Trip Report: Flying TAP from Lisbon to Miami

DALLAS — TAP Air Portugal (TP) offers a mix of A321LRs and A330-900s between its Lisbon hub and North American destinations.

The airline's A321s primarily serve the Eastern US and Canada. Airways takes you on a flight from Lisbon to Miami to check out TP's Business class product, which varies slightly between aircraft types.

Aircraft

TAP Portugal (TP) has one of the youngest transatlantic fleets, comprised entirely of Airbus.  In 2019, the state-run carrier became the first commercial airline to fly the A330-900neo equipped with Rolls Royce Trent engines. 

The twin-engine widebody serves markets in Chicago, Miami, New York, JFK, and San Francisco.  During the same year, TP delivered the single-aisle A321neoLR, powered by CFM-56 engines.  It has an extended range of 4,700 nautical miles. 

The aircraft is deployed to smaller markets such as Boston, Montreal, Newark, and Toronto.  Besides flying from its Lisbon hub, TP offers nonstop service from Newark to Porto using the A321. Future expansion might include Los Angeles and Houston.  

Business Class Layout

The A321 business cabin consists of 16 forward-facing lie-flat seats, with a 2-2 configuration in odd-numbered rows and a 1-1 configuration in even-numbered rows. "Throne Seats" have more privacy and additional elbow room and are ideal for single flyers.

Reserving one of these seats is free of charge as long as availability is available at the time of booking.  

The A330-900neo business class consists of a single cabin with 34 lie-flat seats, a 1-2-1 staggered configuration (below), and half the seats angled slightly toward the aisle.  One lavatory is upfront, and two are in the back, shared with premium economy. 

Each business class seat provides a 22.3-inch seat width and comes with a paper menu, amenity kit, duvet, and headphones. 

Lisbon to Miami

After trying the A321LR from Lisbon to Toronto last year, I had the opportunity to fly the A330-900 from Lisbon to Miami (MIA). The flight’s timing appeals to me. A 10:15 a.m. departure allows plenty of time to get to the airport, and the 3:40 p.m. arrival still affords a good amount of daylight to explore the city. Once I arrived at Lisbon Airport (LIS), I used the FastTrack security lane and was at the airside within 15 minutes.  

Once they arrived, TP gate agents stood at the entrance verifying passports. I then stood in line, ready to board.  However, boarding did not commence until 25 minutes after the scheduled boarding time.  No announcement was made, which is somewhat typical for TP.  Once boarded, I checked the cabin and found it was clean overall, including my seat cushion, floor, and footwell. 

The overhead bins were the same as those found in the older A330s and not as large as those in A350s, 787s, and 777s.  The headphones provided at each seat do little to cancel background noise, so I used my pair of Bose instead. 

Once we reached cruising altitude, flight attendants began inflight service. Drinks and peanuts were offered, followed by lunch.  I picked the Bacalhau (Cod), the national dish of Portugal.  The portion was too large for me to handle.  It was served hot, adequately seasoned, and moist. 

The meal ended with the standard “Dessert Trilogy” tray, with cheese, fruit, and ice cream. 

The lie-flat seat was wide enough for me to sleep on the side. The duvet was comfortable. However, the pillow was too flimsy. I had to fold it to gain adequate head support while sleeping. 

Before landing, a meal consisting of warm bread, quiche, salmon, sliced fruits, and a sweet pastry roll was served. 

The 4177-mile, 9+hr flight was uneventful.  TAP Business Class is a solid product.  The service was attentive and friendly.  The lavatory was clean and well-stocked with soap, wipes, and paper goods throughout the flight.  Despite the late boarding, our flight landed on time. 

All photos: Author