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TAP Portugal cancelled flight refund: your rights and how to claim

TAP Air Portugal, Portugal’s flag carrier, posts a cancellation rate of 0.8%, below the industry average of roughly 1.6%. That is a solid number: the airline rarely cancels. The weaker spot is punctuality, with an on-time rate of 73% and an average delay of 19 minutes — but an outright cancellation remains uncommon. When it does happen, you have specific rights worth knowing.

Refund and compensation are not the same thing

The most common mistake is confusing a refund with compensation. They are two separate entitlements, and they often stack.

  • Refund: the return of your ticket price. You are entitled to it when TAP cancels the flight and you choose not to travel or decline an alternative flight.
  • EU261 compensation: a flat sum for the disruption, owed when the cancellation is the airline’s fault and you were notified less than 14 days before departure. Amounts depend on distance:
    • 250 euros up to 1,500 km
    • 400 euros for 1,500 to 3,500 km
    • 600 euros over 3,500 km

Compensation is not owed if the cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, air-traffic-control strikes, security emergencies) outside the carrier’s control.

How to get a refund from TAP

  1. Log in to “Manage Booking” on the TAP website, or use the claim form in the customer service section.
  2. Quote your booking reference and state whether you are claiming a refund, EU261 compensation, or both.
  3. Attach your boarding pass, ticket and the email in which TAP notified you of the cancellation.
  4. Keep every message. If TAP does not respond or rejects your claim, you can escalate to ANAC (the Portuguese civil aviation authority) or to the national enforcement body of your departure country.

When EU261 applies

TAP Portugal is an EU carrier. EU261 therefore applies to every flight departing from an EU/EEA airport and to every TAP-operated flight arriving into the EU/EEA from a third country. For the large majority of TAP flights, EU261 applies in full.

FlightGuard lets you check the risk of delay or cancellation for your flight in advance. The data sources we use are listed at /en/sources/.

Flight cancelled or delayed?Up to €600 EU261 compensation.Check your claim →

Frequently asked questions

No. TAP Portugal has a cancellation rate of 0.8%, below the industry average of about 1.6%. Most flights operate as scheduled, but if yours is cancelled you still have clear rights.

A refund returns your ticket price if you don't fly. EU261 compensation is a fixed sum (250, 400 or 600 euros depending on distance) paid on top, when the cancellation is the airline's fault and you were told less than 14 days in advance.

From 250 euros for routes up to 1,500 km, 400 euros for 1,500 to 3,500 km, and up to 600 euros beyond 3,500 km. Compensation is paid in addition to the ticket refund.

In Portugal passenger-rights claims can generally be pursued for years after the flight. Still, act quickly and keep your boarding pass, booking and the cancellation email.

Check a TAP Portugal flight