TAP Portugal

Flight was cancelled on Wed 25th June 2014 and no organised communication or customer care was given by TAP staff. Very poor service for a Western Country based airline. Wasted our whole day. No compensation no care was granted for a frequent traveller like me and it caused huge inconvenience and cost of taking a £120 taxi back home. TAP has to step up if they wish to compete and even perhaps survive without subsidies (if any) with not only the likes of BA but also the low cost carriers like EasyJet and Ryanair. I care about TAP and had been loyal to them for many years. However it will not for long if they behave like they do now and lack pro-activeness.

My son and I flew Portugalia Airlines from Malaga to Lisbon June 2014. The leg was flown in a Beechcraft 1800D. We arrived in Lisbon without our luggage as did a half dozen other passengers. We were on a 43 day trip around the world and this was day 3. Not good. After 3 days our luggage arrived. My gripe is why did it take 3 days come to find out our luggage was never boarded in Malaga. I would guess this was due to weight restrictions as we saw them unload the baggage and there were only a few pieces. There was plenty of space left in the baggage compartment. The luggage could have been with us early the next morning. as there were several flights that could make this happen. I believe there was a neglect on the airlines side that they didn't get it to us sooner. Especially since we filed a loss luggage report at once. This would have made it a lot less stressful on us. We were about to go shopping or new clothes on day 3 of the ordeal when the 2 pieces arrived. I would fly Portugalia Airlines again but not in this type of aircraft. Employees were helpful in tracing the lost luggage but updating the online information wasn't. When it arrived it still said it was still searching for it.

Flew London - Lisbon then Lisbon - Recife June 11th 2014. Flight cancelled to Brazil without notice even though TAP knew no plane from Lisbon available. Shipped to Marriot made to pay for beverages. Advised to get up at 3am for rescheduled next morning flight. Got up and then advised plane would be delayed until 7am departure. Another 2 hour delay occurred. No TAP representative at Hotel. No TAP Representative to meet us next morning at Lisbon airport. Speaking to fans at games TAP did this on Wednesday Thursday and Friday of this week! On return flight 1 July 11.25pm from Recife to Lisbon TAP swapped the plane to a charter airline Air Europa and emailed me 4 hours before departure saying I could change my flight if I desired. Having already checked out of Hotel and waiting in Recife for 6 hours what did they elect me to do. The charter plane was obviously known about days in advance so why did they not email sooner so I could have arranged alternative transport home. The staff on the plane were superb but the plane seating was a disaster tiny seat pitch and no entertainment. The seating was cocked up by TAP staff at Recife issuing seats that did not exist and making the boarding process delayed.

Lisbon to Rome and vice-versa (June 30th and July 4th) was late on both days. On the 4th of July the plane was supposed to take off at 7.25pm (local hour) but at 9pm the plane was still taxiing to the runway. Except for this detail I enjoyed both flights. On the first flight (Lisbon-Rome) I found the breakfast surprisingly good (for an airline meal). The sandwich had a strange appearance but I wanted another one when I finished. On the second flight a light meal (not a full dinner) was served. I also found the potato puree with turkey sausages and bacon pretty tasty. The flight crew were also very nice and attentive although on the first flight they seemed a little tired. At least they were not rude and on the same flight I saw the flight attendants speaking Portuguese English Italian French and Spanish to the passengers. The seats were comfortable and the plane in general was clean. I also thought both landings were quite rough. If you are going on shorts flights with TAP please take a book or something else. If you don't you might get stuck watching the cartoon version of Mr Bean. In general if you are going on vacations and you don't mind getting late to your destination TAP is surely a good airline. If you are going on business trips don't fly with TAP: the flights can get late and the business class didn't seem much different from the economy class. It doesn't matter anyway: most of their planes only have one class (economy).

Just returned from the World Cup flew London to Recife via Lisbon. On the outward sector they cancelled our flight from Lisbon to Recife we only found out about this at the departure gate at Heathrow! Absolute disgrace. As for the flights (all sectors) it has to be one of the worst airlines I have had the unfortunate experience to fly. Inflight service appalling the inflight entertainment consisted of a cartoon version of Mr Bean. Surprise surprise delayed on the return leg at Lisbon thus missing connections in London no apologies whatsoever from the crew. I will most definitely choose another airline over TAP even on short haul.

