Old Jan 1, 2018, 5:20 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
  • 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.

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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:
  • 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
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
Print Wikipost

BA Tier Point Runs | 2018 master thread

Old Jan 10, 2018, 9:09 pm
  #316  
 
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Originally Posted by nufnuf77
Interesting thing about the PTY fares that many people overlook is that there are one-ways filed as well. What I mean is you can book a oneway to PTY and have 16 segments each way for not much more (as each ticket can have up to 16 segments, if you buy 2 one way tickets... 32 segments). I will leave it here for you to explore, but it's possible, I have done this...
... and I suppose they've let you out now?
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Old Jan 10, 2018, 10:51 pm
  #317  
 
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Rather niche this, but if you're based in the Gulf (DXB, BAH, RUH, JED, MCT) Sri Lanka to CGK will get you 600 TPs in J for c. £1,100.
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Old Jan 10, 2018, 11:43 pm
  #318  
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Originally Posted by londonbus
Rather niche this, but if you're based in the Gulf (DXB, BAH, RUH, JED, MCT) Sri Lanka to CGK will get you 600 TPs in J for c. £1,100.
even better at £720 doh cmb Pek return on UL
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 12:17 am
  #319  
 
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Originally Posted by LordBuckethead
I have no idea whether timings work... but Amtrak has a pretty cool route to Phoenix (train+bus through Flagstaff).
How much did you pay for the AA 16-sector bit? Fairly tempted to do one too......
i paid £769.

i think 16 sector is enough for now 32 would be just a little too much.

advice taken ill fly.
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 12:21 am
  #320  
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Originally Posted by flashware
... and I suppose they've let you out now?
I did previously finish 2bottle of Kruger on board a 6 hour flight that I admit am not sure how sensible it was, but right now I am at the top of my senses and it is good value.
would I do it again: yes, with a good, charming companion!
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 1:41 am
  #321  
 
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Originally Posted by nufnuf77

even better at £720 doh cmb Pek return on UL
Sure, although getting to DOH from anywhere in the GCC except Oman is errr challenging?
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 3:04 am
  #322  
 
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Originally Posted by KARFA
exAMS Sale Fare INCSALE to BKK

This is a slightly cheaper (around £90 less) sale fare version of the long running advanced purchase AMS-BKK (INCEU60) fare. It looks like it has the same conditions, albeit this one needs to be booked by 4 February. At £1,259 this can be a cheap way to get to all Far East destinations. Also AMS is fool proof for back to backs.

Permitted routings are:
1. AMS-LON-BKK
2. AMS-LON-HKG-CX/HX/RJ-BKK
3. AMS-LON-KUL-BA/MH/RJ-BKK
4. AMS-LON-SIN-3K/CX-BKK

Some previous INCSALE AMS-BKK fares have only allowed the direct LHR-BKK flight but this one does not seem to be restricted in that way. Both LHR to SIN and KUL earn 160 TP in J, LHR-HKG is just 140 TP. Be careful if going to KUL as you may be routed on MH to BKK in I class which earns no TPs or avios.

A typical routing could be for example AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK with HKG-BKK on CX/KA, earning 440 TP in total.

Example price:
AMS-BKK - £1,259 (example when routing AMS-LHR-HKG-BKK rtn)

No travel period restrictions.
I've just booked this as the return part of a routing - I don't think it is the same as the INCEU60 fare because there was no need for me to include BKK in my routing... for ref I booked the following below:

Outbound 2 July 2018:
Seoul (ICN) - LHR - MAN (fare basis INX5Y6A0)

Inbound 13 July 2018:
AMS - LHR - HKG (fare basis INCSALE)

Total fare was ~£1570 pp

Interestingly, when I first found the fare I noted the INCSALE basis for the return, so I tried adding on a leg to BKK at the end - it dropped the total price by just under £100 on Google Flights/Matrix, but BA were not able to replicate the fare when I phoned them...
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 3:23 am
  #323  
 
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Originally Posted by londonbus
Sure, although getting to DOH from anywhere in the GCC except Oman is errr challenging?
You can go via KWI to get to DOH as well.

