TAP Air Portugal Provides Uncommon Premium Financial system Cabin On Lengthy Haul Flights

Through the years, we’ve seen premium economic system turn out to be an more and more in style cabin on lengthy haul flights. That’s logical, as economic system cabins preserve getting tighter, whereas enterprise class cabins preserve getting extra spacious, so individuals need an choice between the 2.

Up till now, Star Alliance member TAP Air Portugal hasn’t supplied premium economic system on lengthy haul flights. That shall be altering in 2026, although not essentially in the best way that you just’d anticipate…

TAP plans unconventional premium economic system product

As of the summer season of 2026, TAP Air Portugal will introduce premium economic system on lengthy haul flights, and it’ll be obtainable on each Airbus A330 and Airbus A321LR plane. Nevertheless, if I’m understanding this announcement appropriately, the airline received’t really be reconfiguring planes in any means.

The airline promotes the way it will supply 12 seats on the entrance of economic system with an adjoining empty seat, which “ensures a quieter, extra non-public atmosphere for a really relaxed journey.” So it appears like TAP received’t really introduce a real premium economic system laborious product, and that this may merely take up the primary two rows of economic system on the A330, and the primary three rows of economic system on the A321LR.

The mushy product shall be extra according to what you’d anticipate from premium economic system, although:

• On the airport, premium economic system will supply premium check-in, precedence baggage, quick observe safety, and precedence boarding
• Onboard, premium economic system will supply a premium important meal with two scorching dish choices, meal pre-selection as much as 24 hours earlier than departure, amenity kits, premium pillows, and enhanced headphones
• By way of rewards and suppleness, premium economic system will supply bonus miles, and versatile rebooking and refund situations

My tackle TAP’s distinctive strategy to premium economic system

I’m a fan of airways giving prospects extra selection when it comes to the kind of expertise they will have, so I’d think about this to be a optimistic improvement.

That being mentioned, I can’t assist however suppose that the airline could have a tough time managing expectations with this new idea. When individuals e-book premium economic system, they often anticipate a totally completely different seat, extra according to what you’d anticipate in home first-class inside america (admittedly there are some exceptions, like Condor branding its additional legroom economic system part as premium economic system). In the event you e-book a premium economic system flight on TAP and don’t do your analysis, you would be very disenchanted.

On the identical time, there’s no denying that that is an environment friendly option to introduce premium economic system. With the delays that exist these days with sourcing new seats, plus the period of time it might probably take to reconfigure cabins, that’s doubtlessly an enormous endeavor. With the strategy TAP is taking, the airline can basically “change on” premium economic system in a single day, and there’s one thing to be mentioned for that.

Backside line

As of the summer season of 2026, TAP Air Portugal will introduce premium economic system on lengthy haul flights. Nevertheless, the airline received’t really be introducing completely different seats, however as an alternative, will merely rebrand the entrance rows of economic system, and block adjoining seats.

On the plus aspect, the mushy product shall be totally according to what you anticipate from premium economic system, with every part from an improved meal service, to amenity kits. That is positively an unconventional strategy for the airline to take, nevertheless it certain is environment friendly.

What do you make of TAP’s premium economic system plans?