Old Jan 4, 2019, 9:09 am
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
Advanced Promotion 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 Ł3 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 Ł0.96/TP Ł154 160 TPs LHR-SOF (2021 dates)
24 Feb Ł1.90/TP Ł152 80TP MAD-FRA Z/Z LA (available Feb-Mar 2019, immediate turnarounds possible)
10 Aug Ł2.06/TP Ł329 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 Ł2.99/TP Ł2,758.45 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 Ł1.90/TP Ł1370 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 Ł2.29/TP Ł640TP 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 Ł1.52/TP Ł668 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 Ł0.90/TP Ł215 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 Ł 0.76/TP Ł 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 Ł 1.04/TP Ł 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 Ł 0.70/TP Ł 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 Ł 0.52/TP Ł 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 Ł0.95/TP Ł479 560tp AUH-CMB-CGK-CMB-AUH I / I / I / I cgtechuk UL
1FEB Ł1.49/TP Ł1,673 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 Ł2.07/TP Ł2,112 1020TP CAI-LHR-JFK-LAX-HNL-DFW-ORD-LHR-CAI I/R here (All flights must be BA numbered)

From Africa
04/01 Ł1.80/TP Ł721 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 Ł300 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 Ł500.

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 Ł520.
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









Print Wikipost

BA Tier Point Runs | 2019-20 edition

Old Mar 16, 2019, 6:41 pm
  #1066  
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Lancashire
Programs: BA GfL, Hilton Gold
Posts: 539
Originally Posted by MaxFlyer


I can’t seem to price this up on ITA Matrix for a range of dates. Could you possibly share the input values please? Thanks
Found this for myself and Mrs Hedwig directly on AA website a few weeks back for Ł1613 each in July: ARN-HEL-LHR-JFK-LAX-KOA-LAX-JFK-HEL-ARN. Couldn’t get it to go through online but a quick call to the AA agent and it was ticketed within 20 mins. All AA flight numbers helped.
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Old Mar 17, 2019, 4:38 am
  #1067  
FlyerTalk Evangelist
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,170
Noticed this morning DUB-LAS back at a reasonable Ł1225 for next few months, plenty of availability and up to 800TPs
flyerkit, bisonrav and medtravels like this.

Last edited by mikeyfly; Mar 17, 2019 at 5:10 am
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Old Mar 17, 2019, 5:33 am
  #1068  
 
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Various memberships
Posts: 532
Originally Posted by mikeyfly
Noticed this morning DUB-LAS back at a reasonable Ł1225 for next few months, plenty of availability and up to 800TPs
Starts from 14 April (according to Google Flights). Hopefully about the same next year as I am planning a trip to LAS at that time!
TheEngineer is offline  
Old Mar 17, 2019, 6:45 am
  #1069  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Posts: 370
Originally Posted by mikeyfly
Noticed this morning DUB-LAS back at a reasonable Ł1225 for next few months, plenty of availability and up to 800TPs
how to get 800 with this run?
Palty is offline  
Old Mar 17, 2019, 7:22 am
  #1070  
 
Join Date: Mar 2018
Location: London
Programs: BAEC | qantas | IHG | Hilton Honors | Priority Pass | Nandos
Posts: 864
Originally Posted by Palty
how to get 800 with this run?
DUB-LHR-JFK-LAX-LAS and back plus positioning?
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Old Mar 17, 2019, 8:11 am
  #1071  
 
Join Date: Oct 2016
Location: PHL
Posts: 71
Originally Posted by peter h
DUB-LHR-JFK-LAX-LAS and back plus positioning?
I don't think I am reading the fare rules right.. more stopovers are probably allowed.
Here's a 720TP version.

Blue Skye and medtravels like this.
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Old Mar 17, 2019, 9:02 am
  #1072  
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Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,170
Originally Posted by srcga
I don't think I am reading the fare rules right.. more stopovers are probably allowed.
Here's a 720TP version.
Apologies - me getting mixed up with OTP-PHX... I believe 720 is best
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 2:38 am
  #1073  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by mikeyfly
Noticed this morning DUB-LAS back at a reasonable Ł1225 for next few months, plenty of availability and up to 800TPs
Amazing. Just booked ARN-HNL (will be my first TP run) and may well book this one too...
KARFA and mikeyfly like this.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 11:54 am
  #1074  
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 50
Originally Posted by medtravels


Amazing. Just booked ARN-HNL (will be my first TP run) and may well book this one too...
Just wondering with people booking these extended itineraries, are you taking these flights on your own or with a partner?

I am wondering whether to book one of these routings to get to gold with BA. My concern isn't so much the cost, but it is long way to travel if you don't have anyone to share it with when you get there. Hence I'm wondering if those people who are booking routing which earn 700 - 1000 Tier Points are generally travelling alone or with someone - would be very interested to hear thoughts.

For my own situation, my motivation to get to gold is the option to get access to more avios seat capacity. I earn quite a few Avios each money due to Amex spend (circa 150,000 Avios / month) but I don't earn TP normally. So I would be making a special effort to get to 1,500+ TPs in order to get the booking capacity benefit of gold.

