kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Posted (11 months 4 weeks 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 12830 times:
Here’s a trip report for our vacation to Madeira and Portugal in April/May 2012. I hope you like it!
Background: I have wanted to visit Portugal for a long time, and we like to try out different Star Alliance carriers on award trips, so I looked into flight options. Of course, TAP Air Portugal is an choice, and a carrier I’d never tried. We like to take advantage of stopovers on these trips, so Madeira became a nice addition (and after seeing a lot of amazing photos of the “runway on pilings” at Funchal, I was hooked). I put together an itinerary and we booked it without much trouble back in February: 100K miles each in business class, plus $90 or so in taxes each. Sold!
Our itinerary ended up being:
DEN-EWR (UA; operated by “old” UA crew/equipment): 757-200
EWR-LIS (TP): A330-200
LIS-FNC (TP): A320-200
FNC-LIS (TP): A319
LIS-EWR (UA; operated by “old” CO crew/equipment): 757-200
EWR-DEN (UA; operated by “old” CO crew/equipment): 737-900
A nice mix of carriers and aircraft, I thought. After the usual fretting about weather (was it too soon in the season to get nice weather?), hotels and rental cars, it was time to go. One caveat: I like aisle seats, so this report is light on photos of engines, slats and wings. And I like to eat, so there are a lot of photos of food. Just how I roll!
Part 1: Denver-Newark, April 22 (Sunday)
UA has really beefed up service hub-hub, so DEN-EWR/IAH have a ton of choices. We ended up on an earlier flight that I would have chosen, but it gave more time for spotting/lounge-hopping in Newark. This is a very familiar kind of flight, being on a United-style 757. We considered taking the RTD SkyRide to the airport, but the cost was only slightly higher to park in the long-term (Pikes Peak) lot. We arrived at DIA about 7:15 a.m. for our 8:42 a.m. departure to EWR.
Lines for security were short; outside these windows (facing south) is an enormous hole where they are beginning construction on a hotel and a train station for the long-delayed rail service to the city. I remain skeptical.
Your author at the multi-airline FIDS in Concourse B at DIA. It’s time to fly!
We headed up to the west United Club for a nosh before the flight; this is N541UA, our 757-200 to Newark. It was a beautiful spring day in Denver.
A lot of progress has been made on painting the “old gray” UA aircraft; they are all gone from the mainline fleet, like this A319, N832UA.
Down on the west end of concourse B is where the old CO aircraft, like this 757-300 (N75851) and a 737-900ER (N75429), can be found.
The crowd was fairly light inside the United Club. These get a lot of hard use, but the carpet appeared to have been recently updated.
Now we’re talking.
Food selection isn’t bad; muffins, cereal, bagels/cream cheese, bananas/apples and the like.
Blueberry muffins are a good pre-flight snack.
These FIDS are UA-only.
Although DIA is more than 15 years old, some of the design elements are still pretty striking, like these “flying saucers” in the escalator atrium to the United Club.
On the north side of concourse B were a couple of newly-painted PMUA Airbuses (N460UA and N827UA).
This makes me a little bit sad: there used to be a beautiful model of a UA 747-400 hanging here (note the hooks). I wonder where it is now.
How far is it to downtown Denver? This far.
N541UA, ready for its flight to Newark.
N498UA, part of a dwindling group of old-paint UA aircraft. This livery still looks better than the CO style, in my opinion.
It was a full flight to EWR, but the aircraft was in good condition. I still prefer these old-style leather seats to CO’s boxier style. We departed about five minutes early.
Bloody marys mean you are on vacation!
After a round of drinks, it was time for breakfast. This is the standard domestic F breakfast. A bit of turbulence delayed the arrival of the bread basket (croissants or cinnamon rolls).
Cheese omelet, broccoli quiche, sausage and a cherry tomato are the main parts of breakfast. Everything was hot and tasty.
A small fruit bowl with pineapple, melon, red grapes and a strawberry was also served.
As was a small bowl of strawberry yogurt.
Now there’s that cinnamon roll (warm and delicious).
Obligatory legroom shot.
We arrived in rainy Newark about 10 minutes early.
fxramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 7027 posts, RR: 93 Reply 1, posted (11 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 12615 times:
Nice report. Looking forward to your thoughts on EWR-LIS on TAP. I've used CO plenty of times to Lisbon but always been curious about the TAP flight from Terminal B. Please post photos of your vacation in Lisboa!
Quoting kurt (Thread starter): This makes me a little bit sad: there used to be a beautiful model of a UA 747-400 hanging here (note the hooks). I wonder where it is now.
burj From United States of America, joined Nov 2007, 838 posts, RR: 4 Reply 2, posted (11 months 4 weeks 1 day 1 hour ago) and read 12570 times:
Looking forward to the rest of the trip report!
Quoting kurt (Thread starter): One caveat: I like aisle seats, so this report is light on photos of engines, slats and wings. And I like to eat, so there are a lot of photos of food. Just how I roll!
STT757 From United States of America, joined Mar 2000, 16260 posts, RR: 52 Reply 3, posted (11 months 4 weeks 1 day ago) and read 12349 times:
Quoting kurt (Thread starter): This makes me a little bit sad: there used to be a beautiful model of a UA 747-400 hanging here (note the hooks). I wonder where it is now.
FLIEGER67 From Turkey, joined Sep 2003, 4391 posts, RR: 57 Reply 4, posted (11 months 4 weeks 23 hours ago) and read 12051 times:
Hey, Kurt,
pretty good to follow these appetizer to you´re long awaited line of stories for Portugal and around.
Well done, good work. Looking for more, you know.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
Your author at the multi-airline FIDS in Concourse B at DIA. It’s time to fly!
LH4116 From Sweden, joined Aug 2007, 1672 posts, RR: 15 Reply 6, posted (11 months 3 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 10943 times:
Hey Kurt, nice to see the report up. Wasn't quite sure whether we'd get to see a report on your flights to Portugal, but was pleasantly surprised to see this up on the forum
UA seem to offer a rather standard domestic First product, seats look quite nice though, especially with the black leather. Aren't they the same as the old UA Intl Business Class?
The United Club however looked very abysmal in terms of offerings when compared to a European lounge, heck even the SAS Business Lounges appear better in comparison. The interior looked rather nice though.
Very much looking forward to the next parts. Will be interesting to see TAP, an airline I'll be flying in 2 weeks, although in Y
"Wheels Up!"
//Jonas
I won't stop complaining until SAS reintroduces free service in Economy Class!
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (11 months 3 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 10289 times:
Part 2: Newark-Lisbon, April 22 (Sunday)
It was a gray, drizzy day in Newark (as it was on our return 10 days later).
The AirTrain links the terminals and the parking areas at EWR. Some good views are available, but the trains are ridiculously tiny inside!
Terminal B is pretty much a dump. Crowded and somewhat disorganized, it has an ambiance straight out of 1974. But the selection of airlines is large and it has that “we’re going on a trip overseas!” quality that is fun.
Your author again, catching a bit of fresh air before heading inside to check in. We weren’t able to get boarding passes in Denver for our TP flights, but our luggage was checked all the way through.
TAP had the last set of check-in counters at the end of the terminal; the space is shared by multiple airlines. We were checked-in within 10 minutes. All of the agents were friendly and spoke Portuguese with ease.
Next door was SK, which was especially busy. I think one of its flights (Stockholm as I recall; the other serves Copenhagen) was cancelled, hence the long lines.
Surprisingly for a Star Alliance carrier, we were given invitations to the Virgin Atlantic Clubhouse, located landside. While nice, it is nothing like you’ll find at JFK or LHR.
VS has two flights to LHR, one in the morning and one late in the evening. In between other carriers use the space. Air India had a flight departing for BOM at 4:35 p.m., after which the lounge cleared out.
The (staffed) bar area. To the left is a buffet area for pre-flight dining, which was only available before those two VS flights. Otherwise, it was just a meager selection of chips and pretzels.
Super-cool pens and pads were available. Yes, they went right into my bag!
