TAP EUR 600 compensation for long-haul flights
Short answer: TAP Air Portugal owes EUR 600 per passenger when a flight over 3,500 km to a non-EU destination arrives three or more hours late, is cancelled at short notice, or you are involuntarily denied boarding, and TAP cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance. On a single booking the delay is measured at your final destination, not at the Lisbon or Porto stopover. If TAP re-routes you and you still land within four hours of the original schedule, it may halve this to EUR 300.
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When EUR 600 applies to a TAP flight
The EUR 600 band under Regulation (EC) 261/2004 covers flights longer than 3,500 km between an EU airport and a non-EU airport. TAP's long-haul network from its Lisbon (LIS) and Porto (OPO) hubs sits squarely in this band: Brazil (São Paulo, Rio, Brasília, Salvador, Recife), North America (Newark, JFK, Boston, Miami, Washington), Canada (Montreal, Toronto) and most of Africa (Luanda, Maputo, São Tomé, Accra).
Because TAP is an EU carrier, EU261 protects the flight in both directions. Any TAP flight departing an EU airport is covered whatever the destination, and a TAP flight arriving in the EU from a third country is covered too, because the operating carrier is European. A delayed São Paulo–Lisbon or Newark–Porto flight on TAP metal therefore carries the same EUR 600 exposure as the outbound leg.
Three conditions have to line up:
- The final destination is more than 3,500 km away and outside the EU.
- You arrive three or more hours late, or the flight is cancelled with under 14 days' notice, or you are involuntarily denied boarding.
- TAP cannot show a genuine extraordinary circumstance it could not have avoided with all reasonable measures.
Distance decides the amount, not the fare
Compensation is a flat sum tied to distance, not to your fare.
| TAP route (single booking, final destination) | Approx. distance | Band |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon–São Paulo / Rio / Brasília | ~7,500–8,000 km | EUR 600 |
| Lisbon or Porto–Newark, JFK, Boston | ~5,300–5,700 km | EUR 600 |
| Lisbon–Miami, Washington | ~6,500–7,000 km | EUR 600 |
| Lisbon–Toronto, Montreal | ~5,000–5,700 km | EUR 600 |
| Lisbon–Luanda, Maputo, São Tomé, Accra | ~4,400–9,000 km | EUR 600 |
| Lisbon–Praia (Cape Verde) | ~3,000 km | EUR 400 |
| Lisbon–Ponta Delgada or Funchal | ~1,000–1,450 km | EUR 250 |
Watch the edges: Cape Verde can fall into the EUR 400 band, and the Azores and Madeira are EUR 250 short-haul.
Connections: the final destination governs
Most 600-euro TAP cases are connections, not direct flights. Book Berlin–Lisbon–São Paulo on one ticket, and if the short feeder to Lisbon runs late you miss the ocean crossing and reach São Paulo hours behind schedule. The Court of Justice held in Folkerts (C-11/11) that on a single booking the compensation is fixed by the arrival delay at, and the distance to, the final destination. So what counts is Berlin to São Paulo — over 3,500 km — and your arrival in São Paulo, not in Lisbon.
That is why TAP's Lisbon stopover generates so many 600-euro claims: a short feeder delay that costs you the connection can still deliver a full EUR 600. Keep both legs on one reservation — separate tickets break the chain. Our TAP connecting and three-hour delay guide covers the timing.
When EUR 600 drops to EUR 300
There is one lawful reduction. Under Article 7(2) of the Regulation, if TAP offers re-routing on a flight over 3,500 km and you still reach your final destination no more than four hours after the originally scheduled arrival, the airline may cut the compensation by 50%, to EUR 300. Arrive four hours or more late and the full EUR 600 stands. This four-hour rule is the only route to EUR 300 — not a general cap.
Extraordinary circumstances and who actually pays
TAP often cites extraordinary circumstances, but the bar is high. Strikes by TAP's own pilots (SPAC) or cabin crew (SNPVAC) are not extraordinary: in Airhelp v SAS (C-28/20) the Court treated industrial action by an airline's own staff as part of normal operations. Routine technical faults are generally not extraordinary either (Wallentin-Hermann, C-549/07; van der Lans, C-257/14). Severe weather, air-traffic-control restrictions and genuine security threats can qualify, but TAP must show the causal link.
Check who operated the flight. Some TAP itineraries are flown by TAP Express (regional) or Star Alliance codeshare partners. Under Wirth (C-532/17) the operating carrier — the airline that actually flew the aircraft — is liable, so confirm the "operated by" line on your ticket before you claim. You also keep the Article 9 right to care once delays pass the 2/3/4-hour thresholds, plus the choice between a refund and re-routing.
Departures from the UK
If your journey departs a UK airport, UK261 applies instead of EU261, with sterling amounts of GBP 220 / 350 / 520. The departure-point rule can change which regime governs a connecting long-haul. Our UK261 vs EU261 guide explains which set applies.
Time limits
There is no single universal deadline. The time to bring a claim depends on the jurisdiction where you sue — in Portugal, or wherever the action is properly brought — and these vary widely, so check the TAP time-limit guide early rather than assume you have unlimited time. A proposed EU reform would add a nine-month claim window and a 30-day airline response deadline, but that is a proposal, not yet in force.
Claim with ClaimWinger
ClaimWinger runs TAP long-haul claims on a no-win, no-fee basis: no upfront cost, and a commission is charged only if we actually recover your money. We confirm the operating carrier, measure the distance to your true final destination, test any extraordinary-circumstances defence and handle the correspondence. Start with your flight details on our delayed-flight page, or read the full TAP Air Portugal compensation hub first. You can also sanity-check the figure with our flight compensation calculator.
FAQ — Frequently asked questions
Does TAP owe EUR 600 for a São Paulo–Lisbon flight?
Possibly. TAP is an EU carrier, so its flights arriving in the EU from a third country are covered. A São Paulo–Lisbon service that lands three or more hours late sits in the over-3,500 km EUR 600 band.
My Lisbon feeder was fine but I missed the long-haul — can I still get EUR 600?
If both legs are on one booking, yes. Folkerts (C-11/11) fixes compensation by the delay at your final destination, so a missed connection that leaves you hours late at a non-EU long-haul destination can support a EUR 600 claim.
Can TAP pay only EUR 300 on a long-haul?
Only if it re-routed you and you arrived within four hours of the original schedule — the Article 7(2) 50% reduction. Four hours or more late, and the full EUR 600 is due.
Does a TAP pilot or cabin-crew strike block my claim?
Generally no. A strike by the airline's own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (Airhelp v SAS, C-28/20), so TAP usually cannot rely on it to refuse compensation.
What if the flight was operated by TAP Express or a partner?
The operating carrier is liable (Wirth, C-532/17), so claim against whoever actually flew the aircraft. Check the "operated by" note on your ticket.
Sources
This guide reflects the legal position in 2026: the EU261 three-hour threshold and compensation of EUR 250/400/600 remain in force. The EU261 reform — including any revised delay thresholds, the nine-month claim window and the 30-day airline response deadline — is a proposal, not yet in force. This is general information, not legal advice.