United Airlines partner and Star Alliance member TAP Air Portugal has business class roundtrip fares from several U.S. cities to several points in Europe starting at just $245 roundtrip.
Departures are available from Chicago, New York JFK, Boston, Miami, Washington Dulles, and San Francisco. And you can travel to TAP Air Portugal destinations such as Rome, Amsterdam, Vienna, Dublin, Barcelona, Madrid, Berlin, Milan, Dublin and Brussels – possibly others as well – via a single connection in Lisbon.
We don’t know when Europe will open to most Americans, but Covid-19 cases are on a downward trend and more and more people are being vaccinated even as Europe generally lags the U.S. and U.K. in vaccination. There’s a good chance of opening up during the summer, allowing you to take advantage of this fare. I’m seeing availability for travel June through September. This appears to be a $58.50 base fare in each direction plus taxes.
This should be bookable at any online travel agency website or on TAP Air Portugal’s website, and you can search Google flights for availability as well, just enter your preferred cities and travel dates.
Key details of fare basis JUSEXI8E:
- Must purchase tickets by Friday, March 5 (but the fare could be pulled even before then)
- Complete travel by September 30
- $250 cancellation/refund fee, so while it’s technically refundable you won’t really get money back
- $300 change fee, so consider the tickets non-changeable as well
Vienna Hofburg Imperial Palace at night, Copyright tomas1111 / 123RF Stock Photo
This is a special fare valid through Friday only, so I assume it is not a mistake fare. However I would not make non-refundable travel plans around this for a few days, just in case the airline gets a case of seller’s remorse.
(HT: MilesTalk)
Gary, please clarify about the ticket purchase. You wrote. “This is a special fare valid through Friday only”….but earlier in the column you wrote, “Must purchase tickets by Friday, May 5.” Did you mean to say March 5th? Thanks for clearing this up.
Please think about it and be very careful with TAP. we still have not got refund from last october flight cancellation. they kept ignoring what they promised.
Would love to find these flights from SFO to Berlin for the $245 but no go.
@john – that was a typo that has been corrected, book by this friday (unless fare pulled earlier)
Will amex/citi protect you if Europe doesn’t allow Americans?
Anyone successful with a booking? Nothing is showing up at that price once you click off Google Flights and TAPs website is crashing.
Gone.
Fares don’t seem to work on final booking step on any travel agency…
Found $1690 for 3 from SFO to Berlin but too worried about not being able to fly.
@Damon Were you able to get to a booking stage? It shows up on original availability results, but doesn’t actually book.
Yes could even hold it for 48 hrs
@Damon What booking engine?
Seems the main leg (at least from NYC-LIS-AMS) is in economy, so double check before buying anything.
Booked NYC-AMS as of 9pm Central time.
Booked my parents for MIA-LIS-BCN on Priceline. Still seeing some scattered dates avail. Example:
https://www.priceline.com/m/fly/search/MIA-BCN-20210903/BCN-MIA-20210924/?cabin-class=BUS&num-adults=2&num-children=0&num-infants=0&num-youths=0&sbsroute=slice1&refid=CO3946886&refclickid=10392971
@Raj Which booking engine?
looks like its gone
@Rakesh
Used Google flights then last screen took me to TAP’s own page for booking it.
Clicked on Google and it took me to Tap’s site. Booked NYC-AMS for April-July. Even though their website was saying economy for 1 leg, on my confirmed ticket it says J class for all legs. Also booked ORD-AMS for Aug-Nov and was able to place 48 hour hold on it for $13 USD.
Sadly, it’s dead. Went very fast. Had an IAD-DUB ready to go, but couldn’t justify only three days on the ground in Dublin. Oh well, better luck next time!
Got MIA – BCN roundtrip for 2 for $540 in business both ways end of September, return early october. Currently on 48 hour hold until wife wakes up and approves
FYI there is no 24 hour free cancelation policy with TAP. They give you a refund minus a 30 euro fee in the form of a voucher.
