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TAP Air Portugal Connecting Flights


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This is a TAP Air Portugal connecting flights guide.

This guide covers everything from how to book connecting flights with TAP to baggage rules and air passengers rights. TAP Air Portugal is the flag carrier of Portugal. With its hub and headquarters at Lisbon Airport, TAP Air serves more than 80 destinations. The airline is a member of the Star Alliance.


Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.


TAP Air Portugal plane
TAP Air Portugal plane

1

Is It Protected?

Yes, it’s a protected connection.

Traditional airlines sell airline-protected connecting flights. It’s more convenient and more safe than self-transfer flights. You don’t need a visa for connecting flights like this.

Unless you book flights separately.

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2

Baggage Rules

Airline takes care of your baggage.

Mostly, you will check in baggage only once — you won’t have to recheck baggage for every flight. This is how it works with full-service airlines and airline-protected connecting flights.

Baggage allowance depends on the ticket, destination and occasionally some other factors. 


3

Travel Insurance

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Make your trip safe from day 1.

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1. TAP Air Portugal Connecting Flights

TAP Air Portugal is a full-service traditional airline.

Full-service airlines offer airline-protected connecting flights. Airline-protected connecting flights and a few other services are the main difference between traditional and low-cost airlines. That’s why so many choose to travel with traditional airlines.

Airline-protected connecting flights are better than self transfers. 

Airline-protected connecting flights are:

  • Safer. Your airline takes care of flight problems.
  • More convenient. Baggage transfer is automatic.
  • Easier to book. You book several flights as a single journey.

Yes, TAP Air sells airline-protected connecting flights.

1.1 Connecting Flights, One Airline

In some situations you will fly only with TAP Air.

You will have two or more flights and all of them will be operated by TAP. These will be TAP airplanes and TAP staff. But it’s not the case with every TAP flight.

1.2 TAP Air Portugal Codeshare Partners

Sometimes airlines share their flights.

Connecting flights with different airlines is a very common practice in aviation. These kind of flights are called codeshare flights, and airlines collaborating — codeshare partners. Thanks to codeshare flights, airlines can offer flights to destinations they don’t serve. This is good for everyone — codeshare flights help airlines widen the flight network.

What you should know is that:

  • If you miss a connecting flight through no fault of your own, the airline will put you on a new flight. Travelers miss their connection because of the delay or cancellation of the previous flight. If this happens to your TAP Air flight, contact the airline to find out what are your options. As long as it’s a TAP connection booked from TAP (they are called marketing airline), they are responsible for finding solutions.
  • If your flight is heavily delayed, cancelled or overbooked, compensation is paid by airline operating this particular flight. If it’s operated by some other airline, not TAP, then they are called operating airline — they have to pay compensation when it’s due.

See a list of TAP codeshare partners here.

On a Tap Air Portugal Plane
On a Tap Air Portugal plane

2. What If TAP Air Portugal Cancels a Flight?

Why is TAP Air Portugal cancelling their flights?

Various troubles could lead to flight cancellation. Inclement weather, staff shortage, various technical problems, airport congestion, security issues, strikes. These are just some of the reasons why airlines cancel their flights.

2.1 One of Your Flights Is Cancelled

TAP Air Portugal is a European airline.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:

  • Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
  • Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).

This applies to all their commercial flights.

If your flight is delayed or cancelled, and as a result you miss your connecting flight, contact the airline right away. You missed your connection through no fault of your own, so you don’t have to book yourself a new flight. The airline has to do it — they have to help you get to your destination.

It’s the responsibility of TAP Air to offer you an alternate flight to your final destination. The rules are the same with all TAP Air cancelled flights. You may also opt for a full refund instead.

You may have a right to compensation (more on this below).


Did you miss a connecting flight? File a compensation claim online.


2.2 All Your Flights Are Cancelled

Overall, for you as a passenger, the options are the same.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, TAP Air Portugal must:

  • Offer you a choice between a new flight and full refund.
  • Offer you assistance at the airport if it’s a last-minute cancellation and you are already at the airport (you have a right to care).

This applies to all their commercial flights.

Refund must be paid within seven days.

You may have a right to EU flight cancellation compensation.

2.3 TAP Air Portugal Refund for Cancellation

Yes, you have a right to ask for a refund.

