I just returned from a whirlwind weekend trip to Lisbon, Portugal, and it was great! I had such a wonderful time, from beginning to end. Don’t ever let anyone dissuade you from traveling, even if it’s only a short trip.
In the next few days (hopefully), I’ll be posting more about where we went and what we did. In the meantime, I wanted to share my experience on TAP Portugal Airlines. TAP is a member of Star Alliance, and also somewhat of a discount airline. We caught great fares for this trip – about $300 each roundtrip!
TAP Portugal – Flight Review
TAP flies out of Terminal 5 at JFK. The other major airline at that terminal is JetBlue. There is only one airport lounge at that terminal that I am eligible to visit, and that is the Airspace Lounge (free entry with Amex Plat). It was our luck to meet another couple in the Airspace Lounge who were going on the same flight and were also staying at the Sheraton Lisboa – we developed a friendship and spent most of our time together laughing, sightseeing and eating and drinking over the next 2 days.
The flight was full each way. Not quite like a can of sardines, but I’ll get to that later.
On the way there, Dave and I were able to snag the middle 4 seats to ourselves. On the way back, there was somewhat of a snafu. They were supposed to use a newer plane but it was switched for an old A330. We had two seats together way in the back. The entertainment system was old and didn’t work anyway, and Dave’s seat was broken so he kept springing back into the lap of the man behind him. Also there was no wi-fi and no outlets to charge phones or other devices.
The food was quite typical of a US Domestic carrier, which means it wasn’t particularly tasty or memorable. The main meal was okay (beef on the way to LIS, and a choice of beef or fish on the way home) –
followed by a bready sandwich mid-flight.
The beer and wine were free, and the flight attendants were actually quite nice (One even brought me the amenity kit below when I explained that I was a travel blogger and collected such kits).
The best part? These were the smoothest flights I’ve ever flown on – I don’t think there was a single bump on the entire flight going, and only a few minor ones on the return flight. Hallelujah! What an amazing pleasure!!
TAP AMENITY KIT
If you didn’t know it, the Portuguese are really passionate about their sardines!
And, as Herbert Hoover once said All men are equal before fish.
Which brings me to the TAP business class amenity kits – THEY LOOK LIKE CANS OF SARDINES!!!
I believe that there are a few different variations of these amenity kits – each a different color and each with different fish designed by various Portuguese artists. What’s inside the fin tin? I have no idea because I haven’t opened it, but I’m told it’s your usual array of amenity kit items.
These are my new favorite amenity kits! How kitsch and creative! I love them!
Which brings me to the Giveaway.
I am giving away a TAP Sardine Amenity Kit to one reader.
Please (1) sign up for daily emails for this blog, (2) comment below and mention your favorite amenity kit (if you have one) (points will be deducted for those who mention Rimova kits – just kidding), and (3) and tweet the following on twitter, or something equivalent – containing a link to this blog.
Enter to win a Sardine Tin Amenity Kit by Will Run For Miles @katruns26point2 on her blog http://willrunformiles.boardingarea.com/tap-portugal-nyc-lisbon-flight-review-sardine-tin-amenity-kit-giveaway
You may enter 1X daily. Only people with a US address may enter.
One extra point if you include a picture of a fish with your tweet!
The contest will end this Thursday, January 19th, at 7pm EST, at which time I will draw the winner via random.org.
A New York frequent flyer who elegantly combines her passions for worldwide travel, running a gazillion marathons all over the globe and staying fit ... without sacrificing her fancy for good wine and food.
I am loving these! They truly do resemble sardine cans!
My favorite amenity kit is the Etihad city themed business class kits. I love their designs.
Great review!
My favorite is the Cathay Pacific Aesop First Class amenity kit. What I love most is that there is a separate male and female kit. They are simple and elegant, just like CX.
I think that is a cool amenity kit, but it seems a shame if user has to open the can (and ruin it) to see the amenities.
My favorite kit? Well, I may get a groan from the peanut gallery, but I am going with the AA throwback amenity kits last year, the ones honoring PSA, TWA, Aircal, etc. That was a really nice gesture.
Oh, and I love the EVA Air Rimowa Amenity Kits in Royal Laurel Business Class. ha ha ha 🙂