TAP Air Portugal compensation: when you can claim €250 to €600
TAP Air Portugal is how many British travellers reach Lisbon, Porto and Madeira, and how others connect through Lisbon to Brazil, Africa and North America. We have already handled claims for more than 1,000 TAP passengers. Many involve short Portuguese routes such as Funchal–Lisbon and Lisbon–Porto, plus flights into Lisbon from Barcelona and Amsterdam. If your TAP flight arrived 3 or more hours late, was cancelled at short notice or you were bumped because it was overbooked, you may be owed €250 to €600 per passenger.
TAP (Transportes Aéreos Portugueses) is based in Lisbon and holds an EU licence. That means Regulation (EC) 261/2004 covers every TAP flight leaving an EU airport and every TAP flight arriving in the EU from outside it, for example São Paulo–Lisbon or New York–Lisbon.
Delayed flight
You reached the final destination on your TAP booking at least 3 hours after the scheduled time.
3 hours or more on arrivalCancelled flight
TAP told you less than 14 days before departure and the replacement did not run close to your original times.
Under 14 days' noticeDenied boarding
The flight was full and you were left behind, despite a valid ticket and arriving at the gate on time.
Payable straight awayWhen it is not owed
When TAP can prove extraordinary circumstances it could not avoid, such as strong winds closing Funchal airport or an air traffic control strike. The explanation is often weaker than it looks.
Extraordinary circumstancesEnter your airports and travel date and you will know within a couple of minutes whether your flight qualifies. Check your TAP flight.
How much compensation does TAP Air Portugal pay?
What you paid for the ticket makes no difference: a sale fare on Lisbon–Porto and a business seat to Rio carry the amount set for their distance. Distance is measured in a straight line from your departure airport to the final destination on the booking.
| Flight distance | Example TAP routes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | Funchal–Lisbon, Lisbon–Porto, Barcelona–Lisbon, Madrid–Lisbon | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | Amsterdam–Lisbon, Lisbon–London, Lisbon–Rome | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | Lisbon–São Paulo, Lisbon–Rio de Janeiro, Lisbon–New York | €600 |
Each passenger on the booking claims separately, and children with their own seat receive the full amount. A family of four on Amsterdam–Lisbon arriving 5 hours late could claim €1,600 in total. Travelling as a group? Add your companions to the same claim in our form.
TAP flight delayed: what to do to claim compensation
Close to half of the TAP claims we receive are about delays, and Lisbon is almost always involved, either as the destination or as the hub where a connection was missed. The delay is measured when at least one aircraft door opens at your destination, not when the wheels touch down. While you wait:
- Keep your boarding pass, paper or in the TAP app, as proof you were on board.
- Screenshot TAP's messages showing the new time and any reason given.
- Note the exact time the doors opened on arrival.
- Ask the TAP desk for meal vouchers and keep receipts for anything you pay for yourself.
- Do not accept miles or vouchers as a final settlement before checking the cash amount you are owed.
Care TAP must provide at the airport
Whether or not compensation is due, TAP must give you food and drink in proportion to the wait, two free communications and, if you are stuck overnight, a hotel and transport to it.
| Flight distance | Care due after |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You may choose not to travel and get a ticket refund |
Missed connection in Lisbon or Porto
Plenty of UK passengers fly TAP to Brazil, Cape Verde or the Azores with a change in Lisbon. On a single booking, what counts is the delay at your final destination and the total distance: London–Lisbon–São Paulo arriving 4 hours late means €600 per person. With separate tickets, each flight is assessed on its own. Read more on our page about TAP delayed flight compensation.
TAP flight cancelled: refund and compensation
When TAP cancels a flight it normally offers a new flight or a refund. Far fewer passengers realise that cash compensation may be owed on top.
Always due: you choose between the next available flight, a later date that suits you, or your money back.
Added to the refund when TAP cancelled less than 14 days before departure and there were no extraordinary circumstances.
| Notice given by TAP | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not due; refund or rebooking still apply |
| 7 to 13 days | Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours early and lands less than 4 hours late |
| Less than 7 days | Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour early and lands less than 2 hours late |
Schedule changes. If TAP moves your departure significantly shortly before travel, the EU Court of Justice may treat it as a cancellation. Already refunded? Check whether compensation is due as well. See our page on TAP cancelled flight compensation.
