Quick take: TAP's new "neighbor-free" premium economy offers extra comfort at a reasonable price point, though there is still room for improvement.

Pros

  • Neighbor-free seats deliver more value than just extra space.
  • The food and amenities are a step up from standard economy.
  • With just three rows and 12 occupied seats, the cabin feels blessedly calm.

Cons

  • Some advertised in-airport perks may not actually be available.
  • In-seat tech features could use an upgrade.
  • The variety of food needs improvement, especially for passengers with dietary restrictions.

TAP Air Portugal recently launched "economy prime," a product meant to bridge the gap between economy and business class. But this isn't your typical international-style premium economy, which usually consists of 2-2 seating with recliner seats like you might find in first class on a U.S. domestic flight. Instead, TAP's economy prime forgoes extra legroom and offers a standard economy layout with the promise of a "neighbor-free" seat.

TAP joins a growing trend with the option. U.S. budget carrier Frontier Airlines debuted its UpFront Plus section in 2024, and a handful of international carriers, including Qantas, have similar offerings.

As a budget-conscious traveler who's always looking for affordable ways to fly more comfortably, I was curious about the neighbor-free concept, so I booked a seat on a recent solo trip to Lisbon. After squeezing like a sardine into economy seats on my way to Lisbon, I was looking forward to flying TAP's economy prime on my eight-hour flight back to the U.S. — and it didn't disappoint.

Related: First look at the newly renovated Avianca-TAP Air Portugal lounge in Miami

How to book economy prime on TAPRACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

Economy prime is available on long-haul flights operated by TAP's Airbus A330 and A321LR aircraft.

The best way to book is directly through TAP Air Portugal. For my route between Lisbon and Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), one-way tickets tend to fall in the following ranges:

ClassEconomyEconomy primeBusinessCost in cash$375 to $1,107$938 to $2,265$2,615 to $3,439Cost in miles29,000-97,500 (plus $31 to $125 in taxes and fees)N/A145,000 (plus $31 to $154 in taxes and fees)

The price of economy prime varies considerably depending on when you fly. On my selected date (a Friday in July), the 12:15 p.m. direct flight would have cost $1,556 — almost double the economy price. Instead, I opted for the later flight, departing at 5:45 p.m., for $1,026.

TAP AIR PORTUGAL

Here's another example. On a Saturday in August, the earlier flight was listed at a whopping $2,206, while the evening flight was only $1,019 — just over $100 more than an economy seat. To me, that seemed like a steal.

TAP AIR PORTUGAL

As with so many airfares these days, there is a "basic" economy prime that provides all the perks of a neighbor-free seat but with limited flexibility. Changes and cancellations incur fees starting at 200 euros (about $228); you can avoid these by upgrading to "Top Prime" for about $200 more. TAP offers similar options on its economy and business-class fares.

TAP AIR PORTUGAL

Economy prime flyers also earn 50% to 75% more bonus miles with TAP Miles&Go compared to economy, depending on whether you choose basic or Top Prime.

Although you can book economy and business-class seats with TAP Miles&Go miles (or Capital One miles or Bilt Points, which transfer to the program at a 1:1 ratio), economy prime is not bookable with miles just yet. However, I think it's worth considering booking it with cash — here's why.

The airport experienceRACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

In addition to extra space and privacy, economy prime is advertised to include some benefits at the airport, including premium check-in, premium boarding and fast-track security. I tested these out in Lisbon's Humberto Delgado Airport (LIS).

After following the signs to premium check-in, I was informed by staff members that my benefits would not begin until boarding. This directly contradicted what I had seen while booking my ticket; I'm not sure whether the staffers were misinformed or if this part of the economy prime experience was not yet up and running.

They directed me to the nearest standard check-in desk, which thankfully had no line.

RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

I did at least get a "priority" sticker added to my checked bag, which helped it come off the plane a little faster when I reached my destination. It's worth noting that economy prime customers get a second piece of hold baggage (up to 23 kg or about 50 pounds) free of charge.

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As for the "fast track security," I don't think this even existed at LIS. Everyone was funneled into the same security line, which took about 20 minutes.

Neither economy prime fare provides lounge access, but I have a credit card that gets me into lounges anyway.

My VIP benefits finally kicked in at the gate, where I got to use the "premium" lane and board a little early. It was nice having some time to get settled before the whole economy cabin filled in.

RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

Overall, my airport experience was average, and the boarding process was slightly better thanks to my economy prime seat. I didn't mind missing out on premium check-in and fast-track security because the lines were reasonable — but if they had been long, I might have felt differently.

Now, for the main reason I chose to fly economy prime: the seats.

How comfortable was TAP economy prime?RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

While most airlines' international premium economy features a recliner seat and extra legroom, that's not the case with TAP's economy prime. These are regular economy seats with the same 18-inch width, 31-inch pitch and 5-inch recline as the rest of the cabin.

Instead, each of the 12 seats in the first three rows of the economy cabin has an empty seat beside it. With the 2-4-2 configuration TAP uses on the Airbus A330, I could choose a seat by a window and essentially get a row to myself. (On the A321LR, which has a 3-3 configuration, this would translate to an open middle seat shared between passengers in the window and aisle seats.)

TAP AIR PORTUGAL

I had the best of both worlds. I could stretch my legs under the seat in front of me while stowing my backpack under the seat next door, and I didn't have to choose between enjoying the views and having easy access to the lavatory.

