Star Alliance member TAP Air Portugal offers cheap flights from Paris Orly to San Francisco and New York. Prices start at €286 for the West Coast, New York is a little cheaper. There is little availability for New York in 2022, there are plenty of dates in early 2023.
While flights include onboard service, checked bags cost an extra €100, when booked on TAP’s website. You can also add a free stopover in Lisbon or Porto for up to 120 hours. This is a great chance to explore the Portuguese cities on your way to the USA without having to plan an additional trip to Portugal.
TAP flights purchased before June 30, 2022, can be rebooked without having to pay a rebooking fee, but the price difference will have to be paid. This does not apply to Discount fares.
Our availability calendar shows you all flight dates at the lowest fare for trips up to 28 days. After selecting an out-and inbound flight date, it will forward you to TAP’s website or our flight search, where you can book the tickets.
The short-haul flights are operated onboard TAP’s A320 family fleet or its subsidiary’s Portugalia’s Embraer E190s. Most of the long-haul flights are operated by the airline’s brand new Airbus A330-900s which are in a 2-4-2 configuration, equipped with in-flight entertainment.
You can also fly the narrowbody Airbus A321LR for flights between Porto and New York. You can vary layover times as both short 1 hour transfers and few-hours long ones are available.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, the offer is valid until July 1, 2022 with the latest possible inbound arriving on June 13, 2023. There is a minimum stay requirement of either 5 days or a night from Sunday to Monday and a maximum stay of 30 days.
We recommend booking these flights on the TAP website, especially if you wish to add a free stopover or bags. You can adjust the dates on our flight calendar or browse Google Flights. Alternatively, you can use our flight search tool to book through online travel agencies, which are about €30 cheaper.
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
TAP issues all flights in booking class O. This will get you the following miles for a trip to San Francisco:
- 3,084 Award Miles + 160 Points on Miles&More
- 1,312 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 1,312 Award Miles on Emirates Skywards
- 1,312 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 1,312 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 1,056 Miles on Hainan Fortune Wings Club
- 656 Miles on Azul TodoAzul
Destination
Hotel prices in New York and San Francisco are among the highest in the US, usually start at roughly €80 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 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
Information & Tips for San Francisco
The city on the Pacific coast in California captivates with unique buildings like the Golden Gate Bridge but also with the serenity, enlightenment and cultural diversity of the population.
Best Time to Visit
Temperatures in San Francisco are quite warm and moderate all year round. But in winter you have to expect to get more rain. The best months for traveling are April to October.
Top 3 Sights
Golden Gate Bridge: There are only a few buildings that say ‘USA’ as much as the bridge that connects with San Francisco to Sausalito. You can pass the bridge either by car, on foot or by bike. The latter is highly recommended because it is somewhat tricky to get on the bridge by foot. When planning your trip, you should always check the weather forecast, as the bridge is often covered in thick fog. This might be great for taking spectacular pictures of the bridge, but passing it could be rather disappointing due to the limited visibility.
Alcatraz Island: You can reach the legendary prison island, on which Al Capone was imprisoned, by ferry. You can book tickets on the official website. Attention: Other sites that also offer tickets are only re-sellers who charge excessive prices. It is worth to book the tickets in advance because especially during high season the ferry can be full due to the limited number of seats.
Fisherman’s Wharf: An excellent place to start your visit to San Francisco. This old part of town – once the Little Italy of San Francisco – is famous for its shops, restaurants and the beautiful atmosphere by the water. It’s a nice place to walk around and get a taste of the city. It’s also a starting point for tours with spectacular views of the city.
→ All Dealz for San Francisco
Information & Tips for New York
It is THE dream destination in the USA. The 5 districts of New York City offer more than any other metropolis in the world. And due to the high number of flights to New York, it is usually the cheapest way to get to the USA.
The Best Time to Travel
The best travel time with moderate temperatures is from April to June and from September to November. Summers can bring heat waves with high humidity. Winters are often snowy and very cold.
From the airport to the city
New York City is served by three commercial airports: John F. Kennedy Intl. Airport in Queens (probably the most famous), Newark Intl. Airport in Newark, New Jersey (which is not located in NYC, but serves the metropolitan area just like the others) and LaGuardia Airport also in Queens (which is closest to the city).
John F. Kennedy Intl. Airport
Public transport: From Manhattan by subway or LIRR to Jamaica (price varies from $2.75 – $10.00), continue with AirTrain to JFK ($8). Travel time 45 – 60 minutes.
Taxi: To Manhattan $62.50 (+ $5.50 toll), 45 – 90 minutes depending on traffic.
Newark Intl. Airport
Public transport: Almost $20 with a combination of AirTrain Newark and NJ Transit to Penn Station. Almost 45 minutes drive.
Taxi: To Manhattan $50 – $70 (+ $8 toll), journey time 35 – 60 minutes depending on traffic.
LaGuardia Airport
Public transport: LaGuardia is only served by buses, these are slow and don’t have much space to store luggage, but with $2,75 they are very cheap.
Taxi: To Manhattan $20 – $30, journey time 15 – 30 minutes depending on traffic.
→ All Dealz for New York