stevedrambus

Another related question: Is it even possible for someone who cannot enter Schengen without a visa to do an intl-to-intl transfer at LIS? From what I remember, LIS is very small. Does it even have a non-Schengen transit area?

CaptainMiles

Yes, definitely possible.

stevedrambus

Thanks. I was able to locate info about a non-Schengen transit area but I wanted to ask on here to be sure.

With a 23-hour layover and onward travel on TP J (award), is there any chance that TP would be like TK and offer a free hotel room? I'd feel silly asking because the answer is likely a resounding "no"...

CaptainMiles

No chance. And if you don't have a Schengen visa, a 23 hour stay in the non-Schengen transit area transit area will be quite miserable. There is no airside hotel, no lounge, very limited food, no entertainment.

IAN-UK

TAP don't routinely give accommodation, but they have the mechanisms in place to do so, so no harm in asking. Don't be embarrassed about asking for facilities that were pretty much standard not so long ago. But a hotel room won't be of any use if you can't get into Portugal.

I'd go stir-crazy spending 23H in the Schengen pier. Perhaps you have a yoga mat and mental resources to get you through: but I'd be inclined to get a transit visa. I believe the border folk may have the authority to grant "non-visa entry" for people in your situation, though this probably depends on your passport. The shaky basis for that belief is that I know it happens in other jurisdictions.

I'd suggest you address the question to TP - it's a situation they likely have to handle frequently.

CaptainMiles

And it's now closed... The area where the TAP lounge was is now under construction. No more TAOP ,lounge, no McDonald's, none of that. No idea whether the lounge will reopen, or whether TAP will even have a lounge at LIS.

I am flying TP biz today and that was good enough to get me into the ANA lounge (ANA the LIS airport operator, not the Japanese airline). It's a comparable substitute for the TAP lounge. Bigger and with tarmac views, less crowded, but dismal food presentation and pay showers. And no custard cakes (pasties de nada)??? What are they thinking? I will start a new thread about this new ANA lounge when I get the time.

Palal

They do have pasteis de nata every once in a while, but the lounge sucks big time compared to the previous lounge (still way ahead of most US lounges). They no longer carry my favorite salmon sandwiches

I heard a rumor (unconfirmed) that TP may reopen their own lounge at a TBD date in 2016 once the never-ending construction is done in that part of the airport.

CaptainMiles

Access rules to the ANA lounge are in quite a few ways different from the old TP lounge.

All *A airlines participate except AC. If flying AC, in any class, no access, even with *G card.

LH business class does not give access to the ANA lounge. Despite the LH logo outside the door, access is only for HON/SEN/*G flying LH. If you are flying LH business and do not have a *G card you will be referred to the Blue Lounge instead. Perhaps this is to mimic LH's separate Business and Senator Lounges concept.

UA business and TP business grant access without the need for a *G card.

Several non-*A airlines also participate, including AA, AF, KL, EK, etc., and even some oddballs such as Euro Atlantic Airways. Also PriorityPass and DragonPass.

Showers are available and free. However, only access to the shower stall itself is free, and you get free water too. But that's it. If you need a towel or soap it will set you back €15.45, no exceptions.

ksu

What about TP Economy Class with *G card? (and for that matter LH with *G)

I will be transiting Lisbon to the US in a couple of months in Y, and am *G through SK

CaptainMiles

Any *A boarding pass (except AC) in any class with a *G card grants access for cardholder + 1 *A traveling guest.

ksu

Thanks!

IAN-UK

Weird! Only just seen your posts, but I'm loving the notion of patting myself dry with paper towels - or holding my extremities (and not so extremities) under the hot air blasters.

RJ charges for showers in its Amman lounge, but I've not run into this elsewhere. Fingers crossed it's not a developing trend

That is the weirdest cut of all. One of Portugal's greatest contributions to the culinary world: easily bought in if they lack the skills on site. I even ran across Portuguese custard tarts in the Malaysia lounge at Kuala Lumpur airport.

CaptainMiles

They need to install these.


Palal already corrected me, and he is right. They do have pasteis de nata. During my first visit, when I wrote my initial report, they had none. But on future visits I have seen them. However, unlike the TAP lounge that had full sized pasteis, the Ana lounge has miniatures, about 1/3 size. And they fly off the shelves faster than they can resupply.

SkyTeam777

Im in the lounge now and there are custard cakes.

IAN-UK

[QUOTE=CaptainMiles;25577354]They need to install these.



YIKES ! That looks fun