tap air portugal travel agent support

TAP Air Portugal Passenger Care

Explore Today's Deals

TAP Air Portugal Customer Service & Help

If you are traveling with TAP Air Portugal, there are several areas of support available to assist you during your journey. Whether you need information about your flight, assistance with reservations, help with lost or damaged luggage, customer relations, or guidance regarding the frequent flyer program, TAP Air Portugal has you covered. Additionally, downloading the TAP Air Portugal mobile app can provide you with even more convenience and access to customer service.

Contact Information

• Website: https://www.flytap.com
• Phone: +1 800-221-7370

Help, Tips, & Info on Airlines and Flying

Beyond the customer service info provided here for TAP Air Portugal airlines (TP) , we have much more information to help guide you on your air travel:

• Get a comprehensive overview of the world’s airlines , where you can also drill down and see info on specific airlines.
• To understand the inner workings of TP, read about the corporate structure and TAP Air Portugal's operations .
• Details on TP TAP Air Portugal baggage fees and restrictions can be found here.
• Track and status any TAP Air Portugal flights and avoid unexpected delays or flight cancellations.
• Should you be considering flying on TAP Air Portugal with your pet, consider these restrictions so you’ll be best prepared.
• Use a third party (or iFly) when doing your flight research. To get the cheapest flights on TAP Air Portugal , you’ll need to see various sources as each can vary considerably.
• If you have a question about TAP Air Portugal's check-in process , you can ask an agent at the ticketing counter.
• Want to know what it's going to take and cost to change your flight ticket with TP airlines ? Look no further.

For more details about this airline, including baggage policies, pet policies, and other information, check out the TAP Air Portugal Guide .

Get TAP real-time status info here .

Keep in mind that this information can change at any time, so it is best to check with the official airline website for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

Find more help here for your journey through the airport

• Tour Account ›
• Travel Forum ›
• Travel Forum

TAP Air Portugal

Anyone have recent experiences with TAP, good or bad? The reviews I see here, from a few years ago, are mixed. It's the only airline with a direct flight from Chicago to Lisbon, so we're thinking of using it.

I'm flying with them in march. I had no hesitation booking with them. Like you, i want that nonstop flight.

They're fine.

Just be sure you understand the details of the ticket you are purchasing - like many airlines, TAP sells some fares that have some things you might expect to be included that have been "un-bundled" - eg seat selection, checked baggage, refund-ability/changeability, etc. So read the fine print before you buy. It's a common way that many legacy airlines (TAP is Portugal's national airline and has been around since 1945) compete with low cost carriers. A very common practice with European airlines.

We flew TAP from DC to LIS in May 2022. The service was as good or better than US carriers.

I just flew TAP from Naples to Lisbon a couple weeks ago. It was ok. On the plus side, I found their pre flight communication very good. Lots of updates via email about what to expect and the mobile app was very informative. Boarding was a little sketchy but I think that was more to do with the Naples airport than TAP. Pay attention to the baggage rules. I followed them and had no problems but others did not and were flagged at the gate to pay up. The plane and staff were very nice. I would fly them again.

TAP is the national carrier of Portugal but not for long. It is being privatized and sold off with Lufthansa, AirFrance/KLM and even British airways interested. I don’t recall the specific details but there was a lot of brouhaha over government payouts and reshuffling of people that has left them financially unstable resulting in the sale of the airline. It doesn’t sound as though they will completely go away but be aware change is happening. Google “TAP financial difficulties/sale” to be better informed before purchasing tickets. Buyer beware.

I have flown TAP many times in the last eight years and have always been happy with the planes, staff, etc. I’ve flown with them to and from the US and within Europe. I’m planning to purchase tickets to the US again this week. It’s the customer service that has always been problematic. They are great unless you need to change a flight. For the long flights I always buy the Premium Economy- or whatever they call it. It provides a flexible ticket - while giving me a better seat, etc. And, fingers crossed I don’t need to change anything!

The good news, IMO, is the airlines interested in purchasing TAP, are some of the better airlines in Europe. And, the likelihood of the purchase happening any time soon as slim.

We have flown TAP many, many times over the last 8 years or so whenever we visited our daughter who, until recently, lived in France. We fly out of Boston and would change planes in Lisbon on our way to Marseilles. We have no complaints whatsoever. One time, our flight from Lisbon to Marseilles was cancelled due to an air controller strike in Marseilles. We couldn’t get a flight out until the next day. TAP bused us to a nearby airport hotel, paid for the hotel, gave us food vouchers, and bused us back to the terminal the next day. So, no complaints at all.

