TAP Miles&Go Status Extensions, Mileage Expiry Waiver & Lowered Qualification Requirements In 2021

TAP, a Portuguese flag carrier in deep trouble due to Covid-19 and previous issues, has launched three new policies to help its Miles&Go members in 2021.

TAP will extend Miles&Go tiers earned by flying through the end of 2021, the mileage expiry has been waived through July 31, 2021, for some, and Miles&Go members can qualify for status with half the miles or segments this year when flying on TAP.

You can access TAP here.

Here’s what TAP emailed to its members:

In some days it will have been 1 year since the world was impacted by containment and confinement measures to try to contain the pandemic outbreak caused by COVID-19. What was unimaginable has become the new normal and since then our business, like so many others, has changed its paradigm.

At the time, as it is now, priorities such as health and safety do not change and, therefore, we implemented, as early as of March 2020, the measures that aim at protecting our greatest asset, our clients.

While expectations for the beginning of 2021 were different due to the beginning of vaccination, the harsh reality of the pandemic forces us to continue with, and strengthening of, prophylactic measures.

We want to reiterate and share with you our commitments to protect your status and benefits for the coming months as a TAP client Miles&Go TAP client:

Miles&Go Policy Update:

You have to keep in mind that tiers earned from one of the many promotions for buying miles and joining Clubs won’t qualify for the extension. Only those that have qualified based on actual flying activity.

The miles validity has been extended through July 31, 2021, with a caveat that you must have flown with TAP, Club TAP Miles & Go, or have a TAP credit card. This is far from a blanket extension for everyone.

Lowered qualification requirement in 2021:

• Silver 15,000 status miles or 12 segments flown with TAP (not with partners)
• Gold 35,000 status miles or 25 segments flown with TAP (not with partners)

Conclusion

TAP has been one of the more problematic airlines when it comes to getting refunds for canceled services per EU’s EC 261/2004 or U.S. DOT’s refund guidelines and laws.

The airline had its bank accounts in Germany seized for not paying court-mandated refunds (read more here).

I expect TAP to stick around as a Portuguese government-owned Star Alliance member airline. However, I would not book any flights with them or buy miles or join one of their clubs until Covid-19 is behind us.