Is TAP Air Portugal or Turkish Airlines better to Europe?

Turkish Airlines scores 8.8/10 against TAP Air Portugal at 8.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, TAP Air Portugal wins 0 and Turkish Airlines wins 1. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.

Which is cheaper, TAP Air Portugal or Turkish Airlines?

On the 122 routes where both were priced for the same week (November 8–14, 2026), TAP Air Portugal was cheaper on 85 and Turkish Airlines on 37. Every pair of fares is the same departure and return date in the same cabin, so the difference is the airline rather than the dates or the cabin.

Does the aircraft change the answer?

Yes. TAP Air Portugal scores 8/10 on the A330-900neo and 5/10 on the A321LR. Turkish Airlines scores 8/10 on the 787-9 / A350-900 and 5/10 on the 777-300ER (legacy). Check the equipment on your date before deciding.

Has Jon flown either of these?

TAP Air Portugal, in business on a Europe route. Turkish Airlines has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

Head to head

TAP Air Portugal vs Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines scores 8.8/10 against TAP Air Portugal at 8.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare.

By Jon Miksis · cabin data verified August 30, 2026 · fares for travel November 8–14, 2026

Best product each one flies

Scored on what can be verified. Service, food and ground recovery are absent deliberately: they need someone in the seat, and they live in the reviews rather than here.

One caveat on the Value line, stated rather than buried: Value is computed from business fares, and a carrier with too few of them does not get a Value score at all. Where you see a dash, we have fewer than three priced business routes for that airline and did not want to invent a figure from one or two — so its product score is the mean of three dimensions rather than four, and it is not directly comparable to a score built on hundreds of fares. The airlines with the most fares behind them are named on the business-class ranking.

TAP Air Portugal

A330-900neo · flown by Jon

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 8/10
Product score: 8.5/10

Turkish Airlines

787-9 / A350-900

Seat: 8/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Product score: 8.8/10

Dimension by dimension

Seat: level
8/10 on the A330-900neo against 8/10 on the 787-9 / A350-900.
IFE: level
Screens, connectivity and power: 8/10 against 8/10.
Lounge & bags: level
What the fare includes before you board: 10/10 against 10/10.
Value: Turkish Airlines
Median premium over the cheapest carrier on the same route: 8/10 against 9/10.

Where both were priced on the same dates

Every fare is November 8–14, 2026, so a difference between two rows is a difference between two airlines and nothing else. These are economy fares, while the cabin scores above describe the business product — read them as how each airline prices against its competitors, not as what its business seat costs.

