TAP Portugal: flight delayed, cancelled or overbooked? Here is what you should do
TAP Air serves 85 destinations in 35 countries and in effect delays, cancellations and overbookings are bound to happen. If your flight with TAP Portugal is disrupted then you may be pleased to hear that your passenger rights are protected. This also means that you may be entitled to compensation, even if you have missed your connecting flight.
Your passenger rights are protected when flying with TAP Air Portugal
Few passengers are aware that they may be eligible for compensation if their flight has been delayed, cancelled or overbooked. Although different criteria apply for flight delays and cancellations, your rights are protected by Regulation EC No 261/2004, if your flight departed from an airport inside the European Union, in most cases you’ll be able to claim if you’ve arrived at your final destination with a delay of more than 3 hours (2 for cancellations). And, as established by the previously mentioned regulation, you can claim your compensation, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, up to 6 years after the date of the flight.
Claiming compensation from an airline can be a bit of a hassle, so here are our recommendations to make it easier. If you want to learn more about the regulation, which conditions apply and when, please visit our dedicated pages for flight cancellations and flight delays.
TAP Air Portugal: When am I eligible for compensation?
The following factors determine whether you are eligible for compensation for a delayed, cancelled or overbooked TAP Air flight:
- The flight route: The European regulation states that you can claim compensation when a flight is operated by a European airline or if the flight takes off from an EU airport. Therefore, TAP Air Portugal flights are covered
- Circumstances: The regulations also state that in order to claim compensation for a flight delay, cancellation or incident of denied boarding, the disruption must not have been a result of extraordinary circumstances.
- The deadline for claiming compensation: In the United Kingdom and Ireland, it is possible to claim compensation up to 6 years after the date of the flight. The timeframe varies depending on the European country.
- The total time of your delay: In most cases, you will be able to claim if you’ve arrived at your final destination with a delay greater than 3 hours. When it comes to cancellations, it's 2 hours.
Other criteria may apply. If you want to know more about the conditions that qualify you to compensation in the UK, then click here!
How much money can I get if I claim compensation for my delayed, cancelled or overbooked TAP Air flight?
Set by the legislation, the total amount you may receive in compensation is defined by the flight schedule and the distance between the airport of departure and arrival. Connecting flights are taken into account when assessing your situation. In other words, your whole booking is covered by the regulation. Consequently, it’s the distance between your initial airport of departure and your final destination what will determine the total amount of money that you may receive in compensation for your delayed, overbooked or cancelled flight. Connecting flights are covered as long as they have been booked under the same reference. Put differently, if they are part of the same ticket or schedule.
- For all flights covering a distance of up to 1,500 kilometres, you will receive up to £220
- For all flights covering a distance between 1,500 kilometres and 3,500 kilometres, you will receive up to £350
- For flights covering a distance greater than 3,500 kilometres, you are entitled to up to £530
Please remember that if your flight travelled a distance greater than 3,500 kilometres and it was delayed more than 3 hours but fewer than 4, then the total amount of compensation is reduced by 50%. The regulation defines the total amounts in euros and they are €250, €400 and €600.
You are entitled to service and care if you experience a long delay to your TAP Portugal flight
The airline should provide you with proper care in the event of a long delay or flight cancellation. This may include the following:
- Meals and refreshments
- Two different occasions in which you are allowed to establish communication with an individual of your choice (calls, emails, etc.)
- Hotel accommodation if necessary (one or more nights) and transport from the airport to the establishment.
If you have incurred additional costs because you did not receive the corresponding assistance and/or care, you have the right to be reimbursed. Remember to keep all your invoices and receipts. The request for reimbursement may also be attached to your claim for compensation.
What Flight-delayed recommends when claiming compensation for your TAP Air Portugal flight
Below is a collection of helpful recommendations if you wish to proceed to claim compensation for your delayed, cancelled or overbooked TAP flight:
Keep a copy of your travel documents
- Flight documents (boarding pass, booking confirmation, e-ticket, delay statement, etc.)
- Receipts for additional costs (e.g. taxi, food and accommodation)
Remember and record the information of your disrupted TAP Air Portugal flight
- Flight number
- The flight schedule (arrival & departure hours)
- Length of the delay (final departure and arrival time)
Find out the reason for the flight’s delay or cancellation
- Ask TAP Air Portugal staff and crew
- Check the weather
- Check if other flights are delayed or cancelled (arriving at or departing from the same airport)
Check your flight for free with our claim calculator and find out immediately if you can claim compensation!
Enter the date and flight number of your TAP Portugal flight in our claim calculator below to see if you can claim compensation for your delay or cancellation. You will also know the total amount of compensation you may be entitled to.
What to do if you missed a connecting flight with TAP
Missed connections are also covered by the regulation. Let us explain! If your TAP Portugal booking originated from Europe and a delay or cancellation in any of your flights has made you arrive at your final destination with a delay of 3 hours or more, you can claim compensation. The catch: all flights must be under the same booking. The distance used to determine how much money you could get in compensation will be that between your initial airport of departure and the airport at your final destination.
When are you NOT entitled to compensation for a flight delay or cancellation?
Regulation EC 261/2004 specifies that passengers may receive compensation if the delay, cancellation or denied boarding was caused by an incident under the responsibility of the airline. It means that the airline will have to pay compensation unless it can prove that the disruption was caused by an extraordinary circumstance. Examples of extraordinary circumstances include adverse weather conditions, natural disasters, political unrest, a threat to the safety of the flight or passengers, a passenger falling ill, etc.
To find out more about extraordinary circumstances, please visit our extraordinary circumstances page.
Claim your compensation for you disrupted TAP Air Portugal flight
Very often, airlines make the process of claiming as complicated as possible in order to simply avoid compensating their passengers. They also overuse the argument that the disruption was caused by an extraordinary circumstance. Therefore, and more often than not, one sees passengers lose hope and accept the airline’s rejection as the truth.
Fortunately, we have the adequate tools and databases to ensure that your rights are enforced and to fact-check the airlines. We will even take them to court when necessary and all of the legal costs will be covered by our 25% win-fee. If you wish so, we can take care of everything and help you enforce your rights!
If you want to maximise the probability of being compensated for your TAP Air Portugal flight delay, cancellation or overbooking, you can let a specialised service, like Flight-Delayed, take care of the whole ordeal. We will gladly help you get what is yours, all under our no win, no fee agreement.
Have you filed a claim with TAP Air Portugal but they have rejected your claim? We can still help you!
If you’re uncertain if your flight delay or cancellation qualifies for compensation, once you’ve submitted your claim our team of experts will analyse the circumstances and assess your situation. If your claim has already been rejected by TAP Portugal, you can still submit your claim and our team will verify and fact-check the airline’s arguments. Very often, they assess the situation wrongly and reject perfectly valid claims; so don’t give up that easily and don’t worry, we’re here to help you!
TAP Portugal: Network and Punctuality
The Portuguese airline founded in 1945, operates under 106 aircraft of which currently all are of the Airbus model. Mostly, it flies using the Airbus A330 and the A320 model. The airline serves 85 destinations in 35 countries, making it one of Portugal’s top serving airlines. The company’s on-time performance is at 53.6% (September 2019) amongst other global airlines, meaning just over half of the air carrier’s flights are delayed, possibly making you eligible for compensation.
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