BA Tier Point Runs | 2021 edition
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#2551
Join Date: Aug 2019
Posts: 16
So I'm doing the old SOF-SFO run via LHR-HEL-JFK in September. A few weeks ago, the LHR-HEL disappeared and never came back. Ignored it for a while and finally got round to calling AA (had booked online with AA as BA couldn't get it to book on the phone) to see what was wrong. Initially she said the flight was cancelled and tried to book me straight from LHR to SFO on BA, but as it's a point run, I asked her to try and get my initial routing to work. The flight (AY metal) was still running, but I guess the AA codeshare somehow disappeared. In the end, she got me on the same flight, now with a Finnair flight number. So I'm back to my initial routing.
Just wondering if I could have made life easier on myself and just accepted the LHR-SFO direct and then claimed ORC to match my initial booking. Any experience or views? Given that it's so far out, good chance there will be other AA flight changes and thought maybe I can take advantage of this if I get offered a more direct routing.
Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.
Just wondering if I could have made life easier on myself and just accepted the LHR-SFO direct and then claimed ORC to match my initial booking. Any experience or views? Given that it's so far out, good chance there will be other AA flight changes and thought maybe I can take advantage of this if I get offered a more direct routing.
Apologies if this has been covered elsewhere.
#2552
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 5
I'm a total newbie and I'm interested in going gold for BA Executive Club as cheaply as possible. My year starts on 8th July so looking to make bookings now for July onwards. I 'm travelling to Australia this year to visit family, that will be in October for about a month, I don't think business will be tier point optimal but you may have other ideas. Planning to see the world a bit this year on top of that Australia trip so I don't really mind where I go and I am quite flexible on time too. I've been watching Matt's World YouTube channel on tier runs and I've been using Google Flights and Matrix ITA. Also read the thread on here about BA Executive Club.
Flights to the US seem high based on Matt's videos, about £1.90 per tier point and his video was looking at £1.50 or under. So I've cast the net and read some more articles on different routes. I have some ideas and want to run them by everyone here if that's ok.
1: Abu Dhabi to Jakarta in Business with Sri Lankan Airways for £755 return. I'm seeing this price from August onwards, so I could make a pure round trip on the way to Australia in economy. I'd even consider doing 2. I have hotel points with IHG from a former life so I could probably use those if hotels are expensive.
I have looked at onward routes from Jakarta in Economy for £500 and from Colombo but it looks like it will be more effective to go round trip to Abu Dhabi and on to Australia from there.
I have a few questions, Is this still 560 tier points round trip? Also, if I book through Sri Lankan Airways website will I get BA tier points. And finally, £1.34 per tier point seems good, is this worth booking in?
2. Gatwick to Catania (CTA) I'm seeing £264 with BA 7th to 14th September this year. On Matrix it's listing a lower price in the monthly grid (£217) but then showing higher prices when I click through (£350)
This seems simpler, from the thread on BA points CTA is shown as a short haul plus for 80 points each way so £1.65 per point seems ok. If I did 2 runs like this early in my membership year then I'd get Bronze and the additional avios and check in perk, plus I'd have my BA flights for qualification out of the way.
Right now I'm thinking of 2 round trips each for Short haul plus (CTA and Sofia) and then do 2 round trips from Abu Dhabi on the way to Australia. Does that sound feasible or are the obvious flaws that I'm missing. Some feedback would be really appreciated. That is unless some US trips come down in price.
Flights to the US seem high based on Matt's videos, about £1.90 per tier point and his video was looking at £1.50 or under. So I've cast the net and read some more articles on different routes. I have some ideas and want to run them by everyone here if that's ok.
1: Abu Dhabi to Jakarta in Business with Sri Lankan Airways for £755 return. I'm seeing this price from August onwards, so I could make a pure round trip on the way to Australia in economy. I'd even consider doing 2. I have hotel points with IHG from a former life so I could probably use those if hotels are expensive.
I have looked at onward routes from Jakarta in Economy for £500 and from Colombo but it looks like it will be more effective to go round trip to Abu Dhabi and on to Australia from there.
I have a few questions, Is this still 560 tier points round trip? Also, if I book through Sri Lankan Airways website will I get BA tier points. And finally, £1.34 per tier point seems good, is this worth booking in?
2. Gatwick to Catania (CTA) I'm seeing £264 with BA 7th to 14th September this year. On Matrix it's listing a lower price in the monthly grid (£217) but then showing higher prices when I click through (£350)
This seems simpler, from the thread on BA points CTA is shown as a short haul plus for 80 points each way so £1.65 per point seems ok. If I did 2 runs like this early in my membership year then I'd get Bronze and the additional avios and check in perk, plus I'd have my BA flights for qualification out of the way.
