JapesUK

This week I'm setting off on what is, for me, another longer than usual trip, a British Airways Holidays based tier point run. Due to the rules and limitations that were in effect at the time of my booking, this trip will earn me 640 BA tier points that will then accrue another 640 bonus tier points a couple of weeks later. These 1,280 tier points will significantly advance me towards the 5,000 points required for my first foray into Gold Guest List status within the BA Executive Club.

The itinerary for this trip is:

Day 0 - Overnight at NCL airport hotel
Day 1 - Newcastle-London-Bucharest 120 (240) TP
Day 2 - Bucharest-London-Jersey 120 (240) TP
Day 3 - Jersey-London-Istanbul 120 (240) TP
Day 4 - Istanbul-London 80 (160) TP
Day 5 - London-Athens 80 (160) TP
Day 6 - Athens-London-Newcastle 120 (240) TP

It's important to note that this particular itinerary style for double points on a BA holiday is no longer available. At the time of my booking, many months ago, the terms and conditions permitted multiple return trips to the UK. These terms were revised at a later date to restrict the offer to only one return to the UK. The relatively sedate pace is due to the requirement for 5 days of hotel or car hire within the booking.

Although I typically don't mention cost, the expense of a tier point run is often the first question asked. In this instance, the cost was very reasonable, working out to roughly £1.50 per tier point including the six nights of hotels, so around £1 per point in normal flights only Tier Point run terms.

There won't be much opportunity for exploration during the brief overnight stays, however I'll make sure to venture out onto the streets whenever possible. All the destinations on this trip are places I've been to before, with some being much more recent and familiar to me than others.

Unfortunately, I'm beginning my trip at a significant disadvantage due to a major lack of sleep. After a late return from Aberdeen on Sunday and an early train to Birmingham on Monday, only returning yesterday afternoon, my sleep schedule has taken a hit. With Crufts happening this week, hotel options around the NEC were either scarce or exorbitantly priced, leading me to choose a less familiar hotel. Unfortunately, the choice didn't pan out well due to an incredibly tired and soft bed, resulting in two nights of poor sleep. Exhausted, I went straight to bed upon returning home yesterday, only to wake up at 1am today. This is far from the ideal way to start six days of travel! I'm hoping to catch up on some much-needed sleep tonight but I attend an online quiz with friends every Thursday night, they may have to manage without me.

with that preamble done, it is time for me to pack the case, order an Uber, and make tracks for the airport hotel.

Tocsin

Good luck for a catch-up on the sleep pattern

As for letting the cat out of the bag about going for the shiny-shiny card: (BA Holidays are a great benefit here, especially from 'the regions')!

HfP have just promoted a Radio 4 programme that was broadcast a few years ago, which is still very appropriate: https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09tcnm5

JapesUK

Thanks, I’m expecting a carb and alcohol coma

I’ve another BA Holiday soon, this time an actual holiday to Marrakech. With that and a couple of random trips already booked I should be requesting new bag tags by 1st June, fingers crossed

Thanks for the link, plenty of down time on this trip, I’ll be sure to give that a watch.

JapesUK

I'm staying at the Hilton DoubleTree again tonight, a reservation I made quite a while ago. The receptionists have kindly warned me that they are very busy this evening and advised me to dine early, which suits me just fine considering there's a quiz night planned.

I’ve received the usual range of Gold benefits during my stay, including a new tin of mints, which I particularly appreciated since I have just run out. This week, my room offers a closer view of the airport, and it's evident that the evenings are getting longer as this is the first time I've arrived before it got dark.

JapesUK

On previous visits to the restaurant I’d espied this wonderful looking pizza oven so I decided tonight was my time to see if they knew how to use it.









In an effort to keep my meal on the lighter side, I started with a bowl of olives to snack on while I waited for the meat special pizza. The pizza turned out to be one of the best I've had in years, with generous toppings, a perfectly balanced sauce, and a thin, crispy crust. It's definitely going to be my go-to meal on future trips!





