Portugal is a popular tourist destination for Americans. With its warm weather and excellent cuisine, this gateway city to Europe provides Americans with a great getaway.
However, Americans trying to get to Portugal via air travel will realize that options are pretty limited. Only American major legacy airlines offer direct flights to Portugal.
There is another option though. Portuguese airline, Tap Air Portugal offers nonstop flights from six cities throughout the United States.
In this guide, we will briefly discuss the history of TAP Air Portugal, several of the routes and U.S cities it flies into, and familiarize you with several of the aircraft you can expect to fly on when traveling between these two countries.
Brief History of TAP Air Portugal
TAP Air Portugal is based out of Lisbon, Portugal; the country’s capital city. The airline is the nation’s flag carrier, meaning that they are owned or subsidized by the country’s government.
TAP was founded in March 1945 and began operations the following year in 1946. Currently, the air carrier flies to 87 destinations in 34 countries scattered across the four continents of Europe, Africa, and North and South America.
The main hub airport for TAP Air is Lisbon Airport in Lisbon. They also have a secondary hub at Porto Airport in Porto, Portugal. TAP also has a focus city airport at Madiera Airport in Madiera, Portugal which is an island located right along the coast of Portugal.
TAP Air Portugal’s Long Haul Fleet
The airline has a fleet of 75 aircraft in total. For flights across the pond between the United States and Portugal, TAP has only two aircraft types in its inventory with a range sufficient to make the journey; the Airbus A321 and the Airbus A330.
Airbus A321
TAP Air Portugal has a total of 26 Airbus A321s. The Airbus A321 is a narrowbody aircraft capable of holding 216 passengers and completing flights as long as 4600 miles. The airline operates two types of Airbus A321, the Airbus A321neo and Airbus A321LR.
The A321neo (New Engine Option) has more fuel-efficient engines and offers a more ambient cabin environment for passengers.
The A321LR builds on the A321neo but has an even longer range, making it a great choice for flights across the Atlantic.
Airbus A330
The Airbus A330 is a widebody airline capable of traveling 7000+ miles nonstop while carrying up to 298 passengers depending on the variant. It is a popular choice for airlines flying across continents. TAP Air Portugal operates two variants of the Airbus A330: Airbus A330-200 and Airbus A330-900.
The Airbus A330-200 differs from the rest of the A330 class because it is a shortened version of the aircraft. It packs fewer passengers but can travel longer distances than most of the other variants.
The Airbus A330-900 is one of the newest versions of the Airbus A330. Its main improvement is its fuel efficiency. It burns 14% less fuel per passenger seat than other members of the Airbus A330 class while holding slightly more passengers.
TAP Air Portugal’s U.S. Presence
Expansion into the U.S. market
TAP Air Portugal has the unique distinction of being one of the first European airlines to fly with an all-jet aircraft fleet. That translated into Tap Air being able to fly faster and longer to destinations beyond Europe.
In the 1960’s, Tap Air Portugal offered its first flights to the United States. Via a connection at Santa Maria Island, passengers were able to fly from Portugal to New York City. The airline then added Boston to the mix shortly after.
Until the 2010s, Tap Air relied heavily on codeshare agreements with Delta Air Lines and US Airways to fulfill transatlantic demand between the United States and Portugal. Even to this day, Tap Air Portugal remains a member of the Star Alliance codeshare group.
With the modernization of its aircraft fleets, Tap Air Portugal has been able to shoulder the load of direct flights between Lisbon and several destinations scattered across the United States itself.
Significance of Direct Flights to Portugal
It is very significant for the Portuguese and Americans to have direct flights between both countries. Portugal is an island country that can be considered a gateway to Europe. With countries such as Spain and France found nearby, Lisbon can serve as a connection point for Americans looking to travel abroad to destinations throughout Europe.
It is very similar to the relationship Aer Lingus has with Ireland or Icelandair has with Iceland considering flights to the United States. Since the flights between these island nations are considerably shorter than a direct flight to a major city in Europe, it might be a better passenger experience to have a destination where passengers can get off the airplane, explore, and continue on their journey to other European destinations.
