Pricing up a BA tier point run

[pbcold]

What is the most efficient way to price up a tier point run these days please?

[ChrisC]

Google flights multi trip option.

[pbcold]

Many thanks @ChrisC

[TicknBash]

Someone posted the link below on cost per tier point a while back.
Might be of use for your purpose.

https://speedbird.online/fares.php?view=LowestFares&Selection=Lowest_Fares_Overall

[pbcold]

Wow!….thank you very much.

[AJA]

@Ticknbash that website is excellent, I keep forgetting about it. Found it via FT a while ago.

[YFP]

Really good website, helps a lot. This brings me to a question i’ve been meaning to ask. I’ve never had status before, got silver this year as part of ba holidays deal, and i can see a path to getting gold. But to do that will involve taking flights i’m not too keen on, but can do to make the tier points work. My reason for getting gold is to extend silver till 2025 due to the soft landing when you come off gold. My question though is that is it worth it? Is gold that much better than silver if flights generally tend to be in economy with maybe a long haul business flight once a year?

[Harry T]

YFP wrote:

Really good website, helps a lot. This brings me to a question i’ve been meaning to ask. I’ve never had status before, got silver this year as part of ba holidays deal, and i can see a path to getting gold. But to do that will involve taking flights i’m not too keen on, but can do to make the tier points work. My reason for getting gold is to extend silver till 2025 due to the soft landing when you come off gold. My question though is that is it worth it? Is gold that much better than silver if flights generally tend to be in economy with maybe a long haul business flight once a year?

Gold will give you marginally better seat selection in economy than Silver, although both allow you to book exit rows far out. Gold may give you a blocked seat next to you, if the flight isn’t completely full. First Wing Security is much better than conventional security and fast track at Heathrow, if you fly from there a lot. Being OneWorld emerald gives you significantly better quality lounge access across the alliance. You will earn more Avios on BA. The phone line will have a shorter wait.

If I were you, I would read the Flyertalk thread on BA status and weigh up the benefits for you. I prefer being Gold over Silver, but the extra benefits don’t always make sense for everyone – it depends what you value and need.

[AJA]

@YFP when does your tier year end? If it is a date in 2023 don’t forget your attaining Silver mid way through the year means that you will likely have Silver status until 2024 anyway. That means you only need to retain Silver in the year ending 2024 to have it until 2025. So only push for Gold now if the number of TP is easy to obtain.

I have never had anything higher than Silver and it suits me fine. You many value access to the FW at LHR and the Galleries First lounges but it doesn’t add that much to my mind.

Maybe if I had Gold I’d change my view but I really think that on an ongoing basis you have to fly a fair bit in Premium cabins to earn 1500TP to retain it. And my view is what you don’t know you don’t miss. The problem being that you may get used to the differences and be disappointed when you drop back to Silver.

[VinZ]

TicknBash wrote:

Someone posted the link below on cost per tier point a while back.
Might be of use for your purpose.

https://speedbird.online/fares.php?view=LowestFares&Selection=Lowest_Fares_Overall

Fantastic website, thank you!

[Lady London]

Don’t forget the threads on current tier point run opportunities on flyertalk

[ChrisC]

Whilst that website is a mine of info it’s not something to use when pricing up a TP run as those fares are not made from add the cost of DUB to LHR and then LHR to XXX and return. They have their own construction.

I managed a £1.95 per TP via a £1250 BA holiday (flights plus one night in an LHR hotel) trip DUB-LHR-JFK-SFO and return for 640 TPs

I did it because I like flying for lower fares rather than to get a particular status level. Plus I have the time and inclination to do it and don’t have a partner to placate or kids to consider.

If you can do a TP run as part of your travel plans anyway then do it that way but I personally wouldn’t do one just for the TPs. I could have an added an extra 80 to my above trip by changing JFK-SFO for LAX and adding LAX-SFO but even I have my limits!

I may have to do a TP run in October to make sure I get a GUF voucher but the £200 ish cost would be financially worth it but I think that would be just about my limit in spending for a status / benefit.

[YFP]

AJA wrote:

@YFP when does your tier year end? If it is a date in 2023 don’t forget your attaining Silver mid way through the year means that you will likely have Silver status until 2024 anyway. That means you only need to retain Silver in the year ending 2024 to have it until 2025. So only push for Gold now if the number of TP is easy to obtain.

I have never had anything higher than Silver and it suits me fine. You many value access to the FW at LHR and the Galleries First lounges but it doesn’t add that much to my mind.

Maybe if I had Gold I’d change my view but I really think that on an ongoing basis you have to fly a fair bit in Premium cabins to earn 1500TP to retain it. And my view is what you don’t know you don’t miss. The problem being that you may get used to the differences and be disappointed when you drop back to Silver.

Thanks for the response @AJA, my year resets in 8 Mar 2023, and i will have a guaranteed year till 8 Mar 2024. With the extended BA holiday double tier point offer, I’m confident i should be able to requalify for silver till 2025, so only thing i need to ask myself is if i want to do the extra flights this year to experience gold for a year!