Review of TAP Air Portugal's business-class service on the A321LR for long-haul flights

Quick overview: TAP Air Portugal provides typical business-class amenities like multi-course meals served on fine china and lie-flat seats, but the experience doesn't exude extreme luxury.

Advantages

• Throne-style seats provide added personal space for greater comfort.
• Several lounge options are available in Lisbon and Washington, D.C.
• Distinct Portuguese elements, from amenity kits to wines, give the experience a regional touch.

Disadvantages

• The lie-flat seats could be more comfortable.
• The meals are good, but not exceptional.
• The service feels somewhat impersonal.

I don't choose business class for luxury; I choose it for the extra space. At 6 feet tall and a poor sleeper on planes, even when lying down, TAP Air Portugal’s business-class seats met my basic need for ample legroom and enough entertainment to keep me occupied during the flight.

If you’re expecting multi-course meals, private suites, and over-the-top service, TAP doesn’t offer those, especially on its short overnight Airbus A321LR flight between Dulles International (IAD) and Lisbon (LIS). But if you're after a budget-friendly premium experience with fun touches like an all-Portuguese wine list and language lessons on your seatback screen, TAP is worth considering.

What is the cost of booking business class on TAP Air Portugal?

The price of booking business class with TAP will vary based on your departure and arrival cities, as well as whether you're booking a one-way or round-trip ticket. However, the airline is well-known for offering amazing deals from the U.S. to Europe in both economy and business class.

For the route I took, from Dulles International (IAD) to Lisbon (LIS), round-trip business-class fares start at $3,550 through the end of 2024, though they typically hover closer to $5,500.

Alternatively, you might be able to redeem award tickets using United MileagePlus miles or Air Canada Aeroplan points.

United partners with Chase Ultimate Rewards on a 1:1 transfer basis, and booking a round-trip ticket will require 176,000 miles plus about $65 in taxes and fees.

Aeroplan partners with American Express Membership Rewards, Bilt Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One on a 1:1 transfer ratio, requiring 120,000 miles plus about $140 in taxes and fees.

Here’s an overview of the cost of round-trip TAP tickets from Washington, D.C., to Lisbon in both cash and miles over the coming months.

Business-class passengers are allowed to select their seats free of charge, bring one standard carry-on bag (22 inches by 16 inches by 10 inches), one personal item (16 inches by 12 inches by 5 inches), and check two bags weighing up to 70 pounds each.

Checking in for and boarding TAP Air Portugal’s business class

Here are the exclusive services available to TAP business-class passengers at the airport.

I arrived at Dulles well ahead of time, only to find out that the check-in desk wouldn’t open until two hours before boarding. Even though I was first in line for the Premium service, I had to wait for the agents to arrive.

Once the agents arrived, the friendly one who assisted me directed me to the fastest TSA PreCheck line (which I could access through my Global Entry) and informed me of my premium boarding privileges. I was also given the choice of using either the Lufthansa Lounge or the Turkish Airlines Lounge, both located in Dulles’ international terminal B, near my departure gate.

At the gate, a dedicated Premium line was clearly marked for business-class passengers to board first.

At Lisbon Airport for my return flight, I followed the signs for TAP Air Portugal's Premium check-in area, located at Door 1 in Terminal 1. Initially, I headed toward the kiosks on my left, but then spotted a sign directing me to the Premium gates further down the hall. After passing the kiosks, I reached the dedicated Premium check-in area, where I was quickly processed and directed to the boarding area.

Premium passengers at Lisbon can use the Fast Track security lanes. Although the signage was a bit unclear with multiple directions, a security guard who initially scolded me for taking photos kindly pointed me to the right line. There were only a couple of people ahead of me, and the security process was efficient. I had to remove my liquids bag and take off my sweater, but I didn’t need to take out my laptop.

Passengers traveling to the U.S. must go through passport control between the main terminal and the non-Schengen gate areas. Be sure to factor in this additional time when planning to leave the lounge or shopping areas to head to your gate. The four passport control lanes caused some confusion, and many travelers were redirected from the digital gates to another line.

At the gate, Premium passengers have access to a priority boarding line (A) and board first. For us, this meant boarding the first of two buses to drive across the tarmac to our plane. Business-class passengers were given a bus to ourselves, avoiding the crowded bus filled with economy passengers. However, we did have to wait a bit on the bus as the flight crew prepared the aircraft.

Airport lounge access for TAP Air Portugal business class passengers

With enough time, I could have visited at least four, if not five, lounges at the airports I used for this trip. I managed to check out three of them.

