TAP’s 36-Hour Nightmare Flight to the Azores (and Your Rights If It Happens to You)

Imagine boarding a plane in Lisbon for the Azores and, 15 hours of flying later, landing back where you started. That’s what happened to passengers on a TAP flight to Terceira in November 2023, and their journey ended up taking 36 hours.

We’ve flown TAP from Lisbon to the Azores ourselves and had a great trip, so this story caught our eye. Below is what happened, why winter flights to the Azores get disrupted, and what your rights are if it ever happens to you.

What happened on the TAP flight to Terceira

The flight, operated by TAP, Portugal’s flag carrier, set off from Lisbon towards Terceira Island. According to the Portugal Resident, this is how it unfolded:

1. First attempt: the weather worsened and the plane turned back to Lisbon. Passengers were given meals during the unplanned stop.
2. Second attempt: the flight headed for Lajes, Terceira’s airport, but the weather forced it to divert to Ponta Delgada on São Miguel instead.
3. Third leg: from Ponta Delgada the plane flew back to Lisbon, arriving early on Sunday morning.

The passengers finally landed on Terceira at 9.20 pm the following night, around 36 hours after the journey began.

TAP blamed an unexpected worsening of the weather during the day and said it always does everything to get passengers to their destination in maximum safety.

The good news is that everyone arrived safe and sound. Hopefully nobody was on a weekend break, like we were when we visited.

Why winter flights to the Azores get disrupted

The Azores sit in the middle of the North Atlantic, roughly 1,400 to 1,600 km west of Lisbon. In autumn and winter, Atlantic storms bring strong winds, heavy rain and low cloud, and a plane can only land when conditions at the airport are within safe limits.

When a flight can’t land, the crew either holds, diverts to another island or returns to the mainland. That’s exactly what happened here.

If you’re planning a winter trip to the Azores:

• Build in a buffer. Don’t book a tight connection or an important appointment for the day after you’re due back.
• Prefer a direct ticket. If the whole trip is on one booking, the airline has to get you to your final destination.
• Keep essentials in your hand luggage: medication, chargers and a change of clothes.
• Watch the forecast and sign up for your airline’s text or app alerts.
• Get travel insurance that covers travel disruption, because the airline won’t pay compensation for weather (see below).

Your rights if your flight to the Azores is delayed, diverted or cancelled

The Azores are part of the EU, so flights between mainland Portugal and the islands fall under EU air passenger rights (EC 261/2004). Here’s a plain summary based on the European Commission’s Your Europe guidance.

1. Right to care (always applies, even in bad weather)

If your departure is delayed, the airline must give you meals and refreshments and a way to communicate:

• after 2 hours on flights of up to 1,500 km (for example Lisbon to Ponta Delgada, about 1,450 km)
• after 3 hours on flights within the EU of more than 1,500 km (for example Lisbon to Terceira, about 1,560 km)

If the new departure is the next day or later, the airline must also provide a hotel and transport to it. Keep receipts for anything you have to pay yourself.

2. Refund or rerouting

If your flight is cancelled, you can choose between a full refund or being rerouted to your destination at the earliest opportunity (or later, if you prefer). If your flight is delayed by at least 5 hours, you can give up the trip and get your money back.

3. Compensation (only when it’s the airline’s fault)

If you reach your destination 3 or more hours late, or your flight is cancelled at short notice, you may be owed fixed compensation:

• €250 for flights up to 1,500 km
• €400 for flights within the EU over 1,500 km, and other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km
• €600 for longer flights

But there’s a big exception. Weather is treated as an “extraordinary circumstance”, so if bad weather genuinely caused the problem, as TAP said it did here, no compensation is due. Technical faults and staff shortages usually don’t count as extraordinary, so it’s always worth asking the airline for the reason in writing.

4. How to claim

1. Claim from the airline first, in writing, with your booking reference, boarding passes and receipts.
2. If you’re not happy with the reply after 2 months (or get no reply), complain to the national enforcement body. For flights departing Portugal that’s ANAC, the Portuguese civil aviation authority.

Claim companies will do this for you, but they take a cut. For a straightforward claim you can do it yourself for free.

Rules can change: the EU has been working on an update to these passenger rights for some time, so check the Your Europe page for the latest before you claim.

Don’t let it put you off the Azores

Stories like this are the exception, and most flights to the islands run without a hitch. Our own TAP flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada was a great experience, and the Azores are one of our favourite places in Portugal.

If you’re planning a trip, start with our guide to the top things to do in São Miguel, and see our best places to visit in Portugal for the rest of the country.

Steve and Sabina

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Rules, fees and rates change; always check the official government website before you claim.

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