About 4:30 p.m. we got hungry and decided to go down to the gate area and see what other lounges were available (you know, the kind that serve FOOD). LH and SK have lounges next to one another; SK was absolutely packed, so we went into the LH Senator Lounge. The food/bar area was well-stocked, with hot food, soup, bread, cheese, cold cuts, fruit, desserts and a good selection of Champagne, wine, spirits and soft drinks. Good on LH!
Vegetable soup tasted great on a rainy day, and the bread, cheese and meat were good as well, along with some Champagne.
My friend had two servings of fish and vegetables, he liked it so much. I was saving my appetite for the flight.
About 5:15 p.m. we decided to head to the gate. In the interim, the SK lounge had cleared out for the most part. While modern and stylish in the Scandinavian way, it isn’t a very appealing space, with rows of seats and little privacy.
This cool A340 model makes up for a lot, though!
The gate area and more of that charming Newark ambiance. Welcome to the 1970s!
Contrary to my expectations, boarding was quite orderly.
Although the views weren’t great, I was excited to see CS-TOH, our A330-200, in its Star Alliance colors.
The TAP logo isn’t visible here, but it’s under the front part of the fuselage underneath door 1L. There was a SK Star Alliance A330 parked next door.
We boarded at about 5:30 p.m. Time to see what TP is all about!
We were welcomed aboard by a friendly flight attendant and shown to our seats. While TP won’t win any awards for its hard product (the seats were angled flat and very similar to LH’s old style, one of my least favorite comfort-wise), service and food were above average. The business class cabin was tidy and fresh. Sparkling wine and water were served.
In real GLASSES, unlike some U.S. carriers.
My friend in 3A; the color scheme was totally unoriginal and un-TP (white, red and green are the carrier's colors), but not offensive, either.
Newspapers and magazines were distributed from these strange little folding carts.
Back in economy, the captain came back to greet passengers at door 2L, a nice touch, I thought.
The Recaro seats had one major drawback: tiny AV screens.
At about 6:05 p.m. the doors were closed and we pushed back. The TP safety video is absolutely hysterical, with CG-created marionettes and a lot of dorky humor.
Also surprisingly, we had a short wait for takeoff and were airborne within 15 minutes of pushing back. Soon the crew sprang into action, distributing menus, headphones and amenity kits.
Look, it’s burlap! I’ll dissect the contents at the end of the report.
Nicely-branded, however.
These worked really well.
What’s on offer? The menus were in Portuguese, English, French and Spanish. I was impressed by the very nice presentation of the meals on TAP.
AFTER TAKE-OFF
CANAPES *
Salmon
Basil Pesto
Mixed Nuts
* Depending on the departure time
FOR YOUR SALAD
Proscuitto
Chicken Curry
Asiago Cheese
Marinated Mushrooms
Dried Apricots
SOUP
Black Bean Soup
MAIN COURSE
Beef Fillet
With Mustard Cream Sauce, Stuffed Tomatoes and Roasted New Potatoes
Shrimp
With Mango Sauce, Mixed Vegetables and Pilaf Rice with Red pepper Sauce
Grilled Chicken
With Barbecue Sauce, mashed Potatoes and Sautéed Vegetables
Cheese Tortellini
With Creamy Pesto Sauce
FOR DESSERT
Plate with Cheeses and Raspberry Puree
Marble Swirl Cheesecake
Fresh Fruit
Coffee – Tea
BEFORE LANDING
You will be served a cold meal suitable for the length of the flight, accompanied by the varied of selection of beverages, teas and coffees we have on offer.
We would like to apologize if, due to previous passenger selection, your choice is not available.
SPARKLING WINE
ESPUMANTE LUÍS PATO, MARIA GOMES BRUTO BRANCO
Bairrada
PORT WINE
CHURCHILL’S TAWNY 10 YEARS
DOC Douro
WHITE WINES
PAULO LAUREANO RESERVA
DOC Alentejo
VALLADO
DOC Douro
RED WINES
CHURCHILL’S ESTATES
DOC Douro
CASA DE SANTAR RESERVA
DOC Dão
APERITIFS, LIQUEURS, DIGESTIFS
Portuguese Brandy
Brogan’s
Cognac
Gin
Martini Rosso
Madeira Wine
Sweet Port Wine
Vodka
Scotch Whisky
Malt Whisky
Whisky 12 Years
COLD DRINKS
Beer
Alcohol Free Beer
SOFT DRINKS
Sparkling Water
Mineral Water
Tonic Water
Pepsi
Diet Pepsi
Ginger Ale
Orange Juice
Apple Juice
Tomato Juice
Two flight attendants served the 24-seat cabin, with a third in the galley.
First up was a glass of the Douro red wine and the canapé selection.
Very nice; the salmon was delicious, and I’m not a big salmon lover.
The service ware was quite elegant and modern in design.
Euro-carriers seem to have the best bread; warm and fresh, served from a basket.
The Douro was wonderful; Portuguese wines are often excellent.
This red-flower theme was carried through from the menus to the napkin rings.
Next up was the salad cart. The salads were individually prepared, with a choice of any, or all, of the toppings. I wish I’d tried the soup, but it looked good across the aisle.
Of course I had to try ALL of the toppings. Very nice.
Wonderfully fresh and high-quality ingredients. This may have been the best salad I’ve ever had in the air.
My friend had the chicken, and liked it. A safe choice.
I chose the beef, which was excellent. The mustard cream sauce was decadent and rich, and went great with the meat (and also the bread which was perfect for dunking).
Perfectly-cooked and very tender, the steak was one of the best I’ve had while flying.
The cart came out again for cheese/fruit/dessert. I chose the cheesecake and some nice port. Perfect.
Finally, a selection of chocolates was presented, along with another glass of port. The meal was thoroughly enjoyable.
Back in economy, duty-free sales were underway. I was politely asked to not take photos, so this is all I’ve got to show.
Making good progress over the Atlantic. It’s a short flight, less than six hours.
My efforts at sleeping were not very successful, so I watched some movies instead (“The Iron Lady” and “The Artist,” plus a bit of “J. Edgar.” The AV was looped tapes and not on-demand. Soon it was time for breakfast.
Breakfast consisted of a small roast beef and mozzarella sandwich (very tasty) . . .
. . . and a fruit bowl (blueberries, pineapple and melon), along with some strong coffee and a selection of juices. Again, very high quality ingredients.
Here comes Portugal!
Next up: Lisbon airport and our short flight to Funchal, Madeira!
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 11, posted (11 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 10056 times:
Quoting fxramper (Reply 1): Nice report. Looking forward to your thoughts on EWR-LIS on TAP. I've used CO plenty of times to Lisbon but always been curious about the TAP flight from Terminal B. Please post photos of your vacation in Lisboa!
Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
This makes me a little bit sad: there used to be a beautiful model of a UA 747-400 hanging here (note the hooks). I wonder where it is now.
Smisek's office.
I will post a Facebook link if anyone is interested. That model needs to be in MY office!
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 12, posted (11 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 10054 times:
Quoting burj (Reply 2): Looking forward to the rest of the trip report!
Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
One caveat: I like aisle seats, so this report is light on photos of engines, slats and wings. And I like to eat, so there are a lot of photos of food. Just how I roll!
Ah yes...a man after my own heart!
Yes, I am a good eater as my Mother will tell you.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 13, posted (11 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 10052 times:
Quoting STT757 (Reply 3): Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
This makes me a little bit sad: there used to be a beautiful model of a UA 747-400 hanging here (note the hooks). I wonder where it is now.
Getting repainted into the new colors?
That would not surprise me. Smisek loves his CO livery, I imagine.
pretty good to follow these appetizer to you´re long awaited line of stories for Portugal and around.
Well done, good work. Looking for more, you know.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
Your author at the multi-airline FIDS in Concourse B at DIA. It’s time to fly!
Great contrats and picture.
Greetings,
Markus(FLIEGER67)
Thanks, Markus. I am typing my little fingers off!
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 15, posted (11 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 10044 times:
Quoting LH4116 (Reply 6): Hey Kurt, nice to see the report up. Wasn't quite sure whether we'd get to see a report on your flights to Portugal, but was pleasantly surprised to see this up on the forum
UA seem to offer a rather standard domestic First product, seats look quite nice though, especially with the black leather. Aren't they the same as the old UA Intl Business Class?
