TAP Air Portugal
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"Be prepared for extra charges or cancellation of your trip."
I was booked on flight TP93 from France to Brazil with a layover in Portugal. At the check-in desk at Paris Orly Airport, the staff member refused to issue my boarding pass because I didn’t have a return ticket from Brazil. This was incredibly frustrating, as Brazilian law does not require a return ticket for entry in many cases. Despite explaining this, the agent was impolite and unhelpful, and I was forced to purchase a last-minute return ticket—which I didn’t even end up using—just to be allowed to board. This caused unnecessary stress and significant extra expense. Based on this experience, I will never fly with this airline again.
"Gatwick to Porto"
We flew to Porto with TAP Airlines as part of our Saga holiday. The seats were comfortable with a reasonable amount of legroom. While the inflight service felt a bit haphazard and unorganized, the flight was under two hours and got us to our destination without issue. Overall, it was adequate for a short-haul journey.
"Choose Your Airport wisely"
My wife can't sleep upright on overnight flights, so I booked business class on TAP three months in advance at $3,500 roundtrip each—surprisingly the best deal I could find. The flight itself was lovely: lie-flat seats were comfortable, and the meal service was decent. We were scheduled to arrive in Lisbon at 10 AM but landed at noon—apparently, delays on that route were common that week. The real issue began at Lisbon Airport. Instead of the efficient "All Passports" line with human agents, we were funneled into the dysfunctional e-passport lane, where only one staff member supervised multiple glitchy machines. It took over 1.5 hours to get through passport control. Worse, our connecting flight to Seville was shown as departing from Terminal 2, which was incorrect. After a round trip on the shuttle, we missed our 1 PM connection—despite a 3-hour layover. TAP rebooked us on a 10:30 PM flight, and we spent the day in the business lounge, which thankfully offered good snacks and unlimited drinks. Bottom line: fly TAP Business if Lisbon is your final stop—but if you're connecting, especially within Europe, plan a much longer layover or avoid transferring through Lisbon altogether.
"Good"
Unfortunately, both my outbound and return flights were delayed. However, I appreciated that the airline kept us well-informed throughout via text updates, which helped manage expectations. The delay on the return flight was due to airport-related issues and not the airline's fault. On board, the staff were very friendly, and the food service was surprisingly good. I also found the legroom to be quite generous, especially for a smaller aircraft. Overall, despite the delays, I had a positive experience and would have no hesitation flying with this airline again.
"DO NOT TRAVEL TAP"
I flew from Lisbon to London yesterday and had booked my flight directly with TAP a year in advance. I checked in online 24 hours prior, received a boarding pass with a seat assignment, and arrived at the airport expecting a smooth experience. Instead, I was shocked to learn I had been placed on standby. TAP had overbooked the flight—by at least 8 passengers—due to combining flights from affiliate airlines. The staff were rude, dismissive, and unprofessional. Every time I asked a question, I was met with hostility, including statements like, “If you keep asking, I won’t help you.” It was incredibly stressful and disheartening. Eventually, I was allowed to board, though shoved into a cramped middle seat at the very back of the plane. Other passengers in the same situation weren't as lucky and were left behind. TAP showed no compassion, no ownership of their mistake, and no sense of responsibility toward their customers. I will never fly with TAP again after this appalling experience.
