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In an era where airlines are slashing fees, TAP Miles & Go has chosen to be an outlier and is massively hiking service fees. The changes predominantly affect issuing, modifying, or canceling award tickets. The new fee structure comes into force on January 11, 2024.
Overview of the TAP Miles & Go New Fees
While many fees are changing by a small amount, there are some particularly harsh situations. Those include massive increases on some fees or previous exemptions being canceled. In addition, while some fees have decreased, the number of instances and the amount of decrease are tiny.
The old fee structure will remain in place through January 10, 2024. The new fee structure will come into effect on January 11, 2024.
Service fees for ticket changes
Up to January 10, 2024, the following rates apply:
After January 11, 2024, the following rates apply:
This is a shocking increase when booking partner flights. Up to this point in time, TAP elites were exempt from ticket change fees. However, this will no longer be the case, and they will be hit with a massive €150/~$165 fee when changing partner tickets.
Service fees for no-shows
Up to January 10, 2024, the following rates apply:
After January 11, 2024, the following rates apply:
Changes here are a bit of a mixed bag. Fees for Miles & Silver members are going up by 30% from €100 to €130, while Gold members see no change. Navigator members see a decrease in fees, from €100 to €80. However, when booking with partners, everyone is taking a hit. Continental and intercontinental flight no-shows will now incur a €150/~$165 fee, regardless of status level.
Service fees for reinstating miles
Up to January 10, 2024, the following rates apply:
After January 11, 2024, the following rates apply:
Yet again, the situation is not pretty when it comes to reinstating miles from redemption tickets. All TAP members will now be hit with a €100 fee, regardless of status level. However, for flights on TAP metal, there is a substantial drop in fees. Also, top-tier Navigator members are now exempt from this fee.
Service fees for using the TAP Mile & Go Assistance Center or TAP counters
Up to January 10, 2024, the following rates apply:
After January 11, 2024, the following rates apply:
Again, the changes are negative here. While there is no change for flights booked with TAP, when it comes to partners, the changes are substantial. Continental flights with partners increase by 40% from €30 to €50. Even worse, intercontinental flights, which were previously exempt, have a huge €50/~$55 fee associated with them.
Service fees on award bookings
Up to January 10, 2024, the following rates apply:
After January 11, 2024, the following rates apply:
There are very few changes when it comes to the service fees for reward bookings. However, TAP has thrown its members a bone: all Ponte Aérea Flights and domestic awards are free from booking fees. That's something members are sure to notice, as there was €5/~$5.5 fee before the change.
Boosting Your TAP Mileage Balance
When it comes to boosting your TAP mileage balance, you have some options — but not as many as some other international carriers. Although you can only transfer Capital One miles and Marriott Bonvoy points, you do have some other options. However, they are not the best value if you need to boost your balance.
Our Take
Considering the general industry trend of reducing fees, there is no question that this latest move from TAP Miles & Go is deeply disappointing. A glance shows that not only are the increases unjustifiably high in some cases, but even TAP elites – the airline's best customers – are losing out by having their exemptions canceled in some instances. This latest move from TAP is clearly a step in the wrong direction!
If you had your eye on some TAP award bookings or need to change an existing reservation, you'd do well to make arrangements before the new fee structure goes into effect.
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