TAP overbooking: compensation for denied boarding
Around one in ten TAP claims we handle involves a passenger refused boarding. If TAP sells more seats than the aircraft holds and not enough volunteers come forward, anyone left behind against their will is owed compensation immediately, plus rebooking or a refund and care at the airport.
It is different if boarding was refused for a reason linked to you: a missing visa for Brazil or an African destination, an expired passport or reaching the gate after it closed. Not sure which applies? Run our free check. You can also read our guide to TAP overbooking and denied boarding.
TAP strikes: when you are entitled to compensation
Strikes by cabin crew and pilots in Portugal have led to waves of TAP cancellations in recent years. When the airline's own staff walk out, compensation is normally payable, because the EU Court of Justice ruled that a strike by a carrier's employees is part of its normal activity (case C-28/20). If the strike involves air traffic controllers or outside airport services, TAP owes no compensation, but it must still look after you and offer rebooking or a refund.
TAP rejected your compensation claim? The usual reasons
A refusal from TAP is not the end of the matter. Here is how the explanations we see most often in its replies are assessed.
Faults and maintenance are an ordinary risk of running an airline, so they do not excuse TAP. A hidden manufacturing defect flagged by the manufacturer or the authorities is the exception.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07A strike by TAP crew or engineers usually means compensation is due; one by air traffic controllers or external airport staff does not.
EU Court of Justice, case C-28/20Madeira airport has strict wind limits and does sometimes close. The wind must have actually stopped your flight at that time, which we check against weather data and other flights that day.
A knock-on delay that builds up during the day is not a valid excuse, unless TAP proves an extraordinary event caused the first delay.
Flights operated by TAP Express and island routes
Some flights sold under the TP code, mainly regional and Iberian routes, are operated by TAP Express, the group's regional airline formerly known as Portugália. Your booking shows the operating carrier. Your rights are the same: the claim goes to the airline that operated the flight, and in our form you can simply choose TAP. Flights between mainland Portugal and Madeira or the Azores are domestic EU flights and fully covered.
TAP compensation on flights from the UK, Brazil, Africa and the US
Because TAP is an EU airline, the rules also protect you on flights into Europe from outside the EU, in both directions:
- flights from Brazil to Lisbon or Porto
- flights from Angola, Mozambique, Cape Verde and other African countries
- flights from the United States and Canada
- flights from Switzerland and Norway, which apply the same rules
Flying from the UK? A TAP flight from London to Lisbon is covered by EU261 because TAP is an EU airline, and the UK's own version of the rules (UK261), with amounts in pounds, applies to departures from the UK too. We apply whichever is more favourable to you.
How to claim from TAP: on your own or with us
You can claim from TAP free of charge through the "Requests and complaints" section of flytap.com, giving your booking reference and flight number. Here is how the two routes compare.
It costs nothing, but you handle all the correspondence with TAP. If it says no, you need to go to the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for UK departures) or to court, at your own time and cost.
Fill in one form and sign online. We take care of the claim, the formal letter and, if needed, court action with our own lawyers. You pay only if you are compensated: 25% + VAT. If the case is lost, we cover the legal costs.
If TAP has already rejected your claim
Many passengers come to us after a first refusal by email from TAP. That is fine: we review the case and, if the reason given is wrong, challenge it formally.
Documents to have ready
- TAP booking confirmationOr your boarding pass, a photo is enough.
- Passport or IDFor every passenger, including children.
- Messages and receiptsTAP notices about the delay or cancellation and receipts for your expenses.
Time limit for claiming from TAP
The Regulation sets no deadline of its own: the law of the country where you bring the claim applies, as the EU Court of Justice confirmed (case C-139/11). A TAP flight from some time ago may still be within the limit: enter the date and we will check.
How long does TAP take to pay compensation?
If TAP accepts the claim straight away, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If it refuses and a formal letter or court case is needed, allow several months. We keep you updated by email at every stage and transfer your share as soon as TAP pays.
Lost, delayed or damaged baggage with TAP
Baggage problems fall under the Montreal Convention, not Regulation 261. Before leaving the baggage hall, in Lisbon or anywhere else, fill in a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the baggage desk. Then write to TAP within 7 days for damage and within 21 days of getting your bag back for a delay.
TAP Air Portugal contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, Building 25, Humberto Delgado Airport, Lisbon, Portugal
- Complaints
- "Requests and complaints" section of flytap.com
- Flight status
- TAP app or the official flytap.com website
- Loyalty programme
- TAP Miles&Go
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