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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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 Ł1,082, 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 - Ł1,296, see linked post for details
  • from AMS to BKK INCEU60 reported here, e.g. BKK - Ł1,340, 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 Ł3 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 Ł1.48/TP Ł650 (US$853) 440 TPs JFK-CLT/BOS-LAX-LAS and return all I class aa.com
6Sep Ł1.50/TP US$457 240TPs RIC-CLT-DCA-BOS, BOS-LGA/PHL-CLT-RIC all I class aa.com
Jan/Feb wide open Ł1.94/TP Ł700(US$883) 360 TPs SEA-CLT-MCO-PHX-SEA all I class aa.com



From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
18Jan Ł1.58/TP Ł883 560 CMB-xHKG-CGK return I cathaypacific.com ermen CX
28Feb Ł1.44/TP Ł575 400 MCT-DOH-BKK-DOH-MCT A/R/R/A travel.americanexpress.co.uk QR
21Feb Ł1.53/TP Ł860 560 HKG-CMB-MEL return I Expedia.com.hk Firemin UL
16Mar Ł1.22/TP Ł687 560 CGK-CMB-DXB return I srilankan.com Firemin UL
01Apr Ł0.87/TP Ł314 360 PEN-KUL-KTM return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
01Apr Ł1.19/TP Ł335 280 KUL-PER return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
01Apr Ł1.28/TP Ł335 360 PEN-KUL-PER return Malaysian.com cgtechuk MH
05Apr Ł2.00/TP Ł320 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 Ł300 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 Ł500.

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 Ł520.
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 May 9, 2018, 1:53 am
  #2266  
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Originally Posted by Lucanesque
Thanks taylorj6, another top tip and learning experience! Will definitely do that next time (and avoid the Amex currency conversion charges).

Thanks for everyone's help yesterday, just checked and the same flights today are Ł3,817 This'll be my first full-on TP run (I don't count a trip to Jersey for lunch to get me Silver years ago ), this is part of my game plan to get GGL in my next collection year so I can use jokers to secure flights to Japan for the RWC! Currently got flights booked getting me 2,270TP with a potential trip to Vegas for another 920, so that'll leave me 1,810 points to push for whenever there's some offers worth grabbing.
Are you coming to PHX?
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Old May 9, 2018, 2:02 am
  #2267  
 
Join Date: Mar 2007
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Originally Posted by Lucanesque
I have been trying to book a deal that I've found with ITA matrix (JER-LGW-LHR-PHL-CLT-PDX-LAX-JFK-LHR), priced up over there at Ł1,084. Tried to use BookWithMatrix, but that directs through to aa.com - I get all the way through seat selection and to payment then it falls flat on it's arse because I've got a UK credit card, it directs me to the UK AA site, but I'm unable to recreate the itinerary as it's got 9 sectors (the AA multi-city page only handles 6).

Any ideas? I believe this JER-PDX fare is only around until the end of today
Put the itinerary on 24 hour hold, you'll then get a booking reference. Phone AA in the UK and give them the Booking Ref, they'll convert the price to Pounds and charge your UK CC. You get a decent FOREX rate and avoid any foreign exchange fees on your CC
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Old May 9, 2018, 2:22 am
  #2268  
 
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Originally Posted by pjh981
Put the itinerary on 24 hour hold, you'll then get a booking reference. Phone AA in the UK and give them the Booking Ref, they'll convert the price to Pounds and charge your UK CC. You get a decent FOREX rate and avoid any foreign exchange fees on your CC
The LON-PDX fare's gone now [wasn't all that sure I could take it up], but I couldn't get a single itinerary to offer the hold option yesterday evening. I did that for ARN-SFO-PRG last year and it required all AA codes, but niether AA codes or all-AA metal would give the hold option yesterday. I tried EU and US/UK links from the Powertools script too.

