TAP Air Portugal (Transportes Aéreos Portugueses) is Portugal’s national airline carrier. A full-service airline and member of the Star Alliance, its offering differs greatly between its short-haul and long-haul routes. Its transatlantic business class fares rank among the best priced you’ll find, while short-haul European flights feel more like a budget airline experience.
Headquartered in Lisbon, its main playground is the European market. But the Atlantic coast location makes it a convenient launchpad for direct flights to the Americas. In particular, it’s a major operator to and from Brazil and is the best airline for flying direct between the US and Portugal.
Routes, network and fleet
TAP’s network spans 92 destinations, carrying 15.9 million passengers annually. Europe dominates the route map, with international service extending to Africa and throughout the Americas.
TAP operates direct UK routes from Lisbon and Porto to Manchester, London Heathrow and London Gatwick. It also offers direct flights to the US. Both Portuguese cities are solid destinations worth visiting in their own right, not just connection points.
The TAP fleet is extensive and, thankfully, has been modernised in recent years. Joining its roster of ageing aircraft are the more modern Airbus A320neo, A321neo, A330neo and A321LR models. This has seriously upgraded my opinion on TAP, as many of its planes are now way more comfortable and better equipped than older models.
Here’s a pro tip: it’s worth checking what plane your flight will use, especially if you’re flying transatlantic. The difference in quality, comfort and facilities between the old and the new “neo” models is significant.
How fare classes work
TAP’s fare structure is complicated. Short-haul flights within Europe and North Africa offer five fare types, while intercontinental routes add a sixth option. All fares span economy and business class only (no premium economy or first class), and not every fare appears on every route.
Fares in Europe and North Africa
Most TAP flights within Europe and North Africa offer business and economy. As a full-service airline, all fares include a 10 kg cabin bag plus a personal item. You can also pick and choose the services you want and add them to your fare.
Economy is split into Discount, Classic and Plus fares.
Discount includes only a cabin bag
Classic adds a 23 kg checked bag and standard seat selection
Plus builds on Classic with standard or comfort seat selection (subject to availability), priority check-in and priority baggage (great for dodging TAP’s typically long check-in queues). Plus fares are also refundable, though conditions apply
Business class is divided into Executive and Top Executive. Both give you the works: two cabin bags (up to 10 kg/22 lb each), two checked bags (up to 32kg/70 lb each), priority everything, lounge access and meals.
The only difference is that Top Executive fares offer full flexibility, they can be changed without charge or refunded with a charge.
I’ve never really understood this approach for short flights. Business class is mostly for folks hopping around Europe for work. The extra cost for all that luggage and a meal on a two-hour flight seems like overkill. I always opt for a Discount fare and just add a comfort seat if I need it, which is basically the same seat as in business class.
Fares to and from North and South America
TAP’s intercontinental flights cross the pond to the Americas, with Brazil being its biggest market by a long shot. The airline runs 96 weekly flights (averaging about 13 daily) across 15 different routes there.
In economy, the Discount, Classic and Plus fares offer the same perks as their European counterparts, but they all include meals. TAP also adds another fare called Basic, which is just a Discount fare with a 23 kg checked bag. Both business class fares come with the same services as on short-haul flights, with Top Executive offering free changes and refunds while Executive charges fees for changes and is more restrictive on refunds.
Onboard: seats, facilities and meals
TAP’s fleet is split between short and long-haul planes. Short and medium-haul routes mostly use A320 and A321 models (both old and new), plus Embraer 195 jets operated by TAP Express. The long-haul fleet uses A330s, including the A330neo, and some smaller A321LRs. That LR stands for long range, by the way. If you find yourself on a neo plane, you’re in for a comfortable ride. The older models? Not so much.
On board short-haul
Short-haul economy offers more than you might expect. The green-headrested seats provide 31 inches of legroom, have a 4-5 inch recline, and come with electrical and USB outlets plus adjustable headrests. There’s no individual entertainment screen or Wi-Fi on most of these planes, but they’re comfy enough for a few hours.
There’s also a “comfort area” with red headrests. These seats offer 32-34 inches of legroom, a 5-7 inch recline, electrical and USB outlets, and an adjustable headrest. They’re much more comfortable and worth considering for flights over two hours. On most of these routes, business class is just a comfort seat with the middle one empty, another reason I usually skip it.
In economy, you can buy snacks from a trolley using contactless payment or credit cards—cash isn’t accepted. Business class meals vary a lot by route, from simple snacks to plated meals with wine.
On board long-haul
The A330’s 2-4-2 layout is a great configuration for long-haul economy. Travelling with a companion? You can snag your own private pair of window seats. Not being subject to your fellow fliers’ quirks (and restroom habits) on long flights is a privilege worth considering when booking.
Economy
The Recaro seats are comfy and have supportive, foldable headrests. Two magazine racks give you plenty of storage, and every seat has electrical and USB outlets. You get a manageable 31 inches of legroom and a 4-5 inch recline. TV screens are decent, but I’ve always found the film library a little behind the times.
The comfort area on long-haul flights gives you a bit more space, with legroom increasing to 32-34 inches and a recline of 5-7 inches. The difference is small, but if you’re tall, it’s an affordable upgrade. This section also tends to be less crowded, so you have a better shot at an empty seat next to you.
Meals, including beer and Portuguese wines, are included and are perfectly fine. Expect the usual chicken, pasta or fish options, and be sure to order special meals in advance. If you’re hoping for hard liquor to ease the journey, you’ll be disappointed as none is available. You’ll get a second snack before landing and can always ask for more drinks from the galley.
Business
Business class is a different world, though the experience depends on the plane. The good news is all business seats are lie-flat. The bad news? A wild variety of configurations means some window seats don’t have direct aisle access. Paying business class prices to climb over a sleeping neighbour? Unacceptable. Once again, the A330neo with its 1-2-1 layout is the one you want to book.
Otherwise, the seats are wide, legroom is plentiful and the Wi-Fi and entertainment are excellent. TAP’s “Local Stars” project brings menus from renowned Portuguese chefs using local ingredients. The tableware is custom-made, the TAP Wine Experience showcases Portuguese grape varieties, and the desserts are, naturally, outrageous.
Lounges
TAP operates two lounges at Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport. The TAP Premium Lounge Tejo sits in the Schengen area (wrong side of security for UK-bound or long-haul travellers), making it risky given Lisbon’s notoriously slow and unpredictable security queues.
TAP recently opened its TAP Premium Lounge Atlântico in the Non-Schengen area. Located after security in Terminal One, it’s a much better option for transatlantic travellers. Don’t get too excited, though. While it’s modern and clean, it doesn’t quite stack up to lounges from other premium airlines. It offers meals, free Wi-Fi and a bar, with dedicated work areas, but the 100-seat capacity gets very busy, much like Lisbon airport itself.
This KAYAK-commissioned article is presented as-is, for general informational purposes only, and may not be up to date. The opinions contained in the article are original to the author and reflect their authentic experience, which may vary significantly from the experience of others. Find more perspectives in our user reviews below.
