Last week, I had the pleasure of flying on the first-ever direct flight from San Francisco (SFO) to Lisbon (LIS), Portugal. For the first time, TAP Air Portugal is offering a direct connection between the U.S. West Coast and Portugal.
Portugal is hotter than ever at the moment, and TAP is an airline we’ve worked with regularly over the years. I’ve written about the airline’s service and updates, new routes and destinations, and it was a privilege to be a passenger on this momentous flight that means so much to the airline and the people of Portugal and San Francisco. I didn’t realize before my trip the large size of the Portuguese community in San Francisco.
I arrived at my gate at SFO as the flight from Lisbon was landing; fanfare greeted me, as did the iconic fado music of Portugal. Samples of Portuguese cuisine and a decked-out cake satisfied hungry travelers, and a number of speeches rounded out the celebration.
It was time to board! My business-class seat was a comfortable home for the nearly 11-hour flight, and the free messaging allowed me to keep up with those at home. I did purchase faster WiFi in order to get some work done while watching movies and enjoying the onboard cuisine. After that, it was time to get some rest. Happily, I got more sleep than normal on a flight, and I woke up in time for a light breakfast feeling well-rested and ready to explore Lisbon!
— Kim Krol, editor in chief
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