I flew TAP from Heathrow to Lisbon last year and it was fine. No complaints.

I've flown with them a few times, most recently last week. I've found the customer service helpful and relatively easy to reach by phone if needed (just be prepared to wait a bit. I put my phone on speaker and did housework while I waited). The food is not good, but then I don't care for airline food as a general rule. The flight attendants and desk staff always seemed polite. Seats are probably about the same as other airlines.

I have seen them pull out people's oversized carryon bags in Lisbon a few times, but just from my casual observation, they seemed to enforce the rules with the people who threw hissy fits or argued when they were questioned. I know my backpack was over the weight limit once, but it met the size requirements and I was polite, so they let me on through. It may have been coincidence though too, but I typically go the polite route first in most things anyway.

We flew on TAP from Chicago to Amsterdam via Lisbon at a heavily discounted price last April. They are a great airline, especially with their layover policy where (I think) you can add up to seven days layover in Portugal at no extra charge. They are very serious about carry-on weights and sizes, I remember one frustrated-looking woman taking shirts and sweaters out of her bag and putting them on at the gate. We had a delay on our return trip that caused us to miss our transatlantic flight, which was difficult, but they took care of us better than a US-based airline would... the put us up in a very nice hotel, gave us meal vouchers, and arranged an uber to and from the airport. We would fly with them again in a heartbeat.

Wouldn't flt with them again, the stress of whether or not they will refuse my carryon was not worth it. We have a Rick Steves bag that we've taken carry on for other trips no issue but it definitely would NOT pass on TAP. Also the seat selection process feels like a low cost carrier like Ryanair. We ended up spending about $400 more than our "low" price on things we would have gotten for no cost on, say, Lufthansa. (Also bought a new piece of luggage to meet their standards.) The plane itself was quite comfortable, with better legroom than some NA carriers. We also hit a 4.5 hr delay Faro-Lisbon and customer service was available for about 15 mins about 2 hrs into our wait, then they disappeared again. No info on the screens, no live number to call, chat response came next morning ... So yeah. Not for me.

We flew with them from IAD (Washington DC) to Barcelona (via Lisbon) and returned from Lisbon to IAD.

We were looking for price and direct flights, and found them to be competitive price-wise and the direct return was good. We paid extra for ONE checked bag each way ($85x2) and better seats each way ($79x2 & $74x2) - mainly for the seat near the front in case of a late arrival, but also to stretch out a bit more). Still, it was very inexpensive vs some other flight options.

Overall, they were fine - but it is hard to judge an airline during good weather and less busy times of the year (mid-Oct to early Nov this year), so I do wonder how well they do during the heavier travel times or in a bad weather situation. Our flight to Lisbon left at least 30 minutes late (bad DC weather) but we arrived on time in Lisbon to get to our "tight" connection (1hr 20 min) to catch the BCN flight. The Lisbon airport is small, so it was easy to hustle over to new gate with minimal headache and our bags checked through to our destination.

Planes were new Airbus ones with nice seats and entertainment options. Food service was barely adequate - tasted fine, but skimpy on things like water refills (free) or having a "whole can" of drink like most airlines vs small cups. Maybe not a TAP issue in general, but the front bathroom ran out of (never had?) paper towels, so folks just started using Kleenex tissue to dry their hands and that created a mess in the bathroom I used. Not sure if the turnaround ground team missed it or not, but that was a real negative.

Also, Lisbon seems to lack terminal/gate space, so both the LIS-BCN connecting flight, and then the LIS-IAD flight were "take a shuttle from the terminal to a far away holding area" where you depart the shuttle and walk up some stairs to board the plane. Not great in rainy weather like we had when we arrived in LIS from the US, but I'm waterproof enough that it didn't matter. :-)

If we go back to Portugal, I think we would definitely use them again for the direct and reasonable priced flight, but I would not consider them for any non-Portugal flights. With United and Delta flying a lot - many direct - from IAD, I generally have better luck just using them for many European airports.

Their on-line check in process was a PITA. It worked, but since it was always going to require we meet with an agent at the airport for final passport verification, it kept throwing ambiguous error messages without just being direct and saying "All set except you need to see an agent before final boarding".

