Last edit by: nufnuf77
Welcome to the thread. This is a continuation of the highly popular 2023 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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.
Current Promotions of Interest
Sale Fares
Advanced Promotion Fares
See here in post 12 for an 2024 archive of 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 Please add important information to it or correct outdated information by clicking the "Edit" button below.
Current Promotions of Interest
Sale Fares
Advanced Promotion Fares
See here in post 12 for an 2024 archive of 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
From North, Central and South America
From Middle East, Asia and Australasia
CAI-LHR-HEL-JFK-LAX-SFO return for 1800gbp earning 960 Tps
From Africa
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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 XX 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 post XXX 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 last BA flight out on a Saturday, airport hotel and first return 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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BA Tier Point Runs | 2024 master thread
#317
Join Date: Jan 2024
Posts: 1
No USA
Hello. I am a gold. EC member about to slip to Silver next week. I would like to avoid this in future and am looking for any recommended TP runs that dont include the USA. Ideally I would do a few European runs with the 80TP routes. Has anyone ever managed to get a really good TPrun just with Europe?
#318
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: May 2014
Location: UK
Programs: BA Gold
Posts: 12,746
Hello. I am a gold. EC member about to slip to Silver next week. I would like to avoid this in future and am looking for any recommended TP runs that don’t include the USA. Ideally I would do a few European runs with the 80TP routes. Has anyone ever managed to get a really good TPrun just with Europe?
#319
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
Programs: Mucci, BA Gold, A3*Gold, AA Plat, HH Gold, IHG Plat Amb, Marriott Plat
Posts: 4,276
Yes. I class is always like that while there's a sale on. The availability will increase once the sale has finished. So will some of the fares, but not necessarily all those ex-EU fares.
#320
Join Date: Nov 2018
Programs: BAEC Silver
Posts: 1,081
Hello. I am a gold. EC member about to slip to Silver next week. I would like to avoid this in future and am looking for any recommended TP runs that dont include the USA. Ideally I would do a few European runs with the 80TP routes. Has anyone ever managed to get a really good TPrun just with Europe?
#323
Join Date: Nov 2023
Programs: BAEC GGLfL
Posts: 723
Leaving aside the price - which looks very high - you cannot book HEL-AGP-HEL under a BA code. It would have to be a Finnair code.
#324
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: Wherever
Programs: UA 1MM for a while now, AS for a minute, BAEC newly minted Gold
Posts: 1,255
Beware of AA TP runs
I tried to do a psuedo TP run (Mini-Me version) this week in a 4 segment SLC-PHX-SFO-PHX-SLC trip booked on AA in First using my BAEC number (involved booking as a guest on AA.com and manually entering everything). Turns out these AA flights are operated sometimes operated in a flakey, unreliable manner; short connecting times, flights delayed over multiple segments enroute to your "flight". The outbound was dicey, but worked out. The inbound was a cluster. AA had rolling delays and the SFO agent admitted no chance to make it work without overnight in PHX. Ended up getting the flights canceled and booking my return direct with Alaska. There will be no ORC and fewer TPs than planned (Alaska flight was N/S, so only 40 vs. 80 for the planned AA routing). Also, be advised AA Flight Credits are mystery meat when trying to followup; yes they are there, just buried in soft peet according to Vogon legend.
Now I have to replan my march towards gold this year having cut the plan too close on short 40 TP segments; just going to do a OW transcon on AS to close the gap. Not qualified as a TP run, but WTH...
On the positive side, the lounge agents for both AA and AS were very good at recognizing BAEC Silver for lounge access flying US domestic.
Cheers,
-Cyborg
Now I have to replan my march towards gold this year having cut the plan too close on short 40 TP segments; just going to do a OW transcon on AS to close the gap. Not qualified as a TP run, but WTH...
On the positive side, the lounge agents for both AA and AS were very good at recognizing BAEC Silver for lounge access flying US domestic.
Cheers,
-Cyborg
#325
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BOGish. VLCish. It's complicated.
Programs: BA
Posts: 865
I tried to do a psuedo TP run (Mini-Me version) this week in a 4 segment SLC-PHX-SFO-PHX-SLC trip booked on AA in First using my BAEC number (involved booking as a guest on AA.com and manually entering everything). Turns out these AA flights are operated sometimes operated in a flakey, unreliable manner; short connecting times, flights delayed over multiple segments enroute to your "flight". The outbound was dicey, but worked out. The inbound was a cluster. AA had rolling delays and the SFO agent admitted no chance to make it work without overnight in PHX. Ended up getting the flights canceled and booking my return direct with Alaska. There will be no ORC and fewer TPs than planned (Alaska flight was N/S, so only 40 vs. 80 for the planned AA routing). Also, be advised AA Flight Credits are mystery meat when trying to followup; yes they are there, just buried in soft peet according to Vogon legend.
Now I have to replan my march towards gold this year having cut the plan too close on short 40 TP segments; just going to do a OW transcon on AS to close the gap. Not qualified as a TP run, but WTH...
