Can someone help me decipher TAP's flight change/cancellation policies?
Feb 14, 2022, 7:59 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2011
Posts: 201
Can someone help me decipher TAP's flight change/cancellation policies?
I am looking to book a 1-way economic ticket on TAP but I find the fare rules on the website to be contradictory and/or purposefully confusing. Can anyone help me with the following, for a booking to be made before 2/28/2022 for travel in 6/2022?
1) If I want to change my ticket can I do this at no-cost (excl. fare difference) with either Discount, Basic, or Classic ticket? The individual fare conditions say no, but the general booking conditions say that is OK if ticket is purchased before 2/28/2022?
2) Can I obtain a full refund if I cancel a Classic ticket or will there be a charge?
1) If I want to change my ticket can I do this at no-cost (excl. fare difference) with either Discount, Basic, or Classic ticket? The individual fare conditions say no, but the general booking conditions say that is OK if ticket is purchased before 2/28/2022?
2) Can I obtain a full refund if I cancel a Classic ticket or will there be a charge?
Feb 14, 2022, 9:13 am
#2
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I'll put down the Terms and Conditions that apply for tickets issued between 1 December 2021 and 28 February 2022, under TAP "Book with zero change fees" policy, also known as "book with confidence":
Source.
https://www.flytap.com/en-gb/promo/book-with-confidence
This page has different conditions for tickets issued before 1 December 2021.
Tickets would need their first flight within 1 year and the the last flight within 1 year of the first flight. The above policy sits above the ticketing conditions for any particular ticket, which will relate to a fare basis, and that typically will be more restrictive. Book with confidence is supposed to get around the fact that people wouldn't logically buy a restricted ticket if there was a significant risk that the pandemic would prevent travel, so this is all about TAP maintaining its revenue streams.
But note that none of the above gives you the right to a refund, though that is a remedy if TAP cancels your flight, along with a plus 10% voucher as an alternative. Plus fares allow a refund with a 35€ per one-way ticket fee and that's the only economy fare group that is refundable. So the short answers are yes to 1, but no to 2, you can't have a refund.
- Valid for tickets issued between December 1, 2021, and February 28, 2022;
- Change fee is waived, but fare differential will still be charged, if applicable;
- There is no limit to the number of changes made, as long as the conditions mentioned here are complied with and the re-issuance of the tickets is done until February 28, 2022;
- Route changes are permitted in all TAP fares, except TAP Miles&Go tickets;
- The booking of the flight must be cancelled before the departure date and the ticket can be left open for future use;
- Waive of change fee will not be applied in Discount and Basic fares if a no-show to a flight has already occurred;
- Valid for all TAP fares (including Discount)
- New travel dates must comply with the validity period of the ticket;
- Valid only for TAP rates;
- Valid for Corporate or TAP Miles&Go Programme tickets (valid for this programme if the ticket only has TAP operated flights, will not be valid for flights operated by other airlines);
- Changes made on channels other than TAP's official website and app may have associated fees or costs.
Source.
https://www.flytap.com/en-gb/promo/book-with-confidence
This page has different conditions for tickets issued before 1 December 2021.
Tickets would need their first flight within 1 year and the the last flight within 1 year of the first flight. The above policy sits above the ticketing conditions for any particular ticket, which will relate to a fare basis, and that typically will be more restrictive. Book with confidence is supposed to get around the fact that people wouldn't logically buy a restricted ticket if there was a significant risk that the pandemic would prevent travel, so this is all about TAP maintaining its revenue streams.
But note that none of the above gives you the right to a refund, though that is a remedy if TAP cancels your flight, along with a plus 10% voucher as an alternative. Plus fares allow a refund with a 35€ per one-way ticket fee and that's the only economy fare group that is refundable. So the short answers are yes to 1, but no to 2, you can't have a refund.
Mar 3, 2022, 2:47 pm
#4
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Update to Buy with Confidence rules
- extended to end of March
- now excludes Discount tickets
- now restricted to travel on or before 30 June 2022.
- extended to end of March
- now excludes Discount tickets
- now restricted to travel on or before 30 June 2022.
Code:
- Valid for tickets issued between March 1 and March 31, 2022; - Applicable for trips until 30 of June, 2022; - Change fee is waived, except in Discount fare, but fare differential will still be charged, if applicable; - Unlimited changes may be made with exemption from the change fee within the validity of the tickets; - Route changes are permitted in all TAP fares, except TAP Miles&Go tickets; - The booking of the flight must be cancelled before the departure date and the ticket can be left open for future use; - Waive of change fee will not be applied in Discount and Basic fares if a no-show to a flight has already occurred; - Valid for all TAP fares (excluding Discount) - New travel dates must comply with the validity period of the ticket; - Valid only for TAP rates; - Valid for Corporate or TAP Miles&Go Programme tickets (valid for this programme if the ticket only has TAP operated flights, will not be valid for flights operated by other airlines); - Changes made on channels other than TAP's official website and app may have associated fees or costs.
Last edited by corporate-wage-slave; Mar 3, 2022 at 3:04 pm
Mar 3, 2022, 3:10 pm
#5
Moderator, Iberia Airlines, Airport Lounges, and Ambassador, British Airways Executive Club
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Discount tickets were not, at that point, included in Buy with Confidence, which allowed a change of dates with fare difference but no fee, so long as changes were made 3 days before travel. So if the flight operates as scheduled then you don't appear to be able to do much with the ticket other than use it for travel as booked.
Mar 13, 2022, 3:48 am
#7
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No there isn't. If there is a flight cancellation then a new screen comes up which allows date changes on the same route so long as all sectors are on TAP metal, so no codeshares. So the rebooking process online for TAP is fairly limited.
Nov 18, 2023, 9:26 am
#10
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Question. I have a TAP ticket that I haven't flown any segments on yet. I'm trying to change the return which was booked with a LIS stopover for one day. So I'm trying to change the dates of xxx-LIS and LIS-yyy by 3 days. Whenever I attempt to change the ticket online I get a yellow warning "Invalid Original itinerary". Anybody know what that means? Should I just wait to fly the outbound and then try again?
It's a Discount bucket ticket so a $300 change fee which I'm totally fine with. But I do at least have the ability to change it per the fare rules.
Thanks,
-RM
It's a Discount bucket ticket so a $300 change fee which I'm totally fine with. But I do at least have the ability to change it per the fare rules.
Thanks,
-RM
Nov 18, 2023, 12:20 pm
#11
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If you rebook before flying outbound, the entire ticket will be repriced. If you rebook the return segments after flying the outbound the change (and possible repricing) will only affect the return part.
You will have to call TK to make the rebooking.
You will have to call TK to make the rebooking.
Nov 18, 2023, 12:52 pm
#12
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I am curious what that message means though as it's a valid itinerary and I should still be able to price a change online. Does TP not allow changes online even though they offer the service through the booking menu?
-RM