If the alternate flight you have been offered doesn’t fit your travel plans, you have a right to request a full refund. You don’t have to take that flight. 

This refund has to be paid within 7 days by bank transfer.

Hong Kong airport layover
Hong Kong airport

3. TAP Air Portugal Missed Connecting Flight

Why do people miss their connecting flights?

You may miss a connecting flight because your previous flight was delayed or cancelled. You may miss a flight because of airport congestion or long queues. Or you could simply make a mistake and wait at the wrong gate or fall asleep while waiting for your flight.

3.1 What Happens If You Miss TAP Air Portugal Connection?

If it’s your fault that it happened — it’s your responsibility.

If it’s not your fault, then your airline has to take care of that. If you booked a flight from TAP Air, it doesn’t even matter if the flight is operated by TAP Air or not, you should contact TAP Air. It’s their responsibility to find a solution. You missed a connecting flight, TAP must offer you a solution.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, they must:

  • Take you to your final destination as soon as possible.
  • Offer you assistance at the airport (you have a right to care).

Read more: Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay 

3.2 Right to Compensation from TAP Air Portugal

Sometimes you have a right to compensation.

If your TAP Air Portugal flight:

  1. Arrives at your destination 3 or more hours later than planned,
  2. Is delayed or cancelled due to the fault of the airline

Then you might be entitled to flight compensation from TAP.

Flight cancelled less than 2 weeks before the trip?

You might be entitled to flight cancellation compensation.

GET FLIGHT COMPENSATION

File a Claim Online

3.3 Right to Care from TAP Air Portugal

On all TAP Air Portugal flights you have a right to care.

According to the EU Regulation 261/2004 airline should provide:

  • Free food and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time.
  • Free hotel accommodation if a stay of one or more nights is necessary.
  • Free airport transfer to hotel and back.
  • Plus, two telephone calls, telex or fax messages, or e-mails. So you can notify your loved ones about change in your travel plans.

It applies to all domestic and international flights with TAP Air Portugal. Again, it’s because TAP Air Portugal is a European airline. With non-European airlines it applies only to flights departing from European airports.


When it comes to air passenger rights, unless otherwise stated, we talk about air passenger rights in the EU, EEA and UK. When we say Europe or European, we mean EU, EEA or UK. This is done for the simplicity, since the according laws in these countries are about the same.


Istanbul Airport
Istanbul Airport

4. How to Book Connecting Flights with TAP Air Portugal?

You can do it directly from TAP Air Portugal or via a third-party.

The best and safest way is to book directly from TAP Air Portugal. As long as the airline is reliable, it’s always the best options. Alternatively, you can use third-party flight booking website, such as kiwi.com, to book TAP Air flights.


How to Book?

Airline website (directly).

This is the easiest way to book a connecting flight. It’s also the safest way to book a connection. You make a single booking, have a single reservation code and the booking includes several flights. Sometimes they are all with one airline, other times – two or more. Anyway, in this case, you can be 100% sure that you have a proper connecting flight.

Other Option

Flight booking websites.

Few examples: skyscanner.net, expedia.com, momondo.com.

Pay attention to the details. Because some of these sites are only search engines, and sellers are other websites. Apart from that, they often sell both airline-protected connecting flights and self-transfer flights. If it’s a self-transfer, know that it comes with its own risks, and there are things you should take into account. Self-transfer is not the same thing as airline-protected transfer. 

For extra protection, buy also a travel insurance covering flight disruptions, or book with sites like kiwi.com, who offer extra protection.

With kiwi.com you are more protected than normally.


Read more: How to Book Connecting Flights?

Two backpacks

5. TAP Air Portugal Connecting Flights: Baggage

Since TAP Air Portugal is a traditional airline, everything’s very easy.

Baggage rules on connecting flights with TAP Air Portugal are simple.

In short, TAP Air takes care of your baggage. You check in your bag before the first leg of your connecting flight. In most cases your bag will be sent to your final destination. You don’t have to collect and recheck your luggage between flights. Unless you have a self-transfer (separately booked flights), or you’re traveling through a country that requires everyone to collect and recheck their baggage (e.g., United States).

If you aren’t sure, ask the staff when checking in your bag.

5.1 Baggage Transfer: Different Airlines

What happens if there are several airlines?

