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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
Sep 2, 2018, 5:38 am
#3616
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 484
Thanks. Is EUR600 EUR fairly standard for AA, or does it vary per fare. With my last OTP=>PHX run, I made a holiday out of it, doubling back to the WAS/NYC after arriving in PHX - and then heading out West again. But that cost EUR300 - and I lost 2 x half days out of my holiday for the extra travelling. So in some cases, it may be better to pay the stopover fee.
In fact, just checking - doubling back from HNL to LAX/LAS in Economy in March on AA would cost between EUR425-EUR700 anyway, so yes, better to pay the stopover fee for that trip - if that's what I wanted to do.
In fact, just checking - doubling back from HNL to LAX/LAS in Economy in March on AA would cost between EUR425-EUR700 anyway, so yes, better to pay the stopover fee for that trip - if that's what I wanted to do.
Sep 2, 2018, 6:37 am
#3617
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 833
A one way HNL=>LAX is about £250. So cheaper than a stopover - and cheaper than doubling back, not to mention the time saved.
But it does mean fewer TPs - as I'm not getting the HNL=>LAX leg in J.
Definitely worth thinking about though - thanks for the tip about the open jaw.
Sep 2, 2018, 7:17 am
#3618
Join Date: Aug 2018
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 31
I took a bit of a 'risk' on this; booked via BA for £238 and then filled out the Best Price guarantee form. I wasn't going to be beat up about losing .08TP/£ efficiency on what I already consider to be a good value run but BA just got back to me this morning with a £50 voucher, so the gamble was well worth it! 
By the way, does anyone know any cheap ways to do a B2B on this?
Sep 2, 2018, 7:28 am
#3619
Join Date: Jan 2015
Posts: 783
Great result! I actually did the opposite and booked with Netflights for GBP 216.50. It went through smoothly and was ticketed in 12 minutes even though the T&C says it can be up to 24 hours. MMB confirms it's I Class with 160 TPs.
By the way, does anyone know any cheap ways to do a B2B on this?
By the way, does anyone know any cheap ways to do a B2B on this?
Sep 2, 2018, 8:04 am
#3620
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 484
You can have a Saturday night in HEL airport. There is a flight leaves LHR 6.15pm and arrives HEL 11.20pm. You then have some time to kill before the 7.45am back to London. You can stay airside. I don't know if you can stay in the non-Schengen bit but I have spent several nights in the Schengen part of the terminal. I think they still have the sleeping pods but have not tried them. You can get back through passport control about 6am. It isn't a bad place to spend the night (as airports go) though I was really cold one time when it was supposed to be summer.
Sep 2, 2018, 8:18 am
#3621
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,293
Great result! I actually did the opposite and booked with Netflights for GBP 216.50. It went through smoothly and was ticketed in 12 minutes even though the T&C says it can be up to 24 hours. MMB confirms it's I Class with 160 TPs.
By the way, does anyone know any cheap ways to do a B2B on this?
By the way, does anyone know any cheap ways to do a B2B on this?
- You'd have to turn around in 50 minutes, not a problem if at a gate because you can turn back once you reach passport control. But I've had a few busses in HEL which would be really tight.
- The return trip HEL-LHR-HEL is 440 EUR last I checked, which isn't really worth it. You're better off finding a really cheap hotel (or using points) and doing it twice over 2 weekends.
Sep 2, 2018, 8:35 am
#3622
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 484
In my experience "Helsinki" and "really cheap hotel" are not things which go together - hence my repeated overnights in the airport. 
Sep 2, 2018, 8:40 am
#3623
Join Date: Dec 2017
Posts: 833
Quite a few ex-LUX deals on at the moment. Here's one to LAS in J. £1,465 for 720TP. At 2:1 it's hardly a mega-deal, but not bad if you want to head to west coast USA.
Other west coast destinations beyond LAX price up similar (PHX, SAN etc.) - about £50 more.
Other west coast destinations beyond LAX price up similar (PHX, SAN etc.) - about £50 more.
Sep 2, 2018, 9:17 am
#3624
Join Date: Sep 2016
Location: Middle of Nowhere
Programs: Lowly BAEC Bronze, VS, IHG Platinum, HHonors Gold, Hotels.com Gold
Posts: 231
I'm looking to hit at least Silver after my TP year-end on September 8th. I'm looking at an October long weekend to do it. Current plan is the UL DXB-CGK fare for 560TPs for £625, with WTP return from MAN-DXB for (probably) 200 TPs for £710. All in all about £1.75 per TP, plus one night in a Jakarta hotel. There's probably better value to be had, but I also get to visit Jakarta, and leave Friday evening, and be back at work by Tuesday morning. Assuming it all works out. There's a bit of a risk with two tickets, of course.
Current plan has be arriving to DXB at 8am, leaving again 22:50 (should be fine)
On the return, arriving DXB at 21:40, leaving again 01:30 (riskier).
There's also an option for a 9.20am DXB departure, but I'd need the Tuesday off work then.