Are there any other known hoops to jump through?
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Old May 9, 2018, 2:35 am
  #2269  
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Nope - back to OTP-PHX !
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Old May 9, 2018, 3:00 am
  #2270  
 
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Originally Posted by madfish


Are you coming to PHX?
I'm not - Off to Portland, literally overnight then heading home. Basically 48 hours of sleeping on a plane
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Old May 9, 2018, 3:35 am
  #2271  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
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- Business Class from Bali, Indonesia to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for only $135 USD roundtrip

Easy 80TP for a $135 (Ł1.25/TP) in case you are in Bali or can get there.
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Old May 9, 2018, 4:45 am
  #2272  
 
Join Date: Jul 2015
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Originally Posted by Lucanesque
I'm not - Off to Portland, literally overnight then heading home. Basically 48 hours of sleeping on a plane
Ended up booking the same for August, but managed to structure my flights with an 20hr stop-over in L.A which works well to catch up with friends.

Pilot37
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Old May 9, 2018, 6:30 am
  #2273  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: EDI, LHR
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Hi all,

Bit of advice please.

Currently BA silver and using the JER-PDX route as a holiday to the west coast.

Based in London and will have to position in JER for the start of the flight.

However, we have a change of airports in London (LGW-LHR) - plan is to get flight out with no baggage - but "checkin" again when we get to LHR - with the luggage.

Has anyone had any experience of doing this (i.e. adding bags from 0 loaded via checkin during a layover with change of airports) ?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

SG
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Old May 9, 2018, 6:40 am
  #2274  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Originally Posted by sunguy
Hi all,

Bit of advice please.

Currently BA silver and using the JER-PDX route as a holiday to the west coast.

Based in London and will have to position in JER for the start of the flight.

However, we have a change of airports in London (LGW-LHR) - plan is to get flight out with no baggage - but "checkin" again when we get to LHR - with the luggage.

Has anyone had any experience of doing this (i.e. adding bags from 0 loaded via checkin during a layover with change of airports) ?

Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks.

SG
Yes this will be fine, head over to the check in desk / bag drop with your cases and check them in there even on the second leg.

On the way home they will come out on the baggage belt at LHR as there is no method of fowarding them to LGW for the next leg
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Old May 9, 2018, 7:44 am
  #2275  
 
Join Date: Mar 2016
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Thanks for this - I knew that in the past (Pre FLY days) that this would not be an issue.. I was just wondering if BA could have issues because I had no bags on the 1st leg.

My flight is open-jaw, returning to LHR rather than JER, so all is good for the way back.

Originally Posted by cgtechuk
Yes this will be fine, head over to the check in desk / bag drop with your cases and check them in there even on the second leg.

On the way home they will come out on the baggage belt at LHR as there is no method of fowarding them to LGW for the next leg
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Old May 9, 2018, 9:04 am
  #2276  
 
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Originally Posted by mikeyfly
Nope - back to OTP-PHX !
Or until the next one crops up, a nice CAI to HNL would be nice on AA
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Old May 9, 2018, 12:32 pm
  #2277  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
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Just completed my CAI-HNL run... 10 flights in seven days, about 53hrs flying time. Fun times!
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Old May 9, 2018, 12:33 pm
  #2278  
 
Join Date: Jan 2018
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Originally Posted by mmxbreaks
Just completed my CAI-HNL run... 10 flights in seven days, about 53hrs flying time. Fun times!
Any photos ? Trip reporting ? Sounds great !
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Old May 9, 2018, 12:35 pm
  #2279  
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Originally Posted by mmxbreaks
Just completed my CAI-HNL run... 10 flights in seven days, about 53hrs flying time. Fun times!
Is this the shortest trip report ever!
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Old May 9, 2018, 4:11 pm
  #2280  
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Originally Posted by KARFA


Ba.com can’t cope with the itinerary - there have been some comments elsewhere on the board about multi-city WTP playing up when trying to get a quote. i think you’ll have to call to book it.
Thanks Karfa - called up and booked no problems, even waived the offline booking fee because it wasn't possible online.
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