Quick take: TAP Air Portugal offers all the trappings of business class, such as multicourse meals on real china and lie-flat seats, but does not feel especially luxurious.
Pros
Throne seats offer extra personal space.
Multiple lounge options are available in both Lisbon and Washington, D.C.
Portuguese touches from amenity kits to wines lend the experience a regional flair.
Cons
The lie-flat seats aren’t the most comfortable.
Meals are good but not extraordinary.
Service feels perfunctory.
ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
I don’t fly business class for luxury. I choose it for legroom. I’m 6 feet tall and don’t sleep well on planes, even lying down, so TAP Air Portugal’s business-class seats satisfied my basic requirements of having a comfortable place to stretch out my long legs and enough entertainment to get me through a flight.
If you’re looking for course-by-course dining, closed-door suites and doting service, TAP does not offer what you seek, at least not on its Airbus A321LR on the short overnight flight between Dulles International Airport (IAD) and Lisbon Airport (LIS). But if you want a more affordable front-of-the-plane experience, with fun cultural touches like an all-Portuguese wine list and Portuguese language lessons on your seatback monitor, you might want to give TAP a try.
How much does business class cost to book on TAP Air Portugal? ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
The cost to book TAP business class will depend on your origin and destination, as well as whether you’re flying one-way or round-trip, though the airline is known for posting some incredible deals from the U.S. to Europe in both economy and business class.
On the route I flew, from Dulles International Airport (IAD) to Lisbon Airport (LIS), round-trip business-class tickets start at $3,550 now through the end of 2024, but are often closer to $5,500.
Alternatively, you might be able to book award tickets using United MileagePlus miles or Air Canada Aeroplan points.
United is a 1:1 transfer partner of Chase Ultimate Rewards and will require 176,000 miles plus about $65 in taxes and fees round-trip.
Aeroplan is a 1:1 transfer partner of American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards and Capital One, and requires 120,000 miles plus around $140 in taxes and fees.
Here’s a snapshot of how much round-trip TAP tickets from Washington, D.C., to Lisbon will cost over the next several months in terms of money and miles.
Class
Business class
Economy
Airfare
$3,550-$8,660
$611-$1,690
United MileagePlus
176,000 miles + $65
88,000 miles + $65
Air Canada Aeroplan
70,000 miles + $140
120,000 miles + $140
Business-class passengers can select seats for free and bring one full-sized carry-on bag (22 inches by 16 inches by 10 inches) plus one personal item (16 inches by 12 inches by 5 inches), as well as two checked bags of up to 70 pounds each.
Checking in to and boarding TAP Air Portugal business class ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
Here are the special services TAP business-class passengers enjoy at the airport.
Priority boarding
Yes
Lounge available?
Yes, two TAP Premium Lounges and Star Alliance partner lounges.
Does the airline participate in TSA PreCheck?
Yes
Boarding group
A (first of three)
I arrived at Dulles extra early only to discover the check-in desk opened two hours before boarding time. Though I was first in the Premium line, I had to wait for the agents to arrive.
ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
When they did, the friendly one I checked in with pointed me toward the quickest way to a TSA PreCheck (which I can access with my Global Entry) checkpoint, explained that I would have premium boarding and told me I had a choice of the Lufthansa Lounge or the Turkish Airways Lounge, both at Dulles’ international terminal B, near the departure gate.
At the gate, a clearly marked Premium line was available for business-class flyers to board first.
At Lisbon Airport for my return flight, I followed signs for TAP Air Portugal’s Premium check-in area, which is accessible via Door 1 at Terminal 1. I started to turn toward the kiosks to my left before I saw a sign pointing out Premium gates to keep walking toward in the back of the hall. Just past the kiosks, I found the gated-off area for Premium check-in, where I was swiftly checked in and pointed in the right direction for boarding.
Premium passengers can access the Fast Track security lines in Lisbon. I found the signage a bit confusing because there were lines in multiple directions, but the same security guard who yelled at me for taking photos did helpfully point me toward the correct entrance. Only one or two passengers were ahead of me in line, and the security was quick. I had to remove my bag of liquids and take off my sweater, but I did not need to take out my laptop.
U.S.-bound passengers need to go through a passport control line between the main terminal area and the non-Schengen gate areas. Make sure you account for this extra time when deciding when to leave the lounge or shopping area to head to your gate. Four lanes at passport control had all the tourists confused, and many were sent from the digital gates into another line.
Once at the gate, Premium travelers have a priority boarding line (A) and board first. In our case, it meant boarding the first of two buses for a ride across the tarmac to our waiting plane. We business-class passengers got a bus all to ourselves, rather than cramming in with crowds of economy passengers on a packed bus. We did have to wait on the bus for a while as the flight crew readied our plane.