Route	Cabin	TAP Air Portugal	Turkish Airlines	Cheaper
IAD → SVQ	economy	$598	$842	TAP Air Portugal by $244
IAD → BER	economy	$599	$848	TAP Air Portugal by $249
ORD → BER	economy	$600	$848	TAP Air Portugal by $248
BOS → VLC	economy	$640	$737	TAP Air Portugal by $97
ORD → FCO	economy	$649	$760	TAP Air Portugal by $111
ORD → VLC	economy	$652	$784	TAP Air Portugal by $132
ORD → SVQ	economy	$656	$744	TAP Air Portugal by $88
ORD → OPO	economy	$670	$813	TAP Air Portugal by $143
MIA → VLC	economy	$678	$864	TAP Air Portugal by $186
IAD → LGW	economy	$685	$923	TAP Air Portugal by $238
BOS → HAM	economy	$687	$839	TAP Air Portugal by $152
IAD → OPO	economy	$690	$833	TAP Air Portugal by $143
ORD → MUC	economy	$693	$798	TAP Air Portugal by $105
IAD → MXP	economy	$705	$760	TAP Air Portugal by $55
BOS → MXP	economy	$710	$761	TAP Air Portugal by $51
IAD → FRA	economy	$720	$848	TAP Air Portugal by $128
BOS → VCE	economy	$721	$867	TAP Air Portugal by $146
ORD → LGW	economy	$727	$904	TAP Air Portugal by $177
BOS → PRG	economy	$731	$862	TAP Air Portugal by $131
ORD → HAM	economy	$739	$934	TAP Air Portugal by $195
IAD → VCE	economy	$747	$739	Turkish Airlines by $8
IAD → FCO	economy	$801	$740	Turkish Airlines by $61
IAD → VLC	economy	$741	$804	TAP Air Portugal by $63
BOS → VIE	economy	$744	$782	TAP Air Portugal by $38
JFK → VIE	economy	$749	$780	TAP Air Portugal by $31
ORD → ZRH	economy	$752	$759	TAP Air Portugal by $7
ORD → VCE	economy	$755	$760	TAP Air Portugal by $5
IAD → BCN	economy	$755	$810	TAP Air Portugal by $55
JFK → MUC	economy	$758	$820	TAP Air Portugal by $62
IAD → ZRH	economy	$811	$759	Turkish Airlines by $52
ORD → PRG	economy	$888	$760	Turkish Airlines by $128
ORD → VIE	economy	$784	$760	Turkish Airlines by $24
IAD → VIE	economy	$890	$760	Turkish Airlines by $130
JFK → VCE	economy	$776	$781	TAP Air Portugal by $5
JFK → BER	economy	$778	$929	TAP Air Portugal by $151
IAD → HAM	economy	$783	$954	TAP Air Portugal by $171
IAD → PRG	economy	$957	$790	Turkish Airlines by $167
MIA → SVQ	economy	$808	$943	TAP Air Portugal by $135
IAD → NCE	economy	$814	$858	TAP Air Portugal by $44
JFK → SVQ	economy	$848	$822	Turkish Airlines by $26
ORD → LIS	economy	$938	$825	Turkish Airlines by $113
MIA → LGW	economy	$841	$983	TAP Air Portugal by $142
BOS → MAN	economy	$864	$924	TAP Air Portugal by $60
ORD → MAN	economy	$884	$919	TAP Air Portugal by $35
IAD → MAN	economy	$889	$938	TAP Air Portugal by $49
BOS → LGW	business	$3159	$4723	TAP Air Portugal by $1564
BOS → OSL	business	$3262	$5827	TAP Air Portugal by $2565
BOS → AMS	business	$4439	$3366	Turkish Airlines by $1073
BOS → FRA	business	$3397	$4692	TAP Air Portugal by $1295
BOS → DUB	business	$3421	$4486	TAP Air Portugal by $1065
BOS → BER	business	$3475	$3857	TAP Air Portugal by $382
IAD → BER	business	$3480	$5947	TAP Air Portugal by $2467
BOS → FCO	business	$3545	$4961	TAP Air Portugal by $1416
BOS → VIE	business	$3588	$5603	TAP Air Portugal by $2015
ORD → CPH	business	$3671	$4461	TAP Air Portugal by $790
MIA → LGW	business	$3695	$5303	TAP Air Portugal by $1608
MIA → PRG	business	$3749	$5150	TAP Air Portugal by $1401
BOS → ARN	business	$3762	$4792	TAP Air Portugal by $1030
JFK → VCE	business	$3784	$3996	TAP Air Portugal by $212
JFK → MUC	business	$4765	$3785	Turkish Airlines by $980
BOS → BCN	business	$3788	$5171	TAP Air Portugal by $1383
BOS → MAD	business	$3798	$5850	TAP Air Portugal by $2052
BOS → MXP	business	$3840	$5895	TAP Air Portugal by $2055
JFK → OSL	business	$3841	$4707	TAP Air Portugal by $866
MIA → BER	business	$3864	$4897	TAP Air Portugal by $1033
MIA → OSL	business	$3868	$4977	TAP Air Portugal by $1109
ORD → ZRH	business	$4786	$3929	Turkish Airlines by $857
JFK → VLC	business	$3944	$4236	TAP Air Portugal by $292
JFK → AMS	business	$3957	$4716	TAP Air Portugal by $759
ORD → BER	business	$4256	$3957	Turkish Airlines by $299
ORD → MUC	business	$4725	$3975	Turkish Airlines by $750
ORD → FCO	business	$3979	$4574	TAP Air Portugal by $595
ORD → FRA	business	$4062	$4017	Turkish Airlines by $45
ORD → OPO	business	$5580	$4046	Turkish Airlines by $1534
ORD → DUB	business	$4096	$4076	Turkish Airlines by $20
BOS → VLC	business	$4116	$4536	TAP Air Portugal by $420
ORD → AMS	business	$4995	$4148	Turkish Airlines by $847
IAD → ZRH	business	$4155	$6149	TAP Air Portugal by $1994
JFK → LGW	business	$4697	$4163	Turkish Airlines by $534
BOS → NCE	business	$4174	$5677	TAP Air Portugal by $1503
MIA → VLC	business	$4208	$4854	TAP Air Portugal by $646
BOS → PRG	business	$4218	$5737	TAP Air Portugal by $1519
JFK → SVQ	business	$4254	$4236	Turkish Airlines by $18
ORD → LHR	business	$4238	$4432	TAP Air Portugal by $194
BOS → VCE	business	$4615	$4246	Turkish Airlines by $369
ORD → MAD	business	$4290	$4347	TAP Air Portugal by $57
MIA → MAN	business	$4345	$5298	TAP Air Portugal by $953
ORD → MAN	business	$5336	$4388	Turkish Airlines by $948
ORD → ARN	business	$5197	$4392	Turkish Airlines by $805
ORD → LGW	business	$5447	$4393	Turkish Airlines by $1054
ORD → VIE	business	$5058	$4395	Turkish Airlines by $663
MIA → VCE	business	$4426	$4528	TAP Air Portugal by $102
ORD → OSL	business	$4868	$4437	Turkish Airlines by $431
ORD → SVQ	business	$5085	$4445	Turkish Airlines by $640
ORD → VLC	business	$4549	$4446	Turkish Airlines by $103
MIA → SVQ	business	$4456	$4852	TAP Air Portugal by $396
ORD → HAM	business	$5444	$4462	Turkish Airlines by $982
IAD → MXP	business	$4474	$5717	TAP Air Portugal by $1243
ORD → LIS	business	$6029	$4507	Turkish Airlines by $1522
ORD → VCE	business	$5864	$4571	Turkish Airlines by $1293
ORD → PRG	business	$5448	$4650	Turkish Airlines by $798
BOS → MAN	business	$4718	$4658	Turkish Airlines by $60
MIA → HAM	business	$4664	$4702	TAP Air Portugal by $38
ORD → MXP	business	$4686	$5468	TAP Air Portugal by $782
BOS → HAM	business	$4691	$5812	TAP Air Portugal by $1121
IAD → CPH	business	$4692	$5681	TAP Air Portugal by $989
IAD → OSL	business	$4707	$5657	TAP Air Portugal by $950
IAD → LGW	business	$4739	$5983	TAP Air Portugal by $1244
JFK → HAM	business	$5204	$4762	Turkish Airlines by $442
ORD → NCE	business	$4851	$5071	TAP Air Portugal by $220
IAD → ARN	business	$4920	$5612	TAP Air Portugal by $692
IAD → SVQ	business	$4924	$6095	TAP Air Portugal by $1171
IAD → MAN	business	$4949	$5978	TAP Air Portugal by $1029
IAD → VLC	business	$4950	$6096	TAP Air Portugal by $1146
IAD → NCE	business	$5020	$6570	TAP Air Portugal by $1550
MIA → OPO	business	$5364	$5105	Turkish Airlines by $259
ORD → BCN	business	$5166	$5997	TAP Air Portugal by $831
IAD → VIE	business	$5795	$6433	TAP Air Portugal by $638
IAD → VCE	business	$5819	$6221	TAP Air Portugal by $402
IAD → OPO	business	$5893	$6158	TAP Air Portugal by $265
IAD → HAM	business	$6499	$5952	Turkish Airlines by $547
IAD → LIS	business	$6081	$5957	Turkish Airlines by $124

