160 tier point routes (prior to any holiday x2 bonuses) run from Heathrow

[DreamingOfFirstClass]

Hello everybody !
Which 160TP routes (prior to any holiday X2 bonuses) run from Heathrow rather than Gatwick ?
Cheers.

(Ignore prices, list taken from https://www.headforpoints.com/2022/06/13/which-british-airways-club-europe-routes-earn-160-tier-points-2/ )
Algiers (£363)
Antalya (£550)
Athens (£350)
Bucharest (£310)
Catania (£264)
Chania (£675)
Corfu (£490)
Dalaman (£666)
Funchal (£380)
Gran Canaria (£424)
Heraklion / Crete (£475)
Istanbul (£336)
Kalamata (£664)
Kefalonia (£506)
Kos (£496)
Lanzarote (£356)
Larnaca (£594)
Malta (£348)
Marrakech (£354)
Mykonos (£382)
Paphos (£578)
Ponta Delgada (£622)
Preveza Lefkada (£398)
Reykjavik (£284)
Rhodes (£510)
Santorini (£574)
Skiathos (£550)
Sofia (£222)
Tenerife (£352)
Terceira Island (£424)
Thessaloniki (£386)
Tirana (£316)
Zakynthos (£570)

[Luca M]

Amongst the better values, Sofia and Reykjavik are from LHR, Catania if from LGW (and only available May to September)

[NorthernLass]

Athens and TFS.

[Skywalker]

Istanbul

[Gary]

RAK from LHR and/or LGW depending on the departure date.

[Londonsteve]

Sofia generally unbeatable on price per TP from the 160 TP returns. Has anyone done a back-to-back at SOF? Arrivals and departures are not segregated. I don’t know how not passing through the boarding pass scan prior to security would affect the validity of the boarding pass. Otherwise stay the night and enjoy an interesting and very affordable European capital that still feels ‘exotic’. The IC is a nice hotel – direct metro line from the airport for 75p, drops you virtually at its door.

[JDB]

A second for Sofia but it’s worth a lot more than just a back to back TP run. There’s so much to see given the city’s history of being part of the Thracian empire, then a key city in the Eastern Roman Empire on the Via Militaris to Constantinople, then under Ottoman occupation for 500 years. Also exceptional food at, by London standards, giveaway prices and also a good base for many interesting side trips.

[NorthernLass]

I would definitely pick Sofia (starting in MAN) if I needed 4 sectors and 240 TPs – cities like that usually have museums and galleries that are catnip to a history nerd like me! A lot of people don’t realise how important and influential that region was historically.

[Michael C]

Londonsteve wrote:

Sofia generally unbeatable on price per TP from the 160 TP returns. Has anyone done a back-to-back at SOF? Arrivals and departures are not segregated. I don’t know how not passing through the boarding pass scan prior to security would affect the validity of the boarding pass. Otherwise stay the night and enjoy an interesting and very affordable European capital that still feels ‘exotic’. The IC is a nice hotel – direct metro line from the airport for 75p, drops you virtually at its door.

Great IC transport tip, thanks!

[davefl]

NorthernLass wrote:

I would definitely pick Sofia (starting in MAN) if I needed 4 sectors and 240 TPs – cities like that usually have museums and galleries that are catnip to a history nerd like me! A lot of people don’t realise how important and influential that region was historically.

Still trying this but it wont price for nov/dec even as a multi flight itinerary. I did discover that BA wont sell me a Biz flight to LHR as part of that, or any flight later than lunchtime.

If I price LHR-Sofia-LHR-MAN then it will do. There are MAN-LHR flights available right through the day/evening in economy at approx £50 but they’re almost all Class O and at silver that’s only 5TP. (The Biz fights one way are over £200-600) So If I booked it that way I’m 5 TP short of what the 210 I need but have the 4 flights.

BA… your booking systems and IT are a nightmare.

[NorthernLass]

Sorry yes, I meant as a standalone flight, not a holiday booking (unless double TP offer came up again). I’d probably want to book a hotel separately with status benefits.