The United Club however looked very abysmal in terms of offerings when compared to a European lounge, heck even the SAS Business Lounges appear better in comparison. The interior looked rather nice though.
Very much looking forward to the next parts. Will be interesting to see TAP, an airline I'll be flying in 2 weeks, although in Y
"Wheels Up!"
//Jonas
UA F is not bad; the leather is dark blue, actually. PMCO leather is REALLY dark blue and looks almost black. Not really a fan of the CO-style cabins. Way too dark.
United Club food is pretty meager, but that is sort of expected. But the drinks are free, so who cares about food. They sold paninis at the bar for a while, but that seems to have gone away. Hope you are enjoying the TAP flights I took.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 17, posted (11 months 3 weeks 6 days ago) and read 10037 times:
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 10): I loved Madeira. Where did you stay? I went in July and it was hot but the ocean water was cold.
I stayed at the Cliffs Bay and Reids.
No place that fancy; we stayed at a 3-star hotel called the Dorisol Florasol. Quite OK for the price, and we had a nice balcony with an ocean view where we drank our share of beer and Madeira. We did slum a bit at Reids, though. Really pretty gardens and old buildings. You can practically smell the old money oozing out!
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 904 posts, RR: 3 Reply 19, posted (11 months 3 weeks 5 days 12 hours ago) and read 9523 times:
Kurt:
Reid's is over priced. Rooms are small. But the rock beach is nice. We only stayed there 2 nights.
The Cliffs was a much better deal and overall nicer with large rooms and beautiful views of the town.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, RR: 79 Reply 21, posted (11 months 3 weeks 4 days 9 hours ago) and read 8820 times:
Hi Kurt,
nice report with good pictures. The food on TP looks great - I'm glad I have just had breakfast!
Btw, I recommend to post one finished report (or different parts separately) instead of adding differents parts to the original thread. It would make it easier for us to follow - and you would get replies which refer to the whole report.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter): On the north side of concourse B were a couple of newly-painted PMUA Airbuses (N460UA and N827UA).
A319s and A320s still look weird in these colors...
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (11 months 3 weeks 4 days 1 hour ago) and read 8686 times:
Part 3: Lisbon-Funchal, April 23 (Monday)
After a smooth landing, we taxied to a remote stand (boo!), which was a bit annoying, but since we had plenty of time for our connection, it offered a chance to see a bit of the airport. We were about 40 minutes early.
Our aircraft, CS-TOH, was named “Nuno Gonçalves,” after a 15th-Century Portuguese artist. All of TP’s aircraft are named for notable Portuguese.
Two sets of stairs were used, so the aircraft emptied out quickly. It was a nice, mild morning, maybe 50 degrees and dry.
Thanks for the ride, Nuno!
The arrival board is like a Portuguese history lesson: Cape Verde, Senegal, Angola, Brazil are all heavily influenced by Portugal’s presence, and their immigrants are a major part of the population now. I love seeing the tail numbers listed; I remember seeing that at Melbourne as well.
The immigration line was a bit long, but well-mannered. I was kind of zoned out and didn’t realize I wasn’t supposed to take photos: sssssh!
Back in the departure area, it was a busy Monday morning. Lisbon is a nice size; big enough to be interesting but small enough to easily navigate.
Just past security and a huge duty-free shop is this shopping area. We abstained this time, but on the way home we bought some port and other goodies.
The TAP Premium Lounge is down this very long, space-age corridor with changing light effects. Just what a traveler wants to see at 6 a.m. After we got settled I had a nice shower (basic but clean and functional).
Inside it’s a bit more conventional, with two levels and a large buffet area. No windows, though.
These tarts and cakes are dangerous but delicious!
A nice selection of wines, spirits and other drinks was on offer.
I was not extremely hungry so I stuck to water, a cappuccino and a slice of marble cake.
TAP dominated the roster of flights that Monday morning, but there are a few interesting oddballs in there. White Airways to Cancun, anyone? Looks like I missed my chance to fly on WI’s sole A310, CS-TKI, which was just retired.
About 7:30 we headed for the gate (22; no more buses this morning). Unfortunately, the windows were not very photo-friendly. Our A320 to Funchal, CS-TNL, looked spiffy, however.
Let’s go to Madeira! Quite a bit of code-sharing on this flight.
Poor CS-TNL is caught in a cage and wants to fly away.
It was a great-looking morning in Lisbon.
The TAP livery is one of my favorites.
Boarding was announced, but they weren’t quite ready onboard, so we cooled our heels for about five minutes in the jetway.
Onboard, the cabin looked pretty good; a 2x3 arrangement with four rows of two and two rows of three for a total of 14 seats. Water, coffee and juice were offered by the friendly crew, who had a nice “Bom dia” for each passenger. We pushed back at about 8:15 and were soon taxiing. I snagged the window seat so I had a chance to see some unusual aircraft, like this euroAtlantic 777-200, CS-TFM.
And this Orbest Orizonia A330-300, EC-LEQ
You don’t see these in the U.S. very often: CS-TKN, a Sata A310, ready for a trip to the Azores. Sorry for the poor quality; the morning light was harsh and coming from the wrong direction. But it’s an A310!
And CS-TKI, that White Airways A310, Cancun-bound this morning.
Soon we were taking off toward the northeast; we then did a 180 and headed out over the Atlantic to Madeira.
The Vasco da Gama bridge (10.7 miles); we drove over it a few days later on our way to the Alentejo.
I would love to return to Portugal and spend some time exploring the coast.
These TAP employees traveling to FNC did nothing but eat, sleep and gossip all the way to Funchal!
About 20 minutes after takeoff, breakfast was served. Simple (no hot food), but great-quality and delicious.
A selection of cold meats and cheese, served with a berry sauce for dipping.
A bread roll and a sweet pastry (with butter) were both fresh and soft.
Pineapple and oranges; a container of Greek yogurt was also served, along with coffee and water.
It’s 600 miles southwest to Madeira.
It was a pretty morning for flying; the clouds and ocean were putting on a nice show for me (maybe to say “c’mon Kurt, why don’t you sit in the window seat on EVERY flight?”).
A bit more unsettled here; would the weather be nasty the whole week (“no” was the answer; it was really nice for the most part).
Land ho! This is the eastern tip of Madeira, called Ponta do Castela.
Deserta Grande and Bugio islands, to the southeast, are not inhabited.
I’d hoped for an interesting approach/landing, and got one. We came in toward the southwest, along the southern coast of Madeira (bridges and tunnels are everywhere to accommodate the steep terrain), then made a hard right turn and landed to the east.
The approach was pretty quick; it was a little bit bumpy, but the crew was skilled and we touched down firmly but not hard.
Just a glimpse of the well-known runway and taxiways at Funchal, built partly on piers.
Our A320, looking splendid in the morning sun. No jetways in Funchal, but it’s only a 100-foot walk to the terminal. We arrived about 15 minutes early.
Thanks for the ride, Vitorino. Why, who is that, you say. “Vitorino Nemésio Mendes Pinheiro da Silva was a poet, author and intellectual from Terceira, Azores, best known for his romance “Mau Tempo No Canal.’” Now we both know!
The annual flower festival had just ended, as evidenced by this display.
Lots of flights from the UK and northern Europe; Madeira is NOT Ibiza (nor does it try to be)!
FNC is built on a sort of terrace over the ocean; it’s really quite an impressive bit of engineering.
See you in a few days, FNC.
That’s Part 3; next: lots of Funchal spotting and our return flight to Lisbon.
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 904 posts, RR: 3 Reply 23, posted (11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 8541 times:
On TAP Y we got a turkey sandwich on hard semi stale bread (better on some flights) and a custard tart.
Thanks for the link to the pictures. I noticed you went to Fatima.
Was it easy to drive around? I can only drive automatic which is a problem when renting cars in Europe.
Reid's is over priced. Rooms are small. But the rock beach is nice. We only stayed there 2 nights.
The Cliffs was a much better deal and overall nicer with large rooms and beautiful views of the town.
