I am planning a trip to Portugal and find that the main airline flying there is TAP-Portugal's airline. I have also heard some mixed reviews on their service. Anyone with experience flying with them I would appreciate you sharing with me your experiences.<BR>Thanks, Joe

I have used it for over 20 travel times.<BR><BR>I think their worth reputation has to do with keeping schedules...<BR><BR>My experience is no worse than anyother airline with the advantage of being able to get last minute seats when all others are fully booked.<BR><BR>(the other I was reading posting about this subject... people have the worse stories to tell from almost every well reputed company).<BR><BR>I deal directely with the TAP office here in Lisboa without troubles.<BR><BR>www.bikeiberia.com <BR>&gt;Experience the best of Portugal and Spain by Bike.&lt;<BR>

I flew them from Heathrow to Lisbon ( after flying over the water on BA)...<BR><BR>they LOST my luggage and took 3 days to get it back- the last piece came 20 min.before our Med cruise was getting ready to embark---<BR><BR>They didn't care at all about helping us nor giving us some traveller's compensation for toothbrushes etc...<BR><BR>I would NEVER fly them again!

A travel agent friend of mine says TAP stands for "Take Another Plane!" She hates it. I have not heard anything good about it from anyone else, either. You have choices. Use them.

joseph,<BR>I've flown TAP and survived. <BR>Madeira-Lisbon-JFK. <BR>True story:<BR>10 yrs. ago (yes, it's been a long while), on our final flight, when checking luggage In Lisboa, the agent allowed the passenger ahead of us, a native, to check (yes, check-completely unprotected) his huge glass container of home brewed red wine. Thought it amusing at the moment. Needless to say, that container never made it intact across the Atlantic, and since our luggage was placed next to it in the bin, well...we picked up wine soaked/forever burgundy stained bags at the baggage carrousel at JFK. Don't know what happend to the rest of the home brew. And didn't even get to taste it!<BR>Of course the allowance they gave us for the damage, as always, wasn't enough to buy new bags. That's when we crossed TAP off our list.<BR><BR>While I'm sure their post 9/11 check-in procedure has been radically tightened, I'm not yet completely game to fly them again. But then, really hankering to visit the Azores, so who knows?

joseph,<BR><BR>I flew on TAP in April 2002 from JFK to Lisbon. The plane was very comfortable and out of the 6 flights we took on that trip, it was the best and most courteous service we had. We were very impressed. <BR><BR>Sue

I flew them within Europe on 4 flights, no problems. They seemed about like any other European carrier.

I am a portuguese citizen living in Germany and I have to travel frequently to Lisbon.<BR><BR>I only fly with TAP if there is no other alternative carrier available. Their punctuality is disgraceful. You never know when you'll arrive at your destination.<BR><BR>Some years ago they lost my bag on a flight to Lisbon and found it only 4 days later. They refused to deliver it at my home address with the argument that it was Christmas season and they were overwhelmed with work. I had to go to the Airport to pick it up myself.<BR><BR>This company is a blatant example of disrespect for the clients!

Flew TAP from Newark to Lisbon over New Year's. Flight was okay and punctual, but probably the worst European flight I've taken. Plane was LOUD LOUD with the people behind us screaming at the people 5 rows ahead of us the entire time. Lights were never dimmed at all, so resting overnight was not an option. It got me there in one piece, but I would prefer not to fly TAP - for comfort's sake - again.

I too flew TAP several times, and I understand very well this mixed reviews. I never had "strange" problems with luggage because I only carry hand luggage, but I think that most of the times the crew is nice, and the safety record is extremely good. The only "problem" is that to some Portuguese passengers, flying gets over to their heads, and think they are on top of the world, and behave really bad. Sometimes on flights from Lisbon to USA locations, you "meet" emigrants, and those just because they have some more money than we living in Portugal, think they are the best, and behave very very bad.<BR>It's got nothing to do with Air Portugal, it's got to do with the education (or lack of it) of some passengers.

This attitude is what other people likes so much about Portuguese people sometimes: open, kind and friendly!<BR><BR>Worse than emigrants of any country are those snobby (and poshy) charachteres who think they don't belong to a middle class just because they can afford to travel... by plane and like to rule as if in a ancient feudal society.

This attitude is what other people likes so much about Portuguese people sometimes: open, kind and friendly!<BR><BR>Worse than emigrants of any country are those snobby (and poshy) charachteres who think they don't belong to a middle class just because they can afford to travel... by plane and like to rule as if in a ancient feudal society.<BR><BR>The airline was the question... I told you Joseph... you would hear many different opinions! Hope you will make a decision!

Now I have heard it all!<BR><BR>Any person expecting a decent service for the money paid is labeled as "snobby and poshy who like to rule as in a feudal society".<BR><BR>Actually, I only demand from TAP exactly the same service standards other european carriers provide to their clients. I also had a lost bag on a Lufthansa flight to Munich. This happened on a Sunday afternoon. The very next day, at 8:30 am, I had a representative from Lufthansa calling me to arrange a schedule for delivering the bag at my home address. As to the ability to meet schedules, one can not even compare... I experienced delays with TAP of up to 4 hours in intra-european flights, the excuse being always the same: "air traffic control restrictions", whatever that means... I begin to think there is a conspiracy of the european air traffic controllers against TAP.

"I begin to think there is a conspiracy of the european air traffic controllers against TAP."<BR><BR>This is a competitive world. I wouldn't rule out that possibility.<BR><BR>

I have flown from scandinavia to Portugal with TAP a number of times and I think they are OK. I haven't experienced any longer delays, no longer than usualy when you fly. And they have never lost any luggage of mine. I can recomend them.