Want to know how to fly in economy with TAP? Here is my review on board the A330/900neo
Hey bum, do you ever fly in economy? Why do you make few videos of these cabins that are the ones we use of [...].

Hey bum, do you ever fly economy? Why do you make few videos of these booths that are the ones we use the most? The answer to this question is:" of course I fly tourist class, but I generally make fewer videos because during the flight there is not much to tell and because the videos do not get many views on YT."
In this article:
If in other booths the price discriminator is not the first factor I think in economy class, price wins out over seat type, IFE and overall service. If this were not the case, it would not explain the success of the low-costs in Italy.
Reservation
This was a paid ticket, obviously with a credit card, because I needed to go back to Italy spending as little as possible and, possibly, with a company I had not yet reviewed. The cost of the one-way ticket from New York EWR and Malpensa was 423$, or about 365€, which is not little, but not exaggerated either when we consider that one way tickets are on average more expensive and in particular tickets from the US to Europe are even more so.
In the end I chose TAP Portugal, because in economy on long haul I had not yet flown with this airline and because by being able to take advantage of the status I would have several conveniences in addition to the possibility of also accumulating Krisflyer miles useful for status renewal.
At the airport
TAP flies from Lisbon and Porto to New York connections made with both A330/900neo, the one on my flight, than with the A321LR. In fact, thanks to its geographic location, the Portuguese airline is able to fly the little Airbus house jewel all over the east coast of the U.S., Canada and part of Brazil.
Getting to EWR is now as easy as going to JFK, indeed if you take cabs or Lyft it can also be significantly faster. Given that the Jersey airport has made significant strides in recent years and that JFK is hell for new terminal construction work, it is not a poor choice to opt for EWR over the main New York stopover.
I arrived just by Lyft, I didn't feel like taking Path and train, sure it cost me 112$, but considering that going to JFK the cost by cab is 85$ it is not that much more expensive. Having checked in online, I went through security and went to the lounge well in advance.
I got to work in the Lufthansa lounge, which was recently renovated from scratch, and then go to the gate just in time to have my passport checked. Why on intercontinental flights, if you check in independently, they still have to check your documents.
In addition to this, the attendants made all passengers weigh their carry-on luggage, forcing those flying in economy to check trolleys over 8 kg.
One important thing if you start from EWR.
Like all American airports it is divided into terminals A,B,C. United which does not fly from JFK but has all its movements from EWR takes off mainly from terminal C. From B fly Swiss, Lufthansa, TAP, and British, Iberia, and La Compagnie, among others. Beware, however, that at Terminal B the gates are divided into three different piers not connected to each other in the sterile area, but only from the public area. So if you start from B you have to check the door number and then pass the controls accordingly.
Otherwise you would have to go out and go through security again, with the risk of even missing your flight.
TAP Portugal's upgrades and upsells.
Portuguese company uses Seatboost, an app that allows you to buy upgrades for flights scheduled in the last 24 hours up to 10 minutes before the gate opens. Basically, one enters the reservation data and is shown the upgrade prices according to the ticket held. In my case, the request for business class was almost 700$, while the upgrade to economy comfort was 50$.

Screenshot
In addition to this while checking in, the company also sells the option, with immediate confirmation, to reserve the nearby seat as well, or two seats next to each other. A way for the passenger to travel more comfortably without the neighbor and for the company to gain something from unsold seats. I secured with $80 the first option, which is the vacant neighboring seat and considering that the configuration of the A330s is on all 2-4-2, I ensured that I had no neighbors to climb over and much more space available.
On board
The beauty of having the status is to Being treated on the ground, almost like a business class passenger. In my case, for example, no restrictions on carry-on baggage. Priority boarding and as mentioned lounge access.
Embarkation that was a tad chaotic, say Mediterranean-style. People who stood up and slipped in front of those in line, others who didn't give a damn about the area on the boarding pass. In the end, however, I succeeded in the goal of Get on board among the first so you can take pictures of the cabin And start doing the video review without disturbing anyone.
As mentioned, the cabin configuration is 2-4-2, with the first part being the economy comfort part, i.e., the seats where passengers have 10cm more legroom. Given that. TAP does not have premium economy is the only way to travel more comfortably without going to business.
The chair
My chair was precisely in the comfort zone and the space available was really exaggerated. I don't remember when choosing a seat how much the Portuguese airline sells these seats for, but ITA and KLM to name two carriers that have this type of option also sell it for more than 100€ each way, fortunately costs that with status can be reduced to zero.
The seating is modern. And the whole thing is absolutely top-notch. TAP was the launch customer for the A330/900neo and today it is the only wide-body aircraft it has in its fleet. The tray table is split and this is also a smart choice because it allows you to keep it open but not be sacrificed. Instead a envelope with a cover and a rather shameful pillow, say it would take 3 to make one.
The inclination is generous as well as the space. Even if the neighbor reclines you can safely eat or stand up, this is the merit of the extra 10cm.
All chairs are obviously equipped with IFE, each passenger has a power outlet and a USB port , in addition to the one under the monitor.
IFE
As mentioned, each chair has its own screen, Unfortunately, the headsets are only distributed after takeoff, but fortunately I always travel with themy bluetooth adapter.
I find this choice really absurd, and TAP is not the only company that behaves this way. We were about 40 minutes on board before takeoff, having headphones allows passengers to be distracted and kill the wait. Nice though, the idea of giving reusable headsets and therefore with a "second life".
The screen is not 4k, but it is still a good size. The UX of TAP's system is one of the best designed I've ever seen, it already was when I had flown in 2021 at the reopening of Canada's borders. The content is many and rich. Not only movies, but also a lot of TV and a very rich selection for those who simply want to listen to good music.
Last but not least, wi-fi on board present. Four different packages starting with free and unlimited messaging throughout the flight. Sure every 60 minutes it unhooks you and you have to log in again, but the service works and requires no registration or other slamming. Then there are 3 packages for one hour, three or the whole flight. The cost is €9.99, €19.99 and €29.99 respectively.
Service
Nothing to report, classic economy service of an overnight flight: take off, dinner is served, lights go out, then wake everyone up 90 minutes after landing for breakfast and prepare for descent. There was virtually no interaction, but it is understandable that one cannot walk around the cabin especially at night.
Bell test passed with flying colors. In just over 60 seconds, the attendant responded to the call by already arriving with a glass of water.
Food & Beverage
There are two positive things to report: first the presence of the menu on the IFE. This way you can see the dishes that will be served, which is not a given because for many carriers we are still in the era of "pasta or meat" or "chicken or fish." The choice today was between ricotta stuffed pasta and meat Stroganoff. I went for the latter.
Classic cart service and nice presentation, with real cutlery and an easy-to-lift lid on the meat and not the lousy tin foil that you then never know where to put. In addition to the traditional Russian dish accompanied by some mashed potatoes and green beans, there was a small appetizer salad, a mango cake, and bread and butter.
Nice presentation of the breakfast/snack pore landing. Let's say the presentation was okay, while the flavors were the classic ones of meals on board: indistinguishable.
In conclusion
A really good product, certainly the acronym of TAP for many means Try Another Plane, mockery earned in the field over the years of many problems and cancellations. Today this company flies from Italy, with the possibility also to make free stop over in Lisbon or Porto, to Canada, the United States, Africa and South America at very competitive prices.
The comfort chair is really a good investment that I recommend everyone to choose, especially if the route is long and not the fast flight from New York.