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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
#151
Moderator: Hyatt Gold Passport & Star Alliance
Join Date: May 1998
Location: London, UK
Programs: UA-1K 3MM/HY- LT Globalist/BA-GGL/GfL
Posts: 12,089
#152
I would disagree. May can be quite a damp and miserable month in HK - think humid and sweaty clothes, urgh
#153
I'd like to reach silver by the end of May - my year end is April 8th and my current silver status expires at the end of May. I only have 40 tier points and 1 BA flight under my belt at the moment, and don't have any spare time until the end of April - so I'm more or less limited to travelling within the month of May...
#154
#155
Join Date: Nov 2012
Location: Cambridgeshire
Programs: Varies
Posts: 1,296
I hope I'm correct in thinking this?
But yes, you're correct in saying the 40 tier points I'll have collected by then will be pointless. I wasn't thinking straight on that. I'll need to collect 600 on my May tier point run.
Last edited by ttama; Jan 6, 2018 at 9:05 am
#157
My understanding is that if I collect them after April 8th, as soon as I become silver again I will not only be silver for the rest of that collection year (ie up until April 8th 2019) but also for the following year until April 8th 2020. Also, if I travel between April 8th and May 31st 2018, I will still be able to use the benefits associated with silver status because the benefits don't expire until the end of month following the year end. So I'll still be able to select seats for free, and use lounges if travelling economy, until the end of May. I hope to regain silver status before the end of May via this tier point run, so shouldn't lose those benefits.
I hope I'm correct in thinking this?
But yes, you're correct in saying the 40 tier points I'll have collected by then will be pointless. I wasn't thinking straight on that. I'll need to collect 600 on my May tier point run.
I hope I'm correct in thinking this?
But yes, you're correct in saying the 40 tier points I'll have collected by then will be pointless. I wasn't thinking straight on that. I'll need to collect 600 on my May tier point run.
Ah yes, sorry - didn't think of it that way.
ex-EU QR fare to Tokyo, return in J gets you 560. 40 more for 4 BA flights (including your positioning flights) shouldn't be too tough?
Too bad the last QR sale just passed - not that it was too amazing anyway.
#158
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: Berkshire / London
Programs: BAEC Gold, Nandos
Posts: 1,006
Just booked OTP/PHX for August Bank Holiday. After playing about I managed to get both TATL on BA so able to UuA to F. Transcon 1 way as well. Fairly happy with that and gold line were very easy to deal with and were slightly cheaper than matrix.
Of course I now have the whole day tomorrow to fiddle whilst planning another TP run at the start of the summer.
Of course I now have the whole day tomorrow to fiddle whilst planning another TP run at the start of the summer.
#159
#160
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: Peterborough, UK
Programs: BA Silver; IHG Spire; Avis P+; Global Entry
Posts: 1,505
#161
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: Dorset, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 635
May be of interest to people here, @palmanfr posted in the premium fare deals thread (quoted below) about a GOT-HNL first fare on AA stock. I've been playing around with it a bit today, and it looks like it's a DIF fare requiring I and A availability - getting it via HEL is possible but a bit of a farce, might be possible on the phone to AA. All the flights must be on AA codes. You can do 1000TP for around £1605, and 1280TP (in F via JFK/LAX) for about £1950.
Also works from LCA, SOF, OTP, ATH (for more TP) and ARN.
Also works from LCA, SOF, OTP, ATH (for more TP) and ARN.
I don't know if it has been posted already, but just found by chance a decent deat out of GOT to HNL, with very limited availability in Feb and March. Cheapest is actually GOT-HNL-BUD, returning to GOT adds about 100 Euros...
I cannot manage to route it via HEL or JFK to maximize TP, but you still get to fly F on AA (77W) or BA (744 or 789), both AA marketed. non refundable, nor cancellable though ! This yields 780 TP
For the ones who want to stop in the west coast, fares are just above 2000 euros... Lots of availability ex-scandinavia, trying to add a couple stops but unsuccessful so far...
I cannot manage to route it via HEL or JFK to maximize TP, but you still get to fly F on AA (77W) or BA (744 or 789), both AA marketed. non refundable, nor cancellable though ! This yields 780 TP
For the ones who want to stop in the west coast, fares are just above 2000 euros... Lots of availability ex-scandinavia, trying to add a couple stops but unsuccessful so far...
#162
Join Date: Jun 2014
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond, Accor Platinum, Marriott Platinum, IHG Spire
Posts: 160
I can make it route through JFK on the transcon in F but adding HEL is pushing the price very high. Might give them a call today and see if they can see if its possible. 1280 got £2k isn't bad, but if I can add 320TP more that would be excellent.
#163
The price through HEL goes up because you are exceeding the base MPM (for every 5% of additional distance you add 5% on base fare).
#164
Join Date: Jan 2012
Location: In between BRU, AMS, DUS and LUX...
Programs: AF/KL Plat, BA Gold, A3 Gold, IHG Diamond, MR Gold, HH Diamond, ALL Platinum
Posts: 1,044
May be of interest to people here, @palmanfr posted in the premium fare deals thread (quoted below) about a GOT-HNL first fare on AA stock. I've been playing around with it a bit today, and it looks like it's a DIF fare requiring I and A availability - getting it via HEL is possible but a bit of a farce, might be possible on the phone to AA. All the flights must be on AA codes. You can do 1000TP for around £1605, and 1280TP (in F via JFK/LAX) for about £1950.
Also works from LCA, SOF, OTP, ATH (for more TP) and ARN.
Also works from LCA, SOF, OTP, ATH (for more TP) and ARN.
#165
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: BHD
Programs: BAEC Gold, Radisson VIP, Hertz Gold, Accor Plat
Posts: 162
When you position, book Y and then upgrade in the lounge at LHR about 60mins before your flight - should be cost effective and will solve your 40TP deficit.