Jan 29, 2017, 3:53 pm

FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides

A collaborative collection and discussion of nice Avios-earning and TP-earning J & F premium fare deals.
This thread is not for TP runs or published sales.
Some links to relevant threads for that can be found below.

Also in 2017: Enjoy your Premium Experience.

Oneworld: Italy and various EU to New York in club €1250
Current QR Sale Fares (yes, I did...)
QR/UL FRA-MLE via DOH+CMB: 1380€ RT across the board. 640 TP.
Switzerland/Italy/Sweden to East & West Coast USA in WTP (PE) €600/690 (3x Avios)

Update August 4th 2017:
QR: TUN-DOH-KUL return (J), ~£1000, 560TP
QR: TUN-DOH-JNB return (J), ~£1111, 560TP
QR: VCE-DOH-BKK return (J), ~£1242, 560TP
QR: HEL-DOH-BKK return (J), ~£1321, 560TP [AVAILABLE - BOOKING 23AUG17 ONLY - FOR GBP1217]
MH: KUL-PER return (J), ~£664, 280TP
BA/AA: LHR-MIA-PTY return (J), ~£1300, 560TP
BA: MXP-LHR-DXB return (J), ~£1150, 360TP
BA: AMS-LHR-BKK return (J), ~£1300, 360TP
BA/IB/AA: MXP-LHR/MAD-JFK return (J), ~£1700, 360TP
BA/AA: INV-LHR-ORD return (J), ~£1300, 360TP
QR/UL: FRA-DOH-CMB-MLE return (J), ~£1351, 640TP
AY: OSL-HEL-BKK return (J), ~£1200, 360TP
AY: ARN-HEL-BKK return (J), ~£1300, 360TP
BA: HEL-LHR-BRU-LHR-HEL (J) ~£580, 240TP

Expired
Finnair J, ARN / GOT - BKK, 1150 GBP return (valid till Jan 9th)
TXL and Portugal to JNB for £1350/1450 on BA discussed from post 5021 onwards.. (expired 1st Feb)
CONSOLIDATED QR 2017 Travel Festival Fares
LHR-Asia/Oz for £1100/1500 on MH

FIRST CLASS - RTM/AMS/BRU to West Coast (SFO, SAN, YVR, SEA) starting at £2330...(Expired 1st Feb)

For promos to the US (often, but TP heavy routes in general) it is always a good idea to look at BA Tier Point Runs 2017 master thread. Current sales are often in the Wiki there.

Please use http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/briti...are-deals.html for WT or WTP deals.

Here is a link to the original Premium Fare Deals thread.

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Premium Fare Deals (J and F) - 2017 edition

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May 22, 2017, 12:50 am

#616

KARFA

Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2012

Location: Leeds, UK

Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond

Posts: 42,991

Quote:

Originally Posted by sxc

How do you quote this up? I tried looking via ba.com multi-city, but it fails (route not available).

Use itamatrix or google flights. Ba.com multi city won't price it up.

May 22, 2017, 2:43 am

#617

squawk

Join Date: Jul 2012

Location: The North

Posts: 1,848

Inspiration for ~£500

In light of the demise of the cheapest TLL fare, I am looking for some inspiration from more travelled folks here for a short break!

I'm trying to satisfy both interesting (from a destination POV) and being TP-productive on a specific budget

Does anyone have suggestions for a trip that satisfies the following criteria?

Cabins: J wherever possible (naturally) and maximise TPs. If it's possible to get 300-400 that'd be lovely…
Trip length: Ideally a 3-4 day city break, though I'd not be averse to a ~7 day 'relaxing' break. Happy for an Ex-EU, especially from AMS (ease of positioning), though aware this will chew into my trip time. Otherwise my nearest airport is NCL, but could leave from EDI or even ABZ/INV/MAN/LBA (with some strategic railway positioning)…
Locations: Currently not that keen on the US as a destination; have never been to North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, or anywhere in Asia except Seoul. Could definitely could be persuaded towards the latter! A European SH+ city break is also good, though positioning to LGW is a bit of a pain, so ideally changing at LHR.
Dates: Pretty flexible from October 2016 to March 2017.
Other: Costs as little over £500 as possible, bookable via BA (BA Amex £100 off £500 spend)

Happy to play around with Matrix etc. - it's more some inspiration/flagging specific good I'd appreciate.

