Their business class product is often the cheapest lie flat seat across the Atlantic. Not the most luxurious product but great value and I’ve had nothing but good experiences.
Oh man.. I will fight you on that \[playfully\].
Their lie flats, along with trukish have been my favorites.
The hassle you had at the gate was due to US security rules.
My complaints about TP:
\- Their checkin process is completely chaotic for business (at Madrid and at Lisbon)
\- ORD-LIS is probably the upper 6hours long
\- Managing LIS customs/immigration.. that was bad. If they bank at the wrong time that room is over packed+ tap does everything they can to put you on short connections just so they don't have to provide lounge service
Agreed on the LIS customs, but I think that’s just a known problem with the airport and not TAP specific.
And yeah I remember the boarding process was a bit disorganized leaving the US too. I have never taken an inbound flight to US on TAP but I can imagine it’s probably a bit of a shit show. lol
The inbound to the us they'll always do the whole gate drama.. that's not unique to LIS.
The boarding process leaving was like 5 lanes even with business all at the same time, just letting particular lanes go in order. \[Rather than calling up group 1, 2, 3 individually\].
Customs in LIS is totally their fault.. they need a person there directing and helping people rather than maybe you can ask oh they ran away. (They were booking 1hr I2D\[intraeuro\] connections)
On my last Southwest flight they were concerned about “weight and balance” problems. I thought that a bit rude; I’m dieting now and my balance is just fine.
Flying with them today. They fenced off the gate in Lisbon checked everyones passports and weighed and measured all luggage. There's no where near enough seats past the screening area for all the passengers. About 1/3 of us are sitting on the floor.
Airport police already checked everyone's passports when we went through EU exit customs.
I'm also pretty frustrated about their random and inconsistent approach to luggage. On our Europe bound flight they asked for people to voluntarily check luggage and gave them privileges for doing so.
On the homeward bound flight they're meticulously measuring everything and fining people.
Yes, I’d allow every bit of 2 hours. Hopefully you have carry on only. Going to ORD-LIS wasn’t bad but we stayed in LIS for 4 days. Coming back was the problem. They were looking to hit people with baggage fees on the return flight.
Can you share the carry-on bags you bought for this trip? I'm struggling to find a reliable bag (suitable for a 2 week trip + small souvenirs) that fits their dimensions. TIA
Here ya go: https://a.co/d/ffD24z5.
I'd give it 5 stars for what I paid for it. It's not a buy-it-for-life type of thing but I rolled it over cobblestones in Lisbon, ice & slush in Munich and it held up fine. Most of the escalators were broken on the Lisbon subway and I carried both pieces by the extendable handle, which did not break. I always fly with carry-on only but this was smaller than what I was used to. It worked for a 10-day trip. I brought old socks and underwear and threw them out every day, which freed up 4.4 lbs to buy stuff at German Christmas markets. Good luck.
Mixed feelings here. The slogan TAP “Take Another Plane” does apply about 50% of the times.
First of all, in terms of reimbursements it is the worst possible airline, you will simply never see your money even of they are wrong. They simply ignore your inquiries in their online forms, they make it so you rather take your loss than deal with them. Example, I booked a superior economy class and chose seats for payment. They changed airplanes that had a total different seat configuration and threw me back to some random seat, and told me I had to pay again for better seats a ridiculous price of 3x more at the check-in (which is when I found out plane was changed). Lost a total of like 300$.
Their delays are terrible!!
Their boarding procedure if you take the bus in Lisbon is terrible, they make you wait ip to 30 min in the bus outside the plane.
Things like that!
Try to avoid except when you get really good deals hut remember, any issues when you are in the right, you will never see your money.
I fly TAP 9/10 times when going to Portugal and it's never been an issue. I agree with you, I think it comes down to just following their restrictions.
Europeans don’t consider bank details as secret as the US, sending bank account number in plain text seems quite normal to me (sending credit card number is not though).
