Review: TAP Air Portugal Business Class Airbus A320neo (LIS-GVA)

@ben in the future, since you used lifemiless, would you choose Y for the intro-Europe flight since you’d already have lounge access with your connecting trans-Atlantic J flight. Just wondering since lifemiles actually allows you to reduce the price of the mileage ticket unlike other programs. I find if J is included in my connecting flight I’ll take it, but if I’m able to reduce costs with Y I do that. Thoughts?

Ew.

The TAAG 777 is in the background out the window.

I am so sorry you had to see that.

@ FrozenKiwi -- That's a great question. So crunching the numbers, it seems that booking the second segment in economy would save 7,730 miles. I usually earn lifemiles with a transfer bonus, so let's assume those miles are worth somewhere around $100.

I don't want to say it's a slam dunk, but I do think I'd probably pay an extra $100 in order to be guaranteed an empty seat next to me, receive extra legroom, etc. After all, we were on the plane for roughly three hours.

So I think I'd probably do the same, though you're right, it's unique how lifemiles lets you save on connecting itineraries if you book those in economy.

Having to go through security in Europe when connecting from a US flight also happens at LHR and CDG. The only place where I haven't had to go through security again is at AMS (again, only talking when connecting from a US flight to another flight). I think at MAD you also have to go through security again

I'm surprised TAP doesn't offer all 231 episodes of Xica da Silva. Try downloading it and watching while flying. Let me know if you figure out what made her popular with senhor contratador 😉

Isn't the plane with the red tail TAAG Angola? (which would make sense given Portugal's colonial history)

The last time I connected at MAD from the US (arriving at terminal 4S) to another European city (departing from terminal 4), I had to go through security. I think that has been the case for some time.

For whatever it's worth, I connected in LIS onto another city in Portugal last week and did not need to clear security in addition to customs.

Honestly whats even the point of reviewing airplane breakfast, its always s**t in 99% of cases...

"I tend to think that Europe has the worst short haul premium cabins you’ll find anywhere in the world, so I try to manage my expectations accordingly."

So what is Delta serving on their flights less than 2 hours?
What lounge access do you get on a standard LGA - ATL?
Or MIA - JFK on AA?

I think at CDG it depends on where exactly the ex-US plane lands. Last Spring I arrived SFO-CDG and did not have to clear security again. Of course I did clear passport control but that makes perfect sense.

It wasn’t a nice day in Lisbon, as it was raining outside, which certainly isn’t ideal for remote stand operations.

That reminds me of something... one day, I flew a domestic flight in Korea on a rainy day (I forgot which airline and route was that). That flight was also departing from a remote stand, and when I arrived at the aircraft, one of the ground agent, who seemed to be a manager of some sort (given that he wasn't wearing the uniform), was holding an umbrella in between the bus and the step car so we wouldn't get wet, although he had to get wet. Not saying this as a 'only in Korea/Japan' thing, but I've really appreciated that.

Hey Ben, you seem to begin to forget you’re German 😉 How can you not love cold cuts (esp since this doesn’t look like pork)? Sitting here in Germany and having an elderflower Ricola, I’m actually offended by that…

Ben is specifically talking about the hard product in the cabin, in which case he is correct. At least flying LGA-ATL or MIA-JFK you'll have a nice "first class" seat 2-2 wide instead of a 3-3 wide "business class" seat with a blocked/unoccupied middle seat.

The age old American versus European business class debate...better seat versus more food and lounge access.

Cabins as in hard product, not soft product

HEL is also equipped to receive non-Schengen flights from clean countries, so no security theatre for US arrivals.

Ben,
As have You said before: Business class its about the hard product.
That its not a business class, its just economy plus in the front of the airplane.
I really cannot stand this verbal engineering that airlines use to call things that they are not and trick you and sell you an illusion.
Most European airlines do not want to invest in a good intra-european business class hard product, let´s hope one day they invest and have a better product, even US airlines have better.

I also have experienced the inexpicably long bus 'tour' of LIS and its surroundings from remote stand to arrivals terminal . Being only a mid-size international airport is is way too long. Also you'd think that TAP would have proper airbridge facilities since they are the national flagbearer airline.
The snack you refer to is really breakfast so cold cuts, a croissant and some fruit seems in line for Europe. However since your flight originated at LIS I'm surprised it did not include a hot breakfast dish, which Portugal excels at.

If there was a demand, the "real business class" would exist. The reality is that no one is gonna pay extra money for a better hard product on two hours flights, there's just no benefit, the current seats are just fine.

US airlines don't even give you lounge access and while EU catering sometimes leaves a lot to be desired, it still better than a pack of peanuts. I hardly see the US product being better just because I have some empty space next to my body.

I am not sure what you meant by this Ben. When arriving from the USA you enter Schengen space and clear immigration on your first entry point. In this case it was Lisbon - Switzerland is part of Schengen. You wouldn't clear immigration if you were transiting in Lisbon but flying to LHR. Am I wrong?

@Ben

When you take pictures through a rain wet airplane window, use the manual focus function, you can get much better pictures even with the rain drops there. I assume iPhones do have this camera feature....

Cold cuts may not be great but are better than airline food eggs.
"That’s interesting, because most other gateways in the region don’t require you to clear security when arriving from the United States." - this is untrue. In many cities even in Europe one has to go through security again.
It is common knowledge that inter-european flights have economy seats with a blocked middle, so why the complaint.....