TAP Air Portugal has relaunched its free stopover program and expanded it to up to 10 days from five, the company announced.
The program allows customers traveling to or from another country to stay in Portugal through Lisbon or Porto. They also can add a second domestic stop in Portugal for 25 percent off the ticket price, excluding fees and taxes. The program is geared toward leisure and business travelers alike.
"You can do it very simply with one ticket. It worked very well at five days, but after Covid, people want more comfort, and they can work from anywhere, so why not go for one month," TAP CEO Christine Ourmières-Widener told BTN. "That is what we are seeing in booking trends—people see Portugal as not only a destination to connect through but also to stay in, so that is why we are relaunching it."
TAP's load factors are "quite high right now out of the States to Europe," TAP VP of North America and Central America Brannon Winn said. "In cases where a direct flight to whatever destination they're going to isn't available, they know they have to do a one-stop anyway. We are now becoming an attractive secondary option."
Winn said that TAP also is starting to see the blended travel market grow significantly. Customers "will book a Thursday night flight, spend the weekend in Portugal, then arrive Monday morning for work, and they've just gotten basically a free trip out of it," he said. "The digital nomad and the flexibility that Covid has opened our eyes to is part of that, so we're really excited about 2023 and beyond."