum
Posts: 84
Do this means we have to book lhr-hel on BA metal. Exactly when i have the ticket and leave this changes the equation. I needed 200tp for gold and now I have to rethink.
May 18, 2017, 12:27 am
#1847
Join Date: Oct 2010
Location: Switzerland
Programs: AY+ Platinum, SK Gold, BAEC Silver, airbaltic VIP, Radisson VIP
Posts: 6,531
In all fairness, it has been around for quite a while now. ^
May 18, 2017, 1:32 am
#1848
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,848
RIP to the cheapest TLL runs, you will be missed 
Rather annoying as I'd been hoping to book a couple of trips to show several price-sensitive friends around TLL soon - this will make it a harder sell.
As UKTony said, I wonder about how these kinds of (re)prices are decided upon - no doubt Revenue Management have some pretty complex modelling.
Perhaps it will come back some day - we can live in hope! Fare rules are not something I know much about but is it possible, based on Beaulieu's post with the new rules, whether the change was initiated by Finnair fed up with their ATRs being chock full? In other words "we're not making this fare available to BA unless it books under our code HEL-TLL"? (Or am I barking up the wrong tree?)
Having said that, if we're now looking at £323 for 200TP (£1.62/TP, up from £1.15) or £429 from somewhere like NCL (280TP so £1.53/TP, up from ~£1.20) that is still pretty good for UK-based trips. Are there any others that even come close these days?
Of course, this "well it's still good value" calculation is precisely what Revenue Management will be counting on
Rather annoying as I'd been hoping to book a couple of trips to show several price-sensitive friends around TLL soon - this will make it a harder sell.As UKTony said, I wonder about how these kinds of (re)prices are decided upon - no doubt Revenue Management have some pretty complex modelling.
Perhaps it will come back some day - we can live in hope! Fare rules are not something I know much about but is it possible, based on Beaulieu's post with the new rules, whether the change was initiated by Finnair fed up with their ATRs being chock full? In other words "we're not making this fare available to BA unless it books under our code HEL-TLL"? (Or am I barking up the wrong tree?)
Having said that, if we're now looking at £323 for 200TP (£1.62/TP, up from £1.15) or £429 from somewhere like NCL (280TP so £1.53/TP, up from ~£1.20) that is still pretty good for UK-based trips. Are there any others that even come close these days?
Of course, this "well it's still good value" calculation is precisely what Revenue Management will be counting on
May 18, 2017, 3:15 am
#1849
Join Date: Apr 2014
Programs: BA Silver, TK Elite, AB Gold, Iberia Plata, Best Western Rewards Platinum
Posts: 84
Any suggestions? Budget is around the 250-350 GBP mark. I am also aware of IST run but I have been there too.
Thanks (and sorry for asking here, but I thought we could get creative with the options we have)
May 18, 2017, 5:59 am
#1850
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Mar 2013
Location: London
Posts: 17,007
BA has to pay AY for those seats. Depending on their agreement with AY, it may simply not be profitable.
May 18, 2017, 6:29 am
#1851
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: UK
Programs: British Airways Executive Club Silver
Posts: 87
RIP to the cheapest TLL runs, you will be missed Rather annoying as I'd been hoping to book a couple of trips to show several price-sensitive friends around TLL soon - this will make it a harder sell.
As UKTony said, I wonder about how these kinds of (re)prices are decided upon - no doubt Revenue Management have some pretty complex modelling.
Perhaps it will come back some day - we can live in hope! Fare rules are not something I know much about but is it possible, based on Beaulieu's post with the new rules, whether the change was initiated by Finnair fed up with their ATRs being chock full? In other words "we're not making this fare available to BA unless it books under our code HEL-TLL"? (Or am I barking up the wrong tree?)
Having said that, if we're now looking at £323 for 200TP (£1.62/TP, up from £1.15) or £429 from somewhere like NCL (280TP so £1.53/TP, up from ~£1.20) that is still pretty good for UK-based trips. Are there any others that even come close these days?
