Matt and I flew the Portuguese national carrier, TAP Portugal for our trip to Madeira. One of my good friends who is also a travel nerd told me he was quite skeptical of TAP Portugal. My response was who isn’t. Historically they were known to delay/cancel flights, provide mediocre food and have terrible service. An airline that cancels flights, provides mediocre food and has terrible service…. get in line? However, let’s try this experiment for a moment. Airlines A and B represent business class experiences for flights across the Atlantic Ocean.
| Amenity | Airline A | Airline B |
| 2 Meals | Yes | Yes |
| Lie Flat Seat | Yes | Yes |
| Amenity Kit | Yes | Yes |
| Lounge Access | Yes | Marginally Better Lounge |
| Priority Lane | Yes | Yes |
| Flight Time | 9 Hours Total | 12 Hours Total |
| Cost | 1500 Roundtrip from Boston to Funchal | 2800 Roundtrip from Boston to Funchal |
Which Airline would you choose? We chose A too, which was TAP Portugal. 1500 per person roundtrip in Business class to Europe is luxury on a budget. TAP Portugal’s business model is providing leisure travelers cheaper fares, but providing the experience you would expect on a flagship airline. How did TAP do? I say great!
The Plane
TAP Portugal flies from most large hubs east of the Mississippi river to Lisbon on a 737 plane. I have never crossed the Atlantic on a narrow-body plane, so I was quite excited. One of the benefits is the business class cabin was a bit smaller than a large-body plane which kept it quiet. No babies or children also helps!
The Seats
There are two types of seats on TAP Portugal’s 737. One seat is side by side with another while the other is called the throne seat. TAP let’s you choose your seats for free on their website and I highly recommend the throne seat as it gives you window and aisle access, along with dramatically more storage space and privacy. However, all seats turn into beds and were quite comfortable. We tried both types of seats between our two flights.
The Food
I am not going to lie….it was excellent for plane food! I had a perfectly cooked and crispy steak on the way and cod fish on the way back. It was my first time ever ordering fish on an airplane (thanks Airplane) and I did not die!
The Service
This is where I will ding TAP Portugal a little bit as the service was quite lackluster. The attendants were not particularly friendly on one flight. They were not proactive at all between mealtimes. If you asked for anything they would bring it, but I do expect flight attendants to check on their business class passengers on their own.
Lounges
TAP contracts The Club in Boston for their business class lounge and you can skip it. The TAP Portugal lounge in Lisbon was nice with pretty good food options, but the lack of showers was irritating after an overnight flight. TAP does not have a lounge in Madeira, but they do give all business class passengers 10 dollars in vouchers to get drinks/snacks at the café. Call me when Delta/American/United does that 😊.
Overall
I highly recommend TAP Portugal if you want to cross the pond in style without going bankrupt. One-way fares to Europe in business class are typically less than 1,000 dollars. They also have frequent sales like the one we found to make it cheaper. Otherwise, fares are just a couple of hundred dollars to sit in economy which is equivalent to low budget carriers, however TAP will provide the services you would expect on a flagship airline including meals and wine. Through Lisbon you can easily connect to any decent size city in Europe.
To me it is a no brainer. While airlines like Air France have better service, lounges etc., it is hardly worth the extra 1,000 dollars or more for that. If you are planning a trip to Europe, check out TAP Portugal!
Bon Voyage,
Andrew
Out And Abroad 