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Millions Recovered for Travelers Like You
We have handled more than 6,500 TAP Portugal flight delay and cancellation claims.
Over €2,700,000 in compensation has been paid out to our clients.
Overall, more than 430,000 clients have trusted AirAdvisor with their flight claims over the last 8 years.
As Portugal's premier airline, Transportes Aéreos Portugueses (Portuguese Air Transportation), also known as TAP or TAP Air Portugal, connects various domestic and international destinations.
On September 28, 2023, the Portuguese government revealed its plans to privatise TAP by selling a 51% share. According to Fernando Medina, the Finance Minister,
The content of the decree contemplates objectives for TAP growth, national hub growth, growth and employment within the aviation sector, better utilisation of national airports and pricing.
This plan has since encountered opposition, so only time will tell if the airline will be controlled by other interested parties like the Lufthansa Group or Ryanair.
Though TAP always aims for on-time service (all airlines do), it’s one of the worst airlines in Europe for punctuality. In 2023, using data from Eurocontol, we found that the TAP Group consistently scored the worst for arrival punctuality. Their on-time number was 61%, a full 10% lower than the European average. Additionally, Lisbon Airport is consistently ranked in last place for airport departure punctuality.
As airline compensation experts, we want you to claim what you’re owed, especially now that we know that there is definite potential for disruptions with TAP. We’ll take you through:
- Your TAP passenger rights.
- What to do when faced with a TAP disruption.
- The ins and outs of TAP delay and cancellation compensation.
- Other compensation instances and TAP refunds.
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Your Rights in Case of Flight Disruption
Navigating flight hitches and potentially lodging a TAP compensation claim requires a clear grasp of your passenger rights, which may differ based on the jurisdiction from which your TAP Air Portugal flight departs.
EU Air Passenger Rights - What is EU261 Compensation?
EU261 remains a pivotal regulation that outlines EU air travel rights. This directive ensures that as a passenger, you receive fair treatment and rightful compensation during instances of flight interruptions.
Under EU261's framework, also known as EC261 2004, you're granted compensation for a slew of disruptions, including prolonged delays, cancelled flights, and instances where boarding is refused. The compensation, set by EU261, is gauged by the duration of the delay and the distance of your travel. Under certain conditions, compensation could reach up to €600 per passenger.
Your passenger rights would be covered under EU 261 should you be departing on a TAP flight from anywhere within the European Union. Because the airline is EU-based, you’re also covered when you arrive at an EU destination.
Passenger Rights in the UK - What is UK261 Compensation?
Following Brexit, the UK introduced its own regulation on air passenger rights, denoted as UK261. This legislation mirrors the EU261, affording similar safeguards for travellers on UK-based airlines or embarking from UK airports.
In line with EU261, the UK261 rules address various flight disruptions and this UK261-based compensation is also contingent on your flight's delay duration and its overall distance. Generally, the maximum compensation you might seek stands at £520.
Your passenger rights would be covered under this mandate should you depart on a TAP flight from within the United Kingdom.
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What to Do in Case of Flight Disruption
As a TAP passenger, if you encounter issues such as delayed flights, cancellations, or instances of overbooking, consider following these steps to streamline your TAP Air Portugal EU261 compensation claim:
- Reach out to TAP: Initiate dialogue with the TAP customer service team, accessible at their airport service counter, through their exclusive helpline for passengers, or via their official complaints form. Delve into the specifics of the setback, understand its root cause, and request a documented acknowledgment for a record of events.
- Keep all travel-related paperwork: Ensure you keep all your documentation relating to the flight. For instance, your boarding pass, a copy of your ticket, and any receipts that prove the expenses you incurred. Also, don’t get rid of any written or electronic exchanges with the airline about the flight issue. This documentation can bolster your EU261 compensation claim with TAP.
- Ensure TAP fulfills basic care duties: In circumstances where disruptions leave you waiting around at an airport, TAP is obliged to attend to your needs. This duty means offering food, drinks, communication resources, and if needed, lodging and airport transfers.
- Use AirAdvisor's Compensation Checker: Access our user-friendly 'Check Compensation' feature, crafted to quickly ascertain your eligibility for compensation from TAP Air Portugal. If you’re eligible for compensation from TAP, submitting your claim through AirAdvisor is recommended for a seamless process and your best chance at receiving your due compensation.
