This is a follow up to a posting entitled “Seats on TAP”.

The long story is, I was booked on a UA codeshare on TAP, IAD to LIS via Newark, and TAP would not confirm seats for a *A gold FF. I thought this was stupid. At web-check-in – nada, but at the counter, I was surprised to find I had what looked like a decent seat. I never found out. The connection to Newark was too late for me to consider making the flight, and UA in a very pro-active fashion created a backup via Heathrow, and then used it (without my asking), as well as put me a blocked seat (window-emergency exit on a full 777) rather than shove me in the middle of E+. (Kuddos to the staff in the Red Carpet Lounge in Terminal C, opposite Gate 20 at IAD.) Due to their efforts, I made it, but despite their efforts, my luggage did not. It took 36 hours to show up, but had they not switched me, I would have failed to arrive to give me talk.

So, going home, I took TAP. Little is out there on TAP. It is not on SeatGuru, and it does not rate a page on Flyertalk. The plane is on an avionic antique – A310. I recommend seats 12B and 12H - Emergency exit/bulk head/aisle with foot rest. Flight is 3/8ths full, and I get this impression this is common. The wine is excellent, and the pasta better than most coach – beats the B-class leftovers LH gave me on a flight!

This is an OLD plane. Clean, and kept, but old. (Reportedly retired LH and SwissAir). The seats have thinner cushions, the audio controls are real dials and there is no air nozzle. It helps to be smaller than average. I am 5’8” and comfortable, but friends over 6’ have complained it can be cramped. The crew makes up for it-attentive and polite. It rattles and hisses, but otherwise resembles any other Airbus – a shimmy and shake on lift off and landing

In summary, if you need to go to Portugal, and are a *A miles whore, consider it. But book as a UA codeshare and leave EXTRA time in Newark for the transfers. What a dump! It is faster than the alternatives. TAP actually does pay attention to the FF, they just keep you in suspense. It is probably better on the west bound, than the east bound. The European leg (Heathrow Lisbon) on TAP was OK, very budget airlines, but without the charge per item or the advertisements you find on RyanAir. I am convinced Heathrow is Welch for Hell Hole.

Now – how the hell do I get to Dublin on *A without going thru Heathrow?

Genejock

FRA/ZRH/MUC/CPH? Dunno if BD has a MAN-DUB flight.

No, Manchester is not a BD route to Dublin - only Heathrow.
It depends where you start from: ('if I were you , I wouldn't start from here...)
TAP, SAS , Swiss all are mentioned on the list of airlines, though I don't know if some are just code-share. SAS does Copenhagen - great airport.
http://www.dublinairport.com/flight-...ght-timetables should give more info, but its not a great site, and you will have to download the timetable to get a full list of airlines

The A310s TP has are all originally purchased by TAP:

http://airfleets.net/flottecie/TAP%2...ctive-a310.htm

The CS-TDI has had a few owners, but the rest were always run by TP.

The 332 and 343 that TP operates are common to LX, OS and ex-SN. Nice aircraft.

Well TAP may have bought them new, but they remain avionic antiques. The emergency exit door has no window, but a nice lilttle pressure guage, and a bit more noice than I would like.

As for WAS to DUB, it appears that USAirways offers DCA to PHI to DUB. Not sexy, but probably adequate for this mile-whore who is stuck on US flag or code share thanks to "Fly America".

The question is, how does Philly compare to Newark for entry and transfer on International? That is why I tend to do my transfers overseas. At least I get to shop.

Question is how likely is anyone to survive US TATL flights compared to other airlines?

PHL is terrible to transfer into the US even compared to EWR. Fly America is also possible on LH codeshare with UA.

I would not set foot into a US operated longhaul, especially their 762.

Going to Dublin:
LH: FRA
LX: ZRH
SK: CPH, OSL, ARN
LO: WAW

And in the summer:
AC: YYZ
US: PHL

No TAP it seems, though, which means I'll have to find some other way to give them a try, esp. if there's a *A promotion coming up...

Pardon my ignorance, what is "FLY AMERICA"?

-A.

It is the US goverment's intepretation of free competion. Basically it is (to my knowledge) a program that dictates that all US government and state officials MUST fly on American carriers.

Combined with the max 20% foreign ownership for US carriers, the lack of rights for foreign carriers to fly within the US and the chapter 11 mess it clearly shows the commitment level to free trade (is it a one way street?)

Reminds me of the old John Prine song about the unlucky fella who drives down a one-way street only to discover that it's a dead end!

cheers,

Henry

If I understood correctly, this will be scrapped for TATL flights according to the latest "open skies" deal that the EU and the US agreed upon.

SmilingBoy.

One would think so - the latest I heard was all the elements I mentioned above still stand - after all we want to promote a free market, right

Unfortunately our American friends are largely full of hot air. Despite talk of liberalisation, America is happy to continue with protectionalist zeal.

You missed the other half of the Fly America program: that in exchange for requiring government officials to use US carriers when available, US carriers participate in the US Civil Air Reserve Fleet. Whether or not the CARF is needed can be debated, but the original Fly America Act was designed to compensate US carriers for having to give up their fleets or service if called upon to do so.

It is obviously anti-competitive, but the original reason for Fly America was not to lower competition.