If you're flying business class on TAP Air Portugal from Washington, D.C., to Lisbon, you'll have a choice of lounges to enjoy before your flight.

At IAD, the friendly gate agent jokingly asked me what kind of food I liked, claiming that was the key factor in choosing between the two lounges in Terminal B. He suggested that since the Lufthansa Lounge only served cold food, I might prefer the Turkish Airlines Lounge instead. He was right – I loved the Mediterranean dishes, including kofta, lentil soup, hummus with pita, and cinnamon rice pudding. The Lufthansa Lounge was slightly closer to my gate, but it wasn’t enough to sway my decision.

While you can technically access the United Polaris Lounge with your TAP Air Portugal business-class ticket, it’s a much more luxurious option than the Turkish or Lufthansa lounges. However, it’s located in a different terminal, and getting there via moving walkways and trains at IAD can take time. The Polaris Lounge is only worth considering if you have a lengthy wait before your flight.

In Lisbon, TAP offers two Premium lounges: one is located just past the duty-free shops, above the main concourse (look for the escalators labeled "Premium Lounges"), and the other is after passport control for non-Schengen flights. The check-in agent recommended the first lounge, as it’s larger, offering more food and seating options, and also provided guidance on how much time to allow to get through passport control and to the gate.

The TAP Premium Lounge Tejo in the main concourse is spacious (with 320 seats), though not overly luxurious. It offers a good selection of food and beverages. Be sure to try the Portuguese pastry pastel de nata, a delightful egg custard tart; I was pleasantly surprised by how crispy and warm mine was, considering it had been sitting on a buffet.

If you’re not focused on an extensive food and drink menu, I recommend heading straight to the smaller TAP Premium Lounge, Atlantico, on your left as you exit passport control.

During my visit, the Atlantico lounge was far less crowded than the Tejo lounge. It still provided separate areas for work, dining, and relaxation, along with a simplified buffet and a self-serve bar.

How comfortable is business class on TAP Air Portugal?

On the Airbus A321LR I flew both ways, here's an overview of the business-class cabin layout and seat dimensions.

The A321LR is unique as it's a one-aisle long-haul aircraft. All passengers must pass through business class to reach economy, so be sure to settle into your seat promptly.

Business class consists of five rows, alternating between two-seat rows on either side of the aisle and single-seat rows. The seats in rows 2 and 4, known as the "thrones," are the best option for solo travelers, offering complete privacy with no seatmate. Couples may prefer to sit together.

When I booked my ticket, I was able to select my seat online for free, so I chose a throne seat for my overnight flight outbound. On the return day flight, the throne wasn’t available, so I opted for an aisle seat in the center of Row 3. I got lucky and had no one sitting beside me.

There’s no bad row in business class, though Row 1, located near the galley and bathroom, could be busier and noisier depending on the crew and passengers. After trying both seat types, I can see why the throne seats are so popular. It’s not just about privacy — they also offer significantly more space to store your belongings.

The core of each seat is the same, featuring a recliner that transforms into a lie-flat bed, with a seatback monitor in front, a mesh pocket underneath, and a pop-out coat hook.

The tray table slides out from a console that also houses a reading light, a TV remote, a USB-A port, a headphone jack, a water bottle holder, and a pair of noise-canceling headphones attached by a strap.

Power outlets are located on the seat divider/armrest facing the seat in front of you, requiring a bit of twisting to locate and plug in your power cord. (I had to use my phone’s flashlight to find them.)

The difference between the two seat types lies mainly in the armrests. As expected, the throne seat has spacious armrests with drink holders on both sides. On the aisle side, there's even a small compartment with a door, perfect for stowing a water bottle, tablet, or other essentials. In the double-seat rows, however, the aisle armrests are narrow and less comfortable, with just a tiny shared drink pad in the center.

In the throne seat, I was able to place my backpack in front of the armrest on the window side, rather than under the seat in front of me as in the twin configuration. This worked perfectly when the chair was reclined into a flat position, allowing me to keep my bag nearby. In the two-seat configuration, I’m not sure where I would’ve kept my bag while lying flat.

Both seat types feature compartments for safety cards and air sickness bags (with a humorous label reading "hope you won't need this bag"). In the two-person rows, these are placed between the two screens, while in the single seat row, they're conveniently located above the armrest on the window side.

The two-person rows differ so much from the solo throne seats that I honestly feel TAP should charge differently for them.