Happy to go back to TLL, of course (perhaps routing via the Scottish Islands!) but it'd be nice to do something else

May 22, 2017, 2:51 am

#618

rossmacd

Join Date: Jan 2010

Posts: 7,464

Quote:

Originally Posted by squawk

Does anyone have suggestions for a trip that satisfies the following criteria?

Cabins: J wherever possible (naturally) and maximise TPs. If it's possible to get 300-400 that'd be lovely…
Trip length: Ideally a 3-4 day city break, though I'd not be averse to a ~7 day 'relaxing' break. Happy for an Ex-EU, especially from AMS (ease of positioning), though aware this will chew into my trip time. Otherwise my nearest airport is NCL, but could leave from EDI or even ABZ/INV/MAN/LBA (with some strategic railway positioning)…
Locations: Currently not that keen on the US as a destination; have never been to North Africa, the Eastern Mediterranean, the Middle East, or anywhere in Asia except Seoul. Could definitely could be persuaded towards the latter! A European SH+ city break is also good, though positioning to LGW is a bit of a pain, so ideally changing at LHR.
Dates: Pretty flexible from October 2016 to March 2017.
Other: Costs as little over £500 as possible, bookable via BA (BA Amex £100 off £500 spend)

I think your budget for the TPs and/or locations is not really possible.

No chance of going to Asia (I'm assuming SEAA here) on £500, unless you want to go in QR Y.

I'd personally suggest something like LHR-IST which will net you 160TPs for ~£279, or if you add domestic sectors from NCL-LHR-IST return for 240 TPs for ~£380.

May 22, 2017, 3:15 am

#619

squawk

Join Date: Jul 2012

Location: The North

Posts: 1,848

Quote:

Originally Posted by rossmacd

I think your budget for the TPs and/or locations is not really possible.

I suspect you're absolutely right - the TPs were aspirational

I've mostly looked within Europe or to the US before, so am not really on the ball when it comes to eastbound flights.

Quote:

Originally Posted by rossmacd

I'd personally suggest something like LHR-IST which will net you 160TPs for ~£279, or if you add domestic sectors from NCL-LHR-IST return for 240 TPs for ~£380.

Yes, IST (or ATH/eastern Med island) are some I'm definitely considering for precisely the 160+80 TPs. Avoiding a LHR-LGW transfer narrows the choice of SH+ destinations, unfortunately.

Any recommendations for nice relaxing island destinations that haven't been taken over by lots of tourist clubs?

Edit The £100 off £500 spend could come in handy for a more expensive flight (or flight+hotel destination) in the current sale - might open up some other options

Edit 2 I'd also definitely consider Premium Economy to say Canada, which I guess would be ~200TP from NCL/EDI. Less TP but something different

Last edited by squawk; May 22, 2017 at 3:23 am

May 22, 2017, 3:37 am

#620

GaxxyFlyer

Join Date: Jan 2014

Location: LCY

Programs: Mucci des Ancients Matelots

Posts: 769

Looks like the MAN - SAT AA deal has been removed.

May 22, 2017, 3:44 am

#621

KARFA

Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend

Join Date: Apr 2012

Location: Leeds, UK

Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond

Posts: 42,991

Quote:

Originally Posted by GaxxyFlyer

Looks like the MAN - SAT AA deal has been removed.

Yes, it seems so. I think someone else noted this at the end of last week. It has re-appeared so many times though, it may be back next week!

May 22, 2017, 3:49 am

#622

Deltus

Join Date: Oct 2015

Location: LON

Programs: BA Gold; LH FTL; IHG Diamond; Marriott Gold; ALL Gold

Posts: 1,758

Have you looked at the AY fare OSL-HEL-AGP? Should get 360 TPs, and I think it is around £550? You can have a week on the beach in Malaga to recover from the AY red-eye!

And I assume you can position to OSL directly from somewhere up north to avoid the trip down to London.

May 22, 2017, 5:16 am

#623

cysyuen

Join Date: Dec 2014

Programs: British Airways Executive Club Gold

Posts: 1,073

Quote:

Originally Posted by rossmacd

I'd personally suggest something like LHR-IST which will net you 160TPs for ~£279, or if you add domestic sectors from NCL-LHR-IST return for 240 TPs for ~£380.

The AY segments to HEL and back from LHR are indeed gone but this fare can still be done for £330. The difference is you are flying BA metal then AY to TLL. I just got back from this trip and it was a superb way to spend a weekend.

