TAP reporting slowing sales

TAP's sales manager, Silvia Mosquera has stated that the new Omicron variant is causing a slowdown in ticket sales.

By TPN/Lusa, in Business, Company News · 05 Dec 2021, 08:00 · 2 Comments

"In September we saw a big recovery in demand because the borders with Brazil and the United States were opened. We were very optimistic because the recovery was very good. In fact, in November – and now also in December – we are operating at 80 percent of the capacity of the flights we operated in 2019. These are good numbers", said Silvia Mosquera.

The official referred that the recovery was noticed, above all, "in the domestic market, and on trips to visit family and friends".

"Now, with these new cases of Covid-19, with the new variant, we are seeing that sales are, once again, stagnating a little. Flights are being cancelled, we had to cancel flights to Morocco, for the United States. This is not good news for us, the airline, or for the passengers. But, the priority is always health and safety. If that's what we can do for the best of all, we have to accept the measures," she added.

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Comments

I planned on flying to Lisbon this week and staying through Christmas. I cancelled my trip two hours ago because the PS government seems to be panicking about the mild Omicron variant and changing the rules every day. I don't want to spend two weeks eating sawdust sandwiches in quarantine at nosebleed prices because Portugal changed the entry rules while I was in the air.

Just yesterday Portugal heavily fined numerous people, and the airlines that brought them, for failing to comply with the entry rules. On every flight I've taken this year, the airlines have checked my paperwork repeatedly: before I arrive at the airport, at the checkin gate, and at the boarding gate. Before a flight to Toronto, they denied boarding to the guy in front of me for having the right kind, but the wrong brand, of COVID test result. I suspect that the fines in Portugal arose from ambiguity and volatility in the rules more than any intentional violation. I don't need that grief on vacation.

Portugal, please let me know when tourists are welcome again, and free to breathe fresh air on walks through the city.

By Nevadifornia from USA on 05 Dec 2021, 11:22

More likely the problem is the absurd prices charged by TAP - flights from Rio to Lisbon, for example, cost around R$14.000 whereas flying a much longer distance, via Amsterdam or Paris can cost half that. Like so many service providers across the globe, TAP is trying to recoup its pandemic losses through abusive pricing now, hence contributing to all the inflationary pressures we are experiencing.

By Andrew Balanda from Other on 05 Dec 2021, 12:29