Star Alliance member TAP is currently selling cheap business class tickets from Ireland and Spain to San Francisco. The lowest prices are available at €1,443 with departure from Dublin when buying tickets from an OTA (online travel agency). TAP charges roughly €50 more on their website. As usual, you can also add a free stopover in Lisbon in either direction.
You can depart from the following cities:
Our calendar displays available flight dates. Simply select your preferred departure city and dates, and we’ll redirect you to Skyscanner, where you’ll find the cheapest online travel agency. You can also be redirected to TAP’s booking site, though the price is roughly €50 higher there. For all connections, we’ve excluded connections with overnight layovers, except for Bilbao, where an overnight layover on the outbound flight is inevitable.
TAP uses its new Airbus A330-900neo for these long-haul flights, equipped with a 1-2-1 business class that’s had many positive reviews.
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. Especially the Throne seat on the long-range A321 is top-notch, being twice as big as other seats.
Search & Book
This deal expires on May 21, 2024. A minimum stay requirement of 5 days (or a Saturday) applies, and your trip length cannot exceed 1 month. You can find cheap tickets from September 8 through March 25, except during the winter break (December 15 – January 13). We also couldn’t find any available dates before November.
To find your preferred travel dates, we would advise using Google Flights (instructions). You can find the cheapest prices on Skyscanner. Booking on TAP’s website is roughly €50 more expensive.
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.
Adding a Stopover in Portugal
Especially if you’re flying from Bilbao and have an overnight layover anyway, you may be interested in TAP’s stopover program, which allows you to spend up to 5 days in Lisbon at no extra (flight) cost. For that, simply use this multi-city calendar, and set the date for the flight to San Francisco 1-5 days after the date of the first flight:
Miles & Points
The tickets are issued in booking class J, so the roundtrip, e.g. from Dublin, should get you:
- 31,638 Miles on Hainan Fortune Wings Club
- 26,756 Miles on Copa ConnectMiles
- 26,756 Miles on Ethiopian ShebaMiles
- 26,756 Award Miles + 13,378 Tier Miles on Avianca LifeMiles
- 26,756 Miles on Aegean Miles+Bonus
- 26,756 Miles on Air Canada Aeroplan
- 26,756 Miles on Egyptair Plus
- 26,672 Award Miles + 480 Points on Miles&More
- 22,744 Miles on Azul TodoAzul
- 20,068 Miles on Turkish Airlines Miles&Smiles
- 20,068 Award Miles on Emirates Skywards
- 20,068 Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- 17,390 Miles on GOL Aéreos Smiles
- 16,722 Award Miles + 2,426 PQP on United MileagePlus
- 16,722 Miles on Asiana Club
- 16,722 Miles on EVA Infinity MileageLands
- 16,722 Miles on Thai Royal Orchid Plus
- 16,722 Miles on ANA Mileage Club
- 16,722 Miles on Singapore KrisFlyer
Destination
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 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