We flew TAP Air April 2023 from Chicago through Lisbon to Amsterdam. I was impressed with the new Airbus Neo planes and onboard service. We flew economy so the food selections were, as expected, minimal. However, the food quality was pretty good overall. We did experience a flight delay on our return trip out of Amsterdam which caused us to miss our Lisbon flight to Chicago. We were rebooked the next day from Lisbon to Boston to Chicago which, obviously, caused some inconvenience. However, TAP Air provided shared ride service to/from the airport to hotel, the hotel accommodations, dinner in the hotel, and a voucher for breakfast in the airport the next morning. Much better than I have come to expect from U.S. airlines. We would not hesitate to fly with TAP Air in the future!

My wife and I flew TAP two years ago. For me, I liked the lower price and the cabin seating. We booked two seats together: window and aisle. I'm not thrilled with their customer service: I waited for a long time trying to connect with someone on the phone. Also, they have the strangest pricing. I booked tickets today for a trip to Germany in September. Pricing varied by as much as $500 one day to the next! Their AMEX card save me a few dollars but overall it isn't as good as other travel cards.

I have not flew with TAP yet. However last week I purchased two one way tickets for LHR to Lisbon in late September. I used my Chase Ultimate reward points for economy plus tickets. All went well until I tried to choose seats. I spent a couple days working on updating information on the TAP site. Finally gave up and waited for midnight in Lisbon and called the service number. The call was answered quickly and the agent was able to help me book our seats. (Ps their seat map is not up to date.) Next day I got an email indicating we needed to enter addition ID and contact information. I spent two more days attempting to update the required sections only to have the site time out after 20 min. Finally gave up and called again and the agent loaded all the required information in 15 minutes. Very nice agents and easy to work with so don’t waste your time if you are having trouble call their help center 1-866-331-0773 Safe travels to all, and see you travel mates for Heart of Portugal on Sept 18th

We flew TAP from DC to Barcelona with layover in Lisbon. The biggest issue for us was travelling with only carryon bags and their very low weight limit. Buy a luggage scale and don't pack so that your bags looks like they are about to burst. We had no problems but I was really anal about juggling things around between 2 suitcases & 2 backpacks until weight was not problematic.

I am flying TAP to Lisbon from Porto, and then Delta to Atlanta but can’t seem to find a way to be assured my luggage will transfer from airlines since TAP is not a partner of Delta? I was told to retrieve my luggage in Lisbon from TAP and then check it with Delta at Lisbon. Does anyone know of a better way to handle this? Thanks.

Unfortunately, the two airlines are not partners (actually, they are in rival alliances) and as such do not transfer ("interline") bags, so it's not reasonable to expect they would. You'll get the same answer if you asked Delta to transfer your bags to United or American Airlines.

TAP is a member of "Star Alliance", same as United and dozens of other airlines. Delta is in "SkyTeam" (literally, a competing team), so...you would need to claim your bag in Lisbon and check it with Delta there. No better way to deal with this, given the combination of airlines.

Funny that this popped up. I'm debating whether it's worth 700 to update to business class on my way over so I can get some sleep. They do the auction process and apparently 695 is the lowest you can bid. I love the idea of extra space and lay flat seats, but ouch that's a lot more money. I think the way it works is I put in a bid for at least that much, then I can still be outbid. I'd do 400 for sure, but I don't think I can justify 700. Does anyone have experience with the auction process for TAP?

Respectfully, you should probably start a separate thread for that question (as should have the previous poster) rather than re-animating a 4-5 month old thread.

Based on numerous RECENT data points from friends, family, colleagues, neighbours about TAP's strict enforcement of their fully disclosed policy (so cannot fault them) about carry on weight as well as reported service quality challenges when something goes wrong, made us give up on Lisbon-Porto open jaw that TAP so conveniently offers.

United for example, has no weight limit on carry on (only size limit).

If I am traveling alone, I would have no issue selecting TAP if it was significantly cheaper than say United or Delta or American. But I understand that for many travelers, no weight limit on carry on that United offers is a big advantage.

To the original post as to comments pro or con with TAP: For a flight this spring, easyjet canceled our Porto to Toulouse flight and the replacement flight on TAP goes from Porto to Lisbon to Toulouse and costs about twice as much. In addition, we had to pay for seats on each leg of the flight.

I've had some recent experiences with TAP Air Portugal, and overall, it's been quite positive. The service has been decent, and the flights have been relatively smooth. However, like with any airline, experiences can vary depending on factors such as route, time of travel, and specific aircraft.

