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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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
Nov 5, 2018, 12:41 pm
#4426
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
OK, Thanks.
What are the downsides to booking with an agency such as Flight Network? I am sure you must have covered this in the excellent wiki but for the life of me I can't remember. Would you feel comfortable booking with Flight Network?
There are a lot of "gotchas" aren't there... it is all a bit scary for someone like me that hasn't done a lot of flying before.
What are the downsides to booking with an agency such as Flight Network? I am sure you must have covered this in the excellent wiki but for the life of me I can't remember. Would you feel comfortable booking with Flight Network?
There are a lot of "gotchas" aren't there... it is all a bit scary for someone like me that hasn't done a lot of flying before.
Nov 5, 2018, 12:45 pm
#4427
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,970
OK, Thanks.
What are the downsides to booking with an agency such as Flight Network? I am sure you must have covered this in the excellent wiki but for the life of me I can't remember. Would you feel comfortable booking with Flight Network?
There are a lot of "gotchas" aren't there... it is all a bit scary for someone like me that hasn't done a lot of flying before.
What are the downsides to booking with an agency such as Flight Network? I am sure you must have covered this in the excellent wiki but for the life of me I can't remember. Would you feel comfortable booking with Flight Network?
There are a lot of "gotchas" aren't there... it is all a bit scary for someone like me that hasn't done a lot of flying before.
Nov 5, 2018, 12:46 pm
#4428
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Somewhere in the Air
Programs: BA GGL, *A Silver, OW Emerald, HH Diamond, Karahi Express
Posts: 554
OK, Thanks.
What are the downsides to booking with an agency such as Flight Network? I am sure you must have covered this in the excellent wiki but for the life of me I can't remember. Would you feel comfortable booking with Flight Network?
There are a lot of "gotchas" aren't there... it is all a bit scary for someone like me that hasn't done a lot of flying before.
What are the downsides to booking with an agency such as Flight Network? I am sure you must have covered this in the excellent wiki but for the life of me I can't remember. Would you feel comfortable booking with Flight Network?
There are a lot of "gotchas" aren't there... it is all a bit scary for someone like me that hasn't done a lot of flying before.
Nov 5, 2018, 12:47 pm
#4429
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,610
Flightnetwork have a habit of ringing you back the next day and asking for £150 more because the "airline has put the prices up". They also completely screwed up a booking I made for an ex AMS but fortunately I noticed and they fixed it. Apart from that if you watch them like a paranoid hawk they're fine.
I would use them again in extremis, but I'd be double checking everything and quoting fare basis at them if them called me.
I would use them again in extremis, but I'd be double checking everything and quoting fare basis at them if them called me.
Nov 5, 2018, 12:59 pm
#4430
Suspended
Join Date: Sep 2017
Programs: M&S, Radisson
Posts: 758
So I don't really see your point as the comment that triggered this discussion was about a TATL flight.
Nov 5, 2018, 1:03 pm
#4431
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,970
You are aware that BA and AA have a joint business for trans-atlantic routes, right? It makes zero difference to BA's bottom line whether you book an AA or BA code for TATL flights.
So I don't really see your point as the comment that triggered this discussion was about a TATL flight.
So I don't really see your point as the comment that triggered this discussion was about a TATL flight.
Whether that is right or wrong is probably a bit beyond this thread - I don’t this anyone here is somehow advocating BA shouldn’t book them. However it is useful to note this issue to those trying to book complex trans Atlantic itineraries.
Nov 5, 2018, 1:14 pm
#4432
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
Just called again. Got a very helpful agent who said that the real problem is getting the return TATL to book on an AA code. Their system will do all the other flights but not all AA codeshares are released to BA and visa versa. It seems that this particular flight is designated as BA code only when booking through BA.
Whatever the rights and wrongs are they won't do it and so I'll have to try AA. I don't seem to be able to enter more than 6 sectors on the AA multi-city site.
Whatever the rights and wrongs are they won't do it and so I'll have to try AA. I don't seem to be able to enter more than 6 sectors on the AA multi-city site.
Nov 5, 2018, 1:17 pm
#4433
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
Original Poster
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,970
Just called again. Got a very helpful agent who said that the real problem is getting the return TATL to book on an AA code. Their system will do all the other flights but not all AA codeshares are released to BA and visa versa. It seems that this particular flight is designated as BA code only when booking through BA.
Whatever the rights and wrongs are they won't do it and so I'll have to try AA. I don't seem to be able to enter more than 6 sectors on the AA multi-city site.
Whatever the rights and wrongs are they won't do it and so I'll have to try AA. I don't seem to be able to enter more than 6 sectors on the AA multi-city site.
Nov 5, 2018, 1:17 pm
#4434
Join Date: Aug 2014
Programs: BA Executive Club and OnBusiness
Posts: 720
You are aware that BA and AA have a joint business for trans-atlantic routes, right? It makes zero difference to BA's bottom line whether you book an AA or BA code for TATL flights.
So I don't really see your point as the comment that triggered this discussion was about a TATL flight.
So I don't really see your point as the comment that triggered this discussion was about a TATL flight.
Nov 5, 2018, 1:20 pm
#4435
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
You are aware that BA and AA have a joint business for trans-atlantic routes, right? It makes zero difference to BA's bottom line whether you book an AA or BA code for TATL flights.
So I don't really see your point as the comment that triggered this discussion was about a TATL flight.
So I don't really see your point as the comment that triggered this discussion was about a TATL flight.
I am fully aware of the JV. And the discussion was about the full itinerary and not restricted to just the TATL sector as far as I was concerned. Doesn’t stop agents being told to book their own codes even if not their metal. That appears to be the rules they play by. Less of an issue now in booking AA codes (fewer avios) compared to the old system when AA codes earned more TPs on domestic US sectors.
Nov 5, 2018, 2:51 pm
#4436
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
Tried using book with matrix but I then have to pay in dollars it seems. At least it is priced in dollars and I can't see how to check the route as it doesn't show the sectors.
Nov 5, 2018, 3:01 pm
#4437
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,610
As I recall in such situations you put the itinerary on hold and call in to pay. AA agents are very quick and efficient when you call them.
There will be a way of checking the itinerary at some point but you may have to hunt for it.
There will be a way of checking the itinerary at some point but you may have to hunt for it.
Nov 5, 2018, 3:01 pm
#4438
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
If your whole itinerary is now in AA codes you should be able to put it on hold and then call AA and ask them to charge it in sterling.
Nov 5, 2018, 3:03 pm
#4439
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Edit, Just tested and it does not seem to like holds.
Nov 5, 2018, 5:46 pm
#4440
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,551