By observing these guidelines and tapping into available resources, like those on our platform, you can expedite and simplify the claim process for TAP-related flight setbacks.
Things to Avoid
Navigating the intricate details of TAP Air Portugal compensation claims can feel like wandering in a maze. While steps forward can steer you towards your rightful compensation, understanding potential pitfalls is just as essential.
Equipped with the right knowledge, you can not only claim what's due but also avoid inadvertently derailing your efforts. Here are a few blunders you should be especially vigilant about:
- Opting for travel coupons: While airlines, TAP included, may suggest travel coupons instead of compensation, it's good to be sceptical. Such coupons often bear limitations, such as potential value diminishment and blackout dates restricting when you can use them. Pass on the coupons or vouchers and you retain your rights to claim up to €600 in cash.
- Signing documents: Endorsing documents without sufficient thought could inadvertently compromise your entitlements or bind you to subpar compensation. Often, the fine print contains clauses that might not be immediately noticeable.
- Taking the first offer: In negotiations, a knee-jerk acceptance of the primary proposal might mean settling for suboptimal terms. For example, TAP might extend an initial gesture to compensate for a flight hiccup, but it could be a weak offer in comparison to what you rightfully deserve. When you know your TAP passenger rights, you can avoid this mistake.
TAP Flight Delay Compensation Rights
Like flight compensation UK regulations, TAP delayed compensation under EU261 requires certain conditions to be met. You're eligible to file a compensation claim with TAP Air Portugal if the delay you experience when goes beyond 3 hours. It's also a requirement for compensation eligibility that the cause of the delay you experience be something within the airline's control, such as technical issues or scheduling errors.
The compensation for a TAP delayed flight is determined based on the journey's distance. Here's a breakdown of compensation amounts you can expect for TAP's flight delays:
- Flights up to 1,500km: €250 (£220)
- Flights between 1,500km and 3,500km: €400 (£350)
- Flights that travel more than 3,500km: up to €600 (£520)
What TAP Flights Are Covered?
For flight delays and other interruptions, the regulations apply when you leave or arrive in the EU or UK. Here’s a breakdown of common flights, which regulation applies, and the expected UK or EU261 compensation:
Departure | Arrival | Applicable Regulation | Approximate Flight Distance | Maximum Expected Compensation |
Porto Francisco Sá Carneiro | EU261 | 1,200km | €250 (£220) | |
Lisbon Humberto Delgado | UK261 | 1,550km | £350 (€400) | |
São Paulo-Guarulhos | EU261 | 7,930km | €600 (£520) | |
EU261 | 1,700km | £350 (€400) |
When in doubt, you can always use our free EU261 compensation calculator to see what the airline potentially owes.
TAP Flight Cancellation Compensation Rights
Whether we’re talking about UK261 or EU261, passengers can secure compensation for cancelled flights from TAP Air Portugal if the airline doesn't provide at least 14 days of prior notice of the cancellation.
It's crucial to highlight that compensation for cancelled flights with TAP usually won't cover scenarios that are beyond the airline's management, such as severe weather events. Like TAP flight delay compensation, the cancellation payout depends on the travel distance.
TAP Refunds
If TAP Air Portugal unexpectedly cancels your flight and fails to provide at least a 14-day warning, you're likely entitled to a full air ticket refund. Similarly, extensive delays that surpass the 5-hour mark also trigger this refund provision. It's prudent for you to be aware of these criteria, as these rules ensure that you aren't penalised due to unforeseen alterations in your itinerary.
It's also beneficial to periodically review your booking details and liaise with the airline directly if you believe you qualify for a refund.
Denied Boarding Compensation Rights
For those enquiring about seeking compensation for overbooked flight scenarios with TAP, the prevailing rules suggest that you probably have a rightful claim. Overbooking often results in a situation where more tickets are sold than seats available, leaving passengers with valid bookings stranded. Unless you willingly relinquished your reservation or instigated the denied boarding incident yourself, a financial payout might be due.
