wco81

Looking at flights to Portugal next April. UA and *A are offering discounted J fares, under $2500, to LIS. Then I'd book separate flights to FAO and OPO. I tried to book a multi-city but then the fare doesn't work.

UA offers flights connecting through EWR, IAD and FRA. Obvious preference would be to take the flight through FRA, since the TATL segments from EWR and IAD are on old equipment. But then the FRA-LIS flight lands at 15:15 and the LIS-FAO flights on TAP are at 9:30, 12:00, 16:20 and 23:05 -- I guess there are more flights in the summer?

So I would have 65 minutes between the FRA-LIS and the 16:20 LIS-FAO flights.

Will UA check my bag through FAO?

Can I make it through immigration and board the flight in LIS? Or could I possibly do immigration in FRA and not have to go through immigration in LIS?

mozilla

You will go through immigration in FRA. After that, you're free to roam in the Schengen area (including Portugal) without further immigration procedures. Assuming you don't need to recheck bags, the 65-min connection is sufficient. It's impossible if you need to recheck bags, however.

UA interlines with TP, so a check-in agent could do it, but they're not required to since you'd be traveling on different tickets. You'll have to ask.

I'd put everything on one ticket or take the later flight out of LIS (or rent a car there, ~3hr drive).

pnt1

Yup, since you'll be going through immigration through FRA, you won't have to clear customs again in LIS. You'll also be arriving/departing via Terminal 1 in LIS, which is super tiny - 65 mins is more than enough. You can even check out the "new"-ish TAP Lounge.

I've interlined with TP before on separate itineraries, shouldn't be a problem if you have a competent agent checking in your bags.

mozilla

OP will technically clear customs for the checked bags in Portugal though (no recheck in FRA) but I suppose it's pretty invisible similar to the rest of EU, and certainly not a time-waster like immigration.

lhrsfo

764toHI

I'd rather connect in EWR. FRA-LIS on LH/TP will be a 3 hour flight in European business class which is a Y seat with the middle blocked, and you'll be arriving to your final destination in the late afternoon vs. late morning/early afternoon via EWR. Also, you can experience the new Polaris lounge at both SFO and EWR.

Worth the trade to fly on the 757 IMO.

jasondc

TAP generally only flies 4 flights a day LIS - FAO, or at least it has, during the last few summers. I wouldnt expect them to add more.

You will go through immigration in Frankfurt.

I'd recommend just taking the UA flight direct to LIS via EWR or IAD. While LH is pleasant, their J is absolutely NOTHING to write home about, and flying through Frankfurt adds a lot of time to an already long journey. If there is space on UA nonstop into LIS or OPO I'd just take that - you'll be at your final destination much earlier.

Also, last summer I flew FAO - LIS on Tap, then LIS - IAD on UA, separate tickets. The agent in FAO refused to tag my bags through since they were on separate tickets, even though both were in purchased J.

Some airlines have said they'd stop tagging through on separate tickets, even within the same alliance. Not sure if UA is doing that, but I'm pretty sure AA is.

docbert

Officially at least, changes to partner awards need to be made 24 hours in advance.

WineCountryUA

It is UA written policy to interline to a *A partner operated flight even if separate tickets (and not overnight).
UA Bag Interlining If Separate Tix with *A Partners (YES) & Non *A Partners (NO)
However, there is a policy exception for an international flight and a separate domestic flight
YMMV in this case.
That is a decision made by TAP, UA will accept interlined bags in this case but TAP makes the decision.

nyr2299

One issue with LIS is that most flights use buses which adds connection times. With that said, I once did a 40 min connection to FAO in LIS coming in from london, but that was years ago.

AviationFreak

princeville

irishguy28

Immigration and customs are entirely separate things.

If you connect in FRA, you clear immigration there, at the point of entry to the Schengen zone, while moving from the arrival gate to the departure gate, and remaining airside at all times. You cannot clear customs at FRA, because your bags are not delivered to you at FRA. You clear customs where you arrive and go landside, i.e. where your bags are delivered back to you and you walk into the "public" part of the airport, past the customs guys - which in this case is LIS.


TAP flights are frequently late, so I would NOT say that this is anything close to sufficient. And the chances are that the OP will have to collect bags at LIS, as checking onto a separate ticket is a service intended only for single tickets.

wco81

Hmm, yes I know intra Europe J flights are nothing special.

But flying through EWR or IAD means a UA transcon which aren't that great either. Then the TATL segment is well under 8 hours, so unlikely to get much sleep.

However, it seems there's not much certainty about making the 65-minute connection, even if the checked-bags are interlined all the way through. So I may not have a choice.

Other option is to fly in and out of LHR and buy separate tickets to FAO and return from OPO. J flights to LHR are on sale, though a couple of hundred more. But the schedule may not work out there either because so far, only the afternoon arrival in LHR is on sale, not any early morning arrivals, which would make connecting to TAP flights in LHR difficult as well.

wco81

I do plan to spend time in Lisbon but figured I could fly directly to FAO, then OPO, then back to LIS and spend a few days there before my return.

Otherwise, I'd be booking non-contiguous nights in Lisbon, both at the start and end of the trip.