[davefl]

That rant above was for just flight booking not a BA Holiday 🙂

I was thinking of the IC 2 nights/Ambassador promo to combine with it

[Londonsteve]

JDB wrote:

A second for Sofia but it’s worth a lot more than just a back to back TP run. There’s so much to see given the city’s history of being part of the Thracian empire, then a key city in the Eastern Roman Empire on the Via Militaris to Constantinople, then under Ottoman occupation for 500 years. Also exceptional food at, by London standards, giveaway prices and also a good base for many interesting side trips.

Agree with all that. Serious price inflation in the last couple of years means that food is no longer at ‘giveaway’ prices but remains excellent value for money. I must say the Bulgarians have the skill of running a good restaurant down to a fine art and are even now exporting their concepts and kitchen: Happy on Coventry Street is the London outpost of a most excellent Bulgarian chain: think TGI Fridays with more panache, creativity and better ingredients. There are some fab-u-lous restaurants in Sofia worthy of a Michelin star but the inspectors haven’t got there yet. Go now while before the stars arrive and the prices escalate.

For art buffs the Kvadrat 500 at the National Gallery, three minutes walk from the IC is well worth a visit. A beautiful building with a very interesting and well curated display of Bulgarian and foreign art, including some unique ‘socialist realist’ pieces that you won’t see anywhere in the west.

@JDB what side trips would you recommend? The Rila Monastery is a standard trip but is quite far with little else to see in the vicinity. Plovdiv is a magnificent city (much more attractive than Sofia) and is worth getting up for an early train or bus to make a full day of it.

[JDB]

@Londonsteve – I am in Sofia now and have done side trips to Skopje/Matka Canyon, Plovdiv and Rila. I got a private guide who is a historian and did all the driving. It cost €100 for the full days, less for Rila but it is incredible value as it is totally transformative to visit places with someone who is intelligent and experienced and you can set off when you want, go at your own pace and understand the very complex history of the region such that one can really understand what one is seeing. We also got into closed places and jumped queues.

There is, as you say nothing near Rila, although one can schedule visiting the Boyana Church en route, probably one of the most interesting in Bulgaria with remarkable frescoes. The area around Rila is very beautiful and there are lots of nice restaurants serving the local trout or Shopi area specialities. I actually added Boyana and Vitosha mountain to my Sofia tour; would like to have spent much more time on Vitosha. Doing just Rila and lunch there meant we were back by 14.30, so lots of time to continue seeing Sofia itself before cocktails in the park.

Skopje (birthplace of Mother Teresa!) is a long journey and you sort of need to have an interest to visit; it isn’t a super beautiful city with most of the town having been destroyed by an earthquake in 1963, although the Turkish side of the city suffered much less, but it was an exceptionally interesting day in the city and seeing a lot of North Macedonia; the beautiful Matka Canyon was a good extra.

Plovdiv is totally stunning, one could spend several days there. Roman stadium, theatre, odeon and Byzantine church on top of all the 17-19c buildings in the old town. Really nice city to walk around with lots of different style quarters, restaurants, bars etc.

I will definitely visit again, and do side trips to Nis Serbia and the Belogradchik Rocks/Magura caves perhaps as part of a longer Balkan tour. Also want to visit Villa Melnik winery and region. Guide has got me very interested in Southern Albania as well!

[JDB]

@Londonsteve re the ‘giveaway’ prices you can have a totally spectacular 22 course dinner that is hugely superior to, for example, the Fat Duck or Manoir aux Quat’ Saisons (for a simpler and smaller menu) for one sixth of the price (so £60/head) and the wine is also a tiny fraction of the price. More ordinary, but still very good restaurants are 1/3 or less vs London or Paris prices and they aren’t full of Instagram posers.

[Londonsteve]

@JDB amazing insights, live from the region. If someone doesn’t now choose Sofia for their 160 TP, I’m not sure what further incentive would make them short of a free flight! I’m a fan of Sofia and may well be moving there in the next few months.

I can confirm that the Belogradchik rocks and Magura caves are well worth visiting, both are geographically absolutely unique and special. Melnik is a beautiful region and the wine was famously one of Churchill’s favourites, but in all honesty I struggled to taste top grade wine from there. I just don’t think it’s where the top wine making talent is these days. Investigate Enira, Stephan von Neipperg’s Bulgarian investment.