What if one of your flights is operated by different airline, not TAP? As we already talked, you may experience this, because TAP does share some of its flights with its codeshare partners. In this situation the rules are the same — your baggage is being taken care of by an airline. In most situations you won’t have to worry about it, and this is very, very cool.

Read more: 

5.2 TAP Air Portugal Free Baggage Allowance

Baggage allowance varies — it’s not the same on all flights.

It depends on the airline, travel class, ticket type and destination.

Check booking confirmation to see if your ticket type comes with free checked bag. If you are only booking TAP Air connecting flight, you can see the free baggage allowance when you choose your travel class and ticket type.

5.3 Economy Light

This is the cheapest option for long-haul flights.

Economy Light comes without free baggage allowance.

We see this all across the industry. Full-service traditional airlines are offering also tickets without free checked baggage allowance. The wording is also often the same — Economy Light. So, if you see this, most likely it’s without checked baggage (carry on baggage only).

When you see cheap TAP Air Portugal flights, pay attention to this. Because TAP Air Portugal also offers “Light” tickets. TAP Air Portugal cheapest fare is called “Discount”. You are allowed to bring only one cabin bag and one personal item.

If you need to carry more, this option is not for you.

Read more: What Is Carry-on Bag / Baggage?

A historical building in Mexico City
A historical building in Mexico City

6. Connecting Flight Examples

Here are two connecting flight examples with TAP Air Portugal.

6.1 Protected Connecting Flights with TAP Air Portugal (Most Common)

For this example I’ll use the website of TAP Air Portugal.

Let’s assume that you want to fly from Cancun (Mexico) to Frankfurt (Germany).

You have found flights for October 5, and these are the options:

Cancun - Frankfurt flight with TAP Air Portugal
Cancun – Frankfurt flight with TAP Air Portugal

On the website of TAP Air Portugal you can book protected connecting flights. Your Cancun — Frankfurt flight will be protected by the airline. This means that in case of missed connection (through no fault of your own), the airline will book you on another flight. 

As you can see, not all flights are operated by TAP. For example, the last three connecting flights are partly operated by Lufthansa, one of TAP’s partners. If this matters to you, if you want to be on an airplane of TAP, you must pay attention to details like these.

Connecting flights with different airlines is a norm in aviation. Your connecting flight is still protected. You don’t have to worry if you see that your connecting flight is operated by a partner airline.

Notice that total flight duration, number of stops and price vary.

Choose the option that suits you the best.

6.2 Self-Transfer Flights with TAP Air Portugal

Now, let’s assume, that Frankfurt is not your final destination.

You plan to go to Berlin. But before you want to have a short stopover in Frankfurt, to, let’s say, meet your friends and family.

  1. You can book a connecting flight to Frankfurt, like in the example above. For example, you’re taking one of the cheapest options, the first one, which arrives in Frankfurt at 12:40 pm. 
  2. And then you go to kiwi.com, or some other flight booking website, and book a flight from Frankfurt to Berlin. Leaving yourself, let’s say, 30 hours in Frankfurt. 

Until Frankfurt you have an airline-protected connecting flight. If your first flight is delayed or cancelled, TAP will book you on another flight for free. However, the last leg, Frankfurt – Berlin flight, is a self-transfer. It includes a self-transfer layover (a stopover) in Frankfurt. If you are booking a flight like this, leave yourself plenty of time for collecting and rechecking your baggage and checking in for your next flight. Don’t risk with short layovers.

What is your experience with TAP Air Portugal? Have you ever missed a connecting flight with TAP Air Portugal? How did the airline solve this? Did you receive compensation from TAP Air Portugal?

Featured photo by Sarah Lötscher from Pixabay 

About the author:

Co-founder and Editor at Connecting Flights Guide

Una is an organized globetrotter and foodie who’s been living a digital nomad lifestyle since 2013. She always starts her day early with a good book before diving into work. Apart from traveling and aviation, her other passions include gym, hiking and cycling. Una is also a strong proponent of AI technology. She firmly believes in its potential to simplify life and has often advocated for its wider adoption in our day-to-day activities. Her favorite airlines are Qatar Airways, Emirates, and KLM.

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Connecting Flights Guide

Your go-to guide to air travel rules and regulations. Connecting flights, self transfer, onward tickets and more – we want you to understand air travel better


This article may contain compensated links. Learn more in our disclaimer.



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