Home > TAP Air Portugal > 2005 > Review

Taken November 2005 from Faro - FAO to Natal, RN - NAT

Smooth check-in at Faro - no queue and friendly, helpful staff. Departed Faro 40 minutes late for 20 minute flight to Lisbon in old A320 but comfortable leather seats.

3 hour wait at Lisbon and then called for flight 45 minutes before departure - disinterested young lady at desk - herded into small area with standing room only and waited 20 minutes for a bus to the remote stand.

Got aboard A310 which had a strange 'musty' smell into very cramped (30" pitch) old-style seats with old-style centre TV screens roughly every 8 rows. Eventual departure 30 minutes late and no reason given although flight crew gave information regularly. Cabin crew were extremely pleasant, friendly to both English and Portuguese speakers, prompt to respond and around regularly for drinks etc.

Food - a choice of meat or pasta were both acceptable and a ham roll/cake snack before landing - the only odd thing being the drinks arriving after the food!!

Arrival 30 minutes late and smooth transfer at Natal with luggage waiting by the time we got through lengthy immigration.

Apart from the cramped seating not a bad flight - but why can TAP not have the same comfort on long-haul as they do on short-haul - seems crazy to me.