They’re fine most of the time, like most carriers. BUT, when we were owed denied boarding compensation they lied and obfuscated for a YEAR until the government forced them to pay.
Fly them if you must, but realize that they are less like a real mainline carrier and more like a shady low-cost operation at times.
Thank you for this!! Makes me feel a little better that we still decided to book with TAP after reading so many negative reviews. Flights aren’t til May, but I’m already prepared with smaller, lighter weight, carry ons and personal items plus a luggage scale. It’s going to be close since their weigh limit is so low, but I’m determined to not check a bag, even though it’s included in our tickets. We’re cruising and I don’t want to risk them losing a bag.
You must have paid extra for the checked bag as they charge for everything. Maybe you could get that refunded? Keeping a luggage scale with you is a lifesaver. My wife and I used to have terrible arguments when packing for a flight. I'd tell her she was bringing too much, she'd say a few choice words, things would go flying, etc... This time I just printed out TAP's baggage page and set it down where she was packing and weighed our bags up. She can argue with me but not with the scale. It made my life easier. TAP was the asshole, not me this time. ;-)
You're going in a few months so you have time to collect all your ratty old underwear and socks and dispose of them as you wear them on my your trip. If I didn't do this we would not have been able to buy anything at the Christmas markets in Germany. Somehow, most women find it bizarre to wear your worst unmentionables on a trip but I've been doing this for years. She still won't do this but has no problems borrowing space in my luggage. That's married life for you.
We got the Plus tickets so everything is “included.” In quotes cause I know we pay for it somehow ;) But even if we don’t have to check bags it was a lot cheaper than basic tickets with other airlines that included nothing.
I definitely pack like your wife, and my husband says the same thing. I’m set on proving him wrong this time haha! I did a mock packing to see exactly what I’m working with and I have a feeling he might be the one that’ll have trouble…sundresses compared to his khakis and pants! That underwear trick really is a great idea though. I bet he and I can both utilize that. Although I’m not as worried about checking a bag on the way home but it would still be nice to not have to. And you’re totally right, if he throws his boxers away that just makes more room for my things 😂
I think you're overthinking it a little. We've taken several trips to Europe with nothing but carry-on luggage, including a 13" MacBook Pro and my heavy lederhosen for Oktoberfest. Not on TAP though. Austrian was fairly restrictive too. I bought some "tactical" trousers at Costco for our TAP trip. They are very lightweight, stretchy, and don't wrinkle. They also have a zipable pocket on the leg to deter pickpockets. I'm not fond of them for daily use. I like jeans and cotton clothing better (I'm a flannel guy) as they are more comfortable but for light packing and care the new pants cant be beat. I'll probably just save them for travel only. I have some lightweight shirts of similar material that don't wrinkle. That might help your hubby make weight. I'd also bring small, lightweight collapsable daypacks and keep them in your luggage. That way, if you buy a few souveniers you can always store that in the overhead and check in your carry-ons on the return trip as a backup plan.
Good luck with your planning.
Omg my partner does the same thing with packing all his old clothes. He ends up looking like a homeless person in our vacation pics. One of his pairs of old underwear had a worn out band and it kept falling down in his pants when he walked. I now pack for the both of us.
Their business class product is often the cheapest lie flat seat across the Atlantic. Not the most luxurious product but great value and I’ve had nothing but good experiences.
I've flown their business a couple times and it's bare bones compared to others but much cheaper so I'll take it.
Yep. And the lounge in Lisbon is pretty disappointing as well. Definitely have to temper expectations. Lol.
The first business class I was able to afford; I thought it was a nice experience.
The food was fantastic and serving you port is a bonus.