On my overnight flight, I was lucky enough to get the throne seat, but for the day flight, I had to settle for the two-seater. I found both TAP business-class seats comfortable when upright. I had plenty of elbow room (more in the throne seat) and ample legroom. Even with a slight recline, I was comfortable enough to watch TV, and the tray table had more than enough space for my meal tray or laptop, with room to spare.

On the day flight, I found myself getting a bit uncomfortable after a few hours. I kept adjusting the recline, trying to find the sweet spot between sitting upright and leaning back. The pillow wasn't providing the support I needed, so I ended up ditching it altogether.

With a seat pitch of 44 inches, I found myself having to lean forward to interact with the touchscreen on the TV. The remote was meant to help with this, but it was a bit tricky to detach and return, and the controls were somewhat finicky. The touchscreen was easier to use, but it became impossible when the tray table was in the way.

However, when it came time to sleep, the seat proved less than ideal. At 6 feet tall, I found the fully reclined seat just about the same length as my body. As it reclined, my knees were shoved up, so I had to unbuckle and shift back to create space for my legs. Sleeping flat on my back wasn't very comfortable, so I ended up curling up. The narrowness of the seat made it hard to spread out. If I were taller or broader, like Dinogo founder Brian Kelly or a football linebacker, I doubt I could sleep well at all.

The seat could definitely use more padding or some kind of softer covering. The duvet was fine, but the pillow was too flat, leaving me needing more support for my head. I started wondering if there was a way to elevate the headrest slightly, without reclining the seat all the way. Still, it was much more comfortable than coach.

Business class features a single bathroom located behind the cockpit near the galley. It's a typical airplane restroom with a changing table, but nothing particularly spacious or with upgraded amenities.

One strange thing during the day flight was when, despite it being midafternoon in Portugal and morning in the U.S., the crew asked us to close our window shades and then turned off all the lights after the main meal service. I couldn't quite understand how that would help me adjust to U.S. time. I was the only one with my light still on, working. Most passengers seemed to sleep, and a flight attendant even asked if I wanted her to wake me for the snack before landing.

Amenities in TAP Air Portugal business class

TAP offers an amenity kit from the Portuguese brand Benamor, packed in a bag made from recycled plastics. The contents are simple and functional: a floral-patterned eye mask, socks that fit most sizes, a wooden toothbrush, a small tube of toothpaste, earplugs, and Benamor hand cream. However, there's no lip balm or moisturizer included.

The in-flight entertainment system is robust, offering 133 movies (like "Aquaman," "Wish," and "Barbie"), 83 TV shows, and 172 music channels, including multilingual podcasts. I even took a couple of short lessons on how to speak Portuguese.

The noise-canceling headphones provided were so effective that I had to take them off to communicate with the flight attendants when they passed by.

TAP offers four tiers of in-flight Wi-Fi. You can access messaging apps for free, or opt for full internet access for one hour at 9.99 euros ($10.90), three hours for 19.99 euros ($21.80), or a full-flight pass for 29.99 euros ($32.70). I attempted to purchase the full-flight plan on my return journey to Washington, but after entering my credit card details, the system froze on 'verifying' for about half an hour, and I gave up. I did manage to use the free messaging service for a bit, though it eventually dropped out. At one point, neither my phone nor laptop could even detect the TAP Air Portugal network.

When I asked the flight attendants about the issue, they simply shrugged and suggested it was likely a satellite problem.

Two hours before landing, I was finally able to purchase the one-hour Wi-Fi plan on my laptop. However, my initial speed test on fast.com failed to load. After trying Google's speed test, I got results showing 3.69 Mbps for download, 1.10 Mbps for upload, and a latency of 116 ms, with the system advising me that my connection was slow. A few minutes later, the Wi-Fi crashed again, and I couldn't reconnect. I'm currently working on getting TAP to refund my payment.

How would you rate the food in TAP Air Portugal business class?

The food was decent on both of my flights, though it wasn't anything to write home about.

I wasn't offered a welcome drink, but a flight attendant did come around with printed menus, with the wine list on the back. The menu listed mixed nuts as an appetizer along with a beverage, and mentioned, 'Please make your request to the crew.' At the time, I was unsure what this meant, but looking back, it seems like they were letting passengers know that they could ask for a drink and nuts before the main meal service.

Shortly after takeoff, the flight attendants came around to take our meal orders. I asked for their suggestions both times. On the outbound flight, the attendant recommended the salmon, which the airline is known for. However, on the return leg, the crew member mentioned she was vegetarian and couldn't offer a recommendation.