Whilst I was waiting for the pizza, I reviewed my flight itinerary for tomorrow and, to my absolute horror, realised I was booked on the 6am flight, not a late morning one as I had thought. Looks like there might be quite a bit of snoring coming from seat 1C on my way to Otopeni.

Tocsin

That pizza looks delicious...

Do you gamble? Try for a same day change by waiting until midnight and calling, or have an early night accepting the 0600 flight? Forgot this was a holiday booking - unlikely that same day change would be an option

I'm glad you checked your itinerary now though, rather than in the morning!

JapesUK

That pizza really was exceptional.

Otopani flight leaves 09:50 from T3 so early NCL departure it is… probably where my senile confusion arose from. Multiple alarms for the morning methinks.

Toula

Wow you sure have some stamina as I'm exhausted just following on. So if you earn GGL for BA this year and think you've hit FB Platinum is your intent to carry on adventuring through the next couple of years to maintain them? What benefits are you expecting from the status and are you sitting on pile of points you don't burn because you need to buy to earn status? Oh and keep up with the fabulous trip reports. Have to say I give your manual labor the thumbs up vs AI

VorelNaCestach

Another weekend's coming and JapesUK is on the road again (more like in the air). No AI friend helping you write your TR this time 😁 ?

JapesUK

I only just scraped past FB gold and I’m not going to aim for Platinum, I cannot see what value it delivers for me above gold beyond enhanced seat selection. There is a status match up to platinum for €399 euros currently on offer and I’ve not applied for that as yet because theres currently no FB flying in my diary.

GGL was an aspiration from the outset and the trips I already have booked for the rest of the year will come close to delivering the 3,000 tier points needed to renew in the next tier point year. As you guessed, I am sitting on a substantial number of Avios. I have already booked 5 trips (20 segments) with Avios during the remainder of the year. A lot of those flights are booked into economy to start leveraging the status benefits.

Thank you for the feedback, it really is always appreciated. The AI was a bit of fun for a particularly pedestrian trip. I might do another one in the future with different training but it’s not going to be a regular thing, it was far too much work

And as to stamina, I have less than you imagine! I’m exhausted before the outset, and to add insult to injury, I’ve been awake since 02:30 so Bucharest could well be check in and straight to bed. I’m staying at the airport hotel and, as you know, I’ve been in and out of Bucharest so often that I don’t feel I’d be missing out on much.

JapesUK

After the hard landing at the end of the last trip they need time to recover

SKT-DK

Ah you got me hooked once again, JapesUK Will be following your adventure as usual!

I feel your pain regarding the 6am! I absolutely detest early morning flights - so much that when I have to go to DEL for work next month, I opted to go the night before rather than a 7am flight

JapesUK

Further sleep was clearly not going to be a thing so rather than sit staring at the hotel room walls I decided to pack up my chattels and head over to the airport. There was already quite a few people at the BA check in waiting for it to open.




No secondary security today and so the total trip from land side to lounge was well under ten minutes. I do like this welcome sign that is on the back wall of the security area.




Unsurprisingly given how early I arrived The lounge was almost deserted so I took the opportunity to get some more pictures of the various seating areas.









Standard morning trio at the ready and it is time to settle down and watch the world go by.

JapesUK

After indulging in one too many cups of coffee, I chose to head down to the gate a bit early and managed to be right at the door when they opened. I'm now seated on the plane, watching as other passengers begin to board. We're on G-TTNU this morning, the same aircraft I flew on a couple of months ago for this exact flight from Newcastle to London.




The flight crew are friendly, and I'm hoping for a smooth, short hop and an on-time departure, especially given my relatively tight connection time.

Small business class cabin this morning, only four rows, so it should be an easy-ish start for the crew before they head of to Berlin later.

JapesUK

All buttoned up and ready to roll five minutes before departure but the joys of ATC restrictions mean that our current departure slot is in half an hours time. Pilot has announced that we may push back to clear the gate and then linger elsewhere whilst we wait.

Crew have distributed water to anyone that wanted it and now there is nothing else to do but wait.