TAP Air Portugal
(Opinion submitted by Jonathan Graham)

• Nationality:  Portuguese

• UK Departure Airports:  London Heathrow & Gatwick, Leeds, Aberdeen, Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow & Edinburgh

• Destinations from UK: Portugal (and others through connections on the Star Alliance Network)

• Websites available for 11 different countries:  Site only available in English or Portuguese 

• On-line booking available
  NB:  There appear to be surcharges for all ticket & E-ticket issues.  Check their website for updated information

• Changes depend on type of ticket booked (check website)

• Classes Available:  Economy & Top Executive

• Short-haul Fleet:  Airbus, A319, A320 & A321

• Economy Seat Pitch:  33 inches (source: www.uk-air.net)

Website:

www.flytap.com

UK Call Centre

0845 601 0932

UK Counter Office
Chapter House
22  Chapter Street London SW1P 4NP

Jonathans Verdict
(Amount Paid: £490 Economy Return)

I wrote a letter to the airline's customer services dept detailing complaints regarding flights from Heathrow to Cape Verde via Lisbon, back in June 2005. It's now December 2005 and I've pretty much given up on receiving a response. The seats we reserved online had been allocated to other passengers upon three of our four check-ins, three of the four flights were late, with the only one being on time (second leg of return journey) leaving approximately forty passengers at Lisbon - including the BBC crew filming in Cape Verde for the Holiday show - they didn't mention that in their TV report! The second leg of the return journey was then transferred to Gatwick instead of Heathrow, and after an aborted landing within a few hundred feet of the ground, when the luggage carousel finally started turning upon our return they'd lost a piece of our luggage.

Totally agree with many other comments regarding the surly cabin staff and prison rations served on board. I will never be using this airline again, and would not recommend it to my worst enemy. Having been on four of their flights, I can only imagine that the positive feedback posted here has come from TAP staff, their families who depend upon the airline for a livelihood and their really really good friends.

If the flights go well, then that's the service you've paid for, if the flights don't go well and they fail to deliver an acceptable service, the least they should do is answer the complaints they receive!!

If you still choose to fly TAP Air Portugal, rather than say Bon Voyage, I'd say Bon Chance......

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