Jan 4, 2019, 9:09 am
Last edit by: jfkeze
Welcome to the thread. This is a continuation of the highly popular 2018 Tier Point thread (found here). 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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.
A new guideline thread for TP meetups has been created on 31 March 2020. If you would like other members to join your TP, or if you want to organize a TP run with other members. Please visit there. From the first few posts over there you could see the active ( confirmed ) TP meetings and the links to their relevant discussion threads, connect with other members and learn the details about the run. Click here to access that thread.
Current Promotions of Interest
Sale Fares
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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.
A new guideline thread for TP meetups has been created on 31 March 2020. If you would like other members to join your TP, or if you want to organize a TP run with other members. Please visit there. From the first few posts over there you could see the active ( confirmed ) TP meetings and the links to their relevant discussion threads, connect with other members and learn the details about the run. Click here to access that thread.
Current Promotions of Interest
Sale Fares
See here in post 9 for a 2019 archive of exEU sale fare, and see this post in the 2018 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
15 Oct £0.96/TP £154 160 TPs LHR-SOF (2021 dates)
24 Feb £1.90/TP £152 80TP MAD-FRA Z/Z LA (available Feb-Mar 2019, immediate turnarounds possible)
10 Aug £2.06/TP £329 160TP LHR-MAD-RAK RAK-MAD-LHR I/I/I/I IB (available August, Sat night stay) BA.com, note hotels on offer until 26 March
3 Jul £2.99/TP £2,758.45 920TP DUB-LHR-JFK-LAX-HNL-LAX-JFK-LHR-DUB J/I/I/I/I/I/I/J Fare basis INX4C3S4 and INN4C1S4. Booked on AA via ITA Matrix Powertools script
18 Dec £1.90/TP £1370 720TP DUB-LHR-JFK-LAX-LAS-LAX-JFK-LHR-DUB All I class Flights 25 December to 31 March 2020, transatlantic Mon to Thur. Offer to 18 Dec. ITA details booked by TA Propeller
27 Apr £2.29/TP £640TP BEG-DOH-KUL-PEN-KUL-DOH-BEG I / I / I / I / I / I Fare IJR2R1RE Bookable on QR.com
From North, Central and South America
10Jan £1.52/TP £668 440tp JFK-BOS/CLT-LAX-LAS-LAX-BOS/CLT-JFK I / I / I / I / I / I HPN-HRL AA (find with ITA; probably have to book via a TA)
12Apr £0.90/TP £215 240tp DCA-ORD-CLT-RDU-CLT-ORD-DCA I/I/I/I/I/I/I AA Found with ITA, booked on the AA site with BookWithMatrix
23Apr £ 0.76/TP £ 182 240TP DCA-PHL-CLT-RDU-CLT-ORD-DCA I / I / I / I / I / I AA Found with ITA Matrix, Book on AA.com via BookWithMatrix or PowerTools
24Apr £ 1.04/TP £ 459 440TP YVR-LAX-CLT-ATL-CLT-LAX-YVR I / I / I / I / I / I AA Found with ITA Matrix, Book on AA.com via BookWithMatrix or PowerTools
23May £ 0.70/TP £ 169 240TP EWR-ORD-CLT-RDU-CLT-DFW-EWR I / I / I / I / I / I AA Found with ITA Matrix, Book on AA.com via BookWithMatrix or PowerTools
24Jun £ 0.52/TP £ 128 240TP LAX-DFW-PHX-SJC-PHX-DFW-LAX I / I / I / I / I / I AA Found with ITA Matrix, Book on AA.com via BookWithMatrix or PowerTools
From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
04/01 £0.95/TP £479 560tp AUH-CMB-CGK-CMB-AUH I / I / I / I cgtechuk UL
1FEB £1.49/TP £1,673 1,120tp PER-SYD-SIN-TYO-BKK Return (All book in I Class) timcjp BA (Ticket sold by BA, flights are on QF, BA & JL and lie flat seats available for all sectors)
23/04 £2.07/TP £2,112 1020TP CAI-LHR-JFK-LAX-HNL-DFW-ORD-LHR-CAI I/R here (All flights must be BA numbered)
From Africa
04/01 £1.80/TP £721 400tp CPT-JNB-GRU-JNB-DUR-CPT I / Z / Z / I / I ubiest LA
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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 (here), 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 BA flight out on a Saturday, airport hotel and return on 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
2018 Archive
2017 Archive
2016 Archive
2015 Archive (6 months Jul to Dec)
2015 Archive (6 months Jan to Jun)
2014 Archive
BA Tier Point Runs | 2019-20 edition
Aug 5, 2019, 7:40 am
#2386
Join Date: Jul 2016
Programs: Executive Club
Posts: 78
More knowledgeable people than me might weigh in, but I believe you have to optimise the routing in ITA matrix and then book the routing you have found. This is because the fare will depend on the right fare bucket (normally I class) having availability on the flights you want to take. So you could book the simple routing on certain dates because there is availability on those flights, but there might not be availability on the flights you actually want to take. Also, there is often a (significant) change fee.