Missed Connection Compensation Rights
Under the EU261 guidelines, TAP travellers can claim UK or EU compensation for a missed connection if a preceding flight's delay or cancellation, within the same reservation, prevents you from boarding your subsequent flight. Should this setback extend your journey by a minimum of 3 hours to your ultimate location, you have the right to pursue compensation for the missed link.
To be eligible for this compensation, the missed connection must arise directly from a TAP-caused delay or cancellation.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Certain scenarios, referred to as "extraordinary circumstances," can exempt airlines, including TAP, from offering compensation for flight disturbances. These scenarios, generally unforeseen and outside the airline's ability to control, are pivotal to understand as they could influence your EU 261 compensation:
- Severe or dangerous weather: Intense weather events like tornadoes, blizzards, or volcanic eruptions can severely hinder flight safety and operations. These natural disruptions, unpredictable in nature, can cause significant logistical challenges for airlines, impacting their ability to maintain schedules.
- Directives from aviation authorities: Whether due to safety concerns, industrial actions, or catastrophic events, TAP may not be able to operate flights as normal.
- Political disturbances: Incidents related to governmental instability, societal strife, or terror activities can compromise flight operations' security.
- Security concerns: Genuine security issues that call for flight alterations or cancellations are possible to safeguard passengers and are not caused by TAP.
It's vital to realise that TAP, as with most airlines, typically shoulders the responsibility of justifying these exceptional conditions, although some are more obvious than others.
How To Complete the TAP EU261 Claim Form
Claiming EU261 compensation for UK or Europe flights can be a tricky process. Airlines won’t just pay out automatically; instead, passengers have to use their own time to complete the appropriate forms, provide evidence, and follow up.
This can all be done on the official TAP Portugal website, but it can be difficult if you’ve never done it before. For a helping hand, you might like to work with us instead, as we can help you fill in the exact same form and get results as quickly as possible.
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What to Do if the TAP EU261 Claim Form is Not Working
If the form on the TAP website won’t load or isn’t working properly for you (error messages, for example), there might be some kind of technical bug or issue. When this happens, you can either wait for the issue to be resolved by TAP or try and contact them about it.
Alternatively, you can just use Air Advisor’s site instead to complete your EC 261 form. Our team of legal experts has helped lots of travelers just like you to get the compensation they were owed after a bad delay or unexpected cancellation. To get started, just head on over to our EU261 Claim Help Center and share some info about your flight.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What to do when your TAP Air Portugal flight is cancelled?
Upon experiencing a TAP flight cancellation, consider these steps to ensure a smooth resolution and sound understanding of your rights:
- Seek updates: Visit TAP’s website and speak with ground staff for updates.
- Contact TAP: Use their customer service phone to guide you on re-routing, compensation, or alternative flights.
- Book an alternate flight: Weigh the options presented to you and pick the most suitable flight so that you can continue your trip. Since all passengers will be trying to re-book, act quickly.
- Look into compensation: Depending on the circumstances, look into UK or EU261 compensation for the inconvenience.
What if you cancel your TAP flight? Can you get a refund?
The feasibility of getting a refund after cancelling your TAP Air Portugal flight hinges on your ticket's conditions. Refundable tickets generally allow for either full or segmented refunds after cancellation, but it's important to always scrutinise the ticket's terms and potential charges. Tickets labelled non-refundable often don't permit refunds, but consulting TAP might help.
Does TAP Portugal pay EU261 compensation?
TAP Portugal, like all other airlines that run flights out of Europe, has to follow EU legislation and will pay out EU261 in the appropriate situations. This includes delays of 3 hours or more and flights cancelled with less than 14 days’ notice.
How long does it take to get TAP Air Portugal flight delay compensation?
The actual time depends on how busy the TAP complaints team is. They will review your case and issue appropriate compensation. This process can take months, but some claims are paid within a few weeks. If you’ve been waiting too long, consider partnering with us to expedite matters.
How much time do you have to claim TAP EU261 compensation TAP?
Typically, under EU261, 6 years is granted to register your claim against TAP. As best practice, if you think that you might be owed compensation from TAP, act promptly. Swiftly submitted claims can facilitate a quicker resolution and ensure all potential regulatory timelines are met.