In terms of the Chicago to Lisbon route, TAP Air Portugal is indeed the only airline offering a direct flight, which can be quite convenient. Despite some mixed reviews you might have seen from a few years ago, I would recommend giving them a try, especially if the direct flight suits your travel plans.

Just be sure to check the latest reviews and consider factors such as pricing and timing before making your decision. Safe travels!

Experience of previous poster with TAP Portugal is not an everyday experience (if course if it were, airline would be bankrupt) but issues like these with TAP is not unheard of

Usually, people are eager to post that "I flew TAP and everything was fine" because that's what is expected. It's like "I yay walked 5th avenue and still didn't get hit by car" type of statement

When you choose to fly airlines with less than stellar reputation, it is a calculated risk especially things can go wrong with reputable airlines too (may be less frequently and may be customer service could be better)

Best thing to do is to buy food travel insurance that will reimburse you in such cases to simply go ahead and make alternate arrangements.

They are not expensive at all if you do not go for " cancellation insurance" part

Good luck to you.

I have just returned from my trip, Chicago to/from Lisbon on TAP, and wrote about my experience with TAP in my trip report:

https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/trip-reports/solo-in-lisbon-portugal-my-trip-report

Another bad data point on TAP from a friend last week.

His carry on was weighed. (He was warned and TAP is very upfront about their policies)

He was two pounds over the limit. He took out a heavy hoodie and put it on. Now he was at limit. It was a hard car carry on.

So entire process did not decrease and volume nor any weight on the plane.

I guess it's their airline their policies and their decision how to enforce them.

TAP is perfectly ok average airline until something goes wrong (like flight cancelled for whatever reason or bags lost or God forbid reservation system loses your reservation!!)

TAP staff is on strike or going to be soon.

Flew from Marrakech, Morocco, to Lisbon on March 25, 2024. It was every bit as good as any of dozens of airlines we have flown although the only free serving is water. You can buy other items.

Please do not reply to violations of our Community Guidelines .

Travel with Grant

Transforming your frequent flyer miles into free trips around the world.

TAP Portugal Airlines Removes Telephone Support, Now Only Provides Email Support (Travel Agents Only)

UPDATE: Grant just confirmed with TAP Portugal on Twitter that this change is only for travel agents, not for passengers.  Sorry for the confusion.

A few months ago, I booked my first ever flight on TAP, the Portuguese airline. I called TAP and within a few minutes, I had my seats picked out and assigned. I haven’t taken the flight yet. The whole process was very easy. That’s ALL changed now.

Somehow TAP thinks that they’ll better assist me by NO longer offering telephone support. Strange reasoning, don’t you think? And their new process looks, well, confusing, to say the least. Not only are they not taking phone calls and only handling support through emails, but they have this wildly complicated construct of coding that we have to use in our emails to them. They don’t specify response time, and this whole email process is just ridiculous.

Here’s the full text of the email they sent.

Dear Valued Partner,

As part of our ongoing effort to improve our service to our customers we are implementing a Customer Relationship Management program to better assist you.

As of Thursday, July 27th, all Agency Help Desk assistance will be handled through email only. Telephone assistance will no longer be available so we ask that you submit all requests to [email protected] .

In order to provide quick and efficient responses we are providing a list of Keywords which must be included in the Subject Line of your emails. These keywords will help us to quickly identify the problem/question in order to expedite the reply. The keywords may be placed in any part of the subject line.

Keywords: TKT–For assistance with Ticketing PNR–For Booking assistance CKIN–For assistance with Check-in SSR–For assistance with Requests of Special Services GENERAL–For assistance with all other subjects not here defined WAIVE–For name corrections, special refund situations, other requests for exceptions IRREG–For assistance with Schedule Changes TKT-24H–For assistance with Issuances or Reissuance within 24-hours of Departure IRREG-24H–For assistance with Schedule Changes within 24-hours of Departure

When submitting an email to the Agency Help Desk [email protected] , you will receive an automatic response acknowledging receipt of your email and providing you with a Case Number. All correspondence related to a specific Case Number must continue on the same email thread. If you generate a new email about the same subject/problem it will be identified as a new case and will delay the process.

We are counting on your cooperation as we implement this new procedure and we will do our best to make this transition as smooth as possible.

Well, let’s just hope I have no problems! And if you have a flight booked on TAP, I hope it all goes smoothly for you too. Has anyone had any experience with this process yet? If you do in the coming months, please let us know how it goes. The more data points on this, the better.