I can't answer your questions about the specifically excluded flights.
I can't answer your questions about the specifically excluded flights.
Aug 5, 2019, 8:02 am
#2387
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Cambridge, UK
Programs: BAEC Silver, IHG Platinum
Posts: 1,368
I'd like to get the morning BA flight from LHR to avoid a late night arrival into IST which makes a morning ex-EU connection virtually impossible without a extra night in AMS/BRU etc. JER is out as it would involve a change from LGW to LHR.
Aug 5, 2019, 8:03 am
#2388
Join Date: Aug 2010
Location: Gloucestershire
Programs: BA Gold (ex-GGL, maybe future Silver), Hilton Diamond
Posts: 6,201
Not a lot at present. Iberia or Finnair don't fly to IST which rules out using them.
I'd like to get the morning BA flight from LHR to avoid a late night arrival into IST which makes a morning ex-EU connection virtually impossible without a extra night in AMS/BRU etc. JER is out as it would involve a change from LGW to LHR.
I'd like to get the morning BA flight from LHR to avoid a late night arrival into IST which makes a morning ex-EU connection virtually impossible without a extra night in AMS/BRU etc. JER is out as it would involve a change from LGW to LHR.
Aug 5, 2019, 10:01 am
#2389
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP/LTP, BA GGL/CCR/GfL, HH D/LTD, SPG/MR Plat/LTP
Posts: 10,076
flew LUX-LHR-PHL-LAX-HNL HNL-PHX-PHL-LHR-LUX in Feb for around £1500 from memory I booked about 150 days out
Aug 5, 2019, 1:32 pm
#2390
Join Date: Apr 2018
Location: London
Programs: BA Silver (for now)
Posts: 1,000
Aug 5, 2019, 1:46 pm
#2391
Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club, easyJet and Ryanair
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: UK/Las Vegas
Programs: BA Gold (GGL/CCR)
Posts: 15,928
I hope you enjoy your trip if it works out for you ^
Aug 5, 2019, 2:57 pm
#2392
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BRITISH AIRWAYS, EMIRATES , THAI
Posts: 20
Just out of interest, when you check the fare rules and it allows free transfers (I’m assuming transfers mean a connecting flight somewhere) see below:
Category 9: Transfer restrictions 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
1 PERMITTED FREE BETWEEN AA AND VY IN BCN/ROM IN EACH
DIRECTION
NONE PERMITTED FREE BETWEEN AA AND VY IN EACH
DIRECTION
2 PERMITTED FREE IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
1 FREE BETWEEN BA/IB AND B6 IN BOS/JFK IN EACH
DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND AS IN LAX/PDX/
SEA IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND AM IN MEXICO
IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND AC IN CANADA
IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND HA IN HAWAII
IN EACH DIRECTION
2 FREE ON AA/AY/BA/IB/US ONLY IN EACH DIRECTION
FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND
EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE
COMPONENT.Do you need to create the itinerary on ITA matrix first to include the transfers you want (maximising tier points etc) or do you just book it and then call the airline up to make the changes?
