Jan 2, 2023, 5:50 am
Last edit by: Prospero
This thread is the continuation of the discussion hosted in the BA Tier Point Runs | 2019-20 edition thread.
Useful tips and technical pointers
El_Duderito's explanation on fare routings and the maximum permitted distance you are allowed to travel (based on the distance between the origin and destination airports)
Previous editions
BA Tier Point Runs | 2021-22 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2019-20 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2018 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2017 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2016 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2015 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2014 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | original edition
Useful tips and technical pointers
El_Duderito's explanation on fare routings and the maximum permitted distance you are allowed to travel (based on the distance between the origin and destination airports)
Previous editions
BA Tier Point Runs | 2021-22 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2019-20 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2018 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2017 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2016 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2015 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2014 edition
BA Tier Point Runs | original edition
BA Tier Point Runs | 2023 edition
Jan 4, 2023, 10:24 am
#31
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 10
TP Run Request
Hi -
I hope this is an acceptable request. I am London-based and would be really grateful if the wizards here could concoct a TP run with the following constraints:
Ex EU to anywhere (but preferably US)
7-16 May 2023
1500 TP
tia!
I hope this is an acceptable request. I am London-based and would be really grateful if the wizards here could concoct a TP run with the following constraints:
Ex EU to anywhere (but preferably US)
7-16 May 2023
1500 TP
tia!
Jan 4, 2023, 11:03 am
#32
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Dublin, Ireland
Programs: BA Silver, SAS EuroBonus Gold, ITA Club Executive, Mucci
Posts: 2,184
People usually don't reply when someone just asks as you have above. I mean this in the nicest possible way, as it takes a lot of time and effort to look things up, as you must know yourself. I'm sure you understand.
Jan 4, 2023, 11:07 am
#33
Join Date: Jun 2022
Location: LON
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 10
Noted, thank you! I will see what I can find.
Jan 4, 2023, 11:40 am
#34
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,105
The only thing I might add to Flight Detective's reply is that you will not earn 1500 TPs from a single trip to the US (or probably anywhere). You could come close, though, by booking a 5-night BA Holiday from Jersey (or somewhere else in the UK that is not London) to the west coast via the east coast, taking advantage of the double tier points offer.
Jan 4, 2023, 3:18 pm
#36
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Gatwick, UK
Programs: UA *G, BA Silver
Posts: 1,691
JER-SFO-MAN in J and F (F from LHR to JFK each way) on BA flight numbers all the way will get you 1560 TPs and from May 7 - 16 it would cost you £4643. Later in the year you could do it fro around £3400.
Jan 4, 2023, 3:24 pm
#37
Suspended
Join Date: Oct 2021
Posts: 885
My TP year begins in early August. I've already re-qualified for GC status through Sept. of 2024.
I've set a pretty aggressive beginning to my next TP accrual period beginning in August 2023, with some domestic USA travel on AS, plus a RT SEA-LHR-GVA in First long haul, plus CE on the LHR-GVA-LHR segments beginning in early Sept. and ending the beginning of Oct. Counting this already-reserved travel, I should have around 740TPs by early October 2023.
Now that I've set the stage: The Europe trip I have booked in Sept to early Oct. is a week longer than I generally plan for what is basically a trip in Burgundy France plus perhaps a little in Francophone Switzerland. I did this in order to accommodate a TP run, perhaps something that could accrue an additional ~800 TPs or so to requalify for GC status. This number of TPs isn't strictly necessary since I'll have additional opportunities to fly AS segments in the USA for the balance of my TP year.
I'm looking for suggestions as to what I might do over the course of a week, probably best in either early Sept. (around the 7th) or at the end of my trip, which would be essentially the last week of Sept. I'd prefer not to do multiple trips ex-GVA, scattered throughout Sept., since I'll be spending most of my time on this trip 2.5 hours drive away in France.
One thing I do not want to do is to just take a bunch of flights strictly for the purpose of getting TPs; I'd like to go somewhere (or some places) fun and interesting, preferably somewhere or places I've never been. If the timing is right, some places near the ocean with nice weather would be a plus . . . . . Given BA's tendency to cancel flights during shoulder seasons, it would be better to plan something that has more than "thin" service where I could end up with 4 flights or no flights a week if the BA gods so decree. I'd probably prefer longer flights accruing more than 40 TPs per segment, if possible.
Cost is of some but not incredible concern. I have Avios so I could take a one-way or even RT award positioning flight(s) if need be. Since GVA has a lot of EZ Jet and other low-cost flights, I'm assuming that GVA is not a prohibitively expensive place to be originating such an itinerary, however.
Any suggestions?
I've set a pretty aggressive beginning to my next TP accrual period beginning in August 2023, with some domestic USA travel on AS, plus a RT SEA-LHR-GVA in First long haul, plus CE on the LHR-GVA-LHR segments beginning in early Sept. and ending the beginning of Oct. Counting this already-reserved travel, I should have around 740TPs by early October 2023.
Now that I've set the stage: The Europe trip I have booked in Sept to early Oct. is a week longer than I generally plan for what is basically a trip in Burgundy France plus perhaps a little in Francophone Switzerland. I did this in order to accommodate a TP run, perhaps something that could accrue an additional ~800 TPs or so to requalify for GC status. This number of TPs isn't strictly necessary since I'll have additional opportunities to fly AS segments in the USA for the balance of my TP year.