Has anyone done this, or similar? Is there anything I'm missing? I'm still relatively new to all this! Thanks
Current plan has be arriving to DXB at 8am, leaving again 22:50 (should be fine)
On the return, arriving DXB at 21:40, leaving again 01:30 (riskier).
There's also an option for a 9.20am DXB departure, but I'd need the Tuesday off work then.
Has anyone done this, or similar? Is there anything I'm missing? I'm still relatively new to all this! Thanks
Sep 2, 2018, 9:46 am
#3625
Join Date: Mar 2015
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 2,447
I thought OTP-PHX biz run had dried up, but just found one over the Xmas to NY period for £1332 (520TP, can prolly be routed elsewhere, I've not tried): https://www.google.com/flights/#flt=...34*.GBP.133134
Sep 2, 2018, 2:31 pm
#3626
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,610
I'm fairly sure from my scan of the thread that this hasn't been noted, but as with regret I can't do it myself (I have a shedload of travel in March next year), it might be useful to others.
You can do a 240TP (plus positioning) ex-JER to HEL with an airport hotel at HEL (the "Cumulus", which has a free shuttle and early breakfast) on 23/24th March for £379 via BA holidays with a £150 deposit. Other dates are probably available, this was the only one available to me because of my not being on the GIB do.
It's not all that easy to get to the price selected, the custom multi flight tool doesn't get the price. What you have to do is to set it up as a standard return holiday, and then at the bottom of the selection form there is a "more hotel options" selection. In there is an old school webform which allows you to select "airport hotel" and search. When you do this, the cumulus will be somewhere in the middle of the list. There are hotel options in town from £358, but given the return on the 24th is at 0745, you probably want to be closer by.
It is also possible to set up a multi-flight trip for the Hilton at Vantaa for £414 - you can do this by setting up a Jersey first leg in the evening of Friday 22nd, your choice of BA LHR->HEL on the Saturday, then the 0745 return. You can even push the return Jersey leg out a few days, so an easy weekend B2B (which is how I tend to do these). But as the base fare is £321 and you can probably book a Hhonors redemption or sale price for less than the difference, that's probably an easier way to do it.
You can do a 240TP (plus positioning) ex-JER to HEL with an airport hotel at HEL (the "Cumulus", which has a free shuttle and early breakfast) on 23/24th March for £379 via BA holidays with a £150 deposit. Other dates are probably available, this was the only one available to me because of my not being on the GIB do.
It's not all that easy to get to the price selected, the custom multi flight tool doesn't get the price. What you have to do is to set it up as a standard return holiday, and then at the bottom of the selection form there is a "more hotel options" selection. In there is an old school webform which allows you to select "airport hotel" and search. When you do this, the cumulus will be somewhere in the middle of the list. There are hotel options in town from £358, but given the return on the 24th is at 0745, you probably want to be closer by.
It is also possible to set up a multi-flight trip for the Hilton at Vantaa for £414 - you can do this by setting up a Jersey first leg in the evening of Friday 22nd, your choice of BA LHR->HEL on the Saturday, then the 0745 return. You can even push the return Jersey leg out a few days, so an easy weekend B2B (which is how I tend to do these). But as the base fare is £321 and you can probably book a Hhonors redemption or sale price for less than the difference, that's probably an easier way to do it.
Sep 3, 2018, 1:33 am
#3627
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 484
I took a bit of a 'risk' on this; booked via BA for £238 and then filled out the Best Price guarantee form. I wasn't going to be beat up about losing .08TP/£ efficiency on what I already consider to be a good value run but BA just got back to me this morning with a £50 voucher, so the gamble was well worth it!
)
Sep 3, 2018, 3:48 am
#3628
Join Date: Sep 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 259
Is the LUX-USA fare compatible with the 'extra' HEL legs, or limited to 920TP in total?
Cheers,
~S
ETA I spent some time trying to add in HEL legs without success, but saw reference to being able to do so a few posts up.
Cheers,
~S
ETA I spent some time trying to add in HEL legs without success, but saw reference to being able to do so a few posts up.
Sep 3, 2018, 5:48 am
#3629
Join Date: Sep 2017
Location: LHR
Programs: BA Silver, IHG Gold Amb.
Posts: 159
Thank you for this. i was not previously aware of the best price guarantee form.
I booked a flight this morning, and then when i saw your post, i did a quick check elsewhere.
found the flight £20 cheaper on netflights.
i put the claim in at 10.15am, and less than 3 hours later BA have sent me a voucher for £40
Sep 3, 2018, 8:08 am
#3630
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: Kent.Uk
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 81
Could someone tell me if the LUX-HNL fare has been pulled please?
Have been trying to book it for March 2019, including phoning AA.COM and online by changing city to Belgium but seems to have disappeared now.
Was possible on Finnair but only a direct route - which is obviously not the way I want to get there!!
Have been trying to book it for March 2019, including phoning AA.COM and online by changing city to Belgium but seems to have disappeared now.
Was possible on Finnair but only a direct route - which is obviously not the way I want to get there!!