Check Out These Related Posts:

11 thoughts on “ tap portugal airlines removes telephone support, now only provides email support (travel agents only) ”.

It seems super weird to require customers to learn this coding rather than having a link with some simple pull down options. As to the “improve” aspect, don’t you just love euphemisms? I guess they felt that “enhanced” was overused.

Very funny, Christian. Have an “enhanced” afternoon, and thanks for reading,

If you ever read review of tap in another blog in boardingarea, this issue is no strange at all. No strange as in “don’t even think of flying with them”.

Thanks for the tip, James. Let’s hope it goes well for us. Have a great day!

It says agency help, not customer help. This is for Travel Agents, not customers.

Thanks for the tip, Ruy. We verified your hunch and that indeed is the case. Still, it feels like they are punishing agents. Why bite the hand that feeds you?

I understand but consider that if they are give this type of response to a travel agent and a “partner” in selling of their product. How do you think they will act toward you?

In other words, don’t let the trees get in your way of seeing the forrest. Sometimes, you have to read between the lines to see the story.

The email from TAP is clearly a message with the flavor of: Do this then do this then do this…. and we’ll acknowledge…. but don’t bug us…. or we’ll go slower. Notice they make no mention of when they will reply, but it must be an issue because the following statement is don’t submit multiple email requests. So they are clearly saying “We’ll respond when we respond. ”

In itself, that says a mouthful.

You make good points in your comment. Thank you. It’s been a while since I wrote this post so maybe TAP customer service has improved. We can only hope!

My wife flew on TAP MIA-LIS in business class. The seat was broken and wouldn’t recline which they knew before it arrived. Contacted them via twitter and email. They responded that it would be 60 days for resolution. Looks like they are going to take all 60!

Frustrating. Sorry to hear this. Keep us posted on how they resolve the issue. Thanks, William.

Pingback: New 50,000 Point Premium Card, and "a Hero Pilot's Heart-Stopping Emergency Landing" - View from the Wing

Got something to say? Cancel reply

TAP Air Portugal, 263 Lafayette St., 3rd Floor, Newark, NJ, 07032

This TravelBlast® contains information that has been created by a variety of sources external to Baxter Travel Media and is sending this message on behalf of the company named above. Although every reasonable effort is made by both Baxter Travel Media and its clients, to present current and accurate information, Baxter Travel Media cannot guarantee the degree of accuracy of the content provided in this e-blast.

>” style=”font-size:11px; color:#B80005; text-decoration:none;”>Update Profile & Subscriptions

Why am I getting this? Baxter Travel Media is Canada’s largest and most authoritative source of news and information for the travel and tourism industry. This email was sent as you have subscribed to our TravelBlasts® notifications at travelpress.com. TravelBlasts® notifications are intended for travel professionals keeping you informed about the latest fams & travel promotions available. If you would like to stop receiving TravelBlasts®, you can update your profile or unsubscribe here to be removed from this list.

• Holiday Rentals
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Things to Do
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travellers' Choice
• Help Centre

TAP Portugal - Customer Relations - Air Travel Forum

• Tripadvisor Forums    
• Air Travel Forums

TAP Portugal - Customer Relations

• Australia Forums
• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Canada Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Holiday Rentals
• Air Travel forum

I am a recent flyer with TAP from LHR to MIA via LISBON and arrived in Miami without any luggage....TAP made no effort to re-unite us with our luggage and we were without it for 6 days, spoiling our long awaited for holiday in Florida. I raised a complaint with them on 25th April 2012 and up to today, I have not had a reply from them.... let me know if you have suffered in the same way.......

Paddypaws37,

Welcome to TA and thanks for your first contribution...

"... AP made no effort to re-unite us with our luggage and we were without it for 6 days..."

It sounds as if you did get your bags back, so I'd assume that these processes were successful- time not withstanding of course..

Does this ".. no effort..." mean they didn't communicate with you what was the on-going status or something else?

Travel Safe,

Are you saying you got your bag after 6 days? If so, surely somebody must have made an effort to locate it. And if you received it, what is your complaint about?

Delayed baggage is an unfortunate possibility when ever one checks luggage.

The chance of a delay is increased significantly when a connection is involved.

I've had baggage delayed several times in recent years. It has always turned up eventually but as you found out, it can take several days.

