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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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 May 29, 2018, 7:58 pm
  #2506  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: BA Silver, SPG Platinum
Posts: 24
I all! I haven't been here for a while, so I was catching up.
This is an unrelated question, but I thought some might be able to answer:
Is there some sort of website I can use to find flights for specific aircraft I want to fly on? Let's say I want to find where BA is flying their A380s.
Thx
l31g is offline  
Old May 29, 2018, 8:13 pm
  #2507  
 
Join Date: May 2017
Location: UK
Programs: Deliveroo Plus
Posts: 179
I believe it to be possible to search on the ITA matrix, bar that I do not think such a tool exists yet.
yb90 is offline  
Old May 29, 2018, 8:26 pm
  #2508  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Programs: BA Silver, SPG Platinum
Posts: 24
I guess I was a Google search away.
Found a couple of links with examples:
https://thepointsguy.com/2016/02/usi...routing-codes/
https://travel.stackexchange.com/que...of-plane/46128

Thanks!
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Old May 30, 2018, 1:37 am
  #2509  
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Originally Posted by OverTheHorizon
If you mean doing a self-transfer at the gate at ALG, my experience the other day was that this is impossible.

Arriving pax were routed straight to passport control, no chance to "get lost neat the gate" as you never enter the departure lounge.

UK passport holders need a transit visa for ALG - TWOV is not available. The visa is quite a lot of paperwork, takes a couple of weeks and costs 85...

On the plus side, Algeria is a great destination and I will certainly go back before long.
Are you referring to a type B2B transit, then you're propably right. In the ALG-JFK thread it was disadvised to B2B, but even arriving from the same country, as Vueling has a very early flight BCN-ALG, that would let you have the time needed for the transfer. I'm not advocating any 'self-transfer at the gate', or to 'get lost near the gate' in a country like Algeria, or in any visa requiring country.

Because of your very definite statement, I called the consular section of the Algerian embassy, describing my plans to fly in from Paris in the morning, not leaving the airport, departing for Madrid early afternoon.The man, to whom the call was transferred, was very clear. "Like all over the world, you don't need a visa if not leaving the airport". There are , of course exceptions from this in some countries, but that was the official Algerian policy. The B2B situation was , however, disadvised. Also the return to the same country was not really a 'transfer' in the visa aspect, however much it was in the flying aspect. There was never any mentioning of what passport I held, and possible implications on the same situation.

Hence, waiting for Air Algerie to put flights into the scheme for the time I need, or for plan B go with AF. My plans will still, with official confirmation, be TWOV on both ends of my ALG-JFK trip

Last edited by onobond; May 30, 2018 at 4:31 am Reason: Clarification
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Old May 30, 2018, 2:04 am
  #2510  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,442
Originally Posted by greenmeadie
I can entirely see how it gets addictive! I was chatting to the girl I'm dating and she thinks i'm mildly crazy for all the flying. (wait till I get her status levelled up with AA, then she'll think differently!)

With the tier points, I actually made it 800 - 80, 140, 140, 40, 40, 140, 140, 80, so even better and then the positioning flights add a few more in there too. Very nice indeed.
BUD-LHR in business is only 40TP, not 80TP. So it's 720TP total.

But you could make it 80TP (and 800TP total) by nesting a LHR-BUD CE positioning return flight of your own accord. That's unlikely to be particularly cost effective, however.
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mmxbreaks is offline  
Old May 30, 2018, 2:27 am
  #2511  
 
Join Date: Dec 2017
Programs: BA
Posts: 6
Consultancy ? does anyone know of a good 200TP run from LON before June 6th

Preferably a day trip... I've looked at Helsinki and that doesn't work due to cost of a day trip now
I'm been looking on google flights but can see a reasonable option... My Silver expires ... I forgot to check before

any advice would be gratefully received

john
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Old May 30, 2018, 2:55 am
  #2512  
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Originally Posted by johnselwyn
Preferably a day trip... I've looked at Helsinki and that doesn't work due to cost of a day trip now
I'm been looking on google flights but can see a reasonable option... My Silver expires ... I forgot to check before

any advice would be gratefully received

john
Welcome to FT.

200TPs in a day is a stretch. I would look at doing LHR/HEL/ARN for 240 TPs and around 500. No need for Saturday night and you might get the A350.