What happens if the aircraft swaps

Both carriers are paying-the-same-fare-either-way propositions on some frames. The worst product each one flies:

TAP Air Portugal

A321LR · flown by Jon

Seat: 5/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 8/10
Product score: 7.8/10

Turkish Airlines

777-300ER (legacy)

Seat: 5/10
IFE: 8/10
Lounge & bags: 10/10
Value: 9/10
Product score: 8/10

TAP Air Portugal: Solo throne seats in the 1-1 rows; the 2-2 rows require stepping over a neighbor.

Turkish Airlines: The cabin the retrofit is replacing, on the aircraft Turkish flies most from the US.

Common questions

Is TAP Air Portugal or Turkish Airlines better to Europe?: Turkish Airlines scores 8.8/10 against TAP Air Portugal at 8.5/10 on seat, screens, lounge and fare. On the four dimensions we can verify, TAP Air Portugal wins 0 and Turkish Airlines wins 1. Service and food are not scored here because they cannot be read off a spec sheet.
Which is cheaper, TAP Air Portugal or Turkish Airlines?: On the 122 routes where both were priced for the same week (November 8–14, 2026), TAP Air Portugal was cheaper on 85 and Turkish Airlines on 37. Every pair of fares is the same departure and return date in the same cabin, so the difference is the airline rather than the dates or the cabin.
Does the aircraft change the answer?: Yes. TAP Air Portugal scores 8/10 on the A330-900neo and 5/10 on the A321LR. Turkish Airlines scores 8/10 on the 787-9 / A350-900 and 5/10 on the 777-300ER (legacy). Check the equipment on your date before deciding.
Has Jon flown either of these?: TAP Air Portugal, in business on a Europe route. Turkish Airlines has not been flown, so nothing here claims firsthand experience of its cabin.

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