As the others have already asked, please expand on what you mean by TAP making 'no effort' to assist you.

Once the bag is located they tend to call you to arrange delivery.

Good travel insurance makes the situation easier. I've enjoyed quite a few shopping sprees on my insurance company in recent years.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

• Nonstop flights to New Zealand from USA 01:32
• Flight length question 01:17
• Good Bid Price for Upgrade on EVA from PE to Business 00:59
• Bula Bid System (LAX to NAN) 00:52
• New scanners at DUB T2 23:52
• Problem with Wizz Air cancellation refund - advice needed 23:49
• Ryanair or air lingus 23:47
• Virgin row 49 23:27
• LATAM website/app - complete documentation 23:17
• Air Transat using Smartlynx airlines?? 22:26
• Codeshare baggage for UK to Canada 20:28
• edream Review 19:54
• Booking multi-city vs individual legs 19:50
• Hajj - Outbound and return legs with different airlines? 19:42
• ++++ ESTA (USA) and eTA (Canada) requirements for visa-exempt foreign nationals ++++
• ++++ TIPS - PLANNING YOUR FLIGHTS +++++++
• Buy now or later? What's with these screwy ticket prices?
• Around-the-world (RTW) tickets
• All you need to know about OPEN JAW tickets
• Beware of cheap business class tickets (sold by 3rd parties)
• ++++ TIPS - PREPARING TO FLY +++++++++
• TIPS - How to prepare for Long Haul Flights
• TIPS - Being Prepared for Cancellations and Long Delays
• TIPS - How to survive being stuck at an airport
• Flights delays and cancellations resources
• How do I effectively communicate with an airline?
• Airline, Airport, and Travel Abbreviations
• Air Travel Queries: accessibility,wedding dresses,travelling with children.
• Connecting Flights at London Heathrow Airport
• TUI Airways (formerly Thomson) Dreamliner - Movies and Seating Information
• ++++ COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION ++++
• Covid-19 Coronavirus Information for Air Travel

• Vacation Rentals
• Restaurants
• Things to do
• Things to Do
• Travel Stories
• Rental Cars
• Add a Place
• Travel Forum
• Travellers' Choice
• Help Centre

TAP Airline Portugal - Air Travel Forum

• Tripadvisor Forums    
• Air Travel Forums

TAP Airline Portugal

• Canada Forums
• United States Forums
• Europe Forums
• Asia Forums
• Central America Forums
• Africa Forums
• Caribbean Forums
• Mexico Forums
• South Pacific Forums
• South America Forums
• Middle East Forums
• Honeymoons and Romance
• Business Travel
• Train Travel
• Traveling With Disabilities
• Tripadvisor Support
• Solo Travel
• Bargain Travel
• Timeshares / Vacation Rentals
• Air Travel forum

I also received a boarding card for my connecting flight number LH 470 for 1305 the same day from Frankfurt to Toronto.

I presented myself at gate 15 at the Lisbon airport at 0715 and showed my boarding pass and my passport to the TAP attendant at the gate. At 0730 the TAP attendant announced that the flight was now delayed. At this point I went to get a drink of water as I was standing there since 0700. After that I proceeded towards the gate area. at 0800. I found that the flight had left. I asked the attendant why he did not announce the flight on the PA system since he had delayed the flight . He got very angry. I also asked him why he did not make a last call announcement on the PA system. He did not answer. I also asked him why he did not call out my name before closing the door, since he had already checked my passport and boarding pass. He again got angry.

I then went back to the customer service agent at the gate who would have nothing to do with me and sent me outside the security area. I went to the TAP customer service people in the terminal area will all my bags, and they said you missed the flight and refused to book me on another flight . I explained to them that the flight was not announced on the PA system. The attendant had only made a visual check of the gate area; which is very crowded, where there is not enough room for all passengers to stand, and then closed the door of the aircraft. Normal boarding procedures for international flights were not followed. The customer service people insisted that I had missed the flight and it was my problem.

I had to purchase a separate ticket to get to Lufthansa at a cost of Euro 596.00. I also missed my connecting flight .

At the Lisbon airport I monitored TAP flights and I noticed that TAP does not follow proper boarding procedures as followed by all other airlines at the Lisbon airport.