Thanks for your great report.
Cliffs Bay looked very nice from what I saw. I wanted to swim in the sea but it looked kind of scary with the waves coming in and out!
nice report with good pictures. The food on TP looks great - I'm glad I have just had breakfast!
Btw, I recommend to post one finished report (or different parts separately) instead of adding differents parts to the original thread. It would make it easier for us to follow - and you would get replies which refer to the whole report.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
On the north side of concourse B were a couple of newly-painted PMUA Airbuses (N460UA and N827UA).
A319s and A320s still look weird in these colors...
Thanks; the TP food was pretty good.
I probably should do the whole report at once, but I just get too bogged down in code to do it that way. I lose interest and end up doing nothing.
The CO-style livery looks pretty nice to me on the Airbuses, certainly better than the tired old gray livery, but not as nice as the blue/white/tulip look, which I love.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 27, posted (11 months 3 weeks 3 days 22 hours ago) and read 8726 times:
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 23):
On TAP Y we got a turkey sandwich on hard semi stale bread (better on some flights) and a custard tart.
Thanks for the link to the pictures. I noticed you went to Fatima.
Was it easy to drive around? I can only drive automatic which is a problem when renting cars in Europe.
Fatima was very interesting; I'm Catholic so maybe I was more open to the mystical/faith-based parts, but most people would enjoy it for various reasons.
It was quite easy to drive around; I drive automatics at home, but the stick-shift skill comes back pretty easily. You can get an automatic in Europe, but they tend to charge a lot more. The SEAT Ibiza was a pretty nice car, but 3-cylinders and 70 horsepower was just a little bit punky!
ukflyer From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 18 posts, RR: 0 Reply 28, posted (11 months 3 weeks 3 days 18 hours ago) and read 8552 times:
Great report, looking forward to seeing rest of photos. Hope you enjoyedMadeira, will be there again in 5 weeks time albeit via Thomson airways andnot the luxury you got on TAP! Cliff bay is the way to go... Reids overhyped and overpriced. Approach into FNC always intersting lol and weather always completely different at airport than it is in Funchal which is just 20 mins away as I'm sure you'll notice.
HELyes From Finland, joined Oct 2010, 643 posts, RR: 1 Reply 30, posted (11 months 3 weeks 3 days 16 hours ago) and read 8431 times:
Thanks for the excellent TR! All the food pictures made me hungry, especially the offerings on TAP looked great. In Lisbon I thought Portuguese food isn't my thing but I think I have to check once again...
Quoting kurt (Thread starter): Lots of flights from the UK and northern Europe
Madeira gets a lot of package tourists from Finland, especially 50+ visitors.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 31, posted (11 months 3 weeks 2 days 23 hours ago) and read 8021 times:
Part 4: Funchal-Lisbon, April 26 (Thursday)
After a few days in Madeira, it was time to head back to the mainland. We took the “Aerobus,” which was inexpensive and brought us from our hotel to FNC in about 35 minutes.
The check-in counter showed a somewhat abbreviated list of Star Alliance carriers. It was a pretty slow process, with two agents and some passengers who had special issues, plus some large groups who were kind of pushy. Some 30 minutes later we were checked in.
My friend went right upstairs to the lounge, while I did some exploring outside. Now THIS is why you spot at Funchal!
It’s kind of hard to see the pier-runway from the terminal itself, but this shows it fairly well.
At this moment takeoffs were to the west, but soon after the winds shifted and aircraft started taking off to the east.
Typical ramp shot; CS-TTN, a TP A319, had just arrived from Lisbon. Nonstops to Porto (OPO) and London-Gatwick (LGW) are about the extent of the TP schedule, although the timetable shows occasional transatlantic service and some nonstops to other European cities.
Steep hillsides make things more interesting!
Air Méditerranée 737-300, F-HCOA, had just arrived from, and was headed back to Lyon (LYS), as I recall.
Air Berlin has a substantial operation at FNC. This A320, D-ABDY, was doing a turn from/to Dusseldorf (DUS).
All off, you frogs!
Arkefly 737-800, taking off to the west, maybe to AMS.
I love those big winglets on the newer 737s.
I want this guy’s job!
TAP tails were plentiful at FNC.
CS-TTN, heading to Lisbon.
Aigle Azur (Blue Eagle) A320, F-HBII, headed for Toulouse-Blagnac (TLS), I believe.
Now why can’t all airports be like this?
In case you forgot where you landed. It was noon, so time to go inside and find a cocktail!
The TAP Premium Lounge at Funchal is small, but has a nice selection of food and drinks, and a pretty ocean view. There were only a handful of passengers there with us.
There you are, my lovely Gin & Tonic. With some nut/raisin snack mix that TP also serves onboard.
The lounge also had some interesting displays; can you imagine a Constellation landing at FNC before they lengthened the runway?
I think this inaugural A340 arrival dates from September 15, 2000, when the runway was extended to its current 9,124 foot length.
The bar/buffet area was small but nicely stocked. The attendant was very friendly and we had a nice chat about TAP and Madeira in general.
Our flight was delayed as the ATC workers were on strike or slowdown that day, so we had some extra time for more spotting. This Condor 757-300, D-ABOE, was headed to Hamburg (HAM).
This was the largest aircraft we saw at FNC that day.
This Air Berlin 737-800, D-ABKC was doing a turn from/to Nueremberg (NUE).
D-ABKC is off. Interesting takeoff pattern; the planes would taxi out to the end of the ramp, then down the runway itself, turn around, and then take off. Not very efficient, but space is tight at FNC.
Here’s an unusual one: an Iceland-based Bluebird Cargo 737-300, TF-BBG. I think she may have been headed to Lisbon, but I’m not sure.
Fly, Condor, fly!
Boeing party on the ramp and runway.
D-ABKC heads for Germany.
Bluebird’s gotta fly.
At about 1:45 we spotted our delayed A320 (a surprise; we’d been scheduled for an A319) coming in over the ocean and turning to land.
Nice little crosswind hopper of a landing; note the one-geared puff of tire smoke.
You can really see how narrow of a shelf between the mountains and ocean FNC occupies in this shot.
And here’s CS-TQD, just in from Lisbon.
Whom? Eugénio de Andrade was the pseudonym of José Fontinhas, GOSE, GCM, a Portuguese poet. José Fontinhas was born at Póvoa de Atalaia, Fundão. He is revered as one of the leading names in contemporary Portuguese poetry.
At the gate, the crowd was a bit unruly, being unhappy with the delay. But we horned our way to the front and were soon waiting at the door.
There are lots of worse places to be stuck!
In case your GPS is not working, you can pick up your coordinates here.
Two jetways were in use; the flight was full but we got underway pretty quickly. I had the aisle seat on this flight, so there aren’t any window views. Sorry!
Soon we were closed up and ready to go. The flight attendants were once again pretty, friendly and hard-working. We were full; some passengers got op-ups to business class. In 1A and 1C were the sweetest ladies from Italy, one very old. The younger one was explaining everything to her so nicely, as it was clear that she had not flown very much. She seemed to really enjoy her flight!
This still makes me laugh: masks drop down, but old man is asleep. His mean old wife puts the mask on him, then snaps it back so he’ll wake up. He just keeps sleeping!
After takeoff (to the east), it was time for lunch. This is unusual: cloth towels sealed in foil pouches.
And another surprise. Not only were we served a hot lunch on a 90-minute flight, but also presented with menus. I must be dreaming!
And the wine list; I chose a nice white wine, the Paulo Laureano Reserva, from the Alentejo region where we’d soon be visiting.
LUNCH|DINNER
APPETIZER
Prawn Salad
With Grapes and Chives
MAIN COURSE
Gnocchi
With Fresh Tuna and Oregano
FOR DESSERT
Mango and Papaya Mousse with Yogurt
And Cardamom
Coffee – Tea
And a nice lunch it was; there was also a slice of Swiss cheese and some saltine-type crackers on the tray, along with warm bread from the basket.
The tuna with gnocchi was delicious; the flight attendant told me that the catering is done in FNC (not brought in from LIS), so this might even be some local fish.
