My struggles with TAP continue. I now have United Gold status, so I should be able to have one checked bag in addition to my hand baggage, I think -- but I can find no way on my booking on TAP's web page to indicate that I'm planning to check a bag. Nor can I find a way to purchase a checked bag online; the link which is supposed to do this takes me to the "My Booking" page, which does not offer any such option. I promise, I have looked A LOT. The TAP iPhone app does offer an option to "add extras" on my reservation, but when I click on it, it just hangs for a while and then says "You are offline." I am not offline. I called TAP customer service, was on hold for a while, then heard a ringing and what sounded like someone picking up -- after that there was silence punctuated by occasional static for about a minute, then the line went dead.

What am I supposed to do here? I am concerned that I'm going to show up at the airport and be told that my Gold status doesn't count and that I'm going to be charged hundreds of dollars because I didn't reserve my checked bag in advance.