After a rather catastrophic flight from Lisbon to Porto, I have to run to catch a compromised flight back to Paris. Without knowing at the time that missing my flight would have been a lesser evil if I had had to choose.

For the record the articles related to this trip.

Connection circuit and boarding

Once disembarked from my flight from Lisbon I sprint to get to the plane that takes me to Paris. First bad surprise: there is no possible airside-airside connection. In other words, once disembarked, I have to follow a course that will make me go through security controls and then go back to the departure level.

Porto is in theory not a hub so this kind of circuit is not really optimized. I am the only one to use it and the agent in charge of the controls is so idle that he acts with an irritating nonchalance for the passenger who is afraid to miss his connection.

No picture here…considering the short timing I don’t have much time to wander.

Once this chore is over, I go back to the departure level and look at the FIDS to know my boarding gate. Good news is that it’ s not far away. Great news, the flight is delayed and boarding has just begun.

And for good reason.

Once arrived at the gate I realize that it is the aircraft I took to come from Lisbon.

If the staff in Lisbon had told me this instead of telling me that my connection was at risk I would have been less stressed. Clowns!

Impossible to guess. It is TAP Express between Lisbon and Porto, then Portugalia between Porto and Paris and does not have the same number. Anyway…

I go through priority queue, overtake everyone and will be one of the first to board.

The business class cabin of TAP’s Embraer 195

This time I will have plenty of time to take pictures of the cabin, especially since I will be the only one in business.

So once again the light leather seats are very comfortable and look great.

No neutralized seat in business class but as I will be alone it will not bother me.

Legroom is good.

The individual screens will not be used any more than on the previous flight.

Therefore, the controls integrated in the armrest will be useless.

The flight attendant is very friendly and tells me that I can take any seat I want. Of course, I am alone!

We will leave on time for this delayed departure.

I glance at my iPhone to check that the Airtag on my suitcase shows me that the luggage is on this flight…but it is reported as still being in Lisbon ! I know that sometimes the location lags a bit but my 6th sense tells me that this trip will be an ordeal until the end and that TAP has remained true to its reputation for failing operations.

The flight and the service

We thus leave the terminal and very quickly we will be aligned for the takeoff.

The separation curtain between business class and eco is drawn.

The service starts quite fast…and will be all the faster since I am alone. And here is the meal served:

What a disappointment when you see what TAP is capable of serving on a Lisbon-Paris trip. I was expecting a hot dish and I’m a little bit disappointed.

Is it because we don’t depart from Lisbon? Is it because it is a flight operated by Portugalia (the “regional” airline of TAP)?

The charcuterie will be okay, the cheese not so good, the puff pastry will be a choking. Fortunately, the fruits bring a little freshness at the end.

I would be generously supplied with wine during the entire flight. It helps calm me down a bit. On the other hand it keeps the flight attendant busy, otherwise she would be bored stiff.

At one point she prepares hot meals…for the pilots.

Economy class passengers try to access the toilet at the front of the aircraft…and are rebuffed because it is reserved for business passengers. That is, to me.

I doze a little while waiting for the descent.

Service

Pleasant service but totally unmotivated cabin crew. I have the impression that she spent most of the flight hidden in the galley trying to avoid meeting my eyes but she will frequently come out to offer me some wine and disappear again.

Weird.

Landing and arrival in Paris

The descent goes smoothly and soon we will land at Orly. As we taxi I think something is wrong with the direction we are going. And my fears are confirmed.

Remote parking and a disembarkation by bus for an arrival at 11 pm? They did everything to me! The disembarkation will take more than 30 minutes before the bus takes us to the terminal.

In the meantime my Airtag still tells me that it’ s in Lisbon…

I will nevertheless wait at the carousel and will have confirmation that my suitcase will not arrive this evening.

I go to the baggage service to report this delay and fill in the appropriate form. The agent is very nice and tells me that I will be contacted the next day once the baggage has arrived. “With TAP, baggage problems are frequent sir“. Of course.

Then the “suitcase affair” begins, which I will tell you about in a future article. Teaser: we will reach heights in terms of couldn’t-give-a-damn attitude

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