alveoli0

Hi everyone,

Looking to redeem my points for business class fare and the ideal flights are on TAP Portugal Airlines (YYZ - LIS - VCE) and (FCO - LIS - YYZ).

Any real reviews regarding the business class experience? Its our 20th wedding anniversary and would like to ensure the points are used wisely.

Thanks

24left

CONGRATS on the 20th anniversary.

You might also want to check the FT Forum:

Other European Airlines

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/other...-airlines-469/


To narrow search I used "TAP Business Class"

http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/searc...Business-Class


As for your comment "would like to ensure the points are used wisely.", can you be more specific?

alveoli0

Sorry - I did search quickly but was specifically looking at the experience from Toronto. From what i gather (I might be wrong) that there are several configurations with some of the seats being layflat and others angled. i cannot tell from AEROPLAN. The flight is TP262.

In regards to wisely - i would hate to waste the points on a flight that has poor seats, bad food and bad drinks. If that was the case, I'd just pay for an flight rather than use my points.

jerryhung

Honestly, don't even fly TAP with its high YQ/fees
but Google has some reviews
https://thepointsguy.com/2016/06/tap...30-biz-review/


TK should be best suited for your VCE/FCO, if not, SN or LX or UA

Read my signature thread

24left

@jerryhung

Thanks for your post!

midnightmartini

Happy anniversary!

A blogger flew TAP business class in June, and reading his review made it clear that it was to be avoided like the plague. http://onemileatatime.boardingarea.com/2017/06/30/tap-portugal-inflight-service/

Even without this review, I would not have used TAP. I wouldn't consider them to be a full service airline like Lufthansa or even Air Canada. More like Air Canada Rouge.

My suggestion is to use SWISS - look up individual segments from YYZ to ZRH, and then ZRH to FCO, and then call in to the aeroplan agents to book. You may find some SWISS flights that are low in fuel surcharges, with much better service and product.

LoveHateRelationship

I flew in Y and only within Europe. I would avoid them, the service was atrocious and the food was terrible. The stuff they were serving in J didn't look much better. I would honestly try and get on LH if possible and just do a stopover in Frankfurt. Get into the Schengen zone in Germany. The queue for non-EU and UK passports was HUGE in LIS. 5PM came around and 2 of the 3 customs officials got up and left while the queue was still bursting at the seams.

yyznomad

I've only done intra Europe on TP.

The in flight experience is basically on par with other star alliance carriers within Europe. They have an odd C cabin config on their narrowbodies with the port side having two seats with a weird and small leather slab dividing the seats, and the starboard side has three seats (therefore 2x3 config) without the middle seat blocked off so you could have all three seats occupied.

Also, their flagship lounge at LIS on the schengen side is a joke. At first it seems large but that's only because the walls are mirrored... you will find out quickly how small it is and with limited amenities. Depending on when you are there, it can get crowded quickly and finding a seat might be impossible.

Overall, not a fan of them.

Bonaventure

I've flown TAP in their old J a few times, and was certainly not impressed with seat, service, airport ops, food, loung, or anything. I'd imagine their new J to be on par with BA J, that is, at the bottom of the barrel.

alveoli0

Thank you guys so much!!! I've been a lurker for a long long time with a few posts here and there.

I had my doubts about this particular flight and will not be booking it.

Appreciate all of the help as always.

RoutingWonk

I've done it OPO-LIS-YYZ in J in July. The service was nothing special but I don't remember it being particularly horrible. The flight OPO-LIS was Y only but they let me priority board anyway.

The seat was was an angle-flat and they ran out of 2 of the 3 choices for J meal. It was similar to the LX J I had on the outbound YUL-ZRH. There is very little storage at the seat and the window seat doesn't have aisle access.

The inflight system was well stocked with movies but the wifi was per MB and so prohibitively expensive.

I'd fly it again. I think I paid about $500 USD for the one-way home. I'd call it a good PY rather than a J experience. I wouldn't expect to sleep well on an evening flight.

I'd book it again for cash but I wouldn't waste the miles making it part of an AE award with the YQ on it.

Also, I like LIS as an airport. The food is good, and there's a new lounge that just opened and the terminal isn't too busy. I like doing stopovers on TATL awards and LIS is an excellent city to spend a few days on a longer trip.

Stranger

Isn't TP upgrading to lie flat seats on the YYZ-LIS route?

Also, last time I had a leg on TP there were no surcharges. ind you that was last Jan.

jc94

The TAP ones I saw pop ups of late were about $100-$200 lower than AC scamcharges. For that you get an inferior (hard) product (to varying degrees) and have to go via LIS - for better or worse (consensus appears to be worse)

Unless you plan to stop or stay in LIS of course. Which might be worth it. Only been to Portugal once.

If YQ was zero, I might risk it.

mapleg

I looked in one of the blogs referenced upstream and saw this gem:

As it turns out, TAP doesn’t have a lounge at its main hub airport, opting to partner with a contract lounge, instead. Ouch!

I mean, that's just hilarious. Can't even have their own lounge at their hub which is also the largest city in the country.

djjaguar64

I am booked CPH_YYZ with TAP. $800CAD one way. I think they fly the re-configured planes to N. America.