Before each meal, the flight crew handed out hot towels that were thin and lacked warmth. Both lunch and dinner consisted of a starter, a bread basket, a choice of three entrees (meat, fish, or vegetarian), and a selection of three desserts (ice cream, fresh fruit, and cheese). The meals were served in two stages: first the starter, bread, and entree, followed by dessert on its own.

TAP offers a 'Local Stars' initiative, inviting Portuguese chefs to use local ingredients from their regions to inspire the onboard menus. The featured chef changes every two months. On my flight, Chef Andre Cruz from the Setubal Peninsula presented dishes with local ingredients like pickled onions and Moscatel sauce from his home area.

On the outbound flight, dinner began with a veal and radish salad. The main course options included:

• Roast beef with green beans, carrots, and potatoes
• Salmon with dill sauce, cauliflower, rice, green beans, and artichoke
• Ricotta and mascarpone ravioli with pumpkin marinara

I would have liked more vegetables in my starter salad, but it was still flavorful. The salmon was a little dry for my taste, though it must be popular since it was sold out by the time the attendants reached the last row.

I quickly finished off the dessert trio, which included strawberry ice cream, mixed berries, and three varieties of cheese with Ritz crackers. To top it off, the flight crew passed through offering a selection of chocolates — milk chocolate, dark chocolate with sea salt, and chocolate with cocoa nibs — which delighted this chocolate lover.

The complimentary wine and spirits menu exclusively features Portuguese labels. I tried a white wine from the Douro Valley with my dinner, and followed it with a port during dessert — both were delightful. Coffee and tea were also offered to accompany dessert.

On the return flight, the lunch starter consisted of a salad topped with slices of seared tuna. The entree options were:

• Veal osso bucco served with a carrot puree
• Confit codfish paired with chickpea puree
• Chard and ricotta tortelli pasta in a cheese and cauliflower sauce

The salad was quite tasty, featuring smooth tuna slices generously coated in dressing. The pasta, however, had the feel and taste of an economy meal rather than something premium. The bread was beautifully presented in a basket. I opted out of wine on this daytime flight, but the selection was the same as on my overnight journey.

I savored the dessert, which included small bowls of chocolate-raspberry ice cream, a fresh fruit salad with kiwi and pineapple, and goat cheese with crackers. Once again, the flight attendants made the rounds with a choice of chocolates.

I didn’t track the timing, but I began watching a two-hour movie as soon as we took off, and had about thirty minutes left when the meal service concluded.

A light snack was offered on both flights before landing. On the overnight flight, it was breakfast, served about three hours after dinner. I wasn’t really hungry, just groggy and disoriented, so I picked at the soggy croissant, cheese wedges, and honeydew slices while avoiding the deli meat and watermelon.

During the daytime flight, I found myself quite thirsty and hungry between meals, but the flight attendants didn’t pass by with drinks or snacks. I hadn’t thought to refill my water bottle, assuming I’d be taken care of, so I ended up getting up several times to ask for water and snacked on some items I had packed in my bag.

The end-of-flight meal left a lot to be desired in terms of fullness: just a slice of bread, a few strawberries, a slice of mango, some deli meat and cheese, and a tortilla filled with egg salad.

I did appreciate being served a two-course meal on real plates with metal cutlery and glassware. The meal was certainly more upscale than economy class offerings, with ingredients like veal and fresh berries. However, the bread wasn’t warm, and the fish wasn’t as tender as I had hoped. While TAP Air Portugal’s meals were a step up from economy, they didn’t quite reach the quality of restaurant-style dining that other airlines manage to deliver to their premium passengers, likely due to the time spent sitting in trays before service.

Would you recommend TAP Air Portugal business class?

TAP Air Portugal's business class on the A321LR is a noticeable upgrade over economy or premium economy, especially when the price is right. The throne seats offer an impressive amount of personal space, and the lie-flat seats, though narrow and not overly plush, are still comfortable enough for shorter long-haul flights. Overall, the experience and service meet the mark.

However, if you can use a similar amount of cash or miles to book a more luxurious business-class experience, complete with access to a superior lounge, I would suggest going that route.

The airline could definitely improve the sleep quality by providing a better pillow or mattress pad, as well as offering more proactive service on daytime flights when more passengers are awake. But overall, I was glad to have ample legroom, and TAP Air Portugal’s business-class seats certainly delivered on that front.