Right now I'm thinking of 2 round trips each for Short haul plus (CTA and Sofia) and then do 2 round trips from Abu Dhabi on the way to Australia. Does that sound feasible or are the obvious flaws that I'm missing. Some feedback would be really appreciated. That is unless some US trips come down in price.
#2553
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: T' North West
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 636
I'm a total newbie and I'm interested in going gold for BA Executive Club as cheaply as possible. My year starts on 8th July so looking to make bookings now for July onwards. I 'm travelling to Australia this year to visit family, that will be in October for about a month, I don't think business will be tier point optimal but you may have other ideas. Planning to see the world a bit this year on top of that Australia trip so I don't really mind where I go and I am quite flexible on time too. I've been watching Matt's World YouTube channel on tier runs and I've been using Google Flights and Matrix ITA. Also read the thread on here about BA Executive Club.
Flights to the US seem high based on Matt's videos, about £1.90 per tier point and his video was looking at £1.50 or under. So I've cast the net and read some more articles on different routes. I have some ideas and want to run them by everyone here if that's ok.
1: Abu Dhabi to Jakarta in Business with Sri Lankan Airways for £755 return. I'm seeing this price from August onwards, so I could make a pure round trip on the way to Australia in economy. I'd even consider doing 2. I have hotel points with IHG from a former life so I could probably use those if hotels are expensive.
I have looked at onward routes from Jakarta in Economy for £500 and from Colombo but it looks like it will be more effective to go round trip to Abu Dhabi and on to Australia from there.
I have a few questions, Is this still 560 tier points round trip? Also, if I book through Sri Lankan Airways website will I get BA tier points. And finally, £1.34 per tier point seems good, is this worth booking in?
2. Gatwick to Catania (CTA) I'm seeing £264 with BA 7th to 14th September this year. On Matrix it's listing a lower price in the monthly grid (£217) but then showing higher prices when I click through (£350)
This seems simpler, from the thread on BA points CTA is shown as a short haul plus for 80 points each way so £1.65 per point seems ok. If I did 2 runs like this early in my membership year then I'd get Bronze and the additional avios and check in perk, plus I'd have my BA flights for qualification out of the way.
Right now I'm thinking of 2 round trips each for Short haul plus (CTA and Sofia) and then do 2 round trips from Abu Dhabi on the way to Australia. Does that sound feasible or are the obvious flaws that I'm missing. Some feedback would be really appreciated. That is unless some US trips come down in price.
Flights to the US seem high based on Matt's videos, about £1.90 per tier point and his video was looking at £1.50 or under. So I've cast the net and read some more articles on different routes. I have some ideas and want to run them by everyone here if that's ok.
1: Abu Dhabi to Jakarta in Business with Sri Lankan Airways for £755 return. I'm seeing this price from August onwards, so I could make a pure round trip on the way to Australia in economy. I'd even consider doing 2. I have hotel points with IHG from a former life so I could probably use those if hotels are expensive.
I have looked at onward routes from Jakarta in Economy for £500 and from Colombo but it looks like it will be more effective to go round trip to Abu Dhabi and on to Australia from there.
I have a few questions, Is this still 560 tier points round trip? Also, if I book through Sri Lankan Airways website will I get BA tier points. And finally, £1.34 per tier point seems good, is this worth booking in?
2. Gatwick to Catania (CTA) I'm seeing £264 with BA 7th to 14th September this year. On Matrix it's listing a lower price in the monthly grid (£217) but then showing higher prices when I click through (£350)
This seems simpler, from the thread on BA points CTA is shown as a short haul plus for 80 points each way so £1.65 per point seems ok. If I did 2 runs like this early in my membership year then I'd get Bronze and the additional avios and check in perk, plus I'd have my BA flights for qualification out of the way.
Right now I'm thinking of 2 round trips each for Short haul plus (CTA and Sofia) and then do 2 round trips from Abu Dhabi on the way to Australia. Does that sound feasible or are the obvious flaws that I'm missing. Some feedback would be really appreciated. That is unless some US trips come down in price.
#2554
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,148
Some really good prices on CTA / SOF, but annoyingly BA doesn't seem to have much in the way of hotel options for either destination (would be good to use it in conjunction with the double tier point offer).
Related, I seem to be getting a 500 - Internal Server error when I press the "flights and hotels" button on the booking page. Tedious.
Oh, and welcome to the forums @HalfAVegan
Related, I seem to be getting a 500 - Internal Server error when I press the "flights and hotels" button on the booking page. Tedious.
Oh, and welcome to the forums @HalfAVegan
Last edited by RG1X; Mar 31, 22 at 2:36 am
#2555
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 309
I'm a total newbie and I'm interested in going gold for BA Executive Club as cheaply as possible. My year starts on 8th July so looking to make bookings now for July onwards. I 'm travelling to Australia this year to visit family, that will be in October for about a month, I don't think business will be tier point optimal but you may have other ideas. Planning to see the world a bit this year on top of that Australia trip so I don't really mind where I go and I am quite flexible on time too. I've been watching Matt's World YouTube channel on tier runs and I've been using Google Flights and Matrix ITA. Also read the thread on here about BA Executive Club.
