TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier of Portugal. They are a full-service airline and you will find new planes, comfortable cabins, friendly service and competitive prices. They are a member of StarAlliance and an interesting alternative on flights around Europe, across the Atlantic or to Africa. Find out all you need to know about the TAP Air Portugal fleet, destinations, safety and ratings, as well as what experience to expect in TAP Air Portugal Business and Economy Class and whether it’s worth to join the TAP Air Portugal loyalty program Miles & Go!
The Airline: TAP Air Portugal (airline code TP) is a full-service airline based out of Lisbon International Airport (LIS). They serve 87 destinations in 36 countries with a fleet of 84 planes (average age 13.6 years).
Skytrax rates TAP Air Portugal as a 3* airline, the same level as Turkish Airlines or SAS Scandinavian.
Airline Ratings is giving them a perfect 7 (out of 7) safety rating.
OAG measures an On-Time Performance of only 61.8%, earning them a 1-star rating and making them one of the worst airlines for on-time operations!
You can find out more about their fleet and their destinations in TAP Air Portugal Facts & Figures!
The Experience: As a full-service carrier, TAP Air Portugal offers Business Class and Economy Class service
On short-haul flights, operated by single-aisle Airbus A319/320/321, TAP operates a European-style business class (see my TAP Business Class short-haul review), offering economy class seats with extra legroom and an empty middle seat, as well as some food & drinks.
TAP Economy class is competitive with modern seats in a 3-3 layout, average legroom and available food & drink.
For long-haul Business Class, TAP Air Portugal is converting their planes to fully-flat business class seats in a 1-2-1 layout with direct aisle access, making for very comfortable flights. I found the food, service and entertainment to be competitive, making it a great deal it prices that frequently undercut the business class competition.
You can expect similarly modern decor and good food also on the ground, at TAP Portugal’s Lisbon flagship lounge. If you fell in love with Portugese cheese tarts in Lisbon, you can have one more at the lounge before you leave.
The Rewards Program: TAP Air Portugal calls their rewards program TAP Miles & Go. You can earn and redeem miles on TAP flights as well as on StarAlliance partner flights. It’s one of the few programs that still awards miles based on distance flown. An innovative feature is the option to purhcase miles through a subscription and even get status in the process, making it more attractive for not-so frequent travelers who want to fly in style! Award redemptions offer the best value in Economy Class, – Business class awards can get expensive. Check out my detailed review of TAP Miles & Go here!