You Trip Report

	DATE	FLIGHT NUMBER	SEAT	AIRCRAFT
17 Nov 22	TP 236	41C	A330-900 Neo
CLASS	VIEWS	LANGUAGE	AUTHOR
Economy	43545	English	jetsetpanda

Prologue:

Welcome to this trip to BCN that I took back in Nov. 2022.

Although I have flown TAP before my previous trips were confined to intra-European routes. This time I will have a chance to try TAP's long haul product and I was looking forward to it. I guess for an avgeek any new flying experience is viewed as a welcome novelty.

Arrived at the airport with plenty of time and waited for the counter to open.

Check in was smooth and when I checked in I was assigned a middle seat in row 24 or 25. I tried to change it at the counter and the agent advised me to do that at the gate since I will be charged for the change. I always thought that airport agents will have control of the airplane seats on the day of dept.

Flight was on time.

Security was quick and I proceeded to the UA Club at the Intl Terminal thanks to my *A Gold status. The agent at the counter told me that I could use the Polaris lounge but I knew that she was wrong. Only true J pax can have access to it.

Welcome was efficient and I took the elevator to the lower floor where the lounge was located.

Not too crowded today.

Buffet was the usual salad sandwiches cheese cubes and nachos bar.

Meatballs and soup were the only hot items.

Minestrone soup.

Bar.

The flight was not full and when I tried to change my seat the agent told me to return when boarding started. Only at that time they would be able to change my seat without incurring any extra charges. That's the first time that I have heard something like this from any airline. Usually airport staff can change your seats on the day of dept.

Finally it was my turn to board with seat 41C in the back without anyone next to me.

The purser was at the door welcoming people aboard.

Cabin.

Seat pocket contents.

A pillow blanket and earphone were on each seat.

Welcome msg on screen.

Individual air vent and light.

View from my seat.

Taxiing out.

WC.

Galley.

Menu on the screen.

Chicken dish as delivered by the crew.

The use of metal utensils is a plus.

After dinner coffee or tea were offered. I opted for tea.

There were no snacks in the galley during the night. Only water was available.

Breakfast box before arrival.

Turkey sandwich with cheese.

Arriving in Lisbon.

We disembarked using the stairs in a remote location.

========== San Francisco Intl Arpt (SFO) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 9/10

Access and parking: 10/10

Services and activities: 9/10

General cleanliness: 10/10

========== United Club ==========

Staff Service: 8/10

Entertainment: /10

Business Center: /10

Food: 8/10

Lounge Design: 9/10

Spa and Bathroom: 9/10

Wifi: 10/10

========== TAP Portugal - Airline ==========

Cabine comfort: 9/10

Crew: 9/10

Entertainment: 8/10

On-time performance: 8/10

Appetizer: 0/10

Starter: 8/10

Main Meal: 9/10

Main Meal-2: 0/10

Cheese: 0/10

Desserts: 9/10

Alcohols: 0/10

Mid-flight snack: 0/10

Breakfast or light meal before arrival: 7/10

========== Lisboa (LIS) - ==========

Security/Immigration efficiency: 8/10

Access and parking: 9/10

Services and activities: 8/10

General cleanliness: 9/10

Summary:

In general It was a good experience flying TAP.

Check-in was quick but it was hard to believe that agents could not change seats without being charged until the very last minute during boarding. I always thought that on the day of departure the airport had complete control of the inventory of seats. As a point of reference I can say that at least on UA I have been switched to a seat in Econ Plus without charges at the airport.

The flight was not full and there were many empty seats which made for a comfortable flight. Crew were very friendly and polite which can make a big difference and compensate for other shortcomings. Food was solid and the use of metal utensils helped elevate the dining experience. I find it disappointing that there were no snacks available in between meals while competitors offer them aboard.

7 Comments

Thomas — Jan 15,2023

I remember that flight my friend and our Polaris experience.
The tray looks really so-so.

Good not to have had a full cabin.

Reply
Bibopaul — Jan 15,2023

Thank you Panda for your report. The lounge is a tad cheap.
Were you able to stretch you legs on a full row ?
Reply
Casper — Jan 15,2023

Hey Amigo, so good to read you !
Nothing is better to have a light load in Y for a Long journey.
Thanks a lot for sharing.
Reply
Capoune — Jan 15,2023

Hello Adan!

Thank you for this nice TR!
The lounge is beautiful but the offer is not really extra... but it has the merit of existing.
On board it does the job and the empty seat next to you is an indisputable plus.
On the other hand, this siege story is very strange.

Thank you for sharing with us my friend!
See you
Reply
AAFlyer — Jan 16,2023

Hello JetSet,
Welcome back!
It's racking up miles to renew your TK G ?
Thanks for your review.
Reply
Vendredi13 — Jan 16,2023

Woof ! JetSetPanda !

Incredible, this exhausting sequence for a change of seat!
Plus they look really thin.. And I don't like their color^^ At least these 3 available seats were really welcome for this long-haul night flight.
But with only water available for the whole night, that's clearly not enough.
No Possibility for an upgrade ? Or maybe u didn't have time to ask, considering the sequence with the seat^^

Thank you Adan for this excellent report.
Reply
Emile — Jan 18,2023

Great review Panda, thanks a lot for sharing.
Reply