Name: Trey Urbahn
Title: Chief strategy officer
Company, city: TAP Air Portugal; Lisbon, Portugal
Number of employees: Approximately 7,800 airline employees, with another 4,000-plus at ground handling, maintenance and regional subsidiaries
Recent project: Transforming TAP from a stodgy, state-owned airline to a private, innovative, profitable airline capable of competing globally
First job: I rotated stock on supermarket shelves for a pet food company in college.
Little-known fact about you: I commute weekly from my home in Connecticut to Lisbon. Before that, I did the same to São Paulo. In the past 12 years, I’ve flown more than 5 million miles and spent more than 1,000 nights commuting to and from work.
Your Business
What innovations/initiatives do you foresee in the industry over the next years? Airlines fly with a lot of unused capacity in wide-body airplanes. Some, like TAP, use a container with stairway access to provide a crew rest facility with up to seven bunks. Similar concepts will develop for passenger use.
Best career advice you’ve received: Airlines are a passion; do it because you love the business. If you want to get rich, work on Wall Street.
What advice would you give someone starting out in the field? The airline business is about serving people or serving someone who does. Take care of your employees and they will take care of your customers, who ultimately provide for your bottom line.
Trey Urbahn as a Traveler
Favorite travel memory or story: Traveling to the island of Fernando do Noronha off the coast of Brazil, a spectacular, undeveloped island with the best beaches in the world.
One travel tip you cannot live without: I always bring my own pillow, noise-cancelling headphones and an iPad with movies, or an ebook.
Best advice for business travelers: Fly to Europe via Lisbon on TAP. Our business-class and economy-plus fares are consistently lower, and you can stop over in one of the great undiscovered cities for free.
About TAP Air Portugal
What can travelers expect from TAP Air Portugal in 2018?
In 2017 TAP installed state-of-the-art lie-flat seats in seven of its newer Airbus A330-200s. In 2018 we will be the launch carrier for the new Airbus A300-900neo, taking delivery of 19 by the end of 2019. These aircraft, featuring breakthrough airspace cabin interiors, will provide new market growth. TAP will also introduce the highly efficient Airbus A321neo LR, featuring fully lie-flat businessclass seats in addition to premium-economy and economy seating. These aircraft will allow TAP to open new, thinner markets too small for the 300-seat A330neo, including the Eastern United States and northeast Brazil. The 53 new Airbus A330s, A320s and A321neos on order will simultaneously improve the efficiency of our fleet and improve our product.
Tell our readers about the stopover program, which recently expanded from three to five nights.
The program is a remarkable success, with more than 80,000 travelers from the Americas experiencing a stopover in the last few years. As TAP flies to more than 65 destinations throughout Europe and Africa, this is a great way to have travelers consider our global network and offer a heck of a deal, as Americans clamor to see Lisbon, Porto and the rest of the country. Travelers can spend up to five nights in Lisbon or Porto with no additional airfare, and there are also hotel discounts (or a free night for those booked in business class), free wine with meals at participating restaurants, shopping discounts at a major department store and great experiences such as walking tours or complimentary museum entry.
What can premium travelers expect from their TAP Air Portugal experience?
By 2020 all our long-haul aircraft will be brand-new or recently reconfigured, providing a consistent product across the fleet. We’ve recruited six Michelin-starred Portuguese chefs to bring their individual touches to our food in business and economy, and we’re introducing new Portuguese wines to our award-winning onboard selection. Our premium travelers can expect the “new TAP” with a renewed commitment to deliver a superb flying experience. We will continue to be the price leader for customers flying between the United States and Europe.
Read This Next
Airline Update: Alaska Airlines
Features
Feb 1, 2018Introducing
FX Excursions
FX Excursions offers the chance for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in destinations around the world.
#globility
Insta FeedDaily
Mar 28, 2024AmaWaterways Debuts Specialty Summer Cruises in Europe
AmaWaterways recently unveiled its lineup of experiences and exclusive offers for its 2024 Summer European river cruise season, and the list includes 20 Celebration of Wine Cruises, with two hosted by Samantha Brown and Chef Joanne Weir; and three Loyalty Appreciation Cruises.
Sponsored Content
Unearth Seoul’s Hidden Gems
Filled with hidden treasures waiting to be discovered, Seoul invites travelers to unearth its many gems, and Seoul Tourism Organization is here to help travelers do just that. Through thoughtfully created initiatives like the Theme Tourism County Competition, Seoul Tourism Organization works closely with local districts to identify and showcase what makes each district unique and charming in all seasons.
March 2024
Mar 27, 2024Udaipur Unveiled: A Walking Tour in Rajasthan’s Most Romantic City Reveals Its Many Layers
Anyone who makes their way to Rajasthan in northern India has likely heard of Udaipur’s allure. The city revered for its lakes and marble palaces is considered by many who know not only the Indian subcontinent but the planet as a whole to be the most spectacularly romantic city on Earth.
Daily
Mar 27, 2024Go Island Hopping in Spain with Meliá Hotels International
It’s time to start planning summer travel. Consider a chic island getaway off the coast of Spain. Spain’s Meliá Hotels International offers a collection of hotels throughout the islands that highlight the Spanish lifestyle.
Sponsored Content
Share Your Travel Preferences with Global Traveler in a Short Survey & Win
Learning more about our readers’ travel habits and preferences ensures Global Traveler delivers the content you desire. As the travel industry has adapted and changed over the last few years, it’s more important than ever to connect. To best meet your short- and long-term travel content needs, please help us!
Daily
Mar 27, 2024“Deal or No Deal” Interactive Game Show Comes to Holland America Line
Holland America Line expands its entertainment offerings by launching the game show brand Deal or No Deal on nine ships. TimePlay, an entertainment software company, powers the show format, with a highly adaptable design and strong brand identity, on more than 85 ships worldwide.
Hotel Indigo La Paz Puerta Cortés Review
eFlyer Reviews
Mar 27, 2024Japan Airlines Purchases 32 Airbus, 10 Boeing
eFlyer News
Mar 27, 2024eFlyer Deals
Mar 27, 2024Celebrate the 3 Z Hotels San Francisco with Limited-Time Offer
Z Hotels SF, a collection of boutique properties in downtown San Francisco, launched a limited-time offer. Whether you opt to stay at Hotel Zelos, Hotel Zetta or Hotel Zeppelin, book The Best Things Comes in Threes offer and receive:
Sponsored Content
Why Buy Trip Cancellation Insurance?
Don’t risk losing all the money you’ve spent if you must cancel your trip at the last minute. Allianz Travel Insurance can give you:
eFlyer Lead
Mar 27, 2024Aeromexico Named Most Punctual Airline in the World
Cirium, a global aviation analytics company, recently released the most on-time airlines in the world for early 2024. The study found Aeromexico as the most improved airline in February, with a 90.66 percent on-time performance, a 12.5-point increase in on-time performance over January 2024.
ShareThis