Last edited by CharliesAngels; May 26, 2019 at 12:43 am
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 12:03 pm
  #1075  
 
Join Date: May 2012
Programs: BA Gold, HHonors Diamond, IHG Platinum, Senior Railcard & Bus Pass
Posts: 983
Originally Posted by CharliesAngels
My concern isn't so much the cost, but it is long way to travel if you don't have anyone to share it with when you get there.
I think you’ll find that many Tier Point runners don’t actually have anything to share with anyone when they reach their destination - simply because they turn around and come straight back, sometimes never even leaving the airport!
WickedStepMother is online now  
Old Mar 18, 2019, 12:11 pm
  #1076  
 
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA exec
Posts: 4,023
Sometimes alone it's better. Especially if your partner isn't really fond of "optimized" routings
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 12:17 pm
  #1077  
 
Join Date: Mar 2019
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 50
Originally Posted by WickedStepMother


I think you’ll find that many Tier Point runners don’t actually have anything to share with anyone when they reach their destination - simply because they turn around and come straight back, sometimes never even leaving the airport!
Fair point lol. I was though looking for example at the routing to Hawaii and it involved a couple of days before starting the return journey. I could imagine doing a day or two of routing between AMS-JER to accrue points on my own. But I think the long haul runs would need a day or two at the destination to allow my body to recover. Hence why I'm curious to know if in practise for these larger TP runs, it makes sense to just bite the bullet and pay the extra for your wife or girlfriend to come along.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 12:20 pm
  #1078  
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold / Hilton Diamond / IHG Diamond Ambassador / Marriot Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 2,508
Originally Posted by WickedStepMother


I think you’ll find that many Tier Point runners don’t actually have anything to share with anyone when they reach their destination - simply because they turn around and come straight back, sometimes never even leaving the airport!

I have done some pure TP runs to LAS and HNL but more usually I make a holiday of it and take the family. Last year I used the CAI HNL fare to visit Cairo in May, Philly and Washington in August before flying on to KOA for a few weeks by the beach.

I might add that a properly optimised route to HNL means it can be done in some comfort ( flat bed all the way) and with 1 night stop on the way out. Coming back, if timed properly you can fly HNL LAX JFK LHR with just the LAX JFK overnight. This gets you back home in time for bed and a near total absence of jet lag.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 2:40 pm
  #1079  
 
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Unio Europaea
Programs: BA GGL, AS, Hertz Cirque Présidentielle
Posts: 1,445
Originally Posted by CharliesAngels
My concern isn't so much the cost, but it is long way to travel if you don't have anyone to share it with when you get there. Hence I'm wondering if those people who are booking routing which earn 700 - 1000 Tier Points are generally travelling alone or with someone - would be very interested to hear thoughts.
So as a solo traveller I should just stay home and sob how I always travel alone, being the sovereign of my life?

The only thing I mind is that with double occupancy, the cost of my hotel stays would feel more like smart spending and having a better load factor for the rooms. But heck, I rather stay with myself at a **** or ***** hotel, than stay overnight 365 nights per year in my own bed. My bed is fine and dandy, but life would lack any vividity, if I wouldn't enjoy my freedom of movement. As a sidenote: not all my hotel nights are at four or five star establishments, but that's the upper spectrum of my accomodation spend. My TP runs are masked as leisure and fun, not just travelling to some airport and doing a turnaround. My minimum stay is at least a few days and my TP runs are designed to be adventures as well, not just raking in some fricking, boring TPs.

Sure, it would be fun to share the occasional trip with someone likeminded, but I don't know anyone else with the means, interest and time for doing the kind of travels I do. So overall it's just me, myself and I on my trips. Is it bad? Nah. I don't need to argue about doing HEL-TXL-LHR-YVR in style, rather than just HEL-NYC with the other plebs at the back. A slogan for my virtue: just book it.
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Old Mar 18, 2019, 2:56 pm
  #1080  
 
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 6
Originally Posted by CharliesAngels
Just wondering with people booking these extended itineraries, are you taking these flights on your own or with a partner?

I am wondering whether to book one of these routings to get to gold with BA. My concern isn't so much the cost, but it is long way to travel if you don't have anyone to share it with when you get there. Hence I'm wondering if those people who are booking routing which earn 700 - 1000 Tier Points are generally travelling alone or with someone - would be very interested to hear thoughts.

For my own situation, my motivation to get to gold is the option to get access to more avios seat capacity. I earn quite a few Avios each money due to Amex spend (circa 150,000 Avios / month) but I don't earn TPs normally. So I would be making a special effort to get to 1,500+ TPs in order to get the booking capacity benefit of gold.
I've recently started travelling solo mainly because I'm single and it's often difficult to get my friends to travel with me (due to their own family and travel commitments) - can't wait for others to be ready right? So far I've taken vacations alone but ARN-HNL will be my first TP run, with a few days in HNL to relax and recharge. I'm in the process of convincing my cousin to join me on the DUB-LAS run as I'd imagine Vegas is more fun with company!
medtravels is offline  

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