Star Alliance Gold Benefits - TAP Portugal
 

Hi everyone,

I am considering using TAP Portugal for the first time and had a quick question. I have Star Alliance Gold and was wondering if you buy the 'hand baggage only' ticket if you are able to select seats in advance? I see that we are allowed to bring extra baggage but I cannot see anywhere about the seat selection or lounge access.


Thank you in advance!

With *G and a hand baggage only fare you get:
Lounge access = yes
Priority boarding and security = Yes
Hand baggage = 1+1
Free checked in luggage = none (*G benefit does NOT apply)
Seats = pay in advance or at check-in, free 3 hours before departure.

I am Star Alliance Gold and have never had a problem checking in a bag for free on hand baggage only fares...

You take a chance with agents who may not be knowledgeable.

"Never had a problem" being code for successfully sweet-talking the agent into overlooking the rules, or for encountering agents who just didn't know/realise/check that you are not entitled to a baggage allowance?

Just flew them last week, inter Europe, checked in online. Had all *G benefits. Didn't use there lounge as I have PP and like their lounge better, but was allowed to access it.

I've experienced no problems either ... so far.

I've no idea if this is a fluke, down to my ineffable charm,the kindness (or ignorance) of the agent, or a glitch in TP's system. And so far I've not been silly enough to delve deeper :D

I'm no longer in TP's fan club, so my experience of these fares in the last year were limited to a couple of MAN LIS trips when Ryanair were more expensive.

*G were allowed a free bag on discount fares until about 6 months ago....they perhaps were not yet trained on the new rules but I'm not sure I'd risk it if I didn't want to pay the bag fee.

If i add one Checked luggage online (25 € on my connection) do i get another one for free on *G on discount Fare?

Sadly no. You have to buy a ticket with a fare that includes baggage to get the extra *G allowance.

I could use the online checkin today. I could add 1 piece for free with no charge. I have other bookings without status it says it exceeds the free allowed luggage.
But i couldn't create boarding passes because i changed my seats now the want to charge me for the seats..
When can i deploy the mobile boarding pass? I read 3 h before takeoff?

​​​​​​https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/othe...-exit-row.html

It seems TAP have shifted their luggage policy for *G back to allowing one free bag, even on their "Discount" fares. I booked a flight a few months ago, that I just checked in for. When I booked, I'm 99% sure their website said that *G on discount fares got no free checked luggage unless the one ticket spanned multiple *A carriers. I checked it again a few days ago, and they've reverted the wording to allow 1 checked bag for all *G (it specifically states that this extra allowance includes those flying on Discount fares). I rang their CS team, who confirmed this.

Now, at online checkin, the system states my allowance is 1 free bag.

Seat selection is not a Star Alliance Gold benefit. On discount fares, TP charge for seat allocation. But on the plus side usually they put SAGs in the front rows of Y which have significantly more legroom than down the back on their new 320 fleet cabins.

Lounge access will of course be honoured with any fare type.

Providing a data point: last Sunday I was able to check in one bag for free on a discount (cheapest) fare from LIS to AMS (Star Gold). I was expecting to pay for the bag but took my chances when I saw that pre-paying would be slightly less.