Jan 1, 2018, 5:20 am
Last edit by: OWBA
Welcome to the thread. This is a continuation of the highly popular 2017 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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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 #9 for a 2018 archive of exEU sale fare, and see this post in the 2017 thread for last years’ archive of exEU sale fares.
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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
From North, Central and South America
23Sep £1.48/TP £650 (US$853) 440 TPs JFK-CLT/BOS-LAX-LAS and return all I class aa.com
6Sep £1.50/TP US$457 240TPs RIC-CLT-DCA-BOS, BOS-LGA/PHL-CLT-RIC all I class aa.com
Jan/Feb wide open £1.94/TP £700(US$883) 360 TPs SEA-CLT-MCO-PHX-SEA all I class aa.com
From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
18Jan £1.58/TP £883 560 CMB-xHKG-CGK return I cathaypacific.com ermen CX
28Feb £1.44/TP £575 400 MCT-DOH-BKK-DOH-MCT A/R/R/A travel.americanexpress.co.uk QR
21Feb £1.53/TP £860 560 HKG-CMB-MEL return I Expedia.com.hk Firemin UL
16Mar £1.22/TP £687 560 CGK-CMB-DXB return I srilankan.com Firemin UL
01Apr £0.87/TP £314 360 PEN-KUL-KTM return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
01Apr £1.19/TP £335 280 KUL-PER return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
01Apr £1.28/TP £335 360 PEN-KUL-PER return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
05Apr £2.00/TP £320 160 CAN-HKG-TPE return CathayPacific.com littlevoices CX/KA (flexible fare, bookable up to 24 hours in advance, allows stopovers, book with CX directly)
From Africa
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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. Some information on how to use ITA matrix is in post #4 of this thread (or just click 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 along with UK domestic returns. Additionally you may find that trips in to mainland Europe require a one night stay whereas the cheapest domestic CE returns do not have any minimum stay so can be booked as a same day return. If doing a back to back AMS and JER can be easier than DUB for an immediate turnaround - more information can be found in the back to back thread listed in the forum dashboard. 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). UK domestic route, Bilbao, Jersey and Amsterdam seem 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 of this thread, 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.
DUB-LHR-HEL return (or return to LHR) is currently a very efficient way of hitting 200-240 TPs
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Historic information
2017 Archive
2016 Archive
2015 Archive (6 months Jul to Dec)
2015 Archive (6 months Jan to Jun)
2014 Archive
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 JER to PDX IKN8T1S6 reported in this post, e.g. PDX £1,082, needs to be booked by 8 May, see linked post for details
Advanced Promotion Fares
- from OTP to PHX ILN8C8S4 reported here, e.g. PHX - £1,296, see linked post for details
- from AMS to BKK INCEU60 reported here, e.g. BKK - £1,340, see linked post for details
See here in post #9 for a 2018 archive of exEU sale fare, and see this post in the 2017 thread for last years’ 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
Code:
3Feb 200TPs DUB-LHR-HEL/HEL-LHR all I class ba.com
23Sep £1.48/TP £650 (US$853) 440 TPs JFK-CLT/BOS-LAX-LAS and return all I class aa.com
6Sep £1.50/TP US$457 240TPs RIC-CLT-DCA-BOS, BOS-LGA/PHL-CLT-RIC all I class aa.com
Jan/Feb wide open £1.94/TP £700(US$883) 360 TPs SEA-CLT-MCO-PHX-SEA all I class aa.com
From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
18Jan £1.58/TP £883 560 CMB-xHKG-CGK return I cathaypacific.com ermen CX
28Feb £1.44/TP £575 400 MCT-DOH-BKK-DOH-MCT A/R/R/A travel.americanexpress.co.uk QR
21Feb £1.53/TP £860 560 HKG-CMB-MEL return I Expedia.com.hk Firemin UL
16Mar £1.22/TP £687 560 CGK-CMB-DXB return I srilankan.com Firemin UL
01Apr £0.87/TP £314 360 PEN-KUL-KTM return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
01Apr £1.19/TP £335 280 KUL-PER return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
01Apr £1.28/TP £335 360 PEN-KUL-PER return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
05Apr £2.00/TP £320 160 CAN-HKG-TPE return CathayPacific.com littlevoices CX/KA (flexible fare, bookable up to 24 hours in advance, allows stopovers, book with CX directly)
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. Some information on how to use ITA matrix is in post #4 of this thread (or just click 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 along with UK domestic returns. Additionally you may find that trips in to mainland Europe require a one night stay whereas the cheapest domestic CE returns do not have any minimum stay so can be booked as a same day return. If doing a back to back AMS and JER can be easier than DUB for an immediate turnaround - more information can be found in the back to back thread listed in the forum dashboard. 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). UK domestic route, Bilbao, Jersey and Amsterdam seem 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 of this thread, 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.