Also, you dont need yo panic about 8 June. You can usually get ab2 week extension so can fly up to 22/6. You just need to ask for this.
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Old May 30, 2018, 3:29 am
  #2513  
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Surrey
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 107
How reliable is the "only show flights with available seats" tick box for ITA matrix? Found my ideal itinerary and then discovered I hadn't ticked that!
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Old May 30, 2018, 3:33 am
  #2514  
 
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,442
Originally Posted by l31g
I all! I haven't been here for a while, so I was catching up.
This is an unrelated question, but I thought some might be able to answer:
Is there some sort of website I can use to find flights for specific aircraft I want to fly on? Let's say I want to find where BA is flying their A380s.
Thx
https://www.britishairways.com/en-gb...on/airbus-a380

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mmxbreaks is offline  
Old May 30, 2018, 3:52 am
  #2515  
 
Join Date: May 2016
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold, Accor Gold
Posts: 1,410
Originally Posted by l31g
I all! I haven't been here for a while, so I was catching up.
This is an unrelated question, but I thought some might be able to answer:
Is there some sort of website I can use to find flights for specific aircraft I want to fly on? Let's say I want to find where BA is flying their A380s.
Thx
And here

British Airways Airbus A380 Aircraft
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Old May 30, 2018, 4:27 am
  #2516  
 
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
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Originally Posted by johnselwyn
Preferably a day trip... I've looked at Helsinki and that doesn't work due to cost of a day trip now
I'm been looking on google flights but can see a reasonable option... My Silver expires ... I forgot to check before

any advice would be gratefully received

john
going ex Jersey to any European destination (say AMS) will get 160 TP and usually doesn't cost much more than going ex London. If you set up positioning as B2B on an economy flight, chances are good you'll get a POUG you can apply to one leg for the extra 40 TP. It is possible to set up the positioning (LGW->JER) and the first leg (JER-LGW) in the evening of a weekday, then do the LON->AMS->LON over the weekend,, then a similar evening B2B the next day, I have several trips set up like that. Alternatively it might be possible to do an ex AMS to JER using the same sort of process, depends on how timings work out.

You might need the 2 week extension though to get reasonable prices, and the best prices seem to be midweek.
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Old May 30, 2018, 6:01 am
  #2517  
 
Join Date: May 2015
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 156
Originally Posted by onobond
Because of your very definite statement, I called the consular section of the Algerian embassy, describing my plans to fly in from Paris in the morning, not leaving the airport, departing for Madrid early afternoon.The man, to whom the call was transferred, was very clear. "Like all over the world, you don't need a visa if not leaving the airport". There are , of course exceptions from this in some countries, but that was the official Algerian policy. The B2B situation was , however, disadvised. Also the return to the same country was not really a 'transfer' in the visa aspect, however much it was in the flying aspect. There was never any mentioning of what passport I held, and possible implications on the same situation.

Hence, waiting for Air Algerie to put flights into the scheme for the time I need, or for plan B go with AF. My plans will still, with official confirmation, be TWOV on both ends of my ALG-JFK trip
Very interesting. I am more worried that AA in the US will require me to have a visa for my final destination and not let me board my flights to the UK!

I have dug further, and I think I migth book this set of flights (this is an AA D class fare ALG-SEA DNN0NMN7):

Which is exactly the routing I want, with multiple days in both BWI and SEA and 800 TP. (Although any suggestions for more TP are welcome).
I tried to get the LAX/SFO-JFK transcons in, but it caused me to exceed MPM or too many transfers. BWI is badly connected.
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Old May 30, 2018, 6:57 am
  #2518  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Executive Club, Aeroplan
Posts: 196
Originally Posted by mmxbreaks
BUD-LHR in business is only 40TP, not 80TP. So it's 720TP total.

But you could make it 80TP (and 800TP total) by nesting a LHR-BUD CE positioning return flight of your own accord. That's unlikely to be particularly cost effective, however.
On the tier point calculator it shows that LHR-OTP in business its 80 tier points. The matrix shows that the flights are J and I booking classes. Not sure if I'm looking at it wrong but it seems to be that.
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Old May 30, 2018, 7:00 am
  #2519  
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Originally Posted by greenmeadie
On the tier point calculator it shows that LHR-OTP in business its 80 tier points. The matrix shows that the flights are J and I booking classes. Not sure if I'm looking at it wrong but it seems to be that.
I think someone is mixing up Bucharest with Budapest.

Budapest - Hungary - BUD - 40TP
Bucharest - Romania - OTP - 80TP

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Old May 30, 2018, 7:37 am
  #2520  
 
Join Date: Aug 2014
Location: London
Programs: BA Executive Club, Aeroplan
Posts: 196
That might be it; What a difference a few hundred miles makes!
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