Other European airlines called their flight on the PA system, announcing that the flight was ready for boarding, as passengers can also be at a nearby restaurant. Other European airlines using Lisbon airport also made a last call announcement ten minutes before closing the aircraft doors. Of course they also announced the name of all missing passengers by reviewing the aircraft manifest on their computer screen, those passengers whose boarding stub was not collected by the agent. This is particularly because the passenger who has checked baggage should not go missing due to obvious security reasons. As you can see from the attached scan that I still have the entire boarding coupon with me from the TAP flight and the gate attendant should have known that the person did not board the aircraft.

It's not relevant what any airline may or may not do in regard to boarding announcements. The reality is you missed your flight because you weren't there to board. And yes, the airline knows you didn't board if you still have your entire boarding pass, but what difference does that make?

A gate agent has absolutely no idea if you will be back to the gate or not just because they've previously checked your boarding card. Their job is to get the flight out on time. Sorry, but this whole incident could have been prevented if you hadn't left the gate area. TAP is correct when they said you missed the flight , and they had no obligation to anything else for you.

Sounds like the gate agent tried to trick you there??? Are you sure that this is what he announced???

Apart from that I do find it strange that they didn't call your name but who knows, maybe they did and you just missed it?

Where were you for 45 minutes anyway?

Moral of the story: Don't leave the gate for 30 minutes when it's 25 minutes to scheduled departure.

What I find somewhat puzzling is that notion that between the time the OP appears to have left the gate--- 07:30 and the time the OP returned-- 08:00, the flight was fully boarded and left.. TP570 shows as being operated with an A319 which is a 60 seat executive and 72 seats in economy-- so a total of 132 people... if fully booked.

Traditionally, this type of plane takes at least 0:20 to as much as 0:30 to board.. but I'd guess that since it was delayed they were closer to :20 than to :30-- just to get going as quick as possible..

Based on this, I can only conclude that boarding must have started very, very soon after the OP left in order for the plane to be completely boarded *and* gone from the gate entirely when s/he returned some :30 later... Remembering also that push-back takes a few minutes from the time the cabin door closes..

In the end, I can only agree with the others.. The final responsibility to be on the plane and on-time does fall to you.. Yes, it would *help* if PA's were made... many airlines do that, but I also know that some airport don't allow it and some airlines don't do it either. so, it can vary.. but in the end, PA or not, the responsibility is yours..

Now, that said, IF the gate agent told you "I'm sorry but we're not going anywhere until XX:XX because of XXXX reason" then I might feel you have a case as you would have relied upon the advice of the agent.. but just from what you write, it doesn't appear this was the case..

When I worked the gate, I *always* told people "yes, we're delayed and the new projected departure time is XXX, BUT.. if we get clearance to go before that, we will.. so please, please, don't go far."

Travel Safe,

There must be some missing pieces to this story.

This topic has been closed to new posts due to inactivity.

• Nonstop flights to New Zealand from USA 11:32
• Flight length question 11:17
• Good Bid Price for Upgrade on EVA from PE to Business 10:59
• Bula Bid System (LAX to NAN) 10:52
• New scanners at DUB T2 09:52
• Problem with Wizz Air cancellation refund - advice needed 09:49
• Ryanair or air lingus 09:47
• Virgin row 49 09:27
• LATAM website/app - complete documentation 09:17
• Air Transat using Smartlynx airlines?? 08:26
• Codeshare baggage for UK to Canada 06:28
• edream Review 05:54
• Booking multi-city vs individual legs 05:50
• Hajj - Outbound and return legs with different airlines? 05:42
• ++++ ESTA (USA) and eTA (Canada) requirements for visa-exempt foreign nationals ++++
• ++++ TIPS - PLANNING YOUR FLIGHTS +++++++
• Buy now or later? What's with these screwy ticket prices?
• Around-the-world (RTW) tickets
• All you need to know about OPEN JAW tickets
• Beware of cheap business class tickets (sold by 3rd parties)
• ++++ TIPS - PREPARING TO FLY +++++++++
• TIPS - How to prepare for Long Haul Flights
• TIPS - Being Prepared for Cancellations and Long Delays
• TIPS - How to survive being stuck at an airport
• Flights delays and cancellations resources
• How do I effectively communicate with an airline?
• Airline, Airport, and Travel Abbreviations
• Air Travel Queries: accessibility,wedding dresses,travelling with children.
• Connecting Flights at London Heathrow Airport
• TUI Airways (formerly Thomson) Dreamliner - Movies and Seating Information
• ++++ COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS INFORMATION ++++
• Covid-19 Coronavirus Information for Air Travel