May 22, 2017, 5:28 am

#624

andymcdonnell

Join Date: Apr 2015

Posts: 1,358

Not BA but some excellent fares in January from DUB to SIN & HKG with AY. Fares from €1490 return in J

May 22, 2017, 6:32 am

#625

E14 26C

Join Date: Apr 2005

Location: E14

Programs: BA GGL, Marriott, IHG, Sirius, Dusit, Thai, Virgin, Hyatt, BAA, AS, AA(both)

Posts: 1,240

Quote:

Originally Posted by andymcdonnell

Not BA but some excellent fares in January from DUB to SIN & HKG with AY. Fares from €1490 return in J

And Saigon (SGN)

May 22, 2017, 6:41 am

#626

Agent69

Join Date: Jan 2015

Programs: BAEC Gold

Posts: 1,630

Quote:

Originally Posted by mikeyfly

Ahh I see. I'd still take the BA exAMS. You can get some great routings covering a lot of decent aircraft for not much more than £1250

Is this still the case?

About 6 weeks ago I was looking at 3 weeks in SE Asia end October time. There were lots of options starting in AMS and avoiding the dreaded 777 service from LHR to BKK. AMS - LHR - SIN - BKK - LHR - AMS is still available for just over £1300, but fares coming back via KUL or HKG appears to have gone through the roof.

May 22, 2017, 6:44 am

#627

mikeyfly

FlyerTalk Evangelist

Join Date: May 2014

Location: UK

Programs: BA Gold

Posts: 12,267

Very rough one chucked together - seems to still work albeit another £100

Still get some decent aircraft (789/380/350)

https://www.google.co.uk/flights/#se...AMS1BA430;sc=b

&

https://www.google.co.uk/flights/#se...AMS1BA428;sc=b

Last edited by mikeyfly; May 22, 2017 at 6:59 am

May 22, 2017, 7:02 am

#628

squawk

Join Date: Jul 2012

Location: The North

Posts: 1,848

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deltus

Thanks for the tip Deltus! I'd assumed the HEL-AGP was 80 each way, but it's 140 - as you say, 360 return. However, I don't think I'd be able to book this via BA, though (so I wouldn't be able to use the Amex)? Positioning via BA economy is £170-odd. Certainly a possibility, and I've not yet been to Oslo so could take advantage of that too

Quote:

Originally Posted by cysyuen

Definitely agree with you cysyuen, it's still good value. By mid June I'll have done it thrice and I'd like a bit of variety

I did, however, just try to price up a TLL routing via the Scottish Islands again and it seems to have completely gone. Previously this was ABZ-LSI-GLA-LHR-HEL-TLL (and return) for £465-ish, based on information provided by rossmacd and others. I expected this to have gone up by £100 or so because of the loss of BA6000-6999, but even a specific Matrix search (ABZ to TLL, advanced routing "LSI GLA LHR HEL" and vice versa for the return) just errors out.

Can anybody fill me in on what's going on here, or how to get round it? Assuming it can be resurrected (a big if) it might be ~£550 for £440TP, which with the Amex offer would be a nice £1 per TP…

May 22, 2017, 7:08 am

#629

Beaulieu

Join Date: Jul 2009

Location: Dorset, UK

Programs: BA GGL

Posts: 635

These are the valid routes on the ABZ-TLL IM0R fare:

Code:

MAP CONSTRUCTED LEFT TO RIGHT AND RIGHT TO LEFT
 1. ABZ-KOI-GLA-LON-HEL-AY/BA-TLL
 2. ABZ-LON-HEL-AY/BA-TLL
 3. ABZ-LON-TLL
 4. ABZ-SDZ-GLA-LON-HEL-AY/BA-TLL

May 22, 2017, 7:27 am

#630

squawk

Join Date: Jul 2012

Location: The North

Posts: 1,848

Quote:

Originally Posted by Beaulieu

These are the valid routes on the ABZ-TLL IM0R fare:

Code:

MAP CONSTRUCTED LEFT TO RIGHT AND RIGHT TO LEFT
 1. ABZ-KOI-GLA-LON-HEL-AY/BA-TLL
 2. ABZ-LON-HEL-AY/BA-TLL
 3. ABZ-LON-TLL
 4. ABZ-SDZ-GLA-LON-HEL-AY/BA-TLL

Thank you Beaulieu - tried the first, but no luck and is still giving 'no flights found'.

I've realised some of my recent posts may have dragged this thread towards a TP run, so I'll leave this discussion here (perhaps a mod could move these to the relevant thread).

Thank you for the ideas everyone.