Prawns and mangos were a nice combination, and very fresh-tasting.
A nice cup of coffee brought the meal to an end.
Full load, but the crew managed to serve everyone with time to spare (economy class got a small sandwich and some cookies, I believe).
Other than this missing cover on the overhead light, all the TP aircraft were in clean, nice condition.
In Lisbon, it was a short wait for our luggage, then it was off to the taxi stand. That’s Part 4; next: All-CO (well, UA, but CO in everything but the name) across the ocean in a 757.
fxramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 7027 posts, RR: 93 Reply 32, posted (11 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 7820 times:
Great pics, a little too many of planes and not many of Portugal but I like nonetheless.
Quoting kurt (Reply 8): It was a gray, drizzy day in Newark (as it was on our return 10 days later).
dkdaviator From Denmark, joined Jun 2009, 88 posts, RR: 0 Reply 33, posted (11 months 3 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 7789 times:
hi,
Nice report there on your journey to Portugal. It is good to get a look at how things are on TAP. And from your report it looks like they are pretty good, certainly the food seems quite nice. You've some nice pictures there as well. Thanks for sharing.
767747 From United States of America, joined Jan 2005, 1750 posts, RR: 26 Reply 34, posted (11 months 3 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 7634 times:
Really nice reports so far!
You do not hear too much about TAP in this forum, so it was great to read about your experience with TAP's "Top Executive" class experience. The food served on all the flights so far looks remarkably fresh, and very tasty!
I've flown out of EWR's Terminal B, and yes, it is very outdated! I can only imagine what people think if they are visiting the US for the first time and land at this terminal! Not a good first impression of the US!
United F looks good as well, and gives a preview of what I might be expecting when we fly to Mexico with them in September.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 35, posted (11 months 3 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 7283 times:
Part 5: Lisbon-Newark, May 2 (Wednesday)
After nearly a week in Lisbon, Èvora and Fátima, it was time to come home. We got up very early, headed down the A1, gassed up, returned the rental car and arrived back at LIS about 7:30 a.m. We had a bit of a search for the check-in counter (it’s kind of tucked away downstairs), but were soon checked in.
This was a nice surprise: May 2, 2012 marked the 15th anniversary of CO (UA) serving Portugal. Free swag! In this case it was a small box of chocolates from UA, and a small luggage lock from the airport authority. These must have been the station manager or maybe some corporate sales people or such.
Why, you’re welcome, UA.
The UA check-in area; I’m sure it’s shared with other airlines as UA only has one departure a day.
Since we were in business class, we were able to use the “Green Way” shortcut to security. My friend is obviously thrilled about this fact!
You will visit the duty-free shop, regardless, as it must be passed through to get to the gates. We did buy some port and Lisbon-style custard tarts to take home; prices were reasonable.
Back in the TAP lounge, it was time for a snack. Oh, man, are these Pasteis de Nata (custard tarts) good. Must-eat-only-one!
About 9:20 we headed for the gate and some spotting. This Transavia 737-700 caught my eye. It was a gray morning but the sun probably came out later.
TAP-land, but our 757’s tail is peeking up among those Airbus A340s and A330s.
TP A340 CS-TOB, headed to Sao Paulo (GRU) this morning as TP85.
CS-TOH, the same A330 in Star Alliance livery we’d flown from EWR-LIS, was headed for Rio de Janiero (GIG) this morning as TP73.
And here’s our UA 757, N17133, ready to take us back to the U.S.
ETOPS, of course.
Coming straight at you!
The departure board had a bit more variety later in the morning than it did the week prior.
Boa viagem!
This TP A330, CS-TOA, Bound for Newark (EWR) as TP103, was next door.
Boarding was pretty orderly; soon we were checking out the 16-seat BusinessFirst cabin. I’d been skeptical, but the seat, food and service were outstanding on this flight! That flight attendant pictured was a gem; friendly and hard-working.
Pre-departure sparkling wine, slightly less attractive in its plastic cup.
What’s that good-looking plane over there? Oh, it’s us!
Just slumming.
Nice, large video screens; lots of choices on-demand.
But this is my favorite program!
Storage was better than UA’s new business class; power, the headphone jack and a USB port were between the seats.
The aisle was a bit narrow, but the seats themselves were wide and comfortable (and fully-flat, a great feature).
Menus were distributed prior to takeoff:
TO BEGIN
Warm Appetizer
Basil crayfish soup, vegetable mushroom purse and chicken skewer with chile sauce
Fresh Seasonal Greens
Roasted tomatoes, Kalamata olives, mini pear and walnuts with your choice of passion fruit dressing or balsamic vinaigrette.
MAIN COURSE
Pan-seared Lamb Steak
Potatoes au gratin, fine green beans and mixed vegetables with balsamic vinegar
Roasted Breast of Chicken
Coconut chile sauce, carrot bâtons, baby bok choy and basmati rice with lentils
San Francisco-style Cioppino
Stew of seared cod, scallops and shrimp in a savory sauce with roasted vegetables, potatoes and calamari
Ricotta and Parmesan Cheese filled Rolled Pasta
Marinara sauce, basil and grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese
TO FINISH
International Cheese Selection
Grapes and crackers served with Vista Alegre LBV Port
Dessert
Ice cream with your choice of toppings or petite pastries
MID-FLIGHT SNACK
Light snacks are available at any time following the main meal service
Please help yourself or ask your flight attendant for today’s selections
PRIOR TO ARRIVAL
Fresh Seasonal Fruit
Cheddar Cheeseburger
Lettuce, tomato, onion and traditional condiments of mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup and a pickle garnish
FEATURED CHAMPAGNE AND WINES
Champagne
Heidsieck & Co Monople Blue Top NV 2009/2010
White Wine
Michael Lynch Bordeaux Sauvignon Blanc 2010
or
Indaba Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Château Beauregard Ducasse Graves 2010
or
Chateau St. Jean Chardonnay 2010, Carneros
Red Wine
Matiz Joven 2010, Ribera del Duero
or
Grant Burge Barossa Shiraz 2008
Cosentino The Cab 2009, California
Regional Specialty
Quinta de Roiz Reserva 2004
BEVERAGE AND BAR SERVICE
Spirits
ABSOLUT Vodka
Bombay Sapphire Dry Gin
Bacardi Superior Light Rum
The Glenlivet Single Malt Scotch
Dewar’s “White Label” Blended Scotch Whisky
Crown Royal Canadian Whisky
Jack Daniels Tennessee Whiskey
Jim Beam Black Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey
Liqueurs and Cognac
Grand Marnier
Courvosier VSOP Fine Champagne Cognac
DISARANNO Amaretto
Baileys Irish Cream
Kahlúa
Beer
Budweiser
Miller Lite
Heineken
Beverages
Assorted Soft Drinks
Bottled Water
Seltzer Water
Tonic Water
Apple Juice
Cranberry-Apple Juice Cocktail
Orange Juice
Tomato Juice
Bloody Mary Mix
Coffee (Regular and Decaffeinated)
Hot Tea
After a fairly quick taxi, we took off to the northeast again, then turned for the Atlantic. Time for a cocktail (gin and tonic) and warm nuts. Although UA and CO are more and more merged, service was pre-merger CO Business First all the way, and quite impressive.
Two kinds of almonds and cashews. No walnuts, thanks!
“You had me at pretzel roll.”
Appetizers were served from the cart, a nice touch. This felt to me like what flying on a 707 or DC-8 must have back during the ‘60s. Very nice!
Of course I had to try all three. I even had seconds on the chicken skewer. The crew was charming and gracious, and encouraged us to have as much as we wanted. I switched to the Michael Lynch sauvignon blanc, a very nice choice.
Next up was a nice salad. I liked the combination of sweet pears and savory olives. I went with the vinaigrette dressing.
My friend chose the roasted chicken and gave it good marks.
I decided to live dangerously and have the cioppino (I had it one on a UA flight HKG-SFO and it made me VERY sick); it turned out to be delicious.
The fish, scallops, shrimp and squid were all nice and fresh, and the broth had a nice, slightly-spicy flavor.