Mostly dead, but I was able to book ORD-AMS at 9:35 PM Central for $315. Business on the way over, economy on the way back. Figure I’ll likely skip out on the economy return and find something with miles on a different airline.
Thanks Gary. None of my fare alerts services caught this! Dumb luck that I came upon your post around ~9pm ET, booking BOS – FCO return biz for $259. Originally booked April, but thought no chance of covid constrictions inItaly being much different than now and a damper on fun. So booked same trip for $280 return business class in late August/early September.
Immediately cancelled the April trip with loads of screen shots, including TAP’s citing full refunds for cancels within 24 hours. Yet I’m still expecting trouble getting my money and know I will need to depend on my Chase INFINITE VISA to dispute. Had to do the exact same thing with Air France recently when they informed me that they need ~3 months to refund (conveniently too late to dispute the credit card charge.
Just booked BOS FCO late Sept for 2. $525 RT
Dead
Booked ORD-Dublin Sept 29 to Oct 2 as of 10:40PM CT
@Ned
Visa dispute rules are 6 months after goods/services were supposed to be provided.
Is this gone? Not bookable on TAP website or major booking websites. Can do it on CheapoAir but I’m not familiar/comfortable with that travel site.
Have BOS-LIS-FCO on hold for $350. Not sure if I’ll pull the trigger, let’s also see if they honor it.
Got mine for 288 to lisbon for jan 2022.
This might not be such a great deal. Arrival or transit through Portugal, for the short term at least, puts you on the Brazil variant covid19 redlist in Europe eg you are banned from entry to many European countries unless a resident and then you could have to spend 10-14 days in government enforced quarantine.
Unless you are a dual national it looks unlikely that Europe will be open to American tourists this summer – just as the US is still closed to Europeans tourists.
In the end up you could be glad you missed out on as getting money out of TAP will be an uphill battle and worse if the flight flies and you cannot.
I am confused. Why does everyone keep discussing $250 change fee and $300 cancellation fee?
TAP’s website has simplified covid rules which state a free change for flights booked by 3/31/21. That seems to supersede their standard rules, no?
I am booked Boston to Rome in July and I will feel better about letting it ride if I can reschedule later in year, once things are open. https://www.flytap.com/en-us/special-conditions
I am not positive if you can cancel up to 7 days prior to departure and get voucher good for 1 year too.
@ Gary — The vast majority of Europe will not be open this summer.
Hopefully things are good by mid to late September. Lot of new vaccines from India and others completing their Ph 3 trials will add more to global supply with big surges of vaccine coming in June July if trials progress as expected.
What a deal. Still alive just booked my whole family BOS-AMS this morning and myself BOS-FCO for Jan next Jan. Deal of the year imo.. Its 200-300 bucks. Easy choice for a lotto deal for biz RT to europe. If you can’t afford to throw away 200-300 then flying to europe is the least of your priority. Thanks for sharing Gary. All those travel shamers are just jealous that they’re still praying to god for that next 1400 stimmy while the rest of us already move on with our lives.
Buying a non-refundable, non-changeable transatlantic airfare for this summer (on a foreign carrier no less) is simply insane at any price point above $25. Hope you didn’t get one.
I can’t find this price. Google flight shows $1780
Went through booking, tried paying, cc wouldn’t go through. Called my CC said nothing wrong on their end. TAP made the reservation said needed to call to make payment within 24 hours. Called, office closed. Called first hour of office being open, said reservation was canceled though they never indicated it was and their own guidance said it wouldn’t be. Offered to rebook at 2.5x cost.
FYI I booked last night and then tried to cancel within 24 hours and the website didn’t work. Had to call TAP, spent 10 minutes on hold, and then they refunded my card minus a $30 fee. Normally they only give you a voucher for credit back (according to their site) so YMMV on this one. Might be worth booking on Expedia or something so at least you know you have a full 24 hour cancellation policy. This could be a great deal but unclear when European borders will open again.
Be prepared to lose your money with TAP. They cancel flights often, no refunds, try to deny even a credit for future travel. IMHO TAP should be banned from US. They screwed me for $1500. I have no faith in ever flying with TAP again. F**k that crap.
