Flying BCN-LIS on a TAP Airbus A320

April 11, 2019

LISBON, Portugal – I’m on my way to Senegal! With Uber unavailable in Barcelona, I took a city bus and then Aerobus to BCN airport, where flew on a TAP Air Portugal Airbus A320 to Lisbon (LIS).

Earlier today I disembarked Costa Pacifica after a 17-night Caribbean and trans-Atlantic cruise from La Romana, Dominican Republic. I had planned on taking an Uber from the Port of Barcelona to BCN airport, but was stunned to find out Uber is no longer available in Barcelona. Instead I took the Cruise Bus out of the port, and was dropped off about 10:15 a.m.

Now I needed to find a way to the airport by mass transit, since I assumed a taxi would be too expensive. I checked Google Maps on my phone. Going by subway would take forever; Google Maps suggested taking Bus D20 and then the Aerobus instead.

I boarded Bus D20 about 10:30 to Spain Plaza, then transferred to Aerobus A1, which departed at 10:45.

The bus dropped me off at Barcelona El Prat Airport Terminal 1 at 11:02.

I had to take some things out of my suitcase to get it down to 23 kg (51 pounds), the limit on TAP Air Portugal. I then checked in for my first flight on TAP, to Dakar, Senegal, (DSS) via Lisbon (LIS).

I sat down in Concourse B awaiting a gate assignment. When it popped on the screen, I went to Gate B24 to board TAP Flight 1035, an Airbus A320 from BCN to LIS.

This is a first for me: Two flights on the same boarding pass. I sat in Economy Class Seat 7A on this first segment to Lisbon.

Flight 1035 departed 12 minutes late at 1:02 p.m. and lifted off at 1:21. The time change to Portugal is one hour backward. I reset my watch to 12:21 p.m. Western European Summer Time.

A small snack box was served.

We were in the air an hour and a half. The approach to LIS was beautiful as we flew over the coast southwest of Lisbon, with a great view of the Tagus River flowing into the Atlantic Ocean.