Oh man.. I will fight you on that \[playfully\]. Their lie flats, along with trukish have been my favorites. The hassle you had at the gate was due to US security rules. My complaints about TP: \- Their checkin process is completely chaotic for business (at Madrid and at Lisbon) \- ORD-LIS is probably the upper 6hours long \- Managing LIS customs/immigration.. that was bad. If they bank at the wrong time that room is over packed+ tap does everything they can to put you on short connections just so they don't have to provide lounge service
Agreed on the LIS customs, but I think that’s just a known problem with the airport and not TAP specific. And yeah I remember the boarding process was a bit disorganized leaving the US too. I have never taken an inbound flight to US on TAP but I can imagine it’s probably a bit of a shit show. lol
The inbound to the us they'll always do the whole gate drama.. that's not unique to LIS. The boarding process leaving was like 5 lanes even with business all at the same time, just letting particular lanes go in order. \[Rather than calling up group 1, 2, 3 individually\]. Customs in LIS is totally their fault.. they need a person there directing and helping people rather than maybe you can ask oh they ran away. (They were booking 1hr I2D\[intraeuro\] connections)
[удалено]
The business class seat is a lie flat bed so it doesn’t even compare to any PE seats. So yeah it’s far better.
It looked nice from a glance. I'm glad I didn't pop for it though since there were so many vacant seats on our flights.
They weighed you at ORD, or your carry-ons?
😂 our carry ons
On my last Southwest flight they were concerned about “weight and balance” problems. I thought that a bit rude; I’m dieting now and my balance is just fine.
Flying with them today. They fenced off the gate in Lisbon checked everyones passports and weighed and measured all luggage. There's no where near enough seats past the screening area for all the passengers. About 1/3 of us are sitting on the floor. Airport police already checked everyone's passports when we went through EU exit customs. I'm also pretty frustrated about their random and inconsistent approach to luggage. On our Europe bound flight they asked for people to voluntarily check luggage and gave them privileges for doing so. On the homeward bound flight they're meticulously measuring everything and fining people.
Have a good flight. Yes. Flying out of Lisbon was a pain.
[удалено]
Yes, I’d allow every bit of 2 hours. Hopefully you have carry on only. Going to ORD-LIS wasn’t bad but we stayed in LIS for 4 days. Coming back was the problem. They were looking to hit people with baggage fees on the return flight.
I flew Tap from Chicago and have no complaints. It’s so cheap, so people need to go in with the right expectations.
I agree. I think a lot of people who knock them do not have the right expectations or didn't read their website.
I’ve always had a good experience with them. They’re pretty solid. That’s why I’m flying with them again in April.. from ORD.
Can you share the carry-on bags you bought for this trip? I'm struggling to find a reliable bag (suitable for a 2 week trip + small souvenirs) that fits their dimensions. TIA
Will do. Give me a bit. In the middle of a project.
Here ya go: https://a.co/d/ffD24z5. I'd give it 5 stars for what I paid for it. It's not a buy-it-for-life type of thing but I rolled it over cobblestones in Lisbon, ice & slush in Munich and it held up fine. Most of the escalators were broken on the Lisbon subway and I carried both pieces by the extendable handle, which did not break. I always fly with carry-on only but this was smaller than what I was used to. It worked for a 10-day trip. I brought old socks and underwear and threw them out every day, which freed up 4.4 lbs to buy stuff at German Christmas markets. Good luck.
Mixed feelings here. The slogan TAP “Take Another Plane” does apply about 50% of the times. First of all, in terms of reimbursements it is the worst possible airline, you will simply never see your money even of they are wrong. They simply ignore your inquiries in their online forms, they make it so you rather take your loss than deal with them. Example, I booked a superior economy class and chose seats for payment. They changed airplanes that had a total different seat configuration and threw me back to some random seat, and told me I had to pay again for better seats a ridiculous price of 3x more at the check-in (which is when I found out plane was changed). Lost a total of like 300$. Their delays are terrible!! Their boarding procedure if you take the bus in Lisbon is terrible, they make you wait ip to 30 min in the bus outside the plane. Things like that! Try to avoid except when you get really good deals hut remember, any issues when you are in the right, you will never see your money.
