TAP Portugal Announces two new Services

The winner of “World’s Leading Airline to South America” in ‘World Travel Awards 2010’ – TAP Portugal Airline has strengthened its presence in UK and USA by launching its two new routes.

In its press release issued last week the airline announced two new services, flights to Miami (MIA) and Manchester (MAN). These new routes are scheduled to start from June 01, 2011.

For its Manchester route, TAP Portugal common rates its flight’s fares with London. However, until May 31, 2011, TAP Portugal flights out of Manchester can only be booked with its codeshare partner bmi airline via London. Although the net fares are the same as those ex London, an add-on fee of GBP 30.00 in the economy and GBP 50.00 in business class per bmi sector is applicable when booking via London.

The airline further declares that from June 01, 2011 it will have its own operation, after which the add-on fee of 30 GBP will only apply if bmi and TAP’s mutual clients wish to connect via LON.

TAP Portugal airline also announced that its Star Alliance and codeshare partner bmi airline will terminate its London-Glasgow-London route operation as of March 27, 2011. Therefore, any existing bookings excluding Glasgow to Portugal, Africa and the Americas must have a travel complete date of March 26, 2011. In case, where bmi/TAP Portugal Passengers hold existing reservations scheduled after this date, full refund or rebooking on alternative services will be applicable.

As far as its Birmingham route is concerned, TAP says that it no longer includes Birmingham (BHX) as a valid regional departure point for its net fares.

Another worth mentioning news, in the TAP press release was the termination of its flights to Johannesburg route. The airline announced that it will terminate its Lisbon to Johannesburg OR Tambo airport route as of June 01, 2011. Therefore, it advises that any existing bookings to Johannesburg must have a travel complete date of May 31, 2011, and no later than that.

TAP also took this opportunity to mention its new starting route from Lisbon to Maputo that is to start from June 01, 2011. The airline will operate four weekly flights on this route in partnership with LAM airline in an order that two of the four weekly flights will be operated by each airline.  The timeline for transfer of all existing bookings to the Lisbon-Maputo fights connecting with LAM on Maputo-Johannesburg route is scheduled for April 2011. A full refund is payable in a case where passengers with issued or reserved tickets do not accept this alternative routing. These contracts are in effect from 11 February 2011 and supersede those already in existence. Hence, the above-stated changes are applicable to all new bookings made on or after this date. The last date to issue TAP Portugal Airline’s reserved tickets, on old fares applicable before the release of this document, is February 28, 2011.

For more information, contact TravelHouseUK.