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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
Apr 1, 2018, 9:21 am
#1726
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
I paid $2213.10 for OTP-LHR-JFK-LAX-PHX and back in J/F/F/J so (80+210+210+40)×2 = 1080 or about £1.46/TP so was pretty happy with that...
EDIT: added JFK into routing (thanks deboyzoned !!)
EDIT: added JFK into routing (thanks deboyzoned !!)
Last edited by Fitch; Apr 1, 2018 at 10:00 am
Apr 1, 2018, 9:30 am
#1727
Suspended
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: UK
Programs: BAEC GGL, HH DIAMOND, AVIS Presidents Club, Karahi Express
Posts: 1,229
Apr 1, 2018, 9:31 am
#1728
Join Date: Apr 2017
Location: Ayrshire
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, IHG Spire Ambassador, HH Diamond, Scandic Top Floor
Posts: 139
Apr 1, 2018, 10:01 am
#1729
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Bristol
Programs: BA GGL, UA Plat, DL Plat, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 2,380
)
Apr 1, 2018, 10:47 am
#1730
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,551
Was around £1300ish in J and about £1400 with HEL involved and the best was £1550ish in F across the pond and the Transcon which I am still fuming about not taking up lol
Apr 1, 2018, 10:54 am
#1731
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
Apr 1, 2018, 10:56 am
#1732
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
You getting tempted?
Apr 1, 2018, 4:21 pm
#1733
Join Date: Dec 2013
Programs: NZ Airpoints GE, Qantas Platinum, Accor Diamond, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 967
Apologies. We used to call City Flyer this moniker during my time at Manchester Airport.
Apr 2, 2018, 12:00 am
#1734
Join Date: Mar 2017
Programs: BAEC Bronze
Posts: 388
Thanks TPRun, I'm hanging on until my silver status expires next year before I start a mega run. Good to know what might be about though 
Apr 2, 2018, 1:18 am
#1735
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,095
I was seriously thinking of BRU-OTP as positioning on BA, and I found what to me is a weirdness.
For July all results are displayed like it was a multicity booking, no way to see which flight combination is cheaper or to see ET and CE priced side by side and maybe mix them. However If I do the same search a month before, in June, the results are displaying as usual, even if with another weirdess about CE; in the chosen date is shown unavailable, but if you change the day and then go back to the first, CE is again selectable.
When you try moving week by week into July, the last week of june shows a lot of no service dates, an then when you click an available date in July, the results come back as multicity display style.
What's the problem? A glitch or something else?
For July all results are displayed like it was a multicity booking, no way to see which flight combination is cheaper or to see ET and CE priced side by side and maybe mix them. However If I do the same search a month before, in June, the results are displaying as usual, even if with another weirdess about CE; in the chosen date is shown unavailable, but if you change the day and then go back to the first, CE is again selectable.
When you try moving week by week into July, the last week of june shows a lot of no service dates, an then when you click an available date in July, the results come back as multicity display style.
What's the problem? A glitch or something else?
Apr 2, 2018, 4:38 am
#1736
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
With my first LHR-HEL-TLL run done over this Easter week-end (love the finnair lounge, tallinn was great fun too!) I guess it's time to book the next...
I have a feeling that I'm getting somewhat decent at this. I just made a 1337 fare (literally) to go to Montreal sometime this year. Was going to pay ~900 GBP to do a direct in premium econ anyway, so I thought I might as well upgrade, find an ex-EU fare, and go for gold this year I also wanted to try the 747 and 777 business classes so that works out beautifully (hopefully I'll get a chance to try first on both later...)
A few questions now I guess:
- Any way to make this better with regards to price or TPs? I've done 20 hour flight itineraries in basic economy so I think I'll be ok doing something that long in business class
- The only thing I couldn't get rid of is the long layover in JFK. Any way to sleep in the airport itself? (Maybe not the best thread to ask so I'll ask somewhere else if no one here knows.)
- Also, provided there is availability, can I upgrade any of those LHR-JFK legs with avios to first? I'd love to visit both CCR back to back. Won't work, sadly.