[polly]

@JDB
Second what @Londonsteve says. We are doing our 5 day TP trip there too. Looking forward to our wandering w history lessons. We are both big history buffs. Have printed off your guides! Plus a shorter trip to IST. We hired professional guides also around Antalya. They were all trained archaeologists. So knowledgeable. Fascinating region. My OH had studied our guide’s father’s book at uni. Amazing coincidence.
That’s us sorted for Silver again til end of September 24. Thankfully.
How good is this site!

[JDB]

@Londonsteve – thank you re Enira – will order some and hopefully get to visit since it is near Plovdiv. Sofia will be a great base; hadn’t really appreciated just how close the city is to Greece and Turkey as well as the Balkans with lots to see and do off the well trodden tourist areas, something we are always seeking!

[Luca M]

Michael C wrote:

Londonsteve wrote:

Sofia generally unbeatable on price per TP from the 160 TP returns. Has anyone done a back-to-back at SOF? Arrivals and departures are not segregated. I don’t know how not passing through the boarding pass scan prior to security would affect the validity of the boarding pass. Otherwise stay the night and enjoy an interesting and very affordable European capital that still feels ‘exotic’. The IC is a nice hotel – direct metro line from the airport for 75p, drops you virtually at its door.

Great IC transport tip, thanks!

Did a TP run /couple week end away from the kids to SOF last year with two nights at the IC. Beautiful and spacious room. The restaurant was also good. We opted for a taxi because we could pay in Euro and there was a long queue to buy the Train ticket and/or use the ATM but wanting to surely do it again, will take the Train recommendation.

As others have said, it is an interesting city to explore, also easy to do by foot if the hotel is quite central (The IC is opposite the cathedral but almost on the outskirts of the main centre, nevertheless we walked from there everywhere and only once took a taxi back after a full day of walking around.

This year will visit Catania for 4 days and already book next year to KEF for a short week end. Then it may be SOF again

[aseftel]

Has anyone got any experience of booking a flight+car holiday to SOF and not using/picking up the car? All things being equal I’d probably prefer to book the IC separately, especially if a LuxLife free night deal comes around again. Obviously there are interesting sights to drive to but I reckon I could occupy myself just within range of the city centre.

[Londonsteve]

The cost of the hire car as part of the BA package is so expensive you wouldn’t buy it and then not use it. Much better to book a hotel. Perhaps do the 5 nights BAH booking at the Kempinski in Bansko for some serious r&r (amazing spa, outstanding value outside of the peak ski and summer school holiday season) then back to Sofia to stay in the IC? There is also a smart new Hyatt to consider and a couple of very nice small boutique hotels in the Oborishte district of the city. The IC is not the only game in town.

[Luca M]

Londonsteve wrote:

… then back to Sofia to stay in the IC? There is also a smart new Hyatt to consider and a couple of very nice small boutique hotels in the Oborishte district of the city. The IC is not the only game in town.

I had indeed looked at other options, including the Hyatt and Sense (Design Hotel, bookable through Marriott Bonvoy) but the IC offered the best deal (there was a special status discount)

[JDB]

Luca M wrote:

Londonsteve wrote:

… then back to Sofia to stay in the IC? There is also a smart new Hyatt to consider and a couple of very nice small boutique hotels in the Oborishte district of the city. The IC is not the only game in town.

I had indeed looked at other options, including the Hyatt and Sense (Design Hotel, bookable through Marriott Bonvoy) but the IC offered the best deal (there was a special status discount)

I stayed at the IC Sofia this week – it’s just OK, if seriously dreary. The Sense Hotel looks a bit grubby. I don’t really like these big chain hotels anyway, but if IC is supposed to be the flagship brand (Regent & 6S notwithstanding) this isn’t a great example, but it was very cheap, sub £100 night. One oddity is that all the Club rooms have the mountain view, although it is a very distant mountain and not much of a view. The Cathedral view rooms (same size, type and spec) on the front actually look out over the parliament building and the top of the cathedral with its golden domes and is by far the better aspect, I checked two rooms of each side. The Club isn’t worth the candle; far better to spend the money on drinks in one of the many nice park bars and as for breakfast, they can keep it. The Floret restaurant menu has been significantly downgraded for covid and I think also pending a new rooftop restaurant opening. Lots of better, cheaper, more fun places in walking distance.