DUB-LHR-HEL return (or return to LHR) is currently a very efficient way of hitting 200-240 TPs
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Historic information
2017 Archive
2016 Archive
2015 Archive (6 months Jul to Dec)
2015 Archive (6 months Jan to Jun)
2014 Archive
BA Tier Point Runs | 2018 master thread
Oct 24, 2018, 11:34 pm
#4336
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: LHR/BHD
Programs: BAEC (Blue, usually)
Posts: 40
Apologies if this is in the wrong thread — wasn't too sure about how I would categorise what I'm looking for, but I'll throw it in here regardless:
I would like to make a trip to IAD next February. I need to be there by 27/2 but I'm open to leaving a few days earlier (let's say 22nd, for the sake of a hard date) and would ideally make my return flight back into London by 6/3 (as early as the 3rd is also fine). Going direct with LHR-IAD in J is going to run £1644 and that seems to be the best I can get (have tried a various bunch of ex-EU starts).
Is there a way of making a reasonable TP run out of this? I'm not very experienced with TATL routing. I've just hit Silver so will be a far cry from Gold — mostly just chancing my arm to see if I can make this a fun I/J class trip of sorts and build towards a potential run into Gold (I have until August next year, so plenty of time). I'm LHR based and am happy enough with positioning for an ex-EU departure.
Many thanks.
I would like to make a trip to IAD next February. I need to be there by 27/2 but I'm open to leaving a few days earlier (let's say 22nd, for the sake of a hard date) and would ideally make my return flight back into London by 6/3 (as early as the 3rd is also fine). Going direct with LHR-IAD in J is going to run £1644 and that seems to be the best I can get (have tried a various bunch of ex-EU starts).
Is there a way of making a reasonable TP run out of this? I'm not very experienced with TATL routing. I've just hit Silver so will be a far cry from Gold — mostly just chancing my arm to see if I can make this a fun I/J class trip of sorts and build towards a potential run into Gold (I have until August next year, so plenty of time). I'm LHR based and am happy enough with positioning for an ex-EU departure.
Many thanks.
Oct 25, 2018, 12:13 am
#4337
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Apologies if this is in the wrong thread — wasn't too sure about how I would categorise what I'm looking for, but I'll throw it in here regardless:
I would like to make a trip to IAD next February. I need to be there by 27/2 but I'm open to leaving a few days earlier (let's say 22nd, for the sake of a hard date) and would ideally make my return flight back into London by 6/3 (as early as the 3rd is also fine). Going direct with LHR-IAD in J is going to run £1644 and that seems to be the best I can get (have tried a various bunch of ex-EU starts).
Is there a way of making a reasonable TP run out of this? I'm not very experienced with TATL routing. I've just hit Silver so will be a far cry from Gold — mostly just chancing my arm to see if I can make this a fun I/J class trip of sorts and build towards a potential run into Gold (I have until August next year, so plenty of time). I'm LHR based and am happy enough with positioning for an ex-EU departure.
Many thanks.
I would like to make a trip to IAD next February. I need to be there by 27/2 but I'm open to leaving a few days earlier (let's say 22nd, for the sake of a hard date) and would ideally make my return flight back into London by 6/3 (as early as the 3rd is also fine). Going direct with LHR-IAD in J is going to run £1644 and that seems to be the best I can get (have tried a various bunch of ex-EU starts).
Is there a way of making a reasonable TP run out of this? I'm not very experienced with TATL routing. I've just hit Silver so will be a far cry from Gold — mostly just chancing my arm to see if I can make this a fun I/J class trip of sorts and build towards a potential run into Gold (I have until August next year, so plenty of time). I'm LHR based and am happy enough with positioning for an ex-EU departure.
