Star Alliance member TAP is selling cheap business class flights from Spain to six North American airports: Boston, Cancun, Chicago, New York, Washington and Miami. Flights from Barcelona start at just €1,332 and are available during the entire year of 2024. You can also start your trip in Madrid for roughly the same price. A change of planes in Lisbon is required both ways, in any case.
You can get the following prices with departure from Barcelona:
- Cancun at €1,332
- Boston at €1,368
- Washington, D.C. at €1,378
- New York at €1,423
- Miami at €1,433
- Chicago at €1,544
Starting from Madrid, prices are almost identical:
- Boston at €1,378
- Washington, D.C. at €1,373
- Cancun at €1,382
- New York at €1,410
- Chicago at €1,433
- Miami at €1,441
Our availability calendar highlights all possible flight dates at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to TAP with your selected flight dates. You can also check what OTAs have to offer, as they sell these tickets up to €40 cheaper.
After a relatively short flight to Lisbon, you would fly to Chicago, Cancun or Miami on an Airbus A330. These new and modern planes feature lie-flat-seats in a 1-2-1 seating pattern up front. An Airbus A321neo LR operates flights to New York, Washington and Boston. You can find a review of that business class product here.
Not too long ago, TAP’s Executive Class was infamously subpar. By now, however, all planes have been equipped with new seats that can be converted into fully flat beds and offer quite a high comfort. The service is also said to be very friendly.
Search & Book
Many destinations have their own set of fare rules. They are valid during various travel periods in 2024 (our availability calendar helps). Your trip has to end on December 31, 2024, or earlier. While the travel period seems fairly generous, you can mostly find these tickets for departures until April or after September 2024.
You can see the available dates on Google Flights. We strongly recommend book your flights directly on TAP’s website, even though you can save some money using our flight search.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Mileage
The tickets are issued in booking class J, meaning that a Madrid to Miami roundtrip should get you:
- 21,366 Miles on Hainan Fortune Wings Club
- 20,596 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
- 18,996 Points on SAS EuroBonus
- 17,872 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 17,872 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 17,872 Award Miles + 8,936 Tier Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 17,872 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 17,872 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 17,872 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 15,190 Miles on Azul TodoAzul
- 13,406 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 13,406 Award Miles on Emirates Skywards
- 13,406 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 11,618 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 11,170 Award Miles + 1,860 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 11,170 Miles on Asiana Club
- 11,170 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 11,170 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 11,170 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 11,170 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
Destination
Hotel prices in Miami usually start at roughly €60, depending on the hotel category. Whichever category and hotel you opt for, make sure to get the best price! Our recommendation is to search on booking.com, or even on our own Travel-Dealz hotel search:
Information & Tips for Mexico
Mayan pyramids, dreamy beaches and tacos – Mexico is an incredibly diverse country. If you want to experience the Spanish-speaking country to its fullest, you should definitely stay somewhere other than the tourist hotspots and seaside resorts.
The Best Time to Travel
The perfect travel time is from December to April, during this time it hardly rains and the temperatures are pleasant. Unsurprisingly, during the rainy season from May to October there is more rainfall. Beware of some extreme weather phenomenons that might be unknown to Europeans: Hurricane season lasts from June to November! Those who want to travel to typical holiday areas like Cancún and do not want to spend lots of money should travel in the off season. Areas with less touristic relevance such as Mexico City, on the other hand, are relatively constant throughout the year from a price perspective.
Currency, Credit Cards & Tipping
The official currency of the country is the Mexican Peso. 1 EUR equals about MX$18. The acceptance of credit cards is comparable to or even slightly better than Germany. In almost all shops, even small kiosks, it is possible and quite normal to pay by card. The same applies to restaurants. For street vendors, street snack bars and the like, it is advisable to have a few pesos in cash with you. It is unusual to tip taxis or cab drivers. At a restaurant, 10-15 percent are normal, as long as the tip is not already listed on the bill as a line item. When paying by card, you can usually choose how much you want to tip at the card terminal before entering the pin. Housekeeping at a hotel should usually be tipped 20-40 Pesos per day, small favours have a going tip rate of 5 Pesos.
Immigration & Visa Requirements
Most EU citizens do not need a visa to enter Mexico. All you need to do is fill out the tourist card that is handed out onboard the plane. For touristic and business purposes, a visa-free stay of 180 days is possible.
→ All Dealz for Mexico
Information & Tips for USA
The USA offers many sights, natural wonders and cultural significance. Thanks to numerous airlines offering flights across the Atlantic, it is always pretty inexpensive to get there. Alternatively, you can also cross the Atlantic by boat.
Immigration, ESTA & Visa Requirements
The USA has one of the strictest entry regulations in the world. Most EU citizens, among others, are lucky to be able to participate in the so-called Visa Waiver Program. If you get an electronic entry permit (ESTA) for approximately €20, you don’t need a visa for entry.
The Best Time to Visit
Due to its sheer size, the perfect time to visit the USA varies greatly from region to region. In winter, Florida is very popular due to the mild temperatures. In the summer the West and East Coasts are flooded by tourists which drives up the prices for hotels and flights and during the Indian Summer in late autumn New England is a very popular destination. The hurricane season between July and September can be dangerous in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Florida and the southern states are regularly struck by these tropical storms. Blizzards occur from the East Coast to the Midwest during the winter months and regularly put air traffic and public life on hold.
Currency
The US dollar is widely used throughout the world and accepted as a currency in most tourist hotspots worldwide. That being said, carrying cash isn’t necessary in the US, all you need is a credit card! These are very common in the USA and are accepted pretty much everywhere without any issues. If you already have a credit card in your wallet, you should make sure that it does not charge a foreign currency fee if possible. Carrying a few dollars in cash doesn’t hurt though. You might need cash e.g. for the bus ticket if you want to buy it directly from the driver. Most of the time you even have to give exact change.
Finding the Best eSIM Plan
We’ve compared various eSIM providers, such as Knowroaming and Ubigi. To see which plan is best for your travel needs, and which network offers the best coverage, feel free to read our detailed guide:
The Best eSIM Plans for the USA 🇺🇸 Compared
→ All Dealz for USA
Cover Picture: © TAP Portugal
Comment (1)
No miles awarded if crediting to TAP’s own loyalty program?