TAP Air Portugal, a Star Alliance member, is expanding substantially in the USA and represents a continual source of reasonably-priced airfare.
TAP currently flies to Miami, Boston, Newark, and New York JFK. Next year it will add service to Chicago, San Francisco, and Washington IAD. The airline also recently took delivery of its first A330neo and will be operating these aircrafts on select flights to the USA starting next spring. Miami will be the first USA destination to receive A330neo service, as of March 01, 2019.
The new A330neos will have an excellent new business class seat:
But what makes TAP special is not its U.S. routes or even its new business class. Rather, it is its cheap one-way pricing from Europe. While low-cost-carriers have pioneered competitive one-way pricing, legacy airlines still resist. You’ll routinely see a one-way ticket to Europe more costly than a round-trip.
But not on TAP. Quite the contrary, TAP has incredibly reasonable one-way fares in both economy and business class. Take the new San Francisco route, for example. You can buy a one-way ticket from Oslo to San Francisco via Lisbon for as cheap as $1158
in business or $272 in economy class. Several gateways in Europe offer cheap one-way pricing:
If you want to use miles, TAP is bookable on a one-way basis through Aeroplan, Avianca, and United:
- Air Canada Aeroplan (55,000 miles)
- Avianca LifeMiles (63,000 miles)
- United MileagePlus (70,000 miles)
Note that Aeroplan no longer passes on fuel surcharges TAP, which used to run about $1,000USD r/t.
CONCLUSION
These cheap fares have been around for months. While I don’t expect them to dry up overnight or every fully disappear, I do except a slight price hike…maybe to $1500 one-way in business class. It’s not too early to plan summer vacation now for 2019. If you are thinking about a trip to Europe, consider using miles on the way out and this excellent TAP fare on the return.
Are these actually bookable though? I was looking at a fare from OSL-EWR on Jul 1st and ITA Matrix shows ~645 USD one way but when you try to book on TAP’s website it goes up to ~1040 USD. Thanks
I’ve seen all of them in the $1K range bookable, like I indicated above. The cheaper $645 ones I have not been able to replicate and thus did not include them in the story. But if those are bookable, wow…even better. Let me know if you end up being able to book.
CPH-MIA booked in the Danish Krone comes to 4,651 which is $707 USD. I was able to confirm on TAP’s website and (Danish) Expedia by clicking through from Google Flights.
Is it me, or does the business class seat look like angled flat seats?
It does sort of look that way in the picture, though it is a fully horizontally lie-flat seat.
it is an illusion of the way the seat is angled slightly back towards the aisle, the seat itself is flat. It is basically the same setup as United Polaris seats from what it looks like.
And, they will start flying LIS-TLV.
Got TLV-ORD one way Biz for under $1500. In Sept. 2019.
Looks as if Aeroplan is seeing phantom award space. Tried to book PDL-LIS-SFO for late August and while the itinerary displays as an option, attempting to book takes me to a page that says the itinerary is no longer available. Yet it’s still searchable. Different browsers and platforms (Windows vs. iOS) all having the same problem.
Update: Called Aeroplan who in turn called TAP. TAP says they are in the middle of updating their schedules over the next several days/weeks for these new routes so their award availability with the A339 will be in flux. We’re directed to keep checking back.
Booked CMN-LIS-JFK one way business class on april 2019 and it is just less than $1400. Even got one of the 2 throne seats.
Booked 3 of us on BOS-LIS-LHR for $3683 all in, July 2019. Had not thought to try a different country site to see if it got cheaper, but I am happy with the prices; especially so because TAP is now flying their A330Neo on this route, with the brand new seats. Honeymoon seats for me and the little one, giving wifey the window so she can get some good rest.