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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below!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
#3047
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: Vancouver
Programs: AB BA Waterloo Mama Mia
Posts: 1,147
novice...at 300 tier points and would like to hit 600 on my last major trip of the card year that ends November 8...my usual trip in economy is TLV to YVR return that equals 140 points. I am open to other routes through Madrid, Barcelona, Los Angeles etc. Suggestions appreciated. The easy solution is Economy Plus on BA TLV LHR YVR that would give me 4 x 90 points for the trip and costs $1600 USD before using avios to reduce out of pocket cost. Thanks in advance for suggestions
#3048
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: 8,949
msm2000uk - I've just tried to do the same with the GGL Line, armed with an itinerary from Matrix - but they're quoting almost exactly £1,000 more. Did you have any problems like this? I'm wondering if it is something to do with booking into 'A' on the Transcon between JFK and LAX, and whether, if I ask them to book me into 'I' then the price will come down again but I'll be booked into First? Was this an issue for you?
The ideal setup for BA, is that your ticket is symmetrical - so if you fly in A from JFK-LAX, the BA system won't allow you to be booked into I for LAX-JFK without your JFK-LHR being in A...which unsurprisingly pushes up the price.
That, in my view, is the problem BA are describing to you, and the only way around it is to switch your dates and ensure there is A on both the transcon flights.
M
M
#3049
Join Date: Mar 2007
Programs: BA GGL/CCR
Posts: 384
msm2000uk, Calchas, Fitch, Dutch_122
Many thanks for your advice - I called back the GGL line and spoke to someone who new exactly what I was looking for, put me on hold for a few minutes, and then came back to say she had it sorted.
PJH981
Many thanks for your advice - I called back the GGL line and spoke to someone who new exactly what I was looking for, put me on hold for a few minutes, and then came back to say she had it sorted.
PJH981
It did take me a while to get the right Ticketing classes, but the GGL agent entirely understood what I wanted to do, and gave me options from his screen where ITA seemed to be showing the wrong info.
The ideal setup for BA, is that your ticket is symmetrical - so if you fly in A from JFK-LAX, the BA system won't allow you to be booked into I for LAX-JFK without your JFK-LHR being in A...which unsurprisingly pushes up the price.
That, in my view, is the problem BA are describing to you, and the only way around it is to switch your dates and ensure there is A on both the transcon flights.
M
I too reached out to him, and E was fantastically helpful...as always!
M
The ideal setup for BA, is that your ticket is symmetrical - so if you fly in A from JFK-LAX, the BA system won't allow you to be booked into I for LAX-JFK without your JFK-LHR being in A...which unsurprisingly pushes up the price.
That, in my view, is the problem BA are describing to you, and the only way around it is to switch your dates and ensure there is A on both the transcon flights.
M
I too reached out to him, and E was fantastically helpful...as always!
M
#3050
Join Date: May 2017
Location: KUL, LON
Programs: BA GGL, Bonvoy Titanium, Hyatt Globalist
Posts: 56
Have one of the LCA-LAS fares priced up in Matrix and ready to go in BookWithMatrix (via the AA site as the other links wouldn't work correctly).
Would there be any negatives (in terms of Avios earned for the given fare codes) booking this itinerary online via AA as opposed to over the phone with BA? All the flights are BA or BA codeshares operated by AY or AA, apart from the LAS-LAX flights which I'm not worried about anyway.
Would there be any negatives (in terms of Avios earned for the given fare codes) booking this itinerary online via AA as opposed to over the phone with BA? All the flights are BA or BA codeshares operated by AY or AA, apart from the LAS-LAX flights which I'm not worried about anyway.
#3051
Join Date: Feb 2015
Location: TXL
Programs: OW Sapphire, *G
Posts: 6
The Wiki of this thread says
Am I doing something wrong or is this gone? I can't find anything close to this.
Also the BA fare for LHR-HEL-TLL at ~£235 is still available and would get 200 TPs for a return.
#3052
Have one of the LCA-LAS fares priced up in Matrix and ready to go in BookWithMatrix (via the AA site as the other links wouldn't work correctly).
Would there be any negatives (in terms of Avios earned for the given fare codes) booking this itinerary online via AA as opposed to over the phone with BA? All the flights are BA or BA codeshares operated by AY or AA, apart from the LAS-LAX flights which I'm not worried about anyway.
Would there be any negatives (in terms of Avios earned for the given fare codes) booking this itinerary online via AA as opposed to over the phone with BA? All the flights are BA or BA codeshares operated by AY or AA, apart from the LAS-LAX flights which I'm not worried about anyway.
#3053
#3054
Join Date: Dec 2009
Location: near Heathrow
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL (OWE), SA LifePlat (*G), BD Gold to the end, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,911
I think wuileng was asking whether the BA coded flights on the LAX-JFK sectors of the LCA-LAS routing could booked via the AA website rather than calling BA and the answer is yes they can. I have previously booked such flights via AA.com and haven't come across a downside other than losing a few avios when paying with my BA amex card and not getting the enhanced avios multiplyer for BA bookings.