Flights to the US seem high based on Matt's videos, about £1.90 per tier point and his video was looking at £1.50 or under. So I've cast the net and read some more articles on different routes. I have some ideas and want to run them by everyone here if that's ok.
1: Abu Dhabi to Jakarta in Business with Sri Lankan Airways for £755 return. I'm seeing this price from August onwards, so I could make a pure round trip on the way to Australia in economy. I'd even consider doing 2. I have hotel points with IHG from a former life so I could probably use those if hotels are expensive.
I have looked at onward routes from Jakarta in Economy for £500 and from Colombo but it looks like it will be more effective to go round trip to Abu Dhabi and on to Australia from there.
I have a few questions, Is this still 560 tier points round trip? Also, if I book through Sri Lankan Airways website will I get BA tier points. And finally, £1.34 per tier point seems good, is this worth booking in?
2. Gatwick to Catania (CTA) I'm seeing £264 with BA 7th to 14th September this year. On Matrix it's listing a lower price in the monthly grid (£217) but then showing higher prices when I click through (£350)
This seems simpler, from the thread on BA points CTA is shown as a short haul plus for 80 points each way so £1.65 per point seems ok. If I did 2 runs like this early in my membership year then I'd get Bronze and the additional avios and check in perk, plus I'd have my BA flights for qualification out of the way.
Right now I'm thinking of 2 round trips each for Short haul plus (CTA and Sofia) and then do 2 round trips from Abu Dhabi on the way to Australia. Does that sound feasible or are the obvious flaws that I'm missing. Some feedback would be really appreciated. That is unless some US trips come down in price.
Flights to the US seem high based on Matt's videos, about £1.90 per tier point and his video was looking at £1.50 or under. So I've cast the net and read some more articles on different routes. I have some ideas and want to run them by everyone here if that's ok.
1: Abu Dhabi to Jakarta in Business with Sri Lankan Airways for £755 return. I'm seeing this price from August onwards, so I could make a pure round trip on the way to Australia in economy. I'd even consider doing 2. I have hotel points with IHG from a former life so I could probably use those if hotels are expensive.
I have looked at onward routes from Jakarta in Economy for £500 and from Colombo but it looks like it will be more effective to go round trip to Abu Dhabi and on to Australia from there.
I have a few questions, Is this still 560 tier points round trip? Also, if I book through Sri Lankan Airways website will I get BA tier points. And finally, £1.34 per tier point seems good, is this worth booking in?
2. Gatwick to Catania (CTA) I'm seeing £264 with BA 7th to 14th September this year. On Matrix it's listing a lower price in the monthly grid (£217) but then showing higher prices when I click through (£350)
This seems simpler, from the thread on BA points CTA is shown as a short haul plus for 80 points each way so £1.65 per point seems ok. If I did 2 runs like this early in my membership year then I'd get Bronze and the additional avios and check in perk, plus I'd have my BA flights for qualification out of the way.
Right now I'm thinking of 2 round trips each for Short haul plus (CTA and Sofia) and then do 2 round trips from Abu Dhabi on the way to Australia. Does that sound feasible or are the obvious flaws that I'm missing. Some feedback would be really appreciated. That is unless some US trips come down in price.
#2556
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 5
Thanks for the welcome, I think planning trips around tier points is taking over my life.
#2557
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 5
Thank you so much for that. I am constantly amazed by the inventiveness of the you all and your tier point runs. I've done a quick search and based on flights I would have bought vs positioning and this flight it's about £2 per point, which is not bad as I can have a few days in India and Perth. Then fly off to Melbourne.
#2558
Join Date: Mar 2022
Programs: BA Executive Club
Posts: 5
Thanks for your help, it's difficult for a newbie to know what's good and what isn't. How much things should cost or did cost. I did fancy a week in Las Vegas but the price per point looks a little high at the moment.
#2559
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 2,366
If you are travelling solely to earn tier points then, yes, the price per point is paramount. (But don't forget to include the costs of positioning flights, hotels, meals and other, unquantifiable, costs such as days off work and time away from the family.) If it's a trip that you would be doing anyway then the price per TP is less important, although it's always worthwhile to try to increase the TPs earned.
And bear in mind that air fares are generally going up at the moment as the world opens up again and the oil price goes through the roof, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find those fantastic £/TP ratios. If you fancy going to Las Vegas then just go: I recently flew there from Dublin for around £1,300 and earned 640 TPs, which is not the greatest bargain but is still well within the generally agreed definition of a TP run, which is (I think) £3 per TP, and puts you well on the way to Gold.