Many thanks.
Oct 27, 2018, 9:04 am
#4338
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 592
Anyone able to find something for PHX for 2019? I need to be there last weekend in June, arrive tues 25 ish, dept July 2 ish. Not found anything special in Matrix, best I can get price wise is from INV. Don't mind a couple of days in INV area either end. Local airport is MAN, Mrs endo will be along as well,
Oct 27, 2018, 9:14 am
#4339
Join Date: Nov 2010
Programs: BA gold
Posts: 40
You can return PHX-LHR-MAN for the same price or PHX-DFW-LHR-MAN for an extra 15 pounds
Oct 27, 2018, 9:15 am
#4340
Join Date: Oct 2018
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, Avis PC
Posts: 261
Anyone able to find something for PHX for 2019? I need to be there last weekend in June, arrive tues 25 ish, dept July 2 ish. Not found anything special in Matrix, best I can get price wise is from INV. Don't mind a couple of days in INV area either end. Local airport is MAN, Mrs endo will be along as well,
Oct 27, 2018, 9:38 am
#4342
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
I suggest posting what you find on here if you want anybody to take a look at it for you.
Oct 27, 2018, 10:35 am
#4343
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 592
The OTP run above looks decent. The MAN flights are either wrong days re cost, or via ORD which doesn't maximise TP. My concern would be the 42 and 45 minute connections at LAX, and getting Mrs endo to go HBO for a week!
Oct 27, 2018, 11:40 am
#4344
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Oct 28, 2018, 3:38 pm
#4345
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,844
Two linked questions: a) I'm guessing that's 800TP (OTP-LHR-JFK-LAX-PHL)? b) Doesn't routing via HEL get 840 (80+80+80+140+40 each way?) - and if so, is that available next year too?
Oct 28, 2018, 9:22 pm
#4346
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
However, the general advice is to do OTP/LHR/HEL/LHR/JFK/PHX and then when AA mess with the schedule change the JFK/PHX to JFK/LAX/PHX and so earn 1120TPs.
Oct 29, 2018, 12:39 am
#4347
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: ORD
Programs: BA, AA, SQ, UA, AC, WS, MR TIT
Posts: 8,658
Yes, 800TPs. If you do the HEL shuffle it will be 1040TPs assuming you do a 2000+ mile flight in US which earns 140. Shorter routes will only be 40TPs and so totalling 840TPs. On this basis it really isn’t worth doing HEL.
However, the general advice is to do OTP/LHR/HEL/LHR/JFK/PHX and then when AA mess with the schedule change the JFK/PHX to JFK/LAX/PHX and so earn 1120TPs.
Oct 29, 2018, 2:19 am
#4348
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Oct 29, 2018, 3:30 am
#4349
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: Mucci, BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Stena Gold
Posts: 1,085
Oct 29, 2018, 4:02 am
#4350
Join Date: Jun 2015
Posts: 42
I'm going to need 155 TP during November to get gold this year.
I am considering visiting my friend in Munich for a weekend which can be done for £328 in Club Europe (£4.1/TP). Since I'm based in Cambridge it wouldn't be marginally much harder / more expensive to get to one of the UK outstations and fly from there. A brief glance suggests that it can be done from Leeds for £440 which would be £2.75/TP.
Alternatively, I just could book the cheapest flight to Munich - which happens to be BA actually at £131 and go on an out right TP run for the remaining 145 TP.
I'll be landing into Heathrow early morning on Sunday November 18th, so would be happy to try and do a day trip then.
I am considering visiting my friend in Munich for a weekend which can be done for £328 in Club Europe (£4.1/TP). Since I'm based in Cambridge it wouldn't be marginally much harder / more expensive to get to one of the UK outstations and fly from there. A brief glance suggests that it can be done from Leeds for £440 which would be £2.75/TP.
Alternatively, I just could book the cheapest flight to Munich - which happens to be BA actually at £131 and go on an out right TP run for the remaining 145 TP.
I'll be landing into Heathrow early morning on Sunday November 18th, so would be happy to try and do a day trip then.
Last edited by cambridge.joe; Oct 29, 2018 at 4:39 am