Also just out of curiosity and slightly OT - the restrictions on particular airline flight numbers. For example:
Category 4: Flight restrictions THE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY WS
ANY WS FLIGHT.
AND
THE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
LH FLIGHTS 3751 THROUGH 3897
LH FLIGHTS 3400 THROUGH 3632.
Is this based on each individual airline putting their own restrictions on which flight this particular booking can be ticketed due to their own supply and demand, or the airline making the decision due to their own pricing structure? And is this all decided by a computer or actual people making the decisions??
Category 9: Transfer restrictions 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
1 PERMITTED FREE BETWEEN AA AND VY IN BCN/ROM IN EACH
DIRECTION
NONE PERMITTED FREE BETWEEN AA AND VY IN EACH
DIRECTION
2 PERMITTED FREE IN EUROPE IN EACH DIRECTION.
AND - 2 TRANSFERS PERMITTED IN EACH DIRECTION FREE
1 FREE BETWEEN BA/IB AND B6 IN BOS/JFK IN EACH
DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND AS IN LAX/PDX/
SEA IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND AM IN MEXICO
IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND AC IN CANADA
IN EACH DIRECTION
1 FREE BETWEEN AA/AY/BA/IB/US AND HA IN HAWAII
IN EACH DIRECTION
2 FREE ON AA/AY/BA/IB/US ONLY IN EACH DIRECTION
FARE BREAK SURFACE SECTORS NOT PERMITTED AND
EMBEDDED SURFACE SECTORS PERMITTED ON THE FARE
COMPONENT.Do you need to create the itinerary on ITA matrix first to include the transfers you want (maximising tier points etc) or do you just book it and then call the airline up to make the changes?
Also just out of curiosity and slightly OT - the restrictions on particular airline flight numbers. For example:
Category 4: Flight restrictions THE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
ANY AA FLIGHT OPERATED BY WS
ANY WS FLIGHT.
AND
THE FARE COMPONENT MUST NOT BE ON
ONE OR MORE OF THE FOLLOWING
LH FLIGHTS 3751 THROUGH 3897
LH FLIGHTS 3400 THROUGH 3632.
Is this based on each individual airline putting their own restrictions on which flight this particular booking can be ticketed due to their own supply and demand, or the airline making the decision due to their own pricing structure? And is this all decided by a computer or actual people making the decisions??
Aug 5, 2019, 3:06 pm
#2393
Join Date: Jul 2019
Programs: BRITISH AIRWAYS, EMIRATES , THAI
Posts: 20
CMB-DOH-LGW-JFK-DFW-HNL and HNL-ORD-JFK-LCY / LGW-DOH-CMB-BKK. Came to £2455, 1340TP's Including Babybus to LCY. You can get more by routing via LAX but won't get a flat bed which I really need, especially on the way to BKK as it's all in one shot - A trip of insanity
Aug 5, 2019, 3:12 pm
#2394
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,612
Aug 6, 2019, 4:44 am
#2395
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: AMS / DUS / DXB
Programs: BAEC Silver | Flying Blue Gold | Accor Gold
Posts: 107
Hi, I'm looking to get my brother 160TP by the end of the year for him to get silver. Either ex LON or ex AMS.
We found AMS-LGW-VCE in CE for 253GBP, so slightly under 1.60/tp.
Is it likely we will find anything better or should we bite the bullet on this one? (not very experienced with maximizing GBP/TP)
We found AMS-LGW-VCE in CE for 253GBP, so slightly under 1.60/tp.
Is it likely we will find anything better or should we bite the bullet on this one? (not very experienced with maximizing GBP/TP)
Aug 6, 2019, 5:19 am
#2396
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,293
Hi, I'm looking to get my brother 160TP by the end of the year for him to get silver. Either ex LON or ex AMS.
We found AMS-LGW-VCE in CE for 253GBP, so slightly under 1.60/tp.
Is it likely we will find anything better or should we bite the bullet on this one? (not very experienced with maximizing GBP/TP)
We found AMS-LGW-VCE in CE for 253GBP, so slightly under 1.60/tp.