On the positive side, the lounge agents for both AA and AS were very good at recognizing BAEC Silver for lounge access flying US domestic.
Cheers,
-Cyborg
Now I have to replan my march towards gold this year having cut the plan too close on short 40 TP segments; just going to do a OW transcon on AS to close the gap. Not qualified as a TP run, but WTH...
On the positive side, the lounge agents for both AA and AS were very good at recognizing BAEC Silver for lounge access flying US domestic.
Cheers,
-Cyborg
In general what does one need to do to ensure that we can get ORC when things go pear-shaped?
Last edited by IanWorthington; Jan 29, 2024 at 2:41 am
#326
Join Date: May 2014
Location: BRU
Programs: BA GGL, TK E (*G), ITA Exec
Posts: 4,374
I had only one case of ORC on a TP run. Final destination was MIA or ATL (was 4/5 years ago, I don't remember) and it was a BA ticket with a leg on AY and a couple on AA, included the TATL flight. HEL-LHR was late and I missed my next flight to JFK, so I was rebooked on another routing with fewer flights. Once I completed the trip I asked for ORC and got it.
By the way, some people say it's easier to get ORC while on BA tickets than A ones, but I've no direct experience.
#327
Join Date: Jan 2014
Location: BOGish. VLCish. It's complicated.
Programs: BA
Posts: 865
For what I know, just fly the ticket until the destination/end of the trip.
I had only one case of ORC on a TP run. Final destination was MIA or ATL (was 4/5 years ago, I don't remember) and it was a BA ticket with a leg on AY and a couple on AA, included the TATL flight. HEL-LHR was late and I missed my next flight to JFK, so I was rebooked on another routing with fewer flights. Once I completed the trip I asked for ORC and got it.
By the way, some people say it's easier to get ORC while on BA tickets than A ones, but I've no direct experience.
I had only one case of ORC on a TP run. Final destination was MIA or ATL (was 4/5 years ago, I don't remember) and it was a BA ticket with a leg on AY and a couple on AA, included the TATL flight. HEL-LHR was late and I missed my next flight to JFK, so I was rebooked on another routing with fewer flights. Once I completed the trip I asked for ORC and got it.
By the way, some people say it's easier to get ORC while on BA tickets than A ones, but I've no direct experience.
Aye, my experience is limited as well. AA's MAD-DFW got delayed so much I'd miss my DFW-BOG connection and they just put me on IB's direct MAD-BOG and I got ORC without a problem. But just wanted to be sure...
(NB: I see AA have changed their rules about irrops changes for non-aadvantage customers so maybe life will become more inconvenient/more 261 claimable?)
#328
Join Date: Sep 2015
Posts: 256
I’ve just booked a BAH trip thus…..
MAN-LHR-INV (overnight in hotel)
INV- LHR ( 4 days car hire)
LHR- SOF-LHR (a week between these sectors so will nest with a SOF-LHR-SOF)
LHR- MAN (a few weeks later)
That’s 320 TPs doubled up to 640 for 780. Plus the 160 for the SOF-LHR-SOF
MAN-LHR-INV (overnight in hotel)
INV- LHR ( 4 days car hire)
LHR- SOF-LHR (a week between these sectors so will nest with a SOF-LHR-SOF)
LHR- MAN (a few weeks later)
That’s 320 TPs doubled up to 640 for 780. Plus the 160 for the SOF-LHR-SOF
#329
Join Date: Mar 2023
Posts: 16
Ive just booked a BAH trip thus..
MAN-LHR-INV (overnight in hotel)
INV- LHR ( 4 days car hire)
LHR- SOF-LHR (a week between these sectors so will nest with a SOF-LHR-SOF)
LHR- MAN (a few weeks later)
Thats 320 TPs doubled up to 640 for 780. Plus the 160 for the SOF-LHR-SOF
MAN-LHR-INV (overnight in hotel)
INV- LHR ( 4 days car hire)
LHR- SOF-LHR (a week between these sectors so will nest with a SOF-LHR-SOF)
LHR- MAN (a few weeks later)
Thats 320 TPs doubled up to 640 for 780. Plus the 160 for the SOF-LHR-SOF
#330
Join Date: Aug 2013
Posts: 9,107
Ive just booked a BAH trip thus..
MAN-LHR-INV (overnight in hotel)
INV- LHR ( 4 days car hire)
LHR- SOF-LHR (a week between these sectors so will nest with a SOF-LHR-SOF)
LHR- MAN (a few weeks later)
Thats 320 TPs doubled up to 640 for 780. Plus the 160 for the SOF-LHR-SOF
MAN-LHR-INV (overnight in hotel)
INV- LHR ( 4 days car hire)
LHR- SOF-LHR (a week between these sectors so will nest with a SOF-LHR-SOF)
LHR- MAN (a few weeks later)
Thats 320 TPs doubled up to 640 for 780. Plus the 160 for the SOF-LHR-SOF