Portugal is also a lightly tapped destination for the American market as well. Delta Air Lines, United Airlines, and American Airlines offer limited daily nonstop service to Portugal. JetBlue Airways, which is only now beginning to offer flights to Europe has yet to begin flying to Portugal.
With Tap Air Portugal’s fuel-efficient aircraft and such a demand for this great vacation destination by Americans, the airline is taking much of the market share from its competitors.
U.S. Cities Connected by TAP Air Portugal
There are six destinations within the United States where Tap Air Portugal offers direct flights between Portugal and the United States.
List of U.S. cities served by TAP Air Portugal
Boston
The U.S. city that is closest to Portugal with a direct flight is Boston. TAP Air Portugal flies daily nonstop flights between Boston Logan International Airport and Lisbon Airport.
On this route, TAP Air uses its narrowbody Airbus A321. It’s an excellent choice considering the shorter distance. Overall, the flight takes north of 6 hours to complete.
New York
New Yorkers or Portuguese looking to get to New York are lucky to have two options for flights. TAP Air Portugal flies into and from New York John F Kennedy Airport and Newark Liberty International Airport in the New York City area. Both of these airports have daily nonstop flights to and from Lisbon.
Just like its Boston route, TAP Air Portugal uses their Airbus A321s on the flights between New York and Portugal. The route is slightly longer in distance and time than the flight between Boston & Portugal.
Washington D.C
TAP Air Portugal has direct flights between the nation’s capital Washington D.C and Lisbon, Portugal. It uses Washington Dulles International Airport just outside Washington D.C.
This location provides great access for Americans living in the middle Atlantic states who are looking to fly to Portugal. Unfortunately, the airline doesn’t fly to any other major cities in the middle of the eastern seaboard like Atlanta or Philadelphia.
The flight between Washington D.C and Lisbon is just over 7 hours in duration. TAP Air Portugal uses its Airbus A321s for this route.
Chicago
The only midwestern U.S. city served by TAP Air Portugal is Chicago. The airline operates out of Chicago O’Hare International Airport. Unlike the cities found along the East Coast, TAP Air only flies to Chicago 3 or 4 times a week. This is probably due to the lack of aircraft available for a daily trip between these two cities.
Midwesterners looking to go to Portugal will probably need to find a connection flight to Chicago or Boston, New York, or Miami, to find a Tap Air Portugal flight across the Atlantic. In dire cases, it might even make more sense to find a flight on Delta Air Lines or United Airlines.
TAP Air Portugal uses its Airbus A330 for this route. The distance between Lisbon and Chicago is beyond the range for the Airbus A321. Also, with the flight approaching nearly 8 hours, the question of comfort does come into play. People would likely be more comfortable on board a widebody aircraft like the Airbus A330 versus an Airbus A321 for this long of a flight.
Miami
The most Southern city in the United States that TAP Air operates out of is Miami, Florida. The airline features daily flights between Miami International Airport and Lisbon.
Miami is best served for people in the Southern states like Georgia, the Carolinas, Alabama, Texas, and Louisana.
The Airbus A330 is used for this flight. The flight time approaches over eight hours with the total distance between both cities being roughly 4200 miles.
San Francisco
The most westerly U.S. city used by TAP Air Portugal is San Francisco, California. The airline flies into and out of San Francisco International Airport flying to Lisbon, Portugal 3 to 4 times per week.
San Francisco is the best bet for passengers living on the extreme west coast of the United States. If these passengers truly demand a nonstop flight, this city would be a great option for them. However, if they want to break up their journey into smaller chunks, they might opt for a connection to the other U.S. airports that TAP Air Portugal flies into.
The Airbus A330 is the only aircraft in TAP’s fleet that is capable of flying this route nonstop from Lisbon. With the flight approaching 11 hours in flight time and spanning over 5500 miles, a widebody is a necessity for maximum passenger comfort.