Soon the cheese cart was on the move. I was pretty full so I passed (there were some leftovers on offer later in the galley, so I didn’t miss out entirely).
Now that’s the cart I was waiting for: sundaes! A nice treat, beautifully presented. My friend loves caramel so he had a large portion.
While I had hot fudge, along with nuts, whipped cream and a glass of port. Perfect.
The ice cream was perfectly softened, a nice touch.
I took a stroll to the back; “regular” economy (there was an Economy Plus section, though) looked a little bit tight, but also had video-on-demand.
The darkened after-lunch business cabin. I watched “My Week with Marilyn,” then had a nap of a few hours.
Snacks (chips, cookies, biscotti, bananas) were available in the galley. I was not expecting this on a short (8-hour) transatlantic flight, but it was a nice touch.
AV controller.
And the menu screen. With my snack I watched “Albert Nobbs,” a strange little movie with Glenn Close, but one I ended up enjoying a lot.
About 75 minutes out of Newark, the pre-arrival snack was served. I’m not a huge fan of cheeseburgers, but this was nicely presented and tasted great.
Fruit plate; pineapple, oranges, red grapes and green melon, all pretty fresh and sweet.
A full complement of condiments was on the tray, also.
This chocolate was the rather skimpy dessert; other than that the meal service was top-notch.
Soon, we were on approach to drizzly Newark; we arrived about 20 minutes early. All in all a very nice transatlantic flight. Good job, PMCO!
Next: the last part; Newark spotting and back to Denver on a 737-900.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 36, posted (11 months 3 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 7108 times:
Quoting fxramper (Reply 32): Great pics, a little too many of planes and not many of Portugal but I like nonetheless.
Quoting kurt (Reply 8):
It was a gray, drizzy day in Newark (as it was on our return 10 days later).
Translates to ATC delay at EWR.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
Air India had a flight departing for BOM
Think it goes to BOM/DEL via FRA.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter):
The Vasco da Gama bridge (10.7 miles); we drove over it a few days later on our way to the Alentejo.
Did you see the April 25th Day Bridge? Looks like the Golden Gate in SFO. Built by the same company iirc.
Great report!
Thanks, fx. Reply 18 has a link to the "other" photos from our trip. No ATC delays in EWR either way. The only delay we had was in FNC due to ATC strike/slowdown. We did see that bridge from a distance. Looks like a mini-Golden Gate for sure!
Nice report there on your journey to Portugal. It is good to get a look at how things are on TAP. And from your report it looks like they are pretty good, certainly the food seems quite nice. You've some nice pictures there as well. Thanks for sharing.
Looking forward to next parts.
D.
Thanks, dkd! I liked all the food! Only EWR-DEN was a bit "meh," as you will soon see.
You do not hear too much about TAP in this forum, so it was great to read about your experience with TAP's "Top Executive" class experience. The food served on all the flights so far looks remarkably fresh, and very tasty!
I've flown out of EWR's Terminal B, and yes, it is very outdated! I can only imagine what people think if they are visiting the US for the first time and land at this terminal! Not a good first impression of the US!
United F looks good as well, and gives a preview of what I might be expecting when we fly to Mexico with them in September.
Best,
Matthew
Yes, Matthew, Terminal B is a D U M P! But Terminal C is quite nice. UA F is OK by me; some of the Mexico flights are flown with CO equipment now, but domestic meal service is pretty much standardized now.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 40, posted (11 months 3 weeks 20 hours ago) and read 6826 times:
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 39): I used to fly a lot on TWA 707s in F in the 1970s. I can assure you that the seats were nothing like today and there were no video screnes.
As to CO now UA I find the food in Y the worst of any airline equal to AA.
The food in C looks great. Do you know what they mean by "pastries?"
Thank you for a great report.
lychemsa: You're welcome! I know the seats were bad back then, but I always picture the service to be nicer, with more elaborate presentations of things. I agree that CO/UA Y food is pretty "blah." But luckily I have not experienced it very much, being in C usually. We shall see about the future, however. I don't recall seeing the "pastries." Maybe some petit fours in a box?
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 904 posts, RR: 3 Reply 41, posted (11 months 3 weeks 10 hours ago) and read 6647 times:
On TWA F which they called Ambassador Service, they would offer a Roast that would be cut at your seat. The starters would all be on a trolley and I would ask "for a little bit of everything."
However the desert was always the same ice cream on European flights. And they would spray the whipped cream from a Ready Whip can which I really found pathetic.
For some strange reason they offered interesting deserts (not ice cream) on the transcons.
On the 747 they had the upstairs lounge which was always empty. Very few people used it and it really was a waste of space.
The food on Pan Am F was not bad but nothing extraordinary; lobster thermidor or steak with cheese cake was quite common. However they offered free helicopter service from Manhattan to JFK which was fun.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 42, posted (11 months 3 weeks 4 hours ago) and read 6566 times:
Part 6: Newark-Denver, May 2 (Wednesday)
After traversing security/baggage claim/customs, it was back on the train back to Terminal C. We went straight for the United Club to relax until our flight back to Denver.
They have six or eight nice shower rooms; I made use of one and felt like a new A-netter!
This United Club (former President’s Club) is huge, but always seems to have a place to sit, and the ramp views are good.
The afternoon snack selection (cheese/crackers, bananas, apples and carrots/dip) is a bit sparse, but it’s pretty much par for a U.S. club. We’re not in Europe anymore!
This 767-400, N66056, rolled in from IAH and was scheduled to fly to Sao Paulo (GRU) as UA31 later that night.
Over at gate 108, N79402 arrived from Denver (DEN); this was to be our flight back there in a couple of hours. It was drizzly, but thankfully no ATC delays popped up.
More UA tails; this 767-400, N66051, was flying to Rome (FCO) as UA40.
At about 4:30 we headed down to the gate; here’s N79402 again.
This 757-200, N58101, was scheduled to fly to Paris (CDG) that evening as UA56.
Air Canada Jazz CRJ-200, C-FWRT, headed to Montreal (YUL) as AC7741.
After another surprisingly quick taxi and takeoff, it was nice and sunny up above the clouds.
Warm nuts and a Glenlivet to start dinner; this aircraft had DirecTV and in enjoyed some political shows (“The Five”) and an old movie (“Sullivan’s Travels” with Joel McRae and the wonderful Veronica Lake).
Dinner orders were taken by the rather lackluster crew; “chicken or pasta?” was the choice. What polish! What flair!
The meal itself was pretty good, with grilled chicken, a barbecue-type sauce on the side, skin-on mashed potatoes, and steamed carrots/broccoli. Everything was hot and tasted fresh.
This salad also tasted fresh, with lettuce, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers.
And a fruit bowl, with oranges and grapes. I was expecting a cookie to be served after dinner, but I fell asleep so I may have missed it.
It’s great to be out in the wide-open West again!
The captain warned of turbulence, but it was pretty mild. We approached from the south; this is Arapahoe County out towards Parker, probably Cottonwood Estates.
About to land; I do love the winglets and polished engine cowlings on the old CO aircraft.
lychemsa From United States of America, joined Oct 2009, 904 posts, RR: 3 Reply 43, posted (11 months 2 weeks 6 days 23 hours ago) and read 6356 times:
Fantastic. Thanks again for your time writing these reports.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 44, posted (11 months 2 weeks 6 days 22 hours ago) and read 6278 times:
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 41): On TWA F which they called Ambassador Service, they would offer a Roast that would be cut at your seat. The starters would all be on a trolley and I would ask "for a little bit of everything."
However the desert was always the same ice cream on European flights. And they would spray the whipped cream from a Ready Whip can which I really found pathetic.
For some strange reason they offered interesting deserts (not ice cream) on the transcons.
On the 747 they had the upstairs lounge which was always empty. Very few people used it and it really was a waste of space.
The food on Pan Am F was not bad but nothing extraordinary; lobster thermidor or steak with cheese cake was quite common. However they offered free helicopter service from Manhattan to JFK which was fun.
Wow, that sounds cool. I would love to have seen the upstairs lounge. And Pan Am used to have a dining room up there. And the helicopter to/from the Pan Am building? Amazing. I still call it "the Pan Am Building" even though it says MetLife now.