Is it likely we will find anything better or should we bite the bullet on this one? (not very experienced with maximizing GBP/TP)
Aug 6, 2019, 6:21 am
#2397
Join Date: Aug 2018
Location: AMS / DUS / DXB
Programs: BAEC Silver | Flying Blue Gold | Accor Gold
Posts: 107
So I bought AMS-LGW-VCE for us, as my brother never flew club europe (or any business class) before I'm sure he don't mind extra flights
Aug 6, 2019, 6:23 am
#2398
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wolverhampton
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Gold, Radisson Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,608
The point being that this plentiful, regular, and consistent fare doesn't exist anymore. Occasionally, for a couple of days, there will be a fare up for £80 on top of a rareish £1400 ex-Scan to SFO fare, which will be spoken in hushed tones until the fare is gone.
To represent this to a newbie as regular £1300-1500 fares ex-EU fare to Hawaii isn't true. Even if you did manage to luck out and get in there fast.
Aug 6, 2019, 8:03 am
#2399
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2008
Programs: AA EXP/LTP, BA GGL/CCR/GfL, HH D/LTD, SPG/MR Plat/LTP
Posts: 10,076
Perhaps not a long time. Maybe "A long time since it has appeared on here, and not the separate private group which seems to exist somewhere".
The point being that this plentiful, regular, and consistent fare doesn't exist anymore. Occasionally, for a couple of days, there will be a fare up for £80 on top of a rareish £1400 ex-Scan to SFO fare, which will be spoken in hushed tones until the fare is gone.
To represent this to a newbie as regular £1300-1500 fares ex-EU fare to Hawaii isn't true. Even if you did manage to luck out and get in there fast.
The point being that this plentiful, regular, and consistent fare doesn't exist anymore. Occasionally, for a couple of days, there will be a fare up for £80 on top of a rareish £1400 ex-Scan to SFO fare, which will be spoken in hushed tones until the fare is gone.
To represent this to a newbie as regular £1300-1500 fares ex-EU fare to Hawaii isn't true. Even if you did manage to luck out and get in there fast.
I found the fare I refer to in one of the three FT threads I regularly follow, so nothing secret here, a simple G
oogle search produces this . Open for anyone interested. No secret handshake needed. 
The crucial word in your post quoted is regular . Besides from a long running CAI-HNL fare for £1500, none of these favourable priced fares are close to anything regular. They come and go, with various starting points, with BRU, AMS, CPH, OSL and ARN beeing a little more frequent than other airports during the last years. Reading the OP on the thread above on 04 Jan, I needed to pull some strings for a couple of days before able to make the reservation on 06 Jan, all the time in between fearing the fare being pulled before.
Like many other great fares the motto is "If you snooze, you lose". Act as quick as you can, if possible put a reservation on hold to get some leeway. You never know when a fare will be pulled. I made 5 reservations coming home from a party at 01.30-ish with the legendary F&J fares out of RGN some years ago, just regretting not making more, as it was the cheapest LH tix I ever saw. IIRC, the next day after lunch it was gone
Edit: The latest Ex-Scandinavia fare deal to US West Coast was ARN-SFO in WT+, with rather good possibilities of UuA or GUF. Also posted on FT for anyone to read, no 'hushed tones' here. Personally up for that in October, made good use of a GUF.
Last edited by onobond; Aug 6, 2019 at 8:10 am
Aug 6, 2019, 10:07 am
#2400
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wolverhampton
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Gold, Radisson Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,608
Sorry to rock your conception of the world. I'm not a member of any 'separate private group', tbh this is the first time I hear something like that.
I found the fare I refer to in one of the three FT threads I regularly follow, so nothing secret here, a simple Google search produces this . Open for anyone interested. No secret handshake needed.
I found the fare I refer to in one of the three FT threads I regularly follow, so nothing secret here, a simple Google search produces this . Open for anyone interested. No secret handshake needed.
At least I've diagnosed why I missed this then... I've been reading that forum more regularly for an non OW relative on the lookout for Japan and New Zealand fares...