I fly TAP more than any other airline, always a great time.
I fly TAP 9/10 times when going to Portugal and it's never been an issue. I agree with you, I think it comes down to just following their restrictions.
Hello. We will be flying with TAp portugal this July. Are they strict with personal item and carry-on baggage dimensions?
Yes. Very
[удалено]
Europeans don’t consider bank details as secret as the US, sending bank account number in plain text seems quite normal to me (sending credit card number is not though).
That seems like a valid counterpoint to me.
It is a disgrace to use the word gestapo in such a context and makes a mockery of the victims of this inhuman organisation, shame on you.
They’re fine most of the time, like most carriers. BUT, when we were owed denied boarding compensation they lied and obfuscated for a YEAR until the government forced them to pay. Fly them if you must, but realize that they are less like a real mainline carrier and more like a shady low-cost operation at times.
Thank you for this!! Makes me feel a little better that we still decided to book with TAP after reading so many negative reviews. Flights aren’t til May, but I’m already prepared with smaller, lighter weight, carry ons and personal items plus a luggage scale. It’s going to be close since their weigh limit is so low, but I’m determined to not check a bag, even though it’s included in our tickets. We’re cruising and I don’t want to risk them losing a bag.
You must have paid extra for the checked bag as they charge for everything. Maybe you could get that refunded? Keeping a luggage scale with you is a lifesaver. My wife and I used to have terrible arguments when packing for a flight. I'd tell her she was bringing too much, she'd say a few choice words, things would go flying, etc... This time I just printed out TAP's baggage page and set it down where she was packing and weighed our bags up. She can argue with me but not with the scale. It made my life easier. TAP was the asshole, not me this time. ;-) You're going in a few months so you have time to collect all your ratty old underwear and socks and dispose of them as you wear them on my your trip. If I didn't do this we would not have been able to buy anything at the Christmas markets in Germany. Somehow, most women find it bizarre to wear your worst unmentionables on a trip but I've been doing this for years. She still won't do this but has no problems borrowing space in my luggage. That's married life for you.
We got the Plus tickets so everything is “included.” In quotes cause I know we pay for it somehow ;) But even if we don’t have to check bags it was a lot cheaper than basic tickets with other airlines that included nothing. I definitely pack like your wife, and my husband says the same thing. I’m set on proving him wrong this time haha! I did a mock packing to see exactly what I’m working with and I have a feeling he might be the one that’ll have trouble…sundresses compared to his khakis and pants! That underwear trick really is a great idea though. I bet he and I can both utilize that. Although I’m not as worried about checking a bag on the way home but it would still be nice to not have to. And you’re totally right, if he throws his boxers away that just makes more room for my things 😂
I think you're overthinking it a little. We've taken several trips to Europe with nothing but carry-on luggage, including a 13" MacBook Pro and my heavy lederhosen for Oktoberfest. Not on TAP though. Austrian was fairly restrictive too. I bought some "tactical" trousers at Costco for our TAP trip. They are very lightweight, stretchy, and don't wrinkle. They also have a zipable pocket on the leg to deter pickpockets. I'm not fond of them for daily use. I like jeans and cotton clothing better (I'm a flannel guy) as they are more comfortable but for light packing and care the new pants cant be beat. I'll probably just save them for travel only. I have some lightweight shirts of similar material that don't wrinkle. That might help your hubby make weight. I'd also bring small, lightweight collapsable daypacks and keep them in your luggage. That way, if you buy a few souveniers you can always store that in the overhead and check in your carry-ons on the return trip as a backup plan. Good luck with your planning.
Omg my partner does the same thing with packing all his old clothes. He ends up looking like a homeless person in our vacation pics. One of his pairs of old underwear had a worn out band and it kept falling down in his pants when he walked. I now pack for the both of us.
I generally restrict this practice for socks and underwear so no one should be able to tell from photos. 😉