Airport lounge options for TAP Air Portugal business class ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
With enough time, I could have visited at least four, if not five, lounges between the two airports I flew into and out of on my trip. I managed to hit three.
If you’re flying business class on TAP Air Portugal between Washington, D.C., and Lisbon, be prepared for lounge choices.
At IAD, the friendly gate agent asked me with a sly grin what kind of food I liked, saying that was the proper criterion for deciding which of the two available Terminal B lounges I should visit. He hinted that because the Lufthansa Lounge only served cold food, I would be better off choosing the Turkish Airways Lounge. He wasn’t wrong; I enjoyed the Mediterranean fare, such as kofta, lentil soup, hummus and pita, and cinnamon rice pudding. The Lufthansa Lounge was slightly closer to my gate, but not enough to be a deciding factor.
Technically, you could also access the airport’s United Polaris Lounge with your TAP Air Portugal business-class ticket, and it’s certainly a much more upscale lounge than the Turkish or Lufthansa ones. However, it’s in a different terminal and traversing IAD via moving lounges and trains can be slow. You’ll only want to aim for the Polaris Lounge if you have a considerable wait time before your flight.
In Lisbon, TAP fields two Premium lounges, one immediately after the duty-free shops and above the main concourse (look for the escalators with “Premium Lounges” written on the side) and one after passport control for non-Schengen travel. The check-in agent recommended the first one as it’s larger, with more food and seating options, and told me how much time to leave to get through passport control to my gate.
The TAP Premium Lounge Tejo in the main concourse is large (with 320 seats) but not fancy, with plenty of food and drink options. Don’t miss the Portuguese specialty pastel de nata, a sweet egg custard tart; I was pleasantly surprised by how crispy and warm mine was, given it was sitting on a buffet.
If extensive food and drink menus aren’t your priority, I’d recommend going straight to the second, smaller TAP Premium Lounge, Atlantico, on your left as you exit passport control.
When I visited, it was much less crowded than the Tejo lounge, but still offered separate seating areas for work, dining and relaxation, as well as a pared-down buffet and self-serve bar.
How comfortable was TAP Air Portugal business class? ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
On the Airbus A321LR I flew in both directions, here’s the layout of the business-class cabin and the dimensions of the seats.
Number of seats
16
Cabin layout
2-2 and 1-1 in alternating rows
Seat recline
Fully flat
Seat width
27 1/2 inches (the chair itself is around 22 inches)
Screen size
16 inches
The A321LR is unusual because it’s a one-aisle long-haul airplane. All passengers must walk through business class on their way back to economy, so settle in quickly.
Business class has five rows of seats, alternating between rows with two seats on each of the aisle and rows with only one seat on each side. The individual seats in rows 2 and 4 are dubbed the “thrones,” and they are the prime places to snag if you’re flying solo, as you won’t have a seatmate. Couples might prefer to be seated together.
ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
I was able to select my seat online for free when I was ticketed, so I chose the throne seat for my overnight flight on the outbound. It wasn’t available on the day flight back, so I chose an aisle seat in the center Row 3. I lucked out and didn’t have anyone sitting next to me.
ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
Business class doesn’t really have a bad row, though Row 1 by the galley and bathroom might be more trafficked and noisy, depending on your flight crew and fellow passengers. However, after trying out both seat types, I understand why those throne seats get snapped up quickly. It’s not just the privacy — they offer much more space for stowing your things.
Best seats for solo travelers
2B, 2E, 4B, 4E
Best seats for couples
The best are pairs in Row 3, but 1 and 5 also work
Seats to avoid
None, but rows 1 and 5 are near the galley/lavatory
The primary part of each seat is the same, with a recliner that turns into a lie-flat bed facing a seatback monitor with a mesh pull-down pocket below and a pop-out coat hook.
ERICA SILVERSTEIN/THE POINTS GUY
The tray table pulls out from a console that also contains a reading light, TV remote, USB-A port, headphone jack, water bottle holster and a pair of noise-canceling headphones attached by a strap.
Power outlets are in the seat divider/armrest facing the seat in front of you, so you have to contort your body to see where they are to insert your power cord. (My cellphone flashlight came in handy here.)
It’s the sides where the two seat types differ. True to its name, the throne seat has wide armrests with drink pads on either side. On the aisle side, you even have a cubby with a door where you could stow a water bottle, tablet or other items you wish to have accessible. In the double-seat rows, the aisle-side armrests are narrow and not that comfortable; the center has a small drink pad you’ll have to share with your seatmate.
In the throne seat, I could tuck my backpack in..