As a seasoned traveller to South America I'm disappointed to say that I'll try to avoid this airline in future. Flying to Sao Paulo via Lisbon for the World Cup both out going flights were delayed a total of 3 hours and on my return I'm informed there's yet another undetermined delay due to lack of cabin crew. Also my seat from Brazil to Lisbon had no inflight entertainment or light to read from (broken). I would also point out a good proportion of other flights were also delayed. Not the stress free travel I like and expect. They left it until the last minute to inform of delay-not helping my onward travel from Heathrow.

Lisbon-Brussels A319 economy. Absolutely excellent airline first time flying TAP and will certainly use again. Flew mid haul from LIS to BRU on a relatively new 319. Online check in was easy and allowed me to select my seats and baggage drop at the airport was quick and efficient. Flight was delayed 45minutes due to strike action but all issues were communicated early allowing me to arrive at the airport later than planned and not be affected by the delay. Economy seat was wider than most rival airlines and leg room was certainly larger than usual on 319 seats were leather with full recline only downside being immovable head rest as being 6'3 it's usually too low however legroom was comfortable which is a rarity. Drinks were served during the flight (complimentary soft drinks and alcohol) as well as a tasty sandwich snack. Staff were very polite and friendly and switched effortlessly from English to Portuguese and French. Entertainment was provided in the form of drop down TV screens mostly showing cartoons with very low sound throughout the cabin which wasn't distracting. Ultimately probably the best airline I've flown over such a short distance very impressed and will be looking into using them ongoing.

Flew Brasilia-London-Lisbon-Brasilia in Business class not for the first time. It's never been great but this time the aircraft on the transatlantic legs were simply dreadful offering Business class from about 1990. Really ancient A330s with basic seats and an IFE that doesn't allow you to stop/start films on request and which offered only about six films anyway. These days that's just pathetic. On the last leg (LIS-BSB) there were only nine (9) people in Business and still I couldn't get my first choice meal - attendant said "only two trays of the chicken were boarded" - so I had overcooked and tasteless veal instead. On more than one occasion attendants on TAP have encouraged me to write and complain - they clearly feel passengers aren't getting a good deal. On these flights in June 2014 attendants were just great - thereby just about saving the airline in my view. We use TAP because I can get to the UK in only two flights from Brasilia not three. If other airlines were to offer this I'd take it - and Air France are starting to do so. So I'll be reviewing my bookings. TAP I think is getting away with using old and poor aircraft on their flights in and out of Brazil because they know they've got an almost captive market - hope they get some competition soon to jerk them into updating their sad old fleet.

Quite appalling on a consistent basis on short haul flights to the rest of Europe from Lisbon. Delays of 1 hour are normal and today I have an 8 hour delay. And was lied to several times on the cause. Shocking. I am a gold card holder of TAP and I have decided not use them again. The flight timings have been awful and not replicated by other airlines on the same route and the service at the counter as well as on the plane is very poor.

I am an experienced traveler through North America the Caribbean and Europe and have never had a worst experience with an airline. My flight was scheduled to depart at 23.50 and at 23.50 we were told that our flight had been cancelled due to lack of crew (conveniently during the Portugal USA football match). We were not allowed to get our luggage and informed that everything would be at the hotel upon arrival. We were instructed at the gate that a new flight would be available for all of us the following morning. We were led to a bus and dropped off at the wrong hotel and abandoned by any TAP employee. We then picked up our belongings and walked 20 minutes to the proper hotel. Upon arrival here there was no information provided. After several calls to the front desk and the airline I was finally told that we could go for lunch at 13.00 with still no information on a new flight. I called several times until I finally booked with a new airline as I had to be back for another flight to North America. I arrived 24 hours after my original flight was scheduled. I will never use TAP Portugal nor recommend it to anyone.