Of course, this "well it's still good value" calculation is precisely what Revenue Management will be counting on
Rather annoying as I'd been hoping to book a couple of trips to show several price-sensitive friends around TLL soon - this will make it a harder sell.As UKTony said, I wonder about how these kinds of (re)prices are decided upon - no doubt Revenue Management have some pretty complex modelling.
Perhaps it will come back some day - we can live in hope! Fare rules are not something I know much about but is it possible, based on Beaulieu's post with the new rules, whether the change was initiated by Finnair fed up with their ATRs being chock full? In other words "we're not making this fare available to BA unless it books under our code HEL-TLL"? (Or am I barking up the wrong tree?)
Having said that, if we're now looking at £323 for 200TP (£1.62/TP, up from £1.15) or £429 from somewhere like NCL (280TP so £1.53/TP, up from ~£1.20) that is still pretty good for UK-based trips. Are there any others that even come close these days?
Of course, this "well it's still good value" calculation is precisely what Revenue Management will be counting on
I'm so glad I booked my two TLL runs for November and December already! Gutted as I was looking to add on another in Jan
May 18, 2017, 6:50 am
#1852
Join Date: Jun 2009
Programs: BA GGL/GfL; Hilton Diamond; Marriott Ambassador; IHG Diamond;
Posts: 263
ZRH/GVA - LAX/SFO gone?
Was about to purchase this morning, but now appears to have been pulled or severely restricted.
May 18, 2017, 7:04 am
#1854
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,977
May 18, 2017, 7:06 am
#1855
formerly rxfleming
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: AUH, DXB (and GLA)
Programs: BA GGL, HHonors Diamond, Marriott Plat Elite
Posts: 2,456
For anyone based in AUH/DXB, this is a pretty great TR at the moment:
Using the MASTERCARD Promo with QR, you can fly AUH-DOH-CMB for only 1920AED (£400). You will find most of these deals are for Thursday departures and Saturday returns, so a 1 night stay is all that is needed.
The Trip is treated as (F)-(J) so you get 120TP for AUH-DOH-AUH and 280TP for DOH-CMB-DOH so a total of 400TP / so £1 per TP. And of course, you get to use the excellent Al Safwa lounge on the return leg as you will be on an F tix.
I'm away on one TR tonight, and staying in Negombo - hotels are about $50 a night (but can be considerably cheaper if you don't mind staying somewhere less glamorous!), and an Uber from the airport to hotel is $3.
Bargain.
Using the MASTERCARD Promo with QR, you can fly AUH-DOH-CMB for only 1920AED (£400). You will find most of these deals are for Thursday departures and Saturday returns, so a 1 night stay is all that is needed.
The Trip is treated as (F)-(J) so you get 120TP for AUH-DOH-AUH and 280TP for DOH-CMB-DOH so a total of 400TP / so £1 per TP. And of course, you get to use the excellent Al Safwa lounge on the return leg as you will be on an F tix.
I'm away on one TR tonight, and staying in Negombo - hotels are about $50 a night (but can be considerably cheaper if you don't mind staying somewhere less glamorous!), and an Uber from the airport to hotel is $3.
Bargain.
Last edited by travelwithross; May 18, 2017 at 7:14 am
May 18, 2017, 7:09 am
#1856
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Was meant to be book by 31st May, so maybe they are refiling with more restrictive dates, as they may have seen a big surge in bookings? (Fingers crossed! 
)
Seems to be quite an early pull on this one, unfortunately. It was fun while it lasted!
)Seems to be quite an early pull on this one, unfortunately. It was fun while it lasted!
May 18, 2017, 7:14 am
#1857
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,977
May 18, 2017, 7:20 am
#1858
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
I suspect it was an error fare. If it was cheap for those paying in GBP it must have been an absolute bargain for those paying in CHF.
May 18, 2017, 7:25 am
#1859
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London and Zurich
Programs: AA, BA, Mucci: Sir Roger des Directions Routières, PCR
Posts: 13,609
May 18, 2017, 7:45 am
#1860
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Which seems to also have disappeared...