Quoting lychemsa (Reply 43): Fantastic. Thanks again for your time writing these reports.
You're quite welcome; it's a bit tedious but I enjoy it and the feedback.
fxramper From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 7027 posts, RR: 93 Reply 45, posted (11 months 2 weeks 6 days 18 hours ago) and read 6178 times:
I'll try and keep this to the point but I can see you experienced the inconsistent new United hub to hub flying. Never know what frame, ife, PMUA or PMCO cabin crew, food, etc your gonna get. Looks like your DEN-EWR and EWR-DEN segs were good though.
Quoting kurt (Reply 36): Thanks, fx. Reply 18 has a link to the "other" photos from our trip. No ATC delays in EWR either way. The only delay we had was in FNC due to ATC strike/slowdown. We did see that bridge from a distance. Looks like a mini-Golden Gate for sure!
Glad the CO crew didn't fuss at your for the great pics on LIS-EWR. All the food and service look familiar! I'm very jealous of your trip to Portugal. I'm very fond of that country and it's got a special place in my worldly travels. Looking forward to your next t/r.
The777Man From United States of America, joined Jul 1999, 6083 posts, RR: 56 Reply 46, posted (11 months 2 weeks 6 days 2 hours ago) and read 5989 times:
Hi Kurt !
Nice report !
TAP looks very nice but the screen is really small which is weird when they have all that space.
UA on the return looks very familiar as I was in 3F yesterday ARN-EWR and the food was very good too. A bit odd with the plug for the headphones behind you but otherwise a comfortable seat.
I agree with you on the too dark colors inside PMCO aircraft.
Note that you cam plug in an iPhone, iPad, iPod to run it on the big screen. I forgot to try that yesterday.
Looking forward to your next report!
The777Man
Need a Boeing 777 Firing Order....Further to fly....GA, T5, CI and LX 777s
Pacifique75 From Portugal, joined Oct 2006, 139 posts, RR: 0 Reply 47, posted (11 months 2 weeks 5 days 22 hours ago) and read 5896 times:
HI Kurt, thanks for posting this TR. It is always very interesting to hear about people's impressions on TAP... really glad to see a positive account on TAP product and service! I am well aware of TAP's shortcomings, so it was nice to hear someone who had an enjoyable experience - for a change.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 49, posted (11 months 2 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 5817 times:
Quoting fxramper (Reply 45): 'll try and keep this to the point but I can see you experienced the inconsistent new United hub to hub flying. Never know what frame, ife, PMUA or PMCO cabin crew, food, etc your gonna get. Looks like your DEN-EWR and EWR-DEN segs were good though.
Quoting kurt (Reply 36):
Thanks, fx. Reply 18 has a link to the "other" photos from our trip. No ATC delays in EWR either way. The only delay we had was in FNC due to ATC strike/slowdown. We did see that bridge from a distance. Looks like a mini-Golden Gate for sure!
Glad the CO crew didn't fuss at your for the great pics on LIS-EWR. All the food and service look familiar! I'm very jealous of your trip to Portugal. I'm very fond of that country and it's got a special place in my worldly travels. Looking forward to your next t/r.
fx: UA/CO seem to be getting more integrated bit by bit. Since there is no cross-fleeting going on yet, I pretty much know what to expect based on the route and aircraft type.
The BusinessFirst product was very nice; no complaints there.
TAP looks very nice but the screen is really small which is weird when they have all that space.
UA on the return looks very familiar as I was in 3F yesterday ARN-EWR and the food was very good too. A bit odd with the plug for the headphones behind you but otherwise a comfortable seat.
I agree with you on the too dark colors inside PMCO aircraft.
Note that you cam plug in an iPhone, iPad, iPod to run it on the big screen. I forgot to try that yesterday.
Looking forward to your next report!
The777Man
777Man:
Thanks for your nice comments; I was unsure about the CO 757-200 but liked it quite a lot. Maybe not so much if I was looking for an upgrade due to the small C cabin, but for a confirmed flight it was good. Not crazy about the dark cabins either. I don't have an i-devices so I guess I am uncool!
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 51, posted (11 months 2 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 5812 times:
Quoting Pacifique75 (Reply 47): HI Kurt, thanks for posting this TR. It is always very interesting to hear about people's impressions on TAP... really glad to see a positive account on TAP product and service! I am well aware of TAP's shortcomings, so it was nice to hear someone who had an enjoyable experience - for a change.
Pacifique: Thank you for your nice comments. I liked TP; it had a lot of personality and the food was really nice. It's a good option for Star Alliance folks like me. I hope TP can get some nicer C seats one day, though.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 52, posted (11 months 2 weeks 5 days 19 hours ago) and read 5771 times:
Quoting roberts87 (Reply 48): Great continuation! And a nice comparison between UA/CO and TP's C class.
And like I said before, FNC is definately on my to visit list!
roberts: Definitely go to FNC if you can. It was a charming place and I would like to return. Just don't expect a lot of nightlife, because there isn't much!
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 53, posted (11 months 2 weeks 5 days 3 hours ago) and read 5633 times:
A few extras:
The TP amenity kit: socks, eyeshades, earplugs, a pen, a shoehorn, lotion and a toothbrush/toothpaste. All branded in some sort of "green initiative." Plus menus from EWR-LIS and FNC-LIS.
The UA (CO style) amenity kit: socks, eyeshades, earplugs, a brush, toothbrush/toothpaste, lotion, a refreshing towel, lip balm, mints, tissues, a pen and a discount coupon. Very nice. Also, the menu from LIS-EWR.
The promotional luggage lock given by the Lisbon airport authority to commemorate UA/CO's 15th anniversary of service to LIS.
UA-branded chocolates (individually-wrapped, like you'd get on your pillow at a nice hotel), also to commemorate that same 15th anniversary.
MSS658 From Belgium, joined Oct 2010, 2212 posts, RR: 14 Reply 54, posted (11 months 2 weeks 2 days 22 hours ago) and read 5246 times:
Hi Kurt
Nice trip report, thanks for sharing.
Good too notice you where on CO's 15th B-day in Lisbon.
TP seems nice as well.
I flew CS-TQD as well between BRU and LIS in Febr 2011. SATA, The Azores And The A310! Part I (by MSS658 Oct 16 2011 in Trip Reports)
Avianca From Venezuela, joined Jan 2005, 5857 posts, RR: 40 Reply 55, posted (11 months 2 weeks 2 days 18 hours ago) and read 5190 times:
what a great report!
really nice, I am looking right now if I should fly next year in Feb or March to the Azores, using the direct TP flight from CCS that they are running once a week....
I think would be a nice short vacation for my family and myself...
Nice trip report, thanks for sharing.
Good too notice you where on CO's 15th B-day in Lisbon.
TP seems nice as well.
I flew CS-TQD as well between BRU and LIS in Febr 2011.
SATA, The Azores And The A310! Part I (by MSS658 Oct 16 2011 in Trip Reports)
Greetings
Marc
Thanks for your kind words.
Was it YOU who broke that overhead light on CS-TQD?!?
I would like to go to the Azores, too. I was surprised how many A310s I saw in Lisbon.
really nice, I am looking right now if I should fly next year in Feb or March to the Azores, using the direct TP flight from CCS that they are running once a week....
I think would be a nice short vacation for my family and myself...
Cheers
Avianca
Thanks; I saw that route listed in the TP magazine and was kind of intrigued. I wonder why TP doesn't fly to Asia (Macau and Goa both have big Portuguese populations), but i guess the numbers just aren't there.
iahworldflyer From United States of America, joined Feb 2012, 99 posts, RR: 0 Reply 58, posted (11 months 2 weeks 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 4937 times:
Great report Kurt, enjoyed seeing all the photos. Will be travelng to LIS for the first time later this summer, though flying AF. This has me excited to be doing this trip. I may message you concerning one of the destinations you visited.
Carfield From United States of America, joined Dec 2003, 1727 posts, RR: 9 Reply 59, posted (11 months 2 weeks 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 4891 times:
Thanks Kurt for a superb trip report!