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Plus, having your own row means you can move around at will. Want to lean against the wall to sleep? Go for the window seat. Want to be closer to the aisle during meal service? Migrate to the seat next door. Want to recline to your seat's fullest extent without disturbing the passenger behind you? Take the seat in front of their empty space.

And with half as many passengers, economy prime has less jostling, less noise and a general sense of calm that you don't often experience in economy. This added to the feeling of exclusivity.

Since my flight departed Portugal around dinnertime, a major benefit was the freedom to stretch out across multiple seats to sleep. My (distant) neighbors took full advantage of this. I couldn't lie completely flat in my two-seat row (without my feet protruding into the aisle), but I did enjoy curling up to read and rest.

RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

Another perk: Economy prime passengers had access to the rear business-class lavatories. That was nice because there was less of a line and more space to wait outside, and the lavatory was a little roomier than what I'm used to in the far back of the plane.

RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

The ability to stretch out across my own row on what was essentially a red-eye flight was, dare I say, life-changing — at least from a budget traveler's perspective. In the future, if I am paying for my ticket in cash and have the budget for some added comfort, I would absolutely choose to book economy prime for a few hundred dollars more than economy rather than spending thousands of extra dollars on business class.

However, I would also pay close attention to the plane's seat map before booking. Solo travelers will want a window row on the 2-4-2 A330 for ultimate privacy. Those traveling with a companion should aim for a middle row on the A330 to get four seats to themselves, but two seats together on the 3-3 A321LR would work almost as well.

Amenities in TAP economy primeRACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

Other advertised features of economy prime include an amenity kit, a "premium" pillow and "enhanced" headphones. These made an appearance before we even took off.

The amenity kit — a bag made of recycled plastic with socks, an eyemask, earplugs, a toothbrush, toothpaste and hand lotion from Portuguese skincare brand Benamor — added a nice touch of luxury. The small piece of chocolate didn't hurt, either. The pillow was bigger and fluffier than your average economy-class fare, though I'm not sure what exactly was enhanced about the headphones.

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My seat seemed relatively old but clean. Most features tracked with what I expect in economy: footrest, extendable tray table, cup holder, a peg for hanging a sweater or purse. One downside was the lack of an air vent and power outlet.

Though TAP's site advertises "13-inch full HD screens" in economy prime, mine measured closer to nine inches — small by today's standards, even in economy. It was a touchscreen, though not a very responsive one, and I could operate it with an old-school remote on a string.

RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

There was a solid selection of movies and shows, including some recent releases and a kids section. I couldn't find any games, though, despite the fact that the remote seemed set up for them.

How was the food in TAP economy prime?

Economy prime passengers get two meal choices, like everyone seated behind them, but with an upgrade to "premium" meals and the ability to pre-select their meal option.

I usually request a vegan meal on long-haul flights, but I couldn't find a way to do this on TAP's app. I pre-selected the vegetarian option before my flight, but it didn't seem to matter, as I was presented with two choices — veal or vegetarian pasta — during the dinner service. I opted for the pasta, which came with a decidedly non-vegetarian side of prawns and potatoes.

RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

When I asked about a veggie alternative, the flight attendant was happy to find a pasta salad — which, sadly, turned out to contain meat as well.

In terms of quality, the food was a couple of notches above your typical economy fare. The pasta was delicious, as were the roll and the dessert (a traditional Portuguese cake with carrot shavings and cinnamon).

In terms of presentation, the meal was off the economy charts, with real ceramic dishes, metal cutlery, cloth napkins and almost none of those pesky plastic lids that usually pile up. (Though if there had been, I would have had an entire second tray table to hold them.)

The service was also markedly more attentive than I'm used to in economy class. Not only were we served before the rest of the cabin, but the flight attendants also lowered our tray tables before serving us and came by several times afterward to see if we needed anything else.

Having been on several business-class flights and countless economy ones across a variety of airlines, I can say that the dinner in economy prime seemed exactly like what TAP was aiming for: a bridge between the two cabins.

Things got a bit bleaker at breakfast, a boxed affair that was the same across the entire economy cabin. My box contained a small tuna sandwich. I forgot to snap a photo before I politely returned it to the flight attendant, but suffice it to say that even meat eaters would not have found it very appealing. There was also a "salame de chocolate," which thankfully did not contain any salami.

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For me, the biggest disappointment was the lack of vegetarian and vegan options. If you have specific dietary needs, you may want to contact the airline in advance to see if they can accommodate you. And just in case, pack plenty of snacks in your carry-on.

Was TAP economy prime worth it?RACHEL CRAFT/THE POINTS GUY

Though TAP's new economy prime is a little rough around the edges, it's a great option to have if you're willing to spring for more comfort but don't want to shell out thousands of dollars extra for a lie-flat seat.

It's too bad economy prime isn't bookable with miles (at least, not yet), but if you can swing the cost in cash, I think it's worth considering. The price difference between economy and economy prime varies widely — from $100 to $1,200 one-way on this particular route — and the lower end of that spectrum is a terrific value, in my view.

If TAP wanted to lean into economy prime and really polish the product, they could level up their food variety and provide all the advertised in-airport amenities. But for me, the main draw was the neighbor-free seat, and it delivered more than I expected.

Related reading:

  • The best time to book flights for the cheapest airfare
  • The best credit cards for booking flights
  • Why you should always check premium economy fares before booking economy
  • How (and why) you should earn transferable credit card points

Editorial disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airline or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities.