TAP Portugal – a TPI Preferred Partner

Interesting Facts

Due to its location, Lisbon, Portugal, is a natural gateway to Europe via Atlantic passage. It was founded in 1945 and became a member of the Star Alliance on March 14, 2005. According to Wikipedia, the 2011 JACDEC Airliner Safety Report lists TAP Portugal as the fourth safest Western European airline. TAP holds elected titles as “World’s Leading Airline to Africa” and “World’s Leading Airline to South America,” with trophies presented during the Grand Final Gala Ceremony of the World Travel Awards (WTA). TAP Portugal was also voted best airline in Europe by the 2013 Global Traveler Tested Reader Survey awards. Once you’ve boarded a TAP Portugal airbus and stowed your carry-on luggage, it feels good to recline your seat and lean back with confidence, knowing you fly with an airline holding such high standards.

With Arms Wide Open

During my first experience flying with TAP Portugal from Miami to Lisbon, I was delighted by their entertaining safety video – a clever way to make everyone pay attention. This cute and charming video “With Arms Wide Open,” used actual passengers to illustrate safety tips in a playful manner with a clever backdrop. No wonder this video, just like the company it represents, has won awards.

My flight over the Atlantic Ocean was pretty straight forward. The food was very good, and fresh. For those of you who have not flown overseas before, I recommend bringing an extra bottle of water or other beverage of choice to any flight. While the airlines serve a couple of meals and plenty of choices to quench your thirst during longer flights, many hours can pass in-between the trolley runs and the airplane air is dry. The challenge is to find a working vending machine after you pass airport security before boarding, since you’re not allowed to bring liquid past the security check.

In-Flight Entertainment

The sound system for the seat back LCD screens onboard my flight to Lisbon malfunctioned, so I couldn’t rely on the available movies to pass time. This was a night flight however, and with the knowledge that technical problems often occur, anywhere, I enjoyed the movies on my day flight returning to Florida instead. The Wi-Fi onboard airplanes is unreliable as well, on any airline, so it’s a good idea to bring something to occupy time with, if all else fails.

En-route TAP Short Flight

While visiting Lisbon, Portugal, I also took a trip to Madrid, Spain. The ticket price was a steal, and the flight was just over one hour long. TAP Portugal was my choice once again. It was most impressive how they managed to serve us a sandwich-snack-pack and drinks during such a short flight, and it was appreciated in the early morning when little else was open.

While I checked in online a day prior to my first flight with Tap Portugal, I regretfully skipped this step prior to my other flights. All of my TAP flights were booked full, and I could have saved time, and received better seats had I checked in on my tablet while traveling. All-in-all my travels with TAP Portugal were very positive and pleasant and I would recommend both TAP as an airline and Lisbon as a travel destination.

Other articles about the Lisbon/Madrid trip:
Visit to Lisbon, Portugal, part 1
Visit to Lisbon, Portugal, part 2
Get lost in India and visit the Chinese Pavilion while visiting Lisbon, Portugal

Obrigada TAP Portugal – Thank you for a wonderful trip!

By Jessica Lang, Multimedia Team Specialist, Travel Planners International