Jemmers

Hi All,

New to this and have absorbed quite a lot from all the posts that I've read so thanks for all the info already!

I'm not asking for the best routes to tier point ratios (I can work that out) but something a bit more general.

My partner works for BA and has access to their hotline prices which offer some level of reduction so I may as well utilise that.

my question is what is the most effective way to do this in conjunction with any eligible Alex Plat rewards so I can ensure I am getting the most bang for my buck.

Secondly. I currently have no status on BAEC and my current member year runs out in November. Sooooo... what is the best time to make sure I qualify for Gold to maximise the amount of time I have at that level before the soft landing to Silver if I don't requalify?

The crux of this question revolves around restarting once you hit a certain tier. I.e. if I hit silver this year do I start at silver next year and just have to get to 1500 ASAP.

or say if I didn't hit silver this year and hit it next year would I then go back to 0 and have to do the 1500 so 600 + 1500.

is that how it works? If so am I better to hit silver this year and then gold as fast as possible in the next member year.

Additional question is the year you hit a tier always extended for an additional year at that tier? Or do you just get that extension once per tier? Or do you just get that extension as a one time only thing regardless of what tier you hit in that member year.

If anyone can make sense of that then well done and any help much appreciated as I think I've confused myself now!

Thanks

mikeyfly

Couple of points to think about when using Hotline - you can't ever Upgrade using Avios - this is against rules. Also, if using a cheapo exEU routing, you must not drop the last leg.

MPH1980

Right - can't help on the hotline stuff - can help on the tier points.

Let's imagine you qualify for silver today - you would be silver for the remainder of this year AND the whole of next year.

When your year resets - you have to get the 1500 points to get to gold. You would then become gold for the remainder of that year and the whole of the year after. If you got 600 only - that would extend Silver for the following year (3rd year effectively).

The single most efficient way to get gold is to fly all your flights on the same day - 9th of the month in which your year resets - to get to Gold. That would give you Gold for almost the whole of the first year and all of the second.

To perhaps give a clearer cut example - I re-qualified for Gold last year. My year reset on the 8th of November. I am re-climbing the ladder to 1500 points (at about 720 right now). Once I move over the 1500 - my Gold level will be extended for a further year (so I would be gold guaranteed until November 2019). If I fail to make it by the 8th of November (which seems highly unlikely at this point - but still ...) I would soft-land to Silver and from the 9th of November 2018 to the 8th of November 2019 - I would be silver (assuming no more flying/points acquisition).

OverTheHorizon

Now there's a challenge

I wonder what the theoretical maximum TPs is which could be earned in a given 24 hour period ?

Jemmers

Thanks Mikey, good to know.

Thanks MPH yes that does clarify. Just to be clear, f i qualify for silver i het it for current year plus 1. Then if i qualify for gold in a following year i also get it for the remainder of that year plus one more year? Then soft land to silver in year 3.

As I am a complete newbie - am I right in thinking that booking flights this year for the next member year is fine to do in order to get the points next year? As tier points are awarded after you fly?

We have planned most of our travel this year to be on partners BA concession (no tier points) so I might try get this done next year to maximise time at Gold.

Again, thanks guys really useful info.

onobond

Indeed a challenge, but the rules of TP earning says TPs are credited to the date and time for departure. Thus, 'the same day' can be longer than 24h if you travel west.

Travelling in F, starting 01.00 in HKG with CX, connecting with BA/AA at LHR & AA at JFK, there will be lots of time for having a drink and a bite in the LAX QF F lounge in TBIT, before taking a late flight (1+h before midnight local time) to AKL or SYD, where one will arrive in the morning, total time from departure 50+ h, but all four flights are credited to the same date: 870 TP in all, and, of course, a barrel full of Avios

You might also have the possibility of diversifying four flights aircraftwise. In my mock reservation was CX B777, BA B747, AA A321 and AA A787 utilized.

NeverFirst

KARFA

MADPhil

Just to clarify:
your TP collection year starts on Nov 9 and ends on Nov 8 of the following year
TP are credited to the year in which the flight takes off (local time)
status is based on the TP collected in the collection year, they do not reset until the end of the year
status lasts from when you have collected enough TP until end of the month following the end of the following collection year
you "soft land" to one tier down unless you have collected enough TP to qualify for a higher tier.

Your "optimum" approach is to earn enough TP for status in the first month of your collection year. You are then free to fly without earning TP for two years

MPH1980

Yes - exactly.

Yes - what matters is when you fly - not when you book.

MPH1980

I'll be honest - I wasn't thinking about practicality when I suggested it!

Onobond and NeverFirst have come up with good suggestions. Ultimately you'd need as many F flights heading west as possible in a given 24-hour local time period. I reckon with careful planning, hitting the 2000 mile limit as close as possible and minimizing gaps, 1000+ must be possible. But I also think you'd probably have to be really lucky to actually have it happen correctly. Now ... whether you could do it all on one ticket (due to minimum connections etc) ... AND get the 4 flights you need on BA ... that'd be questionable.

capin

I just had a look at the Hotline T's and C's and I can't find anything about this.

THEOBCMAN

I always try to complete a TP run within a couple of weeks of TP collection year start. This will give two years of status.

Budget will only really let me get to Silver. So an ex EU to USA or Far East if planned right will take care of Silver.

Thats is me every March ! Very enjoyable.