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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
Dec 22, 2018, 8:38 am
#5101
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Thailand
Programs: BA Silver (OWS), OZ Diamond (*G), TK Elite (*G), HH Diamond, Marriott Gold
Posts: 361
Noooo! I was planning on using AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK for all of next years EU - Asia travel as well as a route to burn my GUF's. How bad is F on that old 777?
Dec 22, 2018, 10:07 am
#5104
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold / Hilton Diamond / IHG Diamond Ambassador / Marriot Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,533
BA have been running the BKK route into the ground since they stopped continuing on to SYD. There are too many better options to the East without wasting money on BA
Dec 22, 2018, 1:27 pm
#5106
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: England
Programs: BAEC Gold, UA Mileage Plus, Hotels.com Gold, Marriott Bonvoy Platinum, Pizza Express Gold
Posts: 603
A quick bit of advice please: I'm looking to book a trip from DUB-MCO via BA1 and a couple of AA domestic flights outbound and AA-BA-BA back. This will be next October, so nearly 10 months away. The price has just dropped, though not to TP run territory, and I'm looking to book.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of booking via either AA or BA for this? I'm thinking in terms of ease of chamging/cancelling with the near-inevitable schedule changes and avios earning or anything else I've not thought of. The prices are essentially the same at the moment
Thanks
What are the advantages and disadvantages of booking via either AA or BA for this? I'm thinking in terms of ease of chamging/cancelling with the near-inevitable schedule changes and avios earning or anything else I've not thought of. The prices are essentially the same at the moment
Thanks
Dec 23, 2018, 12:40 am
#5107
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
A quick bit of advice please: I'm looking to book a trip from DUB-MCO via BA1 and a couple of AA domestic flights outbound and AA-BA-BA back. This will be next October, so nearly 10 months away. The price has just dropped, though not to TP run territory, and I'm looking to book.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of booking via either AA or BA for this? I'm thinking in terms of ease of chamging/cancelling with the near-inevitable schedule changes and avios earning or anything else I've not thought of. The prices are essentially the same at the moment
Thanks
What are the advantages and disadvantages of booking via either AA or BA for this? I'm thinking in terms of ease of chamging/cancelling with the near-inevitable schedule changes and avios earning or anything else I've not thought of. The prices are essentially the same at the moment
Thanks
AA are generally seen as more accommodating with the need to make changes following schedule changes.
If you need to call both BA/AA will try to use their own flight codes where possible. Check the avios calculator for your routing (sector by sector) to ascertain how many avios you will earn depending on marketing carrier.
Dec 23, 2018, 3:50 am
#5108
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Historically, you could route via HKG or SIN (even KUL if so inclined), therefore the J product on the 380 or 787 was far superior to the 772 plying the LHR-BKK route. It was also possible to use a GUF on the HKG, SIN or KUL sectors to F, but sadly that is not possible on LHR-BKK since they only offer 3 class.
Dec 23, 2018, 3:57 am
#5109
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 135
Nothing to get excited for the moment (AMS/BRU based but checking routes/prices from HEL, MAD and everything else between it).
It will keep me busy the next couple of days I'm afraid.
I'll post my feedback/results once I get something useful.
Stan
Dec 23, 2018, 8:42 am
#5110
Join Date: May 2016
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 46
Historically, you could route via HKG or SIN (even KUL if so inclined), therefore the J product on the 380 or 787 was far superior to the 772 plying the LHR-BKK route. It was also possible to use a GUF on the HKG, SIN or KUL sectors to F, but sadly that is not possible on LHR-BKK since they only offer 3 class.
Dec 23, 2018, 10:04 am
#5111
Join Date: Jan 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Accor Live Limitless Gold, Hilton Honours Gold, Avis Preferred Plus
Posts: 1,806
Currently looking at something similar for family Holidays in SIN early July (I was initially thinking about BKK and then Avios flight BKK-SIN on CX).
Nothing to get excited for the moment (AMS/BRU based but checking routes/prices from HEL, MAD and everything else between it).
It will keep me busy the next couple of days I'm afraid.
I'll post my feedback/results once I get something useful.
Stan
Nothing to get excited for the moment (AMS/BRU based but checking routes/prices from HEL, MAD and everything else between it).
It will keep me busy the next couple of days I'm afraid.
I'll post my feedback/results once I get something useful.
Stan
If i pick QR (looking likely) then I would want to pick a route to get the QSuites etc
Routings to SIN/KUL
Last edited by wilsnunn; Dec 23, 2018 at 10:11 am
Dec 23, 2018, 10:41 am
#5112
Join Date: Jan 2015
Location: UK
Programs: BA Nada, HH Diamond, IHG Spire AMB, Marriott Plat, Accor Gold
Posts: 510
Just jumped on the BA sale for JNB cancelling a rewards booking. After this in early Feb I will be 5 TP short of Bronze with 3 months to collect. I don’t have any planned trips or much leave spare, suggestions appreciated, I live in the Midlands. Thanks all.
Dec 23, 2018, 10:56 am
#5113
Join Date: Jul 2012
Location: The North
Posts: 1,845
The Midlands is a large area, but if you’re close to LBA or can get to MAN easily then a hand baggage only fare to LHR would get 5 (plus 5 for the return). Or you could get the train back if that’s easier.
Alternatively starting in London, a cheap return anywhere in Europe will get you at least 5+5. So pick a place that’s cheap that you fancy a weekend visiting.
My personal preference in your situation would be to see whether it’s possibly to hit Silver - the benefits are far more than Bronze. But 305TP if you’re not already traveling anywhere might be too much £££ to be worth it. A LBA/MAN-LHR-HEL and return business fare (or another Short Haul Plus earning 80TP each way) would still only be 240TP overall...
Dec 23, 2018, 10:59 am
#5114
Join Date: May 2015
Posts: 135
I had a quick look and got the following (prices were for dates in Aug for me, no fixed dates just cheapest available using the date matrix on Google Flights). The Avios column reflects how many I would earn as a Silver.
If i pick QR (looking likely) then I would want to pick a route to get the QSuites etc
Perhaps not ideal in terms of positioning/routing, but : TLL-BKK is £1331 in July.
I'm including some *A airports in my search too.
Current research focussed on: BKK,BWN,CAN,CGK,CMB,CTU,HAN,HKG,KCH,KUL,SGN,SIN,SZ X,TPE
(all more or less <2000mi from SIN)
Last part with Avios - distance band 3 - would cost me around 20 000 max with CX in J.
But as you see, still a work in progress.
Stan
Dec 23, 2018, 11:01 am
#5115
Join Date: Sep 2018
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 136
How much travel have you got planned in the next year where you would benefit from the bronze benefits of priority boarding and seating? Can the cost be justified?