#2560
Join Date: Nov 2017
Posts: 1,148
And bear in mind that air fares are generally going up at the moment as the world opens up again and the oil price goes through the roof, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find those fantastic £/TP ratios. If you fancy going to Las Vegas then just go: I recently flew there from Dublin for around £1,300 and earned 640 TPs, which is not the greatest bargain but is still well within the generally agreed definition of a TP run, which is (I think) £3 per TP, and puts you well on the way to Gold.
If I could get the damn site working I'd probably set up a couple more too.
#2561
Join Date: Feb 2016
Posts: 456
I'm not sure that you should be focusing so heavily on the price per tier point, as there are so many other factors to take into consideration.
If you are travelling solely to earn tier points then, yes, the price per point is paramount. (But don't forget to include the costs of positioning flights, hotels, meals and other, unquantifiable, costs such as days off work and time away from the family.) If it's a trip that you would be doing anyway then the price per TP is less important, although it's always worthwhile to try to increase the TPs earned.
And bear in mind that air fares are generally going up at the moment as the world opens up again and the oil price goes through the roof, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find those fantastic £/TP ratios. If you fancy going to Las Vegas then just go: I recently flew there from Dublin for around £1,300 and earned 640 TPs, which is not the greatest bargain but is still well within the generally agreed definition of a TP run, which is (I think) £3 per TP, and puts you well on the way to Gold.
If you are travelling solely to earn tier points then, yes, the price per point is paramount. (But don't forget to include the costs of positioning flights, hotels, meals and other, unquantifiable, costs such as days off work and time away from the family.) If it's a trip that you would be doing anyway then the price per TP is less important, although it's always worthwhile to try to increase the TPs earned.
And bear in mind that air fares are generally going up at the moment as the world opens up again and the oil price goes through the roof, and it is becoming increasingly difficult to find those fantastic £/TP ratios. If you fancy going to Las Vegas then just go: I recently flew there from Dublin for around £1,300 and earned 640 TPs, which is not the greatest bargain but is still well within the generally agreed definition of a TP run, which is (I think) £3 per TP, and puts you well on the way to Gold.
The status suits me for the lounge access and especially the free seat selection to grab an exit row seat in Y.
My collection year starts on 09 Sep this year and I managed to use the BA website to book flight and hotel late Sep for the following:
EDI -LHR-JFK-LAX; SEA-PHL-LHR-EDI
This will get me 1280tp
I value the 8 nights hotel at c£1k so the flights are about £1800 which works out to be £1.40tp. But even more than that I get Gold until 31 Oct 2024 then Silver for another year which for £600 per year is fantastic value.
What will I use it for, probably a lot of Y trips to Europe, hopefully via T3 so I can enjoy a lunch in the CX F lounge between flights.
Edited to Add: There's also no positioning required in this for me too so no worries about missing connections or having to B2B
#2563
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: Istanbul, Turkey
Programs: TK Elite Plus,QR Platinum,BAEC GGL,ITA Executive,Frontier 20k,All Silver,HH Diamond,Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 12,720
If you're looking for an ex-EU, there is AGP-HEL-LHR-XXX-YYY-LAX/SFO that would accrue 1080TP's for about slightly more than GBP 1k but the fare has a 6 month advance purchase requirement.
#2564
Join Date: May 2020
Programs: BA GOLD/ VS SILVER / WY GOLD/ SQ SILVER
Posts: 56
Hi IST traveller,
I can do the 2nd option so aslong as I can book it on BA.COM or over the phone with them as I have vouchers to use, happy for it to even be next year tbh! are you able to help me find a routing to get the maximum tps ?
I am really new to all this and have no clue totally flexible in terms of dates for next yeaR!
TIA
I can do the 2nd option so aslong as I can book it on BA.COM or over the phone with them as I have vouchers to use, happy for it to even be next year tbh! are you able to help me find a routing to get the maximum tps ?
I am really new to all this and have no clue totally flexible in terms of dates for next yeaR!
TIA
#2565
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DUBLIN & LCY
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Spire Amb
Posts: 113
If it's within your budget, you could travel to the USA and you could take the NYC-RDU fare which is around GBP 250 r/t and earn 240TP's per trip. Doing 4 of them would cost about GBP 1000 and accrue 960TP's if choosing 2-stop options on all flights.
If you're looking for an ex-EU, there is AGP-HEL-LHR-XXX-YYY-LAX/SFO that would accrue 1080TP's for about slightly more than GBP 1k but the fare has a 6 month advance purchase requirement.
If you're looking for an ex-EU, there is AGP-HEL-LHR-XXX-YYY-LAX/SFO that would accrue 1080TP's for about slightly more than GBP 1k but the fare has a 6 month advance purchase requirement.