Graciecatt

Another FT'er directed me to to this thread. Any assistance would be greatly appreciated.

We are flying business class EWR-LIS (5-hour layover) -BCN leaving EWR at 5:40 pm. BCN is our first destination on a 3-country trip, which was booked using ANA miles transferred to TAP. The rest of the trip booked with the ANA miles is BCN-IST (stopover) then our return is ATH-IST-BOS.

I booked an economy class UA positioning flight on a separate ticket BOS-EWR that leaves BOS at 8 am and arrives at EWR at 9:30 am.

We are NOT checking any bags.

I have several questions please -

1. Is there any way we can get our EWR-LIS-BCN boarding pass before we leave BOS? Or do we have to check in at EWR?
   1. If we have to check in at EWR, we will need to exit security in Terminal C, go to the TAP check-in counter in Terminal B, then go back through security in Terminal B.
   2. BUT what time does the TAP check-in counter open? I'm reading 3 hours, 30 minutes prior to our flight so it might not open until 2 pm or 2:30 pm. We'd have to find something to do landside for 5 hours. I hear there is a PP lounge landside in Terminal B?
2. Is there any way to connect our UA positioning flight itinerary to the TAP EWR-LIS-BCN flight so we can get boarding passes before we leave home or is there no way b/c of having to show a person our covid documentation? Portugal requires PCR testing regardless of vaccination status 72 hours prior to boarding.
   1. Would it help if I upgraded our BOS-EWR UA flight to business to match our TAP flight class?
      1. We are all fully vaccinated and boosted and just got our Swiss EU Covid Certificates but I think we still have to test
3. Is it possible to check-in at another Terminal B check-in counter if the TAP counter isn't open yet? I read that the TAP check-in counter people are contract workers, not TAP employees. If we could check in earlier we could use a lounge.
4. If we are unable to get our TAP boarding passes before we land at EWR, can we still use the UA airside shuttle to get from Terminal C to B?

Thank you for any and all assistance in smoothing this out.