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Home » Trip Reports » Review: TAP Air Portugal A320 Business Class
Flight ReviewsTAP

Review: TAP Air Portugal A320 Business Class

Matthew Klint Posted onFebruary 28, 2020November 14, 2023 2 Comments

Winter fog delayed my TAP Air Portugal flight to Lisbon, but the onboard experience was mostly satisfactory.

I purchased a cheap one-way ticket from Frankfurt to Boston via Lisbon in business class and this was the first segment, operating at the early hour of 6:05AM.

TAP Air Portugal 573
Frankfurt (FRA) – Lisbon (LIS)
Monday, January 13
Depart: 06:05 AM (delayed 8:05 AM)
Arrive: 08:05 AM (delayed 9:45 AM)
Duration: 3hr, 0min
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Seat: 3A (“Executive” Business Class)

Stepping onboard, I was greeted by two crewmembers, one whom retreated to the rear of the aircraft.

TAP Air Portugal A320 Business Class Seat

You won’t get a “real” business class on TAP, just a blocked middle. These are the same Recaro slimline seats Lufthansa, Austrian, and SWISS use…meaning a flight to FRA-LIS is really pushing it considering how little padding they have.

a person walking in an airplane

a row of seats in an airplane

a row of seats in a plane

a row of seats in a plane

a row of seats in an airplane

But I was elated to see power ports onboard, since my laptop was not fully charged and we would soon encounter an extended delay. In fact, that power port alone would move me to take TAP over Lufthansa to Lisbon, all else equal.

a black power outlet with green lights

No pillows were offered, but a thin red blanket was available. It actually came in handy, as the cabin was kept cold.

a red cloth on a table

Each seat also has a coat hook and a mechanism for mounting your phone or tablet. Bring your own IFE, though.

a close up of a seat

a close up of a luggage bag

Delay…

Once everyone was boarded and the aircraft door closed, the captain announced a one-hour delay due to fog in Lisbon. That hour came and went and the captain announced a further one hour delay, though he remained optimistic that we would be cleared to leave sooner.

When the delay was extended, the aircraft door was opened. Passengers were advised not to leave the aircraft, but some did.

Right at the two-hour mark we were cleared for takeoff and finally departed. It was now after 8:00AM, but the January sun had still not risen.

a sun setting in the sky

a sunset over clouds and a line of clouds

an airplane wing and the sun in the sky

TAP Air Portugal A320 Business Class Meal

Breakfast was offered after takeoff. The meal was served with a card explaining that the menu had been created by two flight attendants. Breakfast included mushroom and cheese quiche (served cold), a bowl of grapes, plain yogurt, almonds, a green muffin, and choice of bread with butter and preserves.

a glass of water with a lemon slice on a napkin

a green and white package with white text

a white and green card with text on it

a tray of food and drinks on a table

a slice of quiche on a plate

a tray with food on it

a bowl of grapes on a table

a plate of food on a table

I thought the quiche was fresh and tasty, but would have been 10x better warmed up. The coffee, which should have been warm, was weak and cold…a big disappointment.

When the flight attendant collected my breakfast she asked me if I liked it. When I said yes (it was obvious…I had eaten almost everything), she asked me if I wanted another one! No thanks, but that was a nice gesture.

TAP Air Portugal A320 Business Class Service

On that note, service was courteous onboard. The female crewmember was friendlier than the two male crewmembers, who were either shy or disinterested in engaging customers. 

During the delay, only a glass of water was offered during the delay. I probably could have asked for something else, but it would have been nice if that was proactively offered.

But the service was satisfactory and the cabin monitored more closely once we finally took off.

an airplane with seats and a window

TAP Air Portugal A320 Business Class Lavatory

I briefly visited the lavatory, which was clean but did not have any extra amenities.

a sink and toilet in a plane

a sink in an airplane

CONCLUSION

Oh yes, this was also the flight where my seatmate enjoyed watching porn from his mobile phone.


> Read More: My Seatmate Watched Porn On His Mobile Phone…


We landed in thick fog in Lisbon and pulled up to a remote stand.

a plane on the runway

a man walking down a plane

a plane on the tarmac

Although the delay and remote stand were annoying, the onboard product was fine and the breakfast tasty. The power ports really saved the day because of the delay. It’s a shame that TAP doesn’t have internet yet onboard.

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About Author

Matthew Klint

Matthew is an avid traveler who calls Los Angeles home. Each year he travels more than 200,000 miles by air and has visited more than 135 countries. Working both in the aviation industry and as a travel consultant, Matthew has been featured in major media outlets around the world and uses his Live and Let's Fly blog to share the latest news in the airline industry, commentary on frequent flyer programs, and detailed reports of his worldwide travel.

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2 Comments

  1. Aaron Reply
    February 29, 2020 at 2:27 am

    Was the muffin green for a reason, or…?

    • Matthew Reply
      February 29, 2020 at 7:39 am

      Not sure, but it wasn’t moldy…

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