TAP seems a bit strange on their meal offering in the intra-European flights (cold breakfast outbound and hot lunch on return with menu on a similar length flight) but the lunch menu makes me curious about giving it a try. The transatlantic flight looks great too.
I love the Continental (United) flight from LIS to EWR... too bad the hot appetizers and soup service has been eliminated from the two class Business First service. Only Global first class will get those warm appetizers and soup from now on! Anyway, the service looks great and Continental's pre-arrival meal looks very interesting... I like warmed entree in general and like how Continental does it. It will be lovely to have a choice though... but galley space at 757 possible is a bit tight.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 60, posted (11 months 2 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 4782 times:
Quoting iahworldflyer (Reply 58): Great report Kurt, enjoyed seeing all the photos. Will be travelng to LIS for the first time later this summer, though flying AF. This has me excited to be doing this trip. I may message you concerning one of the destinations you visited.
iah: Thanks; I think you will like Lisbon; I would have liked to have stayed longer and seen more.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 61, posted (11 months 2 weeks 1 day 15 hours ago) and read 4778 times:
Quoting Carfield (Reply 59): Thanks Kurt for a superb trip report!
TAP seems a bit strange on their meal offering in the intra-European flights (cold breakfast outbound and hot lunch on return with menu on a similar length flight) but the lunch menu makes me curious about giving it a try. The transatlantic flight looks great too.
I love the Continental (United) flight from LIS to EWR... too bad the hot appetizers and soup service has been eliminated from the two class Business First service. Only Global first class will get those warm appetizers and soup from now on! Anyway, the service looks great and Continental's pre-arrival meal looks very interesting... I like warmed entree in general and like how Continental does it. It will be lovely to have a choice though... but galley space at 757 possible is a bit tight.
Thanks for sharing!
Carfield
Thanks, Carfield! I liked your cruise photos a lot. The food looked amazing.
I'm glad we got to try "old" CO-style BusinessFirst before they cut it back. I'm not crazy about cheeseburgers, but this one was OK. I was impressed by what a nice service they were able to do in the small 757 galley.
I didn't mind the cold breakfast on TP; the warm lunch with a menu was a nice surprise.
Pacifique75 From Portugal, joined Oct 2006, 139 posts, RR: 0 Reply 62, posted (11 months 2 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 4657 times:
Quoting Carfield (Reply 59): TAP seems a bit strange on their meal offering in the intra-European flights (cold breakfast outbound and hot lunch on return with menu on a similar length flight) .
I agree some of our catering offerings on certain routes may not be adequate, however on this case LIS/FNC a continental breakfast is the "norm" and what is expected for most european people - we dont usually have a cooked breakfast at home either. I never heard any passenger complain because they were expecting a hot breakfast on a flight of this lenght
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 64, posted (11 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 4575 times:
Quoting Pacifique75 (Reply 62): I agree some of our catering offerings on certain routes may not be adequate, however on this case LIS/FNC a continental breakfast is the "norm" and what is expected for most european people - we dont usually have a cooked breakfast at home either. I never heard any passenger complain because they were expecting a hot breakfast on a flight of this lenght
This is probably true. In the U.S. we like bacon and eggs, and "Full English" is famous. I am fine with a continental breakfast, if the quality is high and there is some nice variety, and TP delivered on this count.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 65, posted (11 months 2 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 4570 times:
Quoting tommy767 (Reply 63): Fantastic report! TAP looks awesome I had no idea the J cabin looked that good.
UA on the other hand doesn't look nearly as impressive. What did you like more? The PMUA 757 or the PMCO 739?
Thanks; I'm so used to PMUA (having flown 100K out of Denver for almost 12 years) that it is like an old pair of slippers, just familiar and comfortable. I like the 738/739 OK, if they have DirecTV. Other than that I guess I prefer the 757, if for nothing else than the wonderful takeoff power.
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 69, posted (11 months 2 weeks 15 hours ago) and read 4342 times:
Quoting STT757 (Reply 67):
Excellent trip report, have to add Portugal to my must visit list.
I also enjoy the Directv offerings, lots of options.
Thanks; I would recommend Portugal; it was a fun place to visit and quite reasonably priced compared to places like England and Germany. DirecTV is great, but when they make announcements you miss some things as the signal does not pause!
akhmad From Netherlands, joined Sep 2005, 2332 posts, RR: 53 Reply 70, posted (11 months 6 days 5 hours ago) and read 3700 times:
Bom Dia Kurt,
Finally I get around reading this excellent report of yours. After seeing the pictures on facebook, now I got to know more of the story behind your journey. What a great afternoon’s morning read.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter): One caveat: I like aisle seats, so this report is light on photos of engines, slats and wings. And I like to eat, so there are a lot of photos of food. Just how I roll!
That is fine with me. Everyone has got his or her own style.
Quoting kurt (Thread starter): Your author at the multi-airline FIDS in Concourse B at DIA
Well hello, Kurt! It is a pleasure to tag along with you.
Quoting kurt (Reply 8): it has that “we’re going on a trip overseas!” quality that is fun.
I assume alcoholic beverages are complimentary as well.
Quoting kurt (Reply 8): I was saving my appetite for the flight.
Way to go!
Quoting kurt (Reply 8): the captain came back to greet passengers at door 2L,
Nice gesture, but was he there as well to greet you.
Quoting kurt (Reply 8): the salmon was delicious, and I’m not a big salmon lover.
Then the salmon must have been very good.
Quoting kurt (Reply 8): Next up was the salad cart. The salads were individually prepared, with a choice of any, or all, of the toppings
How cool! Salad cart!
Quoting kurt (Reply 8): I was politely asked to not take photos, so this is all I’ve got to show.
Shame! I got somehow enthusiastic to see how relaxed the crew members were regarding photography.
Quoting kurt (Reply 22): I remember seeing that at Melbourne as well.
Don’t forget Frankfurt.
Quoting kurt (Reply 22): I snagged the window seat so I had a chance to see some unusual aircraft,
Ah, finally!
Quoting kurt (Reply 22): “Vitorino Nemésio Mendes Pinheiro da Silva was a poet, author and intellectual from Terceira, Azores, best known for his romance “Mau Tempo No Canal.’” Now we both know!
Thanks to you. Great info about him and other Portuguese poets.
Quoting kurt (Reply 31): Now why can’t all airports be like this?
What do you think of Berlin Tegel?
Quoting kurt (Reply 31): the flight attendant told me that the catering is done in FNC (not brought in from LIS), so this might even be some local fish.
Very good of TP to enlist services of local caterer.
Quoting kurt (Reply 35): Since we were in business class, we were able to use the “Green Way” shortcut to security
the most environment friendly way!
Quoting kurt (Reply 35): That flight attendant pictured was a gem; friendly and hard-working.
I believe you. Look how she genuinely smiled at you.
Quoting kurt (Reply 35): Appetizers were served from the cart
Quoting kurt (Reply 35): Soon the cheese cart was on the move
Quoting kurt (Reply 35): Now that’s the cart I was waiting for: sundaes!
kurt From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, RR: 0 Reply 71, posted (11 months 5 days 18 hours ago) and read 3564 times:
Quoting akhmad (Reply 70): hank you for sharing. Muito obrigado
Best regards,
Suryo.
Thank you for your kind comments, Suryo!
Regarding Eugénio de Andrade, the famous poet, I got an anthology of his work, called "Forbidden Words," from the library that I am enjoying very much. So melancholy and beautiful
Sponsor Message: 
From United States of America, joined Oct 2001, 413 posts, 
From Turkey, joined Sep 2003, 4391 posts, 
From Sweden, joined Aug 2007, 1672 posts, 
From Netherlands, joined Feb 2011, 782 posts, 
From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6191 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Mar 2004, 18 posts, 
From Macedonia, joined Oct 2009, 143 posts, 
From Finland, joined Oct 2010, 643 posts, 
From Denmark, joined Jun 2009, 88 posts, 
From Portugal, joined Oct 2006, 139 posts, 
From Belgium, joined Oct 2010, 2212 posts, 
From Venezuela, joined Jan 2005, 5857 posts, 
Sponsor Message: 
Printer friendly format
