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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.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
Apr 22, 2019, 1:54 pm
#1472
Join Date: Feb 2014
Location: Surrey, UK
Programs: BA GGL
Posts: 484
I have seen the existing INV to LAS fare via LON JFK LAX and work out its 720TP for about £1.3k. I have used ITA Matrix and wondered if there was anyway to max out on additional TP via HEL or otherwise. When I add HEL to the routing it says 'no fare'. For the fare I get its about £1.8 per TP - is that the best value I will get for that?
Outbound overnight in LHR and HEL which works for me. I am hoping for a schedule change I can exploit to get an overnight in LHR on the way back.
Apr 22, 2019, 10:36 pm
#1473
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 383
I'm sorry to ask what is probably an irritating question, but I am clearly not doing the correct thing with ITA matrix as I just get "no flights found".
I'm doing this. What should I do?
I'm doing this. What should I do?
Apr 22, 2019, 10:44 pm
#1474
Join Date: May 2006
Location: Godalming, Surrey, UK.
Programs: Nowt of note.
Posts: 1,628
I don't believe there are any oneworld flights direct from HEL to OTP, so your return route looks impossible.
Apr 22, 2019, 11:46 pm
#1475
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 383
Thank you. Sometimes I cannot see the wood for the trees.
That said I added LHR after HEL on the return and it still doesn't work.
I cannot see what I'm doing wrong when clearly someone else - as above - has achieved that.
That said I added LHR after HEL on the return and it still doesn't work.
I cannot see what I'm doing wrong when clearly someone else - as above - has achieved that.
Apr 23, 2019, 12:45 am
#1476
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: Oxford
Programs: BA Silver, HH Silver, IHG Plat
Posts: 169
Use the multi city tab and put separate out HEL-OTP via LHR, and then the rest of your itinerary as another flight.
Apr 23, 2019, 12:52 am
#1477
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Plymouth, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,159
When looking at what you can do to stretch out a ticket to maximise the TPs you are restricted to what the ticket will allow. Each ticket is based on something called the Fare Basis or Fare Rules. Once you have chosen your flights in Matrix you get the final price and at the bottom, where it says "How to buy this ticket" there is a link to the rules. In there are the limits and restrictions for that ticket. For the OTP-PHX tickets at that time I notice that it says
Could this be the issue?
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.
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.
Apr 23, 2019, 2:25 am
#1478
Join Date: Jul 2018
Location: London, UK
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 1,020
Ie. LHR MAD JFK LAX // LAX JFK MAD LHR (from around £1450)
OR LHR HEL JFK LAX // LAX JFK HEL LHR (from around £1500)
Why you can’t mix and match I don’t know. The latter option will give an extra 80TP due to HEL being longer than MAD.
Edit: Multi City not necessary for the above but maybe necessary for going via MAD one way and HEL the other. Not sure why though.
Apr 23, 2019, 4:32 am
#1479
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 383
Thank you very much for the assistance
Apr 24, 2019, 9:14 am
#1480
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold (woohoo)
Posts: 189
Just tested it out. You definitely need a LHR in the return. Also it isn’t liking via HEL one way and MAD the other. Seems you can do either to get it to work but same for both.
Ie. LHR MAD JFK LAX // LAX JFK MAD LHR (from around £1450)
OR LHR HEL JFK LAX // LAX JFK HEL LHR (from around £1500)
Why you can’t mix and match I don’t know. The latter option will give an extra 80TP due to HEL being longer than MAD.
Edit: Multi City not necessary for the above but maybe necessary for going via MAD one way and HEL the other. Not sure why though.
My contribution for the day is that you can route outbound via SFO rather than LAX and therefore spend a day there rather than Los Angeles on the way out - the price was effectively the same. Couldn't get a routing through SFO on the way back without the price jumping.
Apr 24, 2019, 9:56 pm
#1482
Join Date: Feb 2018
Posts: 6
So I’m currently having a little breakfast in the lounge after an interesting night in ARN. I positioned here late last night for my first ever TP run doing ARN-HNL and opted to stay in the airport for the 8 hour layover (adds to the experience right?!)......Just wanted to thank everyone on here for all their knowledge and info on TP runs, rather excited and already keen to book the next 
Apr 25, 2019, 5:24 am
#1483
Join Date: Jun 2008
Programs: Various memberships
Posts: 532
So I’m currently having a little breakfast in the lounge after an interesting night in ARN. I positioned here late last night for my first ever TP run doing ARN-HNL and opted to stay in the airport for the 8 hour layover (adds to the experience right?!)......Just wanted to thank everyone on here for all their knowledge and info on TP runs, rather excited and already keen to book the next
Apr 25, 2019, 7:45 am
#1484
Suspended
Join Date: Jun 2008
Posts: 2,246
Btw For those who can easily get home from LGW and don’t mind a very late night, there’s a few ‘just going for dinner’ TP top up opportunities in the summer timetable.
If you add in CJ flights from 17th May via LCY/STN there are even more opportunities.
If you add in CJ flights from 17th May via LCY/STN there are even more opportunities.
Last edited by FlyerTalker39574; Apr 25, 2019 at 10:11 am
Apr 25, 2019, 9:26 am
#1485
Join Date: Dec 2016
Programs: BAEC GGL/CR; Hilton Diamond; Mucci des Puccis
Posts: 5,610
My routing is as below, so arranged as not to need any holiday. It's also pretty easy to arrange the fares to get more time in AMS and JER so a couple of nice day trips with TPs attached.
Also PP friendly which will pay most of the cost of a Y positioning pair.
