Hi All:
Wondering what the experiences have been on how strict TAP Airlines is with carry-on baggage dimensions. Carry-on is listed on their website at 22 x 16 x 8 inches at 45 pounds, and I see most carryon bags are 9 inches wide. Should I be exact or consider it a more general guideline? This is an economy flight from US to Lisbon and then on to Rome.
Thanks!
Make sure you see Kateja's thread on her intra-Europe flight on TAP yesterday.
https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/transportation/portugal-air-it-did-not-go-well
It sounds like on that flight there were oversize bags which took up a lot of the overhead bin space.
I've flown TAP a few times, and I've seen them measure and weigh carry on and personal items in Lisbon, checking those that didn't stay within the limits, so I personally wouldn't take a chance, certainly not with hard sided bags.
This is the perennial question that can never really be answered:
"Will the published baggage limits be structly enforced, or will I be able to slip one past the goalie?"
It all boils down to factors that you can not predict or understand.
Unfortunately, there's no way to know these things in advance, and the previous experiences of others on other days with other people and different circumstances can't reliably predict what will happen to you on a different day.
The baggage limits are (almost always) clearly stated on the airline's website, so you should be able to predict those with certainty. If you want to roll the dice, be prepared to accept the consequences.
To quote Clint Eastwood..."You've got to ask yourself one question: 'Do I feel lucky?' "
We flew TAP from Heathrow to Lisbon. They weighed and measured all the larger carryons and pulled several to be checked. Others have reported there’s not been a problem on their flights. So, if your larger bags are not within their restrictions you are taking a chance they will be checked.
I was just looking at TAP and then I read the TripAdvisor reviews...they are horrible. I have flown with them before (few years ago) and was not impressed and after reading the recent reviews I would rather pay more on another airline....yes they weigh and will charge, it was a big complaint on the reviews. Customer service was also terrible apparently!
We saw 2 bins that had these odd large leather "sports" bags that filled the entire bin. They were zippered closed. I don't know what was in them or how they got them past the gate. When questioning the flight attendant and pointing out the bags, he just shrugged and said it was legal. The flight was already 2 hours late. Everyone was tired and grumpy. It was not a hill to die on. So I, at 75 years of age, sat with my suitcase (regulation size) jammed under the seat in front of me, my purse on the floor and me folded up in the window seat.
BTW, I was recently told that TAP stands for "take another plane".
If the plane is full and you are thinking about sneaking your oversized bag on board, maybe you ought to think about everyone else.
I've seen golf bags when flying between Casablanca and Paris. Anytime a plane is going between the gray-skies north and the sunny south during cold months, you'll see golf bags. It's only the richest here, not like in the US. If you're here as a tourist who can travel any day of the week between big cities, you probably won't run into this. If you live here and fly on weekend getaways to resorts in the south, you will.
I've also seen that money and notoriety will get you pre-boarding and the ability to grab all the space. Happened to us when a famous movie star and his family were in our 1st class TGV compartment. They took up a lot of storage space: lots of sports equipment, suitcases, dog stuff all loaded before
anyone else.
When we flew on TAP from Lisbon back to the U.S. in May, they weighed every single bag that I could see. However, I did not see them measuring for size, doesn't mean they won't on your flight though. They did pull at least a half a dozen.
Thank you all! You've reinforced my thought they we're better safe than sorry. Altho my husband is incredibly charming and lucky, I am less so!! We will stick to the limits!!
If the plane is full and you are thinking about sneaking your oversized bag on board, maybe you ought to think about everyone else.
Always good advice. I am related to someone who, when flying first class some years ago, managed to bring 2 bags each on board, put them in the overhead bin, then somehow go back into the airport and get 4 more bags and brought them on board.
No. Just, NO!
Yeah, 45 lbs would be quite a carry-on (on any airline, especially a European one that's known for being strict). Good catch.
Be careful to keep your pounds and kilograms, your inches and centimeters, all sorted.
For a winter flight, I stuffed my pockets to get the weight down on my personal item, transferring items from my carry-on bag...
I wasn't kidding above when I floated this question:
How big are the pockets in the cargo pants you will be wearing on the flight?
You do what you gotta do.
@David, your 12/04 post was a great summary of the factors to be considered.
Flew TAP in October 2023 on a return trip from Spain. Attendants weighed, measured and asked many questions about the contents of all carry-on luggage. They actually seemed surprised when our luggage was under the limit! Passengers in front and behind us were surprised with hefty fees charged for any overage of size or weight. Carry a luggage scale, the space it takes up is well worth it!