Gone
If first segment of itinerary originates in USA it was my understanding you had 24 hours to cancel.
I had a SFO – LIS – LHR trip in March and TAP dropped the SFO – LIS flight.
They are still selling tickets to London for that day but SFO -EWR – LIS – LHR. Will not rebook me as they would have to pay United. They initially offered TAP points as a refund. Now there is no record of the flight reservation on their website and phone agents cannot find it No alternative to DOT and EU-261 complaint.
Yes, TAP customer service is bad but far better than Avianca.
With Tap you can at least reach an agent. Not true with Avianca.
Avianca’s claim you can make changes on their website is untrue for partner award bookings.
I spent 6 hours trying to change a SFO -ZUR-CDG ticket last Sunday within 24 hours of booking. I was not successful reaching an agent by phone, WhatsApp. Website chat was nonfunctional.
After four hours I finally reached an agent last Monday and by that time there were no business seats on desired flight so I took what they could confirm.
Two days ago, Swiss canceled the short ZUR – CDG flight so canceled the itinerary.
No offer to rebook and now no business seats via Avianca SFO-CDG entire month of June.
This past Monday I spent another 6 hours on hold trying to get them to redeposit miles and refund taxes.
I did reach an agent after four hours and after she spend 20 minutes “working on it” I was disconnected. Points never returned. Avianca is simply unable to process even a simple transaction over the phone.
Avianca has incredible redemption rates. Great for close in bookings where things are unlikely to change. If anything happens with your booking you are SOL.
Imagine arriving at the airport and discovering an issue and having absolutely no way to reach Avianca.
To convince yourself why you should NEVER transfer points and book with Avianca try this simple test.: Try to call them. Dial the phone and click through the first few prompts. Put phone on speaker and download a LONG movie and start watching. You will still be on hold when the finial credits roll.
I suggest “Gone with the Wind” as that as where your transferable points will be.
BTW – Avianca refuses to give out their mailing address as I want to mail them my DOT complaint and EU 261 complaint. They say to use the complaint section on website. Small problem, this function on website has not worked since this began.
Pricing today: TAP business class Chicago-Rome RT
USD 117.00 airfare, but adding on the surcharges and taxes:
USD 1234.00-YQ
USD 5.60-AY
USD 140.30-XT
USD 1496.90 TOTAL
I booked just before midnight eastern time US last night 3/3 for BOS – AMS RT in September the week of Labor Day, all executive class, it came to just above $250 total.
I know it’s a bit of a risk as to travel being open and/or TAP making changes to their flights but for me that was a good enough deal to move on
Late last year I had to cancel a trip on TAP due to covid and the airline made it easy for me to get the total back as airline credit that was good for a year
I put a hold on some $350 tickets and now TAP says the flights are “cancelled”. Not sure if they decided to just cancel the holds, but I have a feeling they won’t be honoring this price. It was clearly a mistake, there was a similar campaign going where the price quoted was $1,215, there must have been a snafu at headquarters.
Just got an email cancelling my booking :/
Me 2.
Yep, mistake far and looks they aren’t honoring it. Just got this email from TAP Portugal:
“TAP regrets to inform that, due to an error in the system on which your reservation was issued, the reservation had to be annulled.
TAP is already refunding you of the amount paid through the form of payment used. If the reservation was made through a travel agency, we kindly ask you to contact the agency to check the refund conditions.
We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have you on board soon.
TAP Air Portugal”
On 3/3/21, I successfully booked Business Class round trip from Newark to Lisbon to Rome for $359 for October 2021.
On Friday, 3/5/21 at 2:22pm, I received an email from TAP stating:
TAP regrets to inform that, due to an error in the system that issued your reservation, it had to be canceled.
TAP is already refunding the amount you paid in the form of payment used to make the reservation. If the reservation was made through a travel agency, we ask that you contact the agency to check the refund conditions.
We apologize for the inconvenience and hope to have you on board our planes soon.
Is there anything I can do? I booked through Expedia?