Best Ways to Use TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go

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TAP Air Portugal is the state-owned flagship airline of Portugal that made its first-ever flight from Lisbon to Madrid in 1946. They’ve been a Star Alliance member since 2005 and now operate flights to more than 90 destinations in 37 countries across North America, South America, Africa and Europe. The carrier’s main hub and headquarters are in Lisbon with secondary hubs in Madeira and Porto. 

If you’re from the United States, you may not have ever heard of TAP Air Portugal, much less are a member of the TAP Miles&Go frequent-flyer program. However, Capital One added TAP to their portfolio of transfer partners in 2021, meaning Capital One card holders can now transfer their miles at a 1:1 ratio into the TAP Miles&Go program. 

The Marriott Bonvoy program is also partnered with the TAP Miles&Go program, allowing participants to transfer Marriott Bonvoy points into Miles&Go miles at a 3:1 ratio. 

Let’s take a look at how you can earn Miles&Go miles and the best ways to use your miles once you’ve saved them up.

Earning Miles with TAP Miles&Go

The most straightforward way to earn miles with the Miles&Go program is to fly with Star Alliance-partner airlines, including TAP Air Portugal, Air Canada, Lufthansa, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines and others. 

You can also transfer Marriott Bonvoy points into Miles&Go miles at a ratio of 3:1. And, as of 2021, you can transfer Capital One miles into Miles&Go miles at a ratio of 1:1.

Redeeming Miles with TAP Miles&Go

Because TAP Air Portugal is a Star Alliance member, you can redeem your Miles&Go miles directly with TAP Air Portugal or with any of its Star Alliance partners. They also partner with several airlines that are not Star Alliance members, including Azores Airlines, Azul Brazilian Airlines, GOL Intelligent Airlines and Emirates. 

Before you redeem your Miles&Go miles with one of TAP Air Portugal’s partners, you should be aware that they tend to offer an inferior redemption rate compared to other Star Alliance members for many awards. They also tack on fuel surcharges when you redeem your miles with some of their partner airlines. However, there are some good uses to be aware of.

Certain rules apply to flights booked with Miles&Go miles, whether you’re booking directly with TAP Air Portugal or with one of their partner airlines.

TAP Miles&Go Redemption Rules

According to the TAP Miles&Go terms and conditions, there are different sets of rules that apply when redeeming miles depending on whether you book a flight with TAP Air Portugal or one of their partner airlines. Here are the rules for booking award flights with TAP: 

• Award tickets can’t be upgraded. 
• Award tickets are valid for one year from the date that they’re issued, promotional tickets not included. 
• Stopovers aren’t permitted. 
• One-way tickets can have a maximum of two segments. Round-trip tickets can have a maximum of four segments. 
• Changes to award ticket dates, flight numbers, time or booking class can be made for a fee of $55. 
• You can’t use Miles&Go miles to book flights leaving Brazil. 
• Any award ticket booked for children will receive a 25% discount on miles price. 
• To book tickets for other people using Miles&Go miles, you must send an authorization letter to TAP Air Portugal via email within 24 hours or the flight reservation will be canceled. 

TAP Air Portugal has a separate set of rules that apply when redeeming Miles&Go miles through one of their Star Alliance partners. Here’s what you need to know: 

• Award tickets are valid for one year from the date that they’re issued.
• Blackout dates apply for certain airlines.
• Waitlists and side trips are not permitted.
• One stopover per round-trip award ticket is allowed.
• One-way tickets can have a maximum of three segments. Round-trip tickets can have a maximum of six segments.
• Award tickets can only be refunded if none of the flights have occurred.

There are some other partner-specific rules that may apply when redeeming Miles&Go miles. For instance, Emirates doesn’t allow first-class bookings using partner miles.

Best Uses for TAP Miles&Go Miles

In general, TAP tends to charge more miles for most routings than other Star Alliance members. Plus, with the fuel surcharges that they often charge, TAP is usually not the best rewards program among Star Alliance members. However, there are some redemptions within TAP’s program where your Miles&Go miles can really shine.

Here are some of the best ways that you can use your TAP Miles&Go miles. 

One-Way from U.S. to South America

The TAP Miles&Go program offers a particularly good deal when it comes to flying to South America, particularly countries in “deep” South America. Most rewards programs charge more for flights from the U.S. to more southern countries in South America such as Uruguay, Paraguay, Chile or Argentina, but Miles&Go does not. 

Travelers to South America would be wise to take advantage of this sweet spot, especially because they can pay 50,000 miles for any one-way flight to South America.

For instance, you can fly from Newark (EWR) to Sao Paulo (GRU) for 50,000 miles plus around $36 in taxes and fees.

One-Way from Oceania to U.S. in Emirates Business Class

Among the best ways to use your Miles&Go miles is by flying from Oceania to the United States via Dubai in Emirates business class. While booking flights for Emirates business class with points has become more and more expensive in the last few years, it’s still possible to find some solid deals with Miles&Go miles. 

When you book an Emirates flight with Miles&Go miles, you won’t be on the hook for fuel surcharges, which will keep your out-of-pocket costs low. In most cases, you can fly from Oceania to the United States for 130,000 Miles&Go miles and modest fees and taxes. Plus, you’ll be flying in one of the most luxurious business classes on any airline.

For example, you can fly from Auckland, New Zealand (AKL), to Houston (IAH) via Dubai, United Arab Emirates (DXB), in Emirates business class for 130,000 Miles&Go miles and around $25 in taxes and fees.

One-Way from U.S. to Europe 

Another good way to use your Miles&Go miles is by flying one-way from the United States to Europe for 80,000 miles, which is an especially good deal for longer flights. 

However, you should be aware that some of TAP Air Portugal’s partner airlines, such as Lufthansa, will tack on hefty taxes and fees. Airlines such as United Airlines, Air Canada and Avianca often charge low fees, keeping out-of-pocket expenses low. 

For instance, you can fly from New York (LGA) to Lisbon (LIS) for 80,000 miles and around $36 in taxes and fees. You should always compare surcharges to other programs before booking, as other programs will charge fewer miles, but if you have a large number of Miles&Go already, it can make sense.

Bottom Line

The fact that the TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go program is now Capital One’s transfer partner has made it much more relevant to U.S. travelers. Members of the Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit Card, the Capital One Spark Miles for Business Card and the Capital One Spark Miles Select for Business Card can now transfer their miles into the Miles&Go program. 

While many other Star Alliance programs offer much more handsome rewards than TAP Air Portugal Miles&Go, there are a few sweet spots within this program that can be taken advantage of, especially because you can transfer Miles&Go miles into one of TAP Air Portugal’s partner programs.