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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
Oct 28, 2020, 10:41 pm
#6001
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive, AFKL Gold,QR Gold,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold,ALL Gold
Posts: 14,186
It's possibly a glitch or it's part of the JV agreement that the marketing carrier code does not need to match the fare code when booking.
Oct 28, 2020, 11:38 pm
#6002
Join Date: Jan 2013
Location: London, UK
Programs: BA GGL, A3 Gold, M&M SEN, FlyingBlue Gold, AS MVP Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Spire Amb
Posts: 902
I don’t think it ever did. It was more or less enforced on the website/agent level but I've had AA prime tatl issued by BA in the past, followed by “absolutely not, sir, tatl has to be on BA code”. This has relaxed recently when I had outbound on BA code, return on AA code, operated by BA. All these JV fares can be issued on AA/BA/AY/IB stock per fare rules.
Oct 29, 2020, 1:38 am
#6003
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
OK, so following the good advice I've had so far (and now I understand ITA a bit better and the faring options), I've put this together. I know I can get it a bit cheaper, but the dates work for me and I get nearly a day stopover in NYC for sight seeing. Coming back I fly into Gatwick, so I can collect bags and leave them somewhere before flying last leg to Sofia. 2 Questions:
1 - is it better to book this via AA or BA? I'm sure I've read that I might get more flexibility with AA, but more Avios with BA?
2 - with no luggage I assume a B2B in Sofia should be achievable?
1 - is it better to book this via AA or BA? I'm sure I've read that I might get more flexibility with AA, but more Avios with BA?
2 - with no luggage I assume a B2B in Sofia should be achievable?
If purely a cash booking AA probably edges it, I booked BA to use FTVs
Last edited by tuonopepper; Oct 29, 2020 at 1:44 am
Oct 29, 2020, 1:47 am
#6004
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: BER
Programs: BA GGL, Hilton Diamond
Posts: 1,843
Very similar to mine, I considered B2B in Sofia but not knowing what the world is going to be like then and the current potential issues with a B2B at Sofia, I decided to take the stop over and spend the day having a mooch. I've ski'd in Borovets but I've never actually seen Sofia bar the airport.
If purely a cash booking AA probably edges it, I booked BA to use FTVs
If purely a cash booking AA probably edges it, I booked BA to use FTVs
also LHR-HEL-ORD-MIA-LAX is possible, if you want to maximize TierPoints
Oct 29, 2020, 1:59 am
#6005
Join Date: Oct 2013
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, IHG Platinum, Hilton Gold, Hertz Presidents Circle.
Posts: 1,448
I have Wed out and Mon back on a Mon to Thu TATL fare bucket, that's SOF/JFK/SFO/LAX and back to OTP in May at around £1050 with BA, AA was about £50 cheaper.
Oct 29, 2020, 2:40 am
#6006
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
Were there actual reports of that - or just questions and conjecture? Interested if you have a link to any experience posts, which I can't find, as I have a couple of B2Bs planned. Ta.
Oct 29, 2020, 3:08 am
#6007
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Surrey
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, Eurostar CB, IHG Spire, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz President Circle
Posts: 435
Oct 29, 2020, 3:10 am
#6008
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: LON
Programs: Mucci, BAEC, Eurostar
Posts: 3,291
1- AA has more flexible policies also AA has some generous policies as an aircraft change counts as a free change/cancellation option, etc...
It's not sure if BA would resume their "Future Travel Voucher" policy for your travel dates. In AA, that's certainly guaranteed.
It's not sure if BA would resume their "Future Travel Voucher" policy for your travel dates. In AA, that's certainly guaranteed.
(All your other points are valid though)
Oct 29, 2020, 3:29 am
#6009
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
Transfer into the city is easy and cheap, hotels are inexpensive. I reckon the Intercontinental is the easiest to reach by metro: and there are "airport" hotels with shuttles. A taxi to anywhere in the city isn't going to break the bank.
Oct 29, 2020, 4:01 am
#6010
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 3,061
Do you have a source for that please? Only I’m supposed to be going the week after next (I know, a lifetime away) and the only thing I can find online is the requirement for a PLF with QR code. If you’re right I’ll be cancelling the trip.
Oct 29, 2020, 4:43 am
#6011
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: Devon, England
Programs: BAEC Gold, Hilton Diamond, IHG Platinum
Posts: 66
No need for a Covid test for Greece (mainland at least) if you have a UK passport and coming from there, you only need to complete the PLF. Just Google gov uk covid greece for full details, sorry I would post a link but not so easy from the mobile phone.
Last edited by SkiSunday; Oct 29, 2020 at 5:04 am
Oct 29, 2020, 5:01 am
#6012
Join Date: Mar 2017
Location: Lincolnshire, UK
Programs: BA GGL - maybe only briefly!
Posts: 1,378
I've done a couple of SOF B2Bs in the past which were infallible but never to position for a major trip. It is pretty simple to have a backup plan given the current booking flexibility but I think that if we are still worrying about B2B (or not) procedures by then, the rest of the trip is going to be equally non-viable!
Oct 29, 2020, 5:02 am
#6013
Join Date: Sep 2014
Location: Lincoln, UK
Programs: A3G, BA Silver, LH FT
Posts: 296
IATA travel centre is a good source of reasonably up to date information for entry requirements.
A bigger worry would be Greece losing the air bridge. Yesterday was the first day with 1500+ daily cases. 7 day run with such numbers and they will end up on the quarantine list. Given the exponential growth we have 2 weekends at best.
Last edited by palcsaky; Oct 29, 2020 at 5:18 am
Oct 29, 2020, 5:26 am
#6014
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Aug 2000
Location: London
Programs: Hilton, IHG - BA, GA, LH, QR, SV, TK
Posts: 17,008
But be careful: "coming from the UK" means arriving on a flight from the UK, or via transfer at an airport on Greece's clean list.
Oct 29, 2020, 5:31 am
#6015
Join Date: Jun 2016
Location: Surrey
Programs: BA Gold, VS Gold, Eurostar CB, IHG Spire, Hilton Diamond, Bonvoy Titanium, Hertz President Circle
Posts: 435