I'm looking for suggestions as to what I might do over the course of a week, probably best in either early Sept. (around the 7th) or at the end of my trip, which would be essentially the last week of Sept. I'd prefer not to do multiple trips ex-GVA, scattered throughout Sept., since I'll be spending most of my time on this trip 2.5 hours drive away in France.
One thing I do not want to do is to just take a bunch of flights strictly for the purpose of getting TPs; I'd like to go somewhere (or some places) fun and interesting, preferably somewhere or places I've never been. If the timing is right, some places near the ocean with nice weather would be a plus . . . . . Given BA's tendency to cancel flights during shoulder seasons, it would be better to plan something that has more than "thin" service where I could end up with 4 flights or no flights a week if the BA gods so decree. I'd probably prefer longer flights accruing more than 40 TPs per segment, if possible.
Cost is of some but not incredible concern. I have Avios so I could take a one-way or even RT award positioning flight(s) if need be. Since GVA has a lot of EZ Jet and other low-cost flights, I'm assuming that GVA is not a prohibitively expensive place to be originating such an itinerary, however.
Any suggestions?
Jan 5, 2023, 2:17 am
#38
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: DUBLIN & LCY
Programs: BA Gold, IHG Dimond Amb
Posts: 143
Thanks Misco60, the FLG run looks very tempting. However I'm not sure that the town of Flagstaff will have much to keep me busy for 4 days. I think I'll try looking for other small west coast airports and report back.
Jan 5, 2023, 2:49 am
#39
Join Date: Dec 2022
Posts: 36
You can Pick Up a Rental car in FLG and can go To Sedona,Grande Canyon, Monument Valley,Page(Antilope Canyon),Arches N.P.,Zion N.P.,Bryce Canyon...
Should be enough for 4 days??
Should be enough for 4 days??
Jan 5, 2023, 3:34 am
#40
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Berlin
Programs: BA Gold; SK Gold; Accor Platinum; IHG Diamond-Amb.; Meliá/HH/Bonvoy Gold
Posts: 5,564
Drive down to Phoenix (two and a half hours) or across to Vegas (four hours) if you don't fancy any of the truly stunning bits of America suggested by Markus 9643. 
Jan 5, 2023, 3:39 am
#41
Join Date: Jun 2017
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 404
These sound interesting to me but wondering what the weather is like mid-late August? Stiflingly hot or not?
Jan 5, 2023, 3:43 am
#42
Join Date: Oct 2015
Location: Vale of Glamorgan
Programs: BAEC Gold
Posts: 3,105
FLG was just an example, though. Put "Dublin to the United States" into Google Flights, set the filter to "under £1500" and you'll see what other options you have.
Bear in mind, though, that this is the TP Run thread, and not "find me a holiday".
Jan 5, 2023, 3:54 am
#44
Join Date: Nov 2015
Location: London
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 1,774
My thoughts.
I think at present there are a couple of basic tactics, and these work for many people asking similar questions. You’ll be very lucky if you can find something from a specific city in a specific date range, one of the keys to a TP run is some flexibility.
Firstly, position to London/Jersey and use the holiday double TP offer. It’s not a pure TP run as such, but with the right hotel or car hire you may be able to construct something with a budget/return that works for you.
The second choice I think is to look at the thread and see that BUD and DUB are mentioned as cheaper starting points, previously SOF was the go to starting point, it varies as the offers change. When flying west the advice remains the same, east coast to west coast (or near) and then destination. If you can fit a HEL hop in there that can be rewarding too, but often adds to the cost. TP runs to US should never feature DFW or ORD these are you enemies. If you book something it’ll typically be on a 60 or 90 day advance purchase, in that time expect AA to butcher your itinerary and for you to have to call them to reconstruct something acceptable to you.
Browsing the thread regularly always throws up snippets of useful info, learning to use Matrix effectively, and doing as much of the legwork as you can will help.
People that ask for everything to be done for them get far fewer useful responses than someone that says I’ve tried a, b and c and I just can’t see why this fare or flight combo doesn’t work.
Firstly, position to London/Jersey and use the holiday double TP offer. It’s not a pure TP run as such, but with the right hotel or car hire you may be able to construct something with a budget/return that works for you.
The second choice I think is to look at the thread and see that BUD and DUB are mentioned as cheaper starting points, previously SOF was the go to starting point, it varies as the offers change. When flying west the advice remains the same, east coast to west coast (or near) and then destination. If you can fit a HEL hop in there that can be rewarding too, but often adds to the cost. TP runs to US should never feature DFW or ORD these are you enemies. If you book something it’ll typically be on a 60 or 90 day advance purchase, in that time expect AA to butcher your itinerary and for you to have to call them to reconstruct something acceptable to you.
Browsing the thread regularly always throws up snippets of useful info, learning to use Matrix effectively, and doing as much of the legwork as you can will help.
People that ask for everything to be done for them get far fewer useful responses than someone that says I’ve tried a, b and c and I just can’t see why this fare or flight combo doesn’t work.
Jan 5, 2023, 3:55 am
#45
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Wolverhampton
Programs: BA Silver, Hilton Diamond, Marriot Gold, Radisson Gold, Amex Platinum
Posts: 1,623
You also missed out Capitol Reef NP (between Bryce and Moab), Scenic route 12 (to get to Capitol Reef NP from Bryce) Goblin Valley State Park (between CR NP and Moab). Canyonlands and Dead Horse State Park (in Moab along with Arches).