Compensation Clinic: TAP Air Portugal EC261/2004 Claim After Misconnect In Lisbon

Our Compensation Clinic case this week stems from a TAP Air Portugal Claim for EC261 compensation I helped two friends push through after they misconnected in Lisbon en route to France.

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It’s no secret that dealing with TAP Air Portugal is a bit of a nightmare as far as complaints are concerned. If you simply send the complaint to TAP they just sit it out and simply don’t answer which means you have to get a regulator involved if you want to get anywhere with them.

Situation

The two passengers were en route from RAK to Nice via Lisbon and the flight was over an hour late, causing a missed connection in Lisbon. After arguing for another 45 minutes with TAP staff they were rebooked onto Lufthansa via Frankfurt (obviously a huge detour) and arrived in Nice more than 10 hours past their original arrival time.

TAP did not provide the air passenger rights leaflet as mandated by law, neither food or beverage during the entire delay for either LIS or FRA.

Claim

I wrote in the passengers name to TAP through the online form where they have a specific section for EU Compensation Claims including bank account info.

For this case I claimed 250 EUR per passenger as well as 41.00 Euro for food & beverage, total 582.00 EUR. As expected TAP didn’t reply for over a month. I also contacted them via Twitter to chase it.

I also involved the German Ombudsman “söp_Schlichtungsstelle für den öffentlichen Personenverkehr” and opened a case with them.

Two weeks later they informed me that TAP acknowledges liability and will transfer the 582.00 EUR to the account submitted to them.

It’s my impression that TAP really doesn’t move at all unless you complain to a government regulator or ombudsman and have the matter mediated.

Conclusion

After all TAP paid the sum due after six weeks following the flight and initial complaint. I don’t think without getting the SOP involved they would have responded at all so I suggest whenever you have a claim or complaint with TAP escalate it to such agencies that are applicable to you, either based on the country of origin, destination or your residence.