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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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 Apr 4, 2018, 5:43 pm
  #1786  
 
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: GGL/CCR
Posts: 1,899
Originally Posted by fatherdougal
Some outstanding advice on here. My first post - long time lurker, first time poster. Work/social diary has cleared a week in a fortnights time to think about doing some crazy TP run. Only stipulation is stateside as I must visit someone so the wife doesn't question my motives too much...

Im struggling at step 1 - premium oneworld flights UK-US are way more than I've seen/booked before. Am I just being thick?!
Likely falling foul of advance purchase rules or date limitations on fares.... When exactly?
teledude is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2018, 5:56 pm
  #1787  
 
Join Date: Jun 2014
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: Mucci, BAEC GGL/CCR, Hilton Diamond, IHG Diamond Ambassador, Stena Gold
Posts: 1,078
Originally Posted by Physci


either use the advance routing codes to force the selection of the flight number you want or try amending the departure time from HNL to start early morning
Thanks! I've got a daytime flight from HNL now........
Gastrocnemius is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2018, 6:22 pm
  #1788  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,548
Hi All, Been playing with the latest re-incarnation of the CAI => HNL fare and this is by far the most TPs I can squeeze out of it unless anyone else wants to try

140 + 80 + 140 + 140 + 140 + 140 + 140 + 40 + 140 = 1240 TPs @ 1.28 TP

It's horrible time wise and requires more layovers than I would like on the outbound but it could maybe be trimmed on different dates it can be done for 40 cheaper for 40Tps less and a much quicker routing on the outbound by missing out HEL and using DUB instead

cgtechuk is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2018, 10:16 pm
  #1789  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: vie
Programs: BAEC GfL;LH M&M FQTV ; SPG Gold ; A-Club Gold;HHonnors Diamond
Posts: 170
Originally Posted by KARFA
exUK/EU Fare Archive for 2018
updated 6 February 2018

Ran January/February
  • from AMS to BKK INCSALE reported in this post, e.g. BKK - 1,259, needs to be booked by 4 February, see linked post for details
  • from OTP to PHX ILN8T8S4 reported here, e.g. PHX - 1,205, book by 4 February, see linked post for details
Ran February
  • from Germany to US ILN4T1S2 reported in this post, e.g. NYC 1,103, MIA 1,115, ORD 1,106, needs to be booked by 8 February, see linked post for details
I'd like to book the AMS to BKK INCEU60
Has anybody been successful with booking a routing via HEL, so AMS-HEL-LHR-SIN-BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS ?

AMS-LHR-SIN-BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS is fine using ITA Matrix, comes to Euro 1493

Adding HEL so AMS-HEL-LHR to start the trip produces only error messages.
As there are 5 transfers, 2 in Europe oneway allowed, it should/could work.
best regards,
Ettrich
ettrich is offline  
Old Apr 4, 2018, 11:53 pm
  #1790  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Originally Posted by ettrich
I'd like to book the AMS to BKK INCEU60
Has anybody been successful with booking a routing via HEL, so AMS-HEL-LHR-SIN-BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS ?

AMS-LHR-SIN-BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS is fine using ITA Matrix, comes to Euro 1493

Adding HEL so AMS-HEL-LHR to start the trip produces only error messages.
As there are 5 transfers, 2 in Europe oneway allowed, it should/could work.
best regards,
Ettrich
That is not permitted as per the fare rules, hence why you will be getting errors.
rossmacd is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 1:42 am
  #1791  
Ambassador, British Airways; FlyerTalk Posting Legend
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Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: Leeds, UK
Programs: BA GGL/CCR, GfL, HH Diamond
Posts: 42,709
Originally Posted by ettrich
I'd like to book the AMS to BKK INCEU60
Has anybody been successful with booking a routing via HEL, so AMS-HEL-LHR-SIN-BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS ?

AMS-LHR-SIN-BKK-SIN-LHR-AMS is fine using ITA Matrix, comes to Euro 1493

Adding HEL so AMS-HEL-LHR to start the trip produces only error messages.
As there are 5 transfers, 2 in Europe oneway allowed, it should/could work.
best regards,
Ettrich
The fare rules are linked to in the top of the wiki and the permitted routings are set out in there. Going via HEL isn't possible.
KARFA is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 1:54 am
  #1792  
 
