TAP targets Brits seeking new destinations
Contributors are not employed, compensated or governed by TD, opinions and statements are from the contributor directly
Portugal’s flag carrier TAP is hoping to cash in on the increasing number of British tourist seeking either new or ‘safe’ destinations.
The airline has introduced new flights, stopover options and a flexible pricing strategy that it hopes will entice more passengers from the UK market.
“We are witnessing an increase in our catchment area for flights out of Heathrow, Gatwick and Manchester,” said Ricardo Dinis, general sales manager, TAP Portugal.
“Because of events happening around the world, I believe the British are demanding more new destinations and they are definitely switching west rather than east.
“That’s why Porto has become more popular, particularly for a weekend break. It’s only a two-and-a-half-hour flight and the weather is good.”
TAP is upping the capacity on Gatwick flights as a result, increasing the Lisbon service from daily to 11 weekly and the Porto service from 12 weekly to double daily.”
Future plans also include rolling out new “more efficient and very comfortable” Embraer aircraft on some of the routes – Gatwick to Porto and Manchester to Lisbon for example.
TAP is a full-service carrier, the the airline recently introduced a new fare system that offers passengers the chance to “choose what they pay for”.
This a la carte approach offers a range of options, from budget no-frills fares to business class prices with all the bells and whistles included.
“This is what the customer wants and it’s been very well received,” said Dinis.
TAP, via Lisbon and Porto, is also the gateway to the US, Latin America and Africa, and is currently expanding its network and connectivity across all three regions.
The airline has also introduced a new stopover programme in partnership with booking.com, encouraging passengers “discover Portugal on their way to somewhere else”.
“They can stay in Lisbon for three days for no extra flight cost and enjoy preferential rates with booking.com accommodation as well as discounts on restaurants and experiences,” explained Dinis.
In other TAP news, the airline is retrofitting many of its long-haul aircraft while in 2017, it will become the first global client for the A330 NEO.
The airline’s subsidiary, TAP Express, has is also rolling out new Embraer aircraft on its Lisbon to Porto shuttle, which now offers hourly departures.
Dinis also reminds the trade of the recent tapagents.com launch – a dedicated travel agent website featuring need-to-know information on TAP.
Comments are closed.