TAP Air Portugal delay compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It is the arrival that counts, not the departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but makes up time and lands 2 hours 50 minutes late is not covered.
Which TAP Air Portugal flights are covered
TAP Air Portugal is registered in Portugal, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: covered by EU261, because TAP Air Portugal is an EU carrier.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, which also protects arrivals on EU carriers.
Worked examples on TAP Air Portugal routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lisbon (LIS) → Porto (OPO) | 277 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Lisbon (LIS) → Paris (CDG) | 1,470 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Lisbon (LIS) → Barcelona (BCN) | 994 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Lisbon (LIS) → Rome (FCO) | 1,839 km | EU261 | €400 |
What TAP Air Portugal is likely to say — and the answer
“Extraordinary circumstances” with no detail — ask which circumstance, and for the evidence.
“A technical problem” — not an extraordinary circumstance, and settled by the Court of Justice.
“The inbound aircraft arrived late” — a knock-on delay only counts if the original cause was itself extraordinary.
A disputed arrival time — ask for their recorded on-blocks time and compare it with yours.
Specific to TAP Air Portugal
The TAP case at the Court of Justice set the limits on knock-on delays: an extraordinary circumstance on an earlier flight only excuses a later one where the carrier proves a direct causal link and shows it could not re-organise. If TAP cites a problem on a previous rotation, that judgment is the answer.
Lisbon is a hub for Brazil and West Africa, so a large share of claims are in the €600 band.
Madeira and the Azores are part of Portugal and therefore intra-EU, so a Lisbon–Ponta Delgada flight is banded on the intra-EU rule.
Portugal allows three years, and ANAC is the enforcement body. Responses are frequently slow.
Time limit: TAP Air Portugal is based in Portugal, where claims run for 3 years from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your TAP Air Portugal delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with TAP Air Portugal’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
TAP Air Portugal delay: common questions
How much can I claim from TAP Air Portugal for a delay?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of TAP Air Portugal’s routes.
My TAP Air Portugal flight left more than three hours late but landed less than three hours late. Can I claim?
No. The test is how late you arrive at your final destination. If the flight made up time and landed under three hours late, the fixed compensation does not apply — though you may still have been owed meals and refreshments during the wait.
What reasons does TAP Air Portugal give for refusing delay claims?
The most common are: Extraordinary circumstances with no detail; A technical problem; The inbound aircraft arrived late; A disputed arrival time. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a TAP Air Portugal delay claim?
Where TAP Air Portugal is based, the limit is 3 years. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other TAP Air Portugal claims
- TAP Air Portugal: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- TAP Air Portugal: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- TAP Air Portugal: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- TAP Air Portugal: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.