Trip Report: TAP Air Portugal - Washington, D.C. to Zurich
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I was looking to fly to Europe from the US and in Fall of 2021 only certain airlines were operating. One of these was TAP Air Portugal and during that time their prices were good, the flight timings were good, and the COVID regulations were not strict thus limiting travel (I think TAP did this strategically to continue operating and providing a revenue for their operations); because of all these reasons I booked TAP Air Portugal. I have flown TAP before both long-haul (Newark to Lisbon) and short-haul (Lisbon to Barcelona) so I was familiar with their product; they tend to offer lower fares and in return offer a decent product. Their prices are not fancy and neither are their services - everything seems ok, especially given the price you pay so one should not expect a Singapore or Emirates-type service. Since my last flight with them, they have invested in fleet renewal which includes A321LRneo which are long-haul single aisle planes. These have been used recently on many long-haul flights between Europe and the U.S. in markets where a larger, twin-aisle plane capacity is not there.
My flight was from Washington, D.C. to Lisbon and then from Lisbon to Zurich; the first leg wasoperated by an A321LRneo while the second leg was operated by an Airbus A320. When I booked my trip, I was able to preselect my seat and select a special meal option for my long-haul flight at no cost; for the short-haul flight preselecting a seat and adding a meal would be an extra charge. Since my itinerary included a long-haul sector, checked baggage was included but had my itinerary only been short-haul or within Europe then checked baggage and hand carry are only allowed on certain ticket levels. I had all my documentation ready and so I was able to check-in online and receive my boarding pass but I still needed to stop by the desk to confirm all my health requirements and documentation. During the check-in process I could modify my long-haul seat selection but could only add a seat for my short-haul for a cost.
The flight from Washington, D.C. departed at 10pm and arrives into Lisbon at 10am. In the Fall of 2021 there was not many people flying so the airport was empty and it took 10 minutes to get through check-in and security. Once the flight arrived and was cleaned and catered, we boarded in groups. The Airbus A321neoLR is a unique plane in that is a long-range plane but it is single aisle unlike most long-range planes which are double aisle. The single aisle makes allows airlines to operate routes longer term that may not be as profitable with a bigger airline. The airplane is in a 3-3 configuration and had a business class upfront, a small premium economy, and then economy section. Even though it was a single-aisle the seat pitch and seat width of the seat were very good and comfortable for the 7hr+ flight. The seat itself contained a wide PTV screen with USB and headphone jack underneath, a section for safety card and airline magazine, a tray table that can be used half-open or fully open, and then additional pockets and storage underneath. Overall, it was a comfortable flight for the flight time and length of the flight.
Once airborne, inflight service commenced. First there was a drink and pretzel service and then meals were served. The food was average, decent but not great, and this was also the comment on the entertainment options for the PTV, decent but not great. The options were great for a 4-5hour flight but you would be limited for longer flights. After the first meal, most passengers went to sleep. There was water and pretzels available in the rear of the plane throughout the flight and then prior to landing a snack was served. Once we landed, transiting through Lisbon airport was a NIGHTMARE as there were too many people and not enough staff to handle the transit. I had about 2.5hrs transit time and the entire time was spent in line going through immigration and security. I barely had enough time to clear everything and make it to my next gate; that happened both on the airport and the return.
My next flight was an intra-European flight on an Airbus A320 and there was a noticeable difference in terms of cabin size, seat comfort, seat pitch and width, and general layout of the seat. The seat comfort, seat pitch and width were all reduced and it made the 2h45m flight feel longer. There was no PTV and I could not access wifi on the plane so it was up to you to bring your own entertainment. Drinks are served on TAP but everything else is buy-on-board.
Generally, it was an average flight onboard TAP. My experience and opinion of them from my previousflight had not changed - they are an average airline which will get you from Point A to Point B in a lower cost and with an average plane with decent seat pitch and width. There will be nothing outstanding that will make you say 'oh my God' but nor will there be anything that bad that will make you swear them off (except this time transiting through Lisbon was not fun).
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