#3055
I think wuileng was asking whether the BA coded flights on the LAX-JFK sectors of the LCA-LAS routing could booked via the AA website rather than calling BA and the answer is yes they can. I have previously booked such flights via AA.com and haven't come across a downside other than losing a few avios when paying with my BA amex card and not getting the enhanced avios multiplyer for BA bookings.
Only time it would not be possible would be if the BA fare you are booking using AA.com, actually had a condition that it can only be plated on BA-ticket (starting ticket number 125-). Does not tend to happen on these fares very often, but something to bear in mind.
#3056
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: Mucci, BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Stena Gold
Posts: 1,094
Planning a TP run/ friend's birthday celebration in LAS next year with Mrs G, all in J.
Pretty set on DUB-JFK-LAX-LAS on the outbound, so it is with the inbound options that I am after advice/views:
It will probably be LAS-XXX-LHR-DUB, where XXX could be JFK, PHX,PHL, DFW or ORD (going back via LAX doesn't work on timings)
obviously more TP via JFK and PHL, but shorter flights back (less sleep for Mrs G)
and then there is the equipment... (I've not been in J on AA before, nor on a BA 787)
JFK AA 777 BA 777
PHL AA 330, BA 787
PHX BA 747
DFW AA 777 BA 747
ORD AA 787 BA 747 (timings don't work for the 380....)
What combination would you suggest, and why?
Are there other options I haven't considered?
Thank you
Pretty set on DUB-JFK-LAX-LAS on the outbound, so it is with the inbound options that I am after advice/views:
It will probably be LAS-XXX-LHR-DUB, where XXX could be JFK, PHX,PHL, DFW or ORD (going back via LAX doesn't work on timings)
obviously more TP via JFK and PHL, but shorter flights back (less sleep for Mrs G)
and then there is the equipment... (I've not been in J on AA before, nor on a BA 787)
JFK AA 777 BA 777
PHL AA 330, BA 787
PHX BA 747
DFW AA 777 BA 747
ORD AA 787 BA 747 (timings don't work for the 380....)
What combination would you suggest, and why?
Are there other options I haven't considered?
Thank you
#3057
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, Bonvoy Tit, Hilton Dia etc etc
Posts: 2,354
Planning a TP run/ friend's birthday celebration in LAS next year with Mrs G, all in J.
Pretty set on DUB-JFK-LAX-LAS on the outbound, so it is with the inbound options that I am after advice/views:
It will probably be LAS-XXX-LHR-DUB, where XXX could be JFK, PHX,PHL, DFW or ORD (going back via LAX doesn't work on timings)
obviously more TP via JFK and PHL, but shorter flights back (less sleep for Mrs G)
and then there is the equipment... (I've not been in J on AA before, nor on a BA 787)
JFK AA 777 BA 777
PHL AA 330, BA 787
PHX BA 747
DFW AA 777 BA 747
ORD AA 787 BA 747 (timings don't work for the 380....)
What combination would you suggest, and why?
Are there other options I haven't considered?
Thank you
Pretty set on DUB-JFK-LAX-LAS on the outbound, so it is with the inbound options that I am after advice/views:
It will probably be LAS-XXX-LHR-DUB, where XXX could be JFK, PHX,PHL, DFW or ORD (going back via LAX doesn't work on timings)
obviously more TP via JFK and PHL, but shorter flights back (less sleep for Mrs G)
and then there is the equipment... (I've not been in J on AA before, nor on a BA 787)
JFK AA 777 BA 777
PHL AA 330, BA 787
PHX BA 747
DFW AA 777 BA 747
ORD AA 787 BA 747 (timings don't work for the 380....)
What combination would you suggest, and why?
Are there other options I haven't considered?
Thank you
#3058
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: Mucci, BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Stena Gold
Posts: 1,094
Can't do LAX because you get into DUB too late? Even with the early BA flight? That is what I would usually look at if I were doing this. For a bit more sleep and a TP boost I would do LAS-LAX-MIA-LHR-DUB ... MIA-LHR is almost as long as DFW-LHR, so much so that this occasionally triggers a slight fare jump due to flight length. I actually quite like routing through MIA.
#3059
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: SFO, LON
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, Bonvoy Tit, Hilton Dia etc etc
Posts: 2,354
Fair enough, then I am not sure there is much to be decided. Choice is also potentially a bit seasonal (would avoid ORD/JFK/PHIL in possible snow time, southern airports in hurricane season). If pressed on your list and MIA not being an option, I would pick DFW or JFK, PHX being in the same boat as LAX with flight times etc etc
#3060
Join Date: Mar 2012
Location: BHX
Programs: BA GGL CCR GfL, SQ Gold, Hyatt Glob, HH Diamond, Marriott Plat, Cafe Nero Loyalty Card (7 Stamps)
Posts: 7,330
On the MAN-SAT fares that were available earlier in the year, does the 767-300 from MAN-ORD tend to be the retrofitted ones, or do they still fly those angle flat ones as well?