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TAP Airline


Sherry H
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Would really appreciated any feed back from folks who have flown TAP. I have read some reviews but especially value the opinion of my cruise critic friends.

We are considering flying from Miami to Rome.

Thanks,

Sherry

 

They are on par with most of the European and North American airlines. I did a transatlantic trip with them 20 years ago. In modern time I have only been on them short hall. Key differences:

 

- they have been around for decades. Well established.

- Part of star alliance. You can credit points to other star partners, such as united or Air Canada.

- Friendly crew.

- They are going through some type of fleet renewal.

- they are Portuguese. Wine flows pretty easily at dinner.

- Not certain how the business class product is these days. In the last few years I have only been on them in economy.

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I've flown them longhaul a few times between Portugal and both Brazil and Angola. This was in Business Class. They're okay...

 

Shorthaul, I've flown them domestically and within Europe a few times. Again, they're okay...This was in economy class.

 

I don't go out of my way to avoid them, but I also wouldn't go out of my way to take them. They're just kinda...there.

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Nope, no oil industry. Have some connections in Angola and have been there several times over the years. Used to be sketchy, but haven't felt worried in many years now. But I'm originally from Africa so I have a high tolerance of "sketchy"...it's definitely not a place for everyone.

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It seems that TAP is prepared to overnight crews there, so maybe it's not so bad.

 

I know BA has an interesting schedule to LAD because it's not prepared to do that.

 

Angola is a former colony of Portugal. TAP Air Portugal was founded in the 1940s and they have probably been flying into Angola since that time.

 

There are very deep business and family ties between Portugal and its former colonies.

 

For a period before Macao was turned back over to China TAP also run flights out there. These days they don't go out that far.

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Angola is a former colony of Portugal. TAP Air Portugal was founded in the 1940s and they have probably been flying into Angola since that time.
Indeed, but that doesn't itself explain why one European airline considers it safe to allow its crew to stay overnight in Luanda, but a different European airline still considers that that is too unsafe and adopts unusual measures to avoid it.
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Indeed, but that doesn't itself explain why one European airline considers it safe to allow its crew to stay overnight in Luanda, but a different European airline still considers that that is too unsafe and adopts unusual measures to avoid it.

 

Due to the strong ties, they have a better understanding of the issues of operating in the region and may feel more comfortable with the situation. They have their own downtown ticket office, they likely also have their own employees working at the airport.

 

Another European airlines might view it as an outstation where they contract out all the airport functions to a partner and depend on the partner to do any local sales.

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I have flown on TAP several times from São Paulo to Lisbon and from Lisbon to Rome and Amsterdam to Lisbon. All these flights were in Biz class.

 

They are fine. All flights were on time, no lost luggage, attentive service. Food is satisfactory and seats not so great ( on the 340 the seats were 160 degree incline rather than full lie flat).

 

I have always found good availability for using my miles. Obviously they don’t compare to many other airlines like Singapore, but they are a solid airline.

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Flew TAP MIA-VCE and back FCO-MIA last Fall (both via LIS). On time both ways. Comfortable. Good crews. Saved about $1,000 business class over domestic offerings on same route. Would fly them again. Also have flown Aerolineas Argentinas MIA-USH and back. Excellent airline.

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  • 2 weeks later...

We're flying TAP for the first time ever this fall using our Star Alliance points to get us to Copenhagen via Lisbon from Toronto. At least we had enough points for business class even if the routing is a bit odd. The only other alternative for the date we wanted was LOT Polish Airlines through Warsaw. Sounds like TAP is a decent product if not exactly a 5 star airline. Good enough for me and beats a day at work anytime.

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We're flying TAP for the first time ever this fall using our Star Alliance points to get us to Copenhagen via Lisbon from Toronto. At least we had enough points for business class even if the routing is a bit odd. The only other alternative for the date we wanted was LOT Polish Airlines through Warsaw. Sounds like TAP is a decent product if not exactly a 5 star airline. Good enough for me and beats a day at work anytime.