That being said, I got a grilling coming into DXB this week because of my Doha entry stamps from November, so might be something to be aware of.
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 3:41 am
  #324  
 
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I know its hardly the ideal origin or destination but you can earn an incredible 560 TPs for just £800 flying QR J ALG-DOH-PEK (Algeria to Beijing) return https://www.google.co.uk/flights/#se...LG0QR1379;sc=b

You can even return to CPH (so ALG-PEK-CPH) for only about £130 more.
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 3:47 am
  #325  
 
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Originally Posted by smit0847
I know its hardly the ideal origin or destination but you can earn an incredible 560 TPs for just £800 flying QR J ALG-DOH-PEK (Algeria to Beijing) return https://www.google.co.uk/flights/#se...LG0QR1379;sc=b

You can even return to CPH (so ALG-PEK-CPH) for only about £130 more.
Good fare indeed but don't forget the VISA and not so easy positioning
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 3:48 am
  #326  
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Originally Posted by smit0847
I know its hardly the ideal origin or destination but you can earn an incredible 560 TPs for just £800 flying QR J ALG-DOH-PEK (Algeria to Beijing) return https://www.google.co.uk/flights/#se...LG0QR1379;sc=b

You can even return to CPH (so ALG-PEK-CPH) for only about £130 more.
There is also a low fare from Tunis to Kuala Lumpur return (£950) with the possibility to return to Stockholm (£838). Both are slightly cheaper when booked as companion fares; the latter is extremely attractive at £787 pp.

Algiers and Tunis are both not very easy for postioning, but the fares are great nonetheless.
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 4:00 am
  #327  
 
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Originally Posted by florens
There is also a low fare from Tunis to Kuala Lumpur return (£950) with the possibility to return to Stockholm (£838). Both are slightly cheaper when booked as companion fares; the latter is extremely attractive at £787 pp.

Algiers and Tunis are both not very easy for postioning, but the fares are great nonetheless.
If you don't mind a quick layover in either CDG or FRA, both AF and LH (admittedly non-OW) tend to offer decent enough fares for TUN and ALG respectively.
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 4:10 am
  #328  
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Originally Posted by Firemin
I've just booked this as the return part of a routing - I don't think it is the same as the INCEU60 fare because there was no need for me to include BKK in my routing... for ref I booked the following below:

Outbound 2 July 2018:
Seoul (ICN) - LHR - MAN (fare basis INX5Y6A0)

Inbound 13 July 2018:
AMS - LHR - HKG (fare basis INCSALE)

Total fare was ~£1570 pp

Interestingly, when I first found the fare I noted the INCSALE basis for the return, so I tried adding on a leg to BKK at the end - it dropped the total price by just under £100 on Google Flights/Matrix, but BA were not able to replicate the fare when I phoned them...
INCSALE is just the fare basis, it's filed from most of EU cities to most of Asia and at different values. So you have not booked AMS-BKK INCSALE but AMS-HKG INCSALE. That is why the price dropped when you tried including BKK leg, because suddenly you would be booking cheaper AMS-BKK with HKG stopover.
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 1:47 pm
  #329  
 
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Hello - just wondering if the below route from the 2017 thread would still earn TP's for flying in F

"22NOV £1.43/TP £172 120 DCA-(LGA/BOS/PHL)-CLT-RDU (one way, reverse works as well) I/I/I ITA->BWM->priceline.com"
I understand that some AA flight that operate 2 cabin's stopped awarded points as first class - but how would i know if this route has been impacted? The pricing is pretty attractive for a 1 day NA TP run if it does indeed earn First Class TPs.
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Old Jan 11, 2018, 1:50 pm
  #330  
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Originally Posted by aba_bab
Hello - just wondering if the below route from the 2017 thread would still earn TP's for flying in F

I understand that some AA flight that operate 2 cabin's stopped awarded points as first class - but how would i know if this route has been impacted? The pricing is pretty attractive for a 1 day NA TP run if it does indeed earn First Class TPs.
Hi. In a sense it's very easy, any two cabin domestic AA flight will now only earn business TPs - so 40 for less than 2000 miles, or 140 for more than 2000 miles. The front cabin is still marketed as domestic first though. There are simply no first (F/A/P) selling classes on these two cabin domestic flights now so it is not possible to earn the first 60/210 TPs.
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