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: HKG
Programs: Marriott Ambassador (Titanium Lifetime), BA Gold, Ex-Hertz 5* PC, Ex-HH Diamond, Ex-BD*G
Posts: 3,040
Thought I'd add the TP I did today for reference (getting my GUV2). Note this only works in fairly specific circumstances (i.e. you have a Chinese visa), but is very flexible.
For ~320 you can get 160 TPs in a day on the following route (~2/TP, currency exchange dependent)
CAN-HKG-TPE-HKG-CAN with KA/CX
You can only book this directly with CX, other websites want more money (e.g. the fare doesn't appear on ITA matrix)

The interesting part is that the tickets are fully flexible (no change fees if the same booking class is available, 60 cancellation ) and you can do stopovers. In my case I needed 120TPs so I've saved the HKG-CAN flight for a few weeks later (2 month availability of the ticket). This is an ongoing fare, similar pricing to the MY fares out of HK, but without the need for an overnight and very flexible, it was the same price with 24 hours notice.

If you are feeling particularly brave (I wasn't) you could nest this (though ex-HKG is expensive, more in economy for the HKG-CAN-HKG flight). I didn't try the back-to-back, instead I took the (20 each way) 2 hour train from HK and stayed overnight in Guangzhou. There is no detail if the B2B is possible online, but in theory it should be since the airline is emptying and refilling an A330 and Guangzhou is a fairly small airport. Note: CX only has two flights a day to CAN, but about ten to TPE.

More detail:
CAN-HKG (09:55 departure), connecting to the next TPE flight and back (many HKG-TPE flights, try and choose the ones with 1-2-1 seating), the returning HKG-CAN flight is at 20:15 arriving at 21:20.
My CAN-HKG flight arrived some 30 minutes earlier, so in hindsight I could have taken a short connection, but who cares when you have the CX First Class lounge to enjoy
CX_newbie and memesweeper like this.
littlevoices is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 7:26 am
  #1793  
 
Join Date: Apr 2018
Posts: 2
Originally Posted by teledude
Likely falling foul of advance purchase rules or date limitations on fares.... When exactly?
Somewhere between 15th-30th april...?
fatherdougal is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 7:39 am
  #1794  
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Join Date: Mar 2014
Programs: Oneworld, *A; Hilton, SPG
Posts: 488
Originally Posted by fatherdougal
Somewhere between 15th-30th april...?
The AP rate for the ex-AMS fare I believe is 60 days? I'm not sure about the general ex-EU ones, but I'd assume it would be similar
jdtravels is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 10:47 am
  #1795  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,548
As a follow up to my earlier post about squeezing 1280Tps out of CAI to HNL , I have managed to do the same to get

80 + 80 + 80 + 140 + 140 + 140 + 140 +40 + 80 = 920 TPs ~1.50 / TP thnk is the most anyone could squeeze out this with no A on transcon


cgtechuk is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 10:52 am
  #1796  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Originally Posted by cgtechuk
As a follow up to my earlier post about squeezing 1280Tps out of CAI to HNL , I have managed to do the same to get

80 + 80 + 80 + 140 + 140 + 140 + 140 +40 + 80 = 920 TPs ~1.50 / TP thnk is the most anyone could squeeze out this with no A on transcon
The maximum TPs that can be gleaned from the OTP-PHX J fare is 1,040 TPs.
rossmacd is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 11:53 am
  #1797  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Posts: 1,548
Hi Ross,

What routing would that be? I thought you could only get that when you could forc transcons into A or have I missed a trick ?
cgtechuk is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 11:57 am
  #1798  
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Originally Posted by cgtechuk
Hi Ross,

What routing would that be? I thought you could only get that when you could forc transcons into A or have I missed a trick ?
OTP-LHR-HEL-DUB-JFK-LAX-PHX return in J. See PHX do Thread for examples for about 1450 GBP
deboyzoned is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 12:15 pm
  #1799  
 
Join Date: Jan 2010
Posts: 7,464
Originally Posted by cgtechuk
Hi Ross,

What routing would that be? I thought you could only get that when you could forc transcons into A or have I missed a trick ?
You've missed a trick

rossmacd is offline  
Old Apr 5, 2018, 12:18 pm
  #1800  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Glasgow, UK
Programs: Seigneur des Tarifs Utils First Class Mucci with Honours :) - BA GGL / CCR
Posts: 1,548
Originally Posted by rossmacd
You've missed a trick

Not missed a trick when I haven't booked it yet haha still perfecting my Lax to pty for the middle.

You got any further enhancements on my CAI to HNL further up the page?

Or even better a 16 sector one way LAX to PTY as two one ways totalling 32 lol.

Thanks guys as ever!

Last edited by cgtechuk; Apr 5, 2018 at 4:15 pm
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