"If your seat is important to you, do not go Air Portugal"
I traveled from Lisbon to Toronto on April 14, 2024, with Air Portugal. I am extremely disappointed and upset with how the airline handled my Business Class seat reservation. I had carefully selected a solo seat months in advance because I have bad knees and prefer not to disturb others when getting up. My husband had a similar seat, and we both looked forward to a comfortable journey. However, at check-in, because I had requested elevator assistance in case the aircraft wasn’t parked at a sleeve, the staff insisted I give up my reserved seat. I refused, having gone through the same issue the year before when they tried to reassign my seat to someone visibly friendly with the crew. That time, I managed to get my seat back after raising the issue onboard. This time, I was sent to the Air Portugal office at the airport where I was told, rather bluntly, that I could not have both my assigned seat and assistance. I asked for the “Livro de Reclamações” (complaints book), and although the plane did end up boarding via a sleeve and I had no issue, I remained disturbed by the staff's behavior. Sure enough, once onboard, I noticed a gentleman—clearly friendly with the crew—sitting in the window seat they had tried to move me to. It became clear to me that Air Portugal prioritizes its own acquaintances or staff-connected passengers over paying customers, even in Business Class. After the flight, I followed up with a formal complaint, only to receive a generic, inaccurate reply justifying a seat change that never even occurred—because I had insisted on keeping my seat. When I contacted them again, I was treated with dismissiveness and never heard back. This is incredibly unprofessional and unethical. As a frequent flyer who used to travel with Air Portugal twice a year, I can no longer trust them. I have since switched to Air Canada, where I encountered no such issues—my seat was respected regardless of assistance needs. Air Portugal, you’ve lost a loyal customer, not because of a seat—but because of the way you treat your passengers. Respect and fairness matter.
"Sub-par on board service"
Check-in was standard, nothing special either good or bad. However, the onboard service was very limited, with staff who seemed disinterested and even a bit surly. They didn’t offer water at any point during the flight, and after serving our meal, they kept the seatbelt sign on for the rest of the journey, with no further service. The food was among the worst I’ve ever had on a plane. I would definitely look for an alternative airline in the future.
"The good, the bad, and the ugly"
TAP did everything most international airlines do these days—get you from A to B fairly efficiently. Since we had a long flight and accumulated a good number of miles, we flew in executive class from SFO to Lisbon (about 11 hours). The ground staff at SFO was efficient, helpful, and courteous, and boarding went smoothly. The seats were comfortable enough, though the "suites" could use some updating. The onboard staff was attentive and professional, and the food was average. The wine and liquor selection was top-notch, though. The entertainment console offered a wide variety of movies, TV shows, and music. My main issue was the comfort level of the seats. They were quite firm and not much wider than coach. While they recline to a sleeping position, I felt cramped when fully reclined—it felt like being in a coffin. Overall, the extra money spent didn’t lead to a significantly better experience. However, if you can afford it, I’d still recommend executive class for longer flights.
"TAP is horrible"
Traveling with this airline was an absolute nightmare. The entire operation felt poorly organized and severely understaffed. Flights were consistently delayed, airport queues were painfully long, and the staff ranged from unhelpful to openly hostile. To make matters worse, we had to return to the airport at 1 a.m. to retrieve our lost luggage—only to discover it still hadn’t arrived. The flight carrying it was delayed another 90 minutes. The experience was exhausting, frustrating, and completely avoidable with better management. I will be avoiding this airline in the future and would strongly urge others to do the same.
"TAP cheats you with overweight carry-on charges!"
I was really disappointed with TAP’s handling of overweight carry-on luggage. Despite having a check-in baggage allowance that I didn’t use, they charged me at the gate for 4 kg of excess weight. What’s worse, they don’t accept cash or American Express, and they don’t provide a receipt. I was verbally informed that the charge would be €65, but when I checked my Mastercard, I was charged €125. Since there’s no receipt, I have no way to dispute the charge. This is an underhanded way to treat customers, and I won’t be flying with TAP again.
TAP Air Portugal
TAP Air Portugal is the national airline of Portugal, headquartered at Lisbon Airport, which also serves as its main hub. A member of the Star Alliance since 2005, TAP operates approximately 2,500 flights weekly to 90 destinations across 34 countries. The airline has a modern fleet primarily composed of Airbus aircraft, with additional Embraer jets serving regional routes under TAP Express. Founded in 1945, TAP has experienced periods of both public and private ownership throughout its history.
Address
Edifício 25 do Aeroporto de Lisboa 1700-008 Lisbon Portugal
Website
www.tapairportugal.com
Email
[email protected]
Telephone
+351 218 415 000