I have a feeling that I'm getting somewhat decent at this. I just made a 1337 fare (literally) to go to Montreal sometime this year. Was going to pay ~900 GBP to do a direct in premium econ anyway, so I thought I might as well upgrade, find an ex-EU fare, and go for gold this year
I also wanted to try the 747 and 777 business classes so that works out beautifully (hopefully I'll get a chance to try first on both later...)A few questions now I guess:
- Any way to make this better with regards to price or TPs? I've done 20 hour flight itineraries in basic economy so I think I'll be ok doing something that long in business class
- The only thing I couldn't get rid of is the long layover in JFK. Any way to sleep in the airport itself? (Maybe not the best thread to ask so I'll ask somewhere else if no one here knows.)
Last edited by thebigben; Apr 2, 2018 at 5:30 am
Apr 2, 2018, 4:49 am
#1737
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Cumbria
Programs: BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, Starbucks Gold
Posts: 4,510
@thebigben sleeping in JFK... what sort of idiot would want to do that?
I have just done the same outbound as you are looking at. Arrived and immigration was empty although some other flights were landing around the same time so could have been a zoo 5 minutes later.
i had no intention of trying to sleep prior to my 6am flight onwards to LAX. I spent some time exploring the different terminals. There was plenty of people around in most terminals except T2 (Delta). However, with the exception of Dunkin donuts I could find anywhere open to eat or drink.
T8 would be the worst place to be. Although a newer feel to it than some of the terminals, there are no seats and you would end up on the floor. Security opens at 3.30 allowing you to go airside.
Personally, if given the option to do it against JFK I think I would look to see what else I could do outside the airport and forego the notion of sleeping.
I have just done the same outbound as you are looking at. Arrived and immigration was empty although some other flights were landing around the same time so could have been a zoo 5 minutes later.
i had no intention of trying to sleep prior to my 6am flight onwards to LAX. I spent some time exploring the different terminals. There was plenty of people around in most terminals except T2 (Delta). However, with the exception of Dunkin donuts I could find anywhere open to eat or drink.
T8 would be the worst place to be. Although a newer feel to it than some of the terminals, there are no seats and you would end up on the floor. Security opens at 3.30 allowing you to go airside.
Personally, if given the option to do it against JFK I think I would look to see what else I could do outside the airport and forego the notion of sleeping.
Apr 2, 2018, 5:06 am
#1738
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
@thebigben sleeping in JFK... what sort of idiot would want to do that?
I have just done the same outbound as you are looking at. Arrived and immigration was empty although some other flights were landing around the same time so could have been a zoo 5 minutes later.
i had no intention of trying to sleep prior to my 6am flight onwards to LAX. I spent some time exploring the different terminals. There was plenty of people around in most terminals except T2 (Delta). However, with the exception of Dunkin donuts I could find anywhere open to eat or drink.
T8 would be the worst place to be. Although a newer feel to it than some of the terminals, there are no seats and you would end up on the floor. Security opens at 3.30 allowing you to go airside.
Personally, if given the option to do it against JFK I think I would look to see what else I could do outside the airport and forego the notion of sleeping.
I have just done the same outbound as you are looking at. Arrived and immigration was empty although some other flights were landing around the same time so could have been a zoo 5 minutes later.
i had no intention of trying to sleep prior to my 6am flight onwards to LAX. I spent some time exploring the different terminals. There was plenty of people around in most terminals except T2 (Delta). However, with the exception of Dunkin donuts I could find anywhere open to eat or drink.
T8 would be the worst place to be. Although a newer feel to it than some of the terminals, there are no seats and you would end up on the floor. Security opens at 3.30 allowing you to go airside.
Personally, if given the option to do it against JFK I think I would look to see what else I could do outside the airport and forego the notion of sleeping.
Although now that you mention it... foregoing sleep, given that I could get some sleep on the inbound, would work quite well with the jet-lag.
Apr 2, 2018, 5:23 am
#1739
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,551
You might already know this but you know the US => Montreal segments are in Economy right? Incase you are doing it for TPs
Apr 2, 2018, 5:26 am
#1740
Join Date: Oct 2017
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold / OW Emerald
Posts: 753
Yes, I know there are PHL-YUL flights in business, but it doesn't seem to work altogether with the AMS-HEL-LHR segments. I think that should be a fare that gives 20TP, though, shouldn't it?