TAP Air Portugal will fly to Chicago and Washington, DC next year using its new Airbus A330neo.
TAP just took delivery of its first beautiful new A330neo (A330-900), featuring reverse herringbone seating in business class and premium economy class. The new aircraft will soon fly between Lisbon and São Paulo. This was the first of 21 A330neos the Portuguese airline ordered, with two more to be delivered by the end of 2018 and 15 more in 2019. In fact, by the end of 2019 “78% of the carrier’s flown block hours will be on the A330-900” TAP CEO Antonoaldo Neves confirmed during a delivery ceremony in Toulouse.
With more aircraft on the way, the carrier announced two destinations: Washington Dulles (IAD) and Chicago O’Hare (ORD). The airline claims Portugal has seen a resurgence of tourism and business travel.
Flights will depart Chicago at 6:05PM, arriving in Lisbon at 7:50AM (next day). Returning flights leave Lisbon at 1:05PM, arriving at O’Hare at 4:05PM. From Washington, flights will depart at 10:40PM, arriving in Lisbon at 10:50AM (next day). Returning flights leave Lisbon at 4:30PM, arriving at Dulles at 7:40PM.
Both Chicago and Washington are United hubs and both TAP and United are Star Alliance members. The new routes provide opportunity for collaboration. But while United will codeshare with TAP on the Chicago – Lisbon flight, United will not on TAP’s new Washington flight. That’s because United offers its own service from Dulles to Lisbon earlier this year. United and TAP do not have a joint venture agreement.
TAP is also considering flights to Philadelphia and Montreal.
CONCLUSION
With new routes and new business class seats, TAP Air Portugal has suddenly vaulted toward the top of my airline wishlist.
Will you take TAP from Chicago or Washington?
image: Airbus
Being based in Chicago and considering they have sometimes very low cash sales in J (also one-way… like the sub $600 from Copenhagen) I will certainly use them in the future.
I can’t see them in lifemiles yet