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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
Aug 11, 2018, 4:57 pm
#3271
Join Date: May 2014
Location: Glasgow
Programs: BAEC Gold, LH, EK, QR
Posts: 354
I was in two minds about posting this, as it only just scrapes into tier point run territory at 2.6/£, but if it helps someone out then its worth it. I'm heading to Colombia in October and have been searching for a few weeks for a route yielding the most TP from somewhere in Europe. I eventually booked:
AMS-LHR-DFW-BOG-DFW-ORD-LHR-GLA - 680 TP for £1770. (BOG-DFW is 140TP each way) Also available from BRU or from DUB but outbound via CLT/ORD - so DUB-CLT-DFW-BOG-DFW-ORD-LHR-GLA. Limited I class availability in October.
I appreciate there were other cheaper non OW options direct from Glasgow, but I was 400TP short of gold this year.
AMS-LHR-DFW-BOG-DFW-ORD-LHR-GLA - 680 TP for £1770. (BOG-DFW is 140TP each way) Also available from BRU or from DUB but outbound via CLT/ORD - so DUB-CLT-DFW-BOG-DFW-ORD-LHR-GLA. Limited I class availability in October.
I appreciate there were other cheaper non OW options direct from Glasgow, but I was 400TP short of gold this year.
Aug 12, 2018, 1:43 am
#3272
Join Date: Sep 2017
Posts: 14
Yeah unfortunately it was until 10AUG. Does anyone know of something as interesting? Also is the OTP run with HEL still available cause I don’t seem to be able to price that one any longer either (OTP-LHR-HEL-(LHR)-JFK-LAX-PHX-LAX-JFK-(LHR)-HEL-LHR-OTP)?
Aug 12, 2018, 1:59 am
#3273
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: London
Programs: BA CCR/GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 3,483
Welcome! My reading of this is that MAD - PHI must be on or after the first Sunday after the LUX - LHR flight. If you travel LUX - LHR on a Monday, you can't take the MAD - PMI until the following Sunday (almost a week). However, if you take the first flight on (say) a Friday/Saturday, then you'll be able to travel the last leg a couple of days later.....
Aug 12, 2018, 2:32 am
#3274
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP/LTP, BA GGL/CCR/GfL, HH D/LTD, SPG/MR Plat/LTP
Posts: 10,075
The OTP-PHX fare is restricted to defined periods of the year:
PERMITTED
01 JUL THROUGH 31 AUG OR
22 NOV THROUGH 29 NOV OR
24 DEC THROUGH 31 DEC OR
24 MAR THROUGH 08 APR
FOR EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.
01 JUL THROUGH 31 AUG OR
22 NOV THROUGH 29 NOV OR
24 DEC THROUGH 31 DEC OR
24 MAR THROUGH 08 APR
FOR EACH TRANSATLANTIC SECTOR.
Aug 12, 2018, 3:31 am
#3275
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: living near Malaga
Programs: BA Gold , Mucci recipient. Coffee Drinker, Blue Sky Thinker
Posts: 2,108
I tried to price up this with the extra HEL addition ( OTP-LHR-HEL-JFK-LAX-PHX-LAX-JFK-HEL-LHR-OTP ) as outlined for the end March/early April and could not get anywhere near the suggested price.
I followed the ( excellent ) rossmacd suggested routing instructions in his wiki post but could not replicate the deal in any shape or form.
I am fully flexible and happy to travel on any date between the 24th March and 8th April and looking for 2 or 3 days in Phoenix . 2 adult pax
If anyone can help I am happy to make a Kama Donation..
Last edited by sunshinebob; Aug 12, 2018 at 3:38 am Reason: Added 2 pax
Aug 12, 2018, 5:04 am
#3276
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: LON
Programs: BA GFL, OW Gold, CX/MP Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 258
Aug 12, 2018, 5:11 am
#3277
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: LON
Programs: BA GFL, OW Gold, CX/MP Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 258
Aug 12, 2018, 5:23 am
#3279
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,581
If you read a few posts up, you'll find that that fare was time-limited and has gone.
ITA matrix certainly isn't dead (unless something sudden has just happened). I think that's an ITA Matrix itinerary isn't it?
ITA matrix certainly isn't dead (unless something sudden has just happened). I think that's an ITA Matrix itinerary isn't it?
Aug 12, 2018, 5:24 am
#3280
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: LON
Programs: BA GFL, OW Gold, CX/MP Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 258
Aug 12, 2018, 5:25 am
#3281
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: LON
Programs: BA GFL, OW Gold, CX/MP Diamond, SPG Plat
Posts: 258
OTP run is dead too then?
Aug 12, 2018, 5:43 am
#3282
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,237
Aug 12, 2018, 5:48 am
#3283
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,581
But as another post above explains, the fare rules seem to preclude the dates required.
No substitute really sitting down and trying to have a hunt for yourself. There are probably some possibilities if you do an ex AMS to BKK, and do some BKK->TPE (for example) or Kathmandu runs on MH
No substitute really sitting down and trying to have a hunt for yourself. There are probably some possibilities if you do an ex AMS to BKK, and do some BKK->TPE (for example) or Kathmandu runs on MH
Aug 12, 2018, 6:05 am
#3284
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,680
Originally Posted by IAANN
How does one get this trip for this price?
Google flights doesn't work much for this journey and as we know... ITA matrix is dead...
Google flights doesn't work much for this journey and as we know... ITA matrix is dead...
Aug 12, 2018, 6:11 am
#3285
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,237
But as another post above explains, the fare rules seem to preclude the dates required.
No substitute really sitting down and trying to have a hunt for yourself. There are probably some possibilities if you do an ex AMS to BKK, and do some BKK->TPE (for example) or Kathmandu runs on MH
No substitute really sitting down and trying to have a hunt for yourself. There are probably some possibilities if you do an ex AMS to BKK, and do some BKK->TPE (for example) or Kathmandu runs on MH