As a general rule I’ve advised folks to hold off booking paid airfare unless it’s an incredible deal. Even with airlines offering ‘flexible rebooking’ policies, waiving ticket change fees, I’d rather have cash than an airfare credit. And it’s speculative when Americans will be able to travel to Europe again.
But here’s an incredible deal, and since it’s available not just this fall but through Winter 2021 some of you will want to consider it. Star Alliance member TAP Air Portugal has amazing business class roundtrip fares from Boston.
Here’s Boston – Lisbon roundtrip business class from $590:
For about the same fare you can also fly TAP’s non-stop Boston – Ponta Delgada, in the Azores.
You can find these deals September through March at Skyscanner.com. The cheapest TAP Air Portugal business class flights earn 200% of flown miles credited to Air Canada Aeroplan versus just 125% of flown miles crediting to United MileagePlus.
(HT: Secret Flying)
Great trip to plan. Have not flown TAP Biz yet. Thanks Gary.
I jumped on the Qatar fare back in May and spent $1,600 on a roundtrip from JFK to BKK in business class for departure end of next month. I also understand with deals like this, we take a gamble. In this miles and points game, I’ve come way ahead so I have no complaints even if I lose this $1,600 to a combination of factors like Thailand still not permitting international arrivals or Qatar playing their normal scheming tactics to retain cash. But I will no longer pay for any tickets. If I can’t go on points, I will not speculatively pay for plane tickets unless it’s completely refundable.
Probably worth highlighting that the “stop” in the Azores on the way to Lisbon seems to be around 24 hours.
@Gary: Winter 2021? Do you mean Jan-Mar 2021 or Nov-Dec. 2021.
Thks.,
At the current infection pace, around 10 millions Americans will be infected by year end and hence we’ll still be banned from international travel.
I found fully refundable, mid-February, Business Class fares on TAP from EWR to Lisbon for just over US$1,300 RT.
Re” TAP $590 round-trip business class to Europe this fall and winter. Your posted examples did not include the travel dates. I have checked many dates and cannot find this price. I do see $1110 round-trip non-stop, but not $590 offering. Please advise dates you searched.
@Toancito – Then don’t buy it.
@WileyDog – I am seeing the same with BOS-Lisbon for $1200 in March. No sign of the $590 fare so I’m guessing it’s dead.
Got it last night! BOS-PDL, 3/27 to 4/3, direct from TAP Air, R/T business class, $633 per person. Spring break with my son!
This airline has one of the highest rate of customer complaints with the DOT per https://www.transportation.gov/sites/dot.gov/files/2020-06/June%202020%20ACTR.pdf — 614 complaints by U.S. consumers in a single month even though they only have a mere six flights per day (compare it to Lufthansa’s 259 or British Airways 311, both of which have several dozen of flights per day to the US)
I wouldn’t touch this with a long, long pole.
@Amy: I would check the nature of the complaints and use a non-COVID period. That is likely to be more typical.
Also, you confuse flights per <> with complaints per <>. Under reasonable load assumptions that is a passenger complaint rate of less than one percent. That gives perspective whereas your raw numbers do not.
@Amy: WordPress omitted numbers in brackets:
“…you confuse flights per DAY with complaints per MONTH.