 

TAP is fine and Lisbon is a nice easy airport to connect in. Make sure you try a "pastel de nata" (Portuguese custard tart) during the layover. :D

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We're flying TAP for the first time ever this fall using our Star Alliance points to get us to Copenhagen via Lisbon from Toronto. At least we had enough points for business class even if the routing is a bit odd. The only other alternative for the date we wanted was LOT Polish Airlines through Warsaw. Sounds like TAP is a decent product if not exactly a 5 star airline. Good enough for me and beats a day at work anytime.

 

Shame you didn't go with LOT - of the 4 Star Alliance airlines I've flown in business class, it's a close second (to Turkish) for me in terms of hard & soft product, plus their long-haul fleet is exclusively 787 dreamliners. Plus the fees are cheaper (when you book with Aeroplan points). Mind you, the pastel de nata might persuade me to give TAP a try...:confused: :D

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Diabetic here but may be worth a cheat - sounds delicious.:p

 

Oooooh, my apologies. :o

 

There is a very decent selection of food at Lisbon so you should still be able to find something tasty to enjoy if the custard tarts are off limits.

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Oooooh, my apologies. :o

 

There is a very decent selection of food at Lisbon so you should still be able to find something tasty to enjoy if the custard tarts are off limits.

 

If flying business class I would be surprised if the custard tarts were not part of the in flight offering.

 

They are hard to escape. That is generally a good thing, unless your diabetic.

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We're flying TAP for the first time ever this fall using our Star Alliance points to get us to Copenhagen via Lisbon from Toronto. At least we had enough points for business class even if the routing is a bit odd.

 

Given that TAP is a Portugese airline, it actually makes perfect sense that you would be routed through Lisbon. If you were booked on Air France, you'd be routed through Paris. If you were booked on Alitalia, you'd be routed through Rome, etc.

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Given that TAP is a Portugese airline, it actually makes perfect sense that you would be routed through Lisbon. If you were booked on Air France, you'd be routed through Paris. If you were booked on Alitalia, you'd be routed through Rome, etc.

 

I think we all know that. What the odd part is that I had to take a route going out of my way to get to Copenhagen and not fly to Copenhagen from Toronto directly.....all due to the availability of flights on said dates with points. You take what you can get.

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I think we all know that. What the odd part is that I had to take a route going out of my way to get to Copenhagen and not fly to Copenhagen from Toronto directly.....all due to the availability of flights on said dates with points. You take what you can get.

 

Yes, but one non-stop flight would be so booooring! :D;p I think posters on CC here are quite obsessed with taking the most direct air routing possible. This is in great contrast to the Aeroplan board on Flyertalk, where many are devoted to maximizing their allowed routing possibilities and stopover allowances. I'm sure many here would be appalled with the routing I'll be taking tomorrow to get to Spain - YQB-YYZ-WAW (overnight)-BCN, but over there that would be small potatoes.

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I think posters on CC here are quite obsessed with taking the most direct air routing possible. This is in great contrast to the Aeroplan board on Flyertalk, where many are devoted to maximizing their allowed routing possibilities and stopover allowances.
In this respect at least, CCers behave more like normal people. ;)
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I think we all know that. What the odd part is that I had to take a route going out of my way to get to Copenhagen and not fly to Copenhagen from Toronto directly.....all due to the availability of flights on said dates with points. You take what you can get.

 

My apologies if I misunderstood your question regarding the "odd" routing. That said, you'd be surprised at how many people actually do NOT understand the whole concept of hub airports and routing through them. Both in online forums and in person among non-frequent fliers, I'm frequently reminded of this as folks express surprise at having to connect in a particular city, or express confusion as to why they can't fly nonstop from their home airport in Podunk to city X, why they have to fly "out of their way" through city Y to get a flight to city X, etc.

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