Chicken, Pasta, or Octopus? How Traditional Should a National Airline Be?

Serving a country of just over 10 million people, TAP Air Portugal has had to look beyond its shores to build scale. It’s a strategy that’s worked. Today, just 20% of TAP passengers are Portuguese.

However, when only one in five passengers is from Portugal, how Portuguese can you – should you – be?

It’s a question on the mind of Catarina Índio, TAP’s Head of Onboard and Ground Product. She joined the flag carrier last year and is on a mission to improve passenger experience at all levels.

Speaking to Skift on the fringes of Lisbon’s Humberto Delgado Airport, Índio uses one word time and again: Portugality.

Walk the corridors of TAP headquarters and it’s a term you’ll hear frequently. Put simply, the goal is to reflect Portuguese culture, cuisine, and products as part of the journey. 

What can initially feel like a fluffy marketing concept is rooted in sharp business acumen. Being distinctive is a competitive advantage. 

“We don’t make it a particular differentiator on certain routes where we have strong competition. Our commitment is to have Portugality onboard, no matter if you’re going to Brazil or flying short-haul in Europe,” says Índio.

A Delicate Balance for Airlines

How exactly does an airline turn this concept into practice? One of TAP’s flagship ‘Portugality’ projects is the Local Stars initiative. Launched in March 2023 and running until next April, business class passengers on long-haul flights departing Lisbon are offered a bespoke menu.

Twelve chefs representing regions across mainland Portugal and its Atlantic islands are tasked with creating dishes that showcase the area while considering seasonality and the practicalities of dining at 35,000 feet. 

Slick social media videos and bonus content are available online to support the campaign. The current menu centers on river crayfish from the central Lezíria do Tejo region.

Anything for Us Mere Mortals?

Curating a locally focused experience for high-spending passengers is one thing, but what about the 90% of customers who travel in economy?

“Our commitment is exactly the same,” says Índio. “When we prepare the menus for economy class, we’re still focused on Portugality. We ask for local recipes, local ingredients. For example, many other international airlines like to serve curry in economy. That’s not something you’ll see us doing. Our goal wherever you’re sitting on the plane is that you feel like you are in Portugal.”

Such commitments are noble, but surely airline profitability comes ahead of platitudes? Pressed on whether TAP would pay more to have a distinctive local supplier, Índio replies with a steadfast “yes.”

“In our procurement process, we ask for Portuguese suppliers, but it’s not always easy. Giving additional consideration to local companies is the only way, even if it costs us a little more.” The TAP executive reveals that 70% of the airline’s in-flight products are currently sourced from Portuguese firms, with an ambition to push this figure even higher.

How Much is Too Much?

This prioritization of domestic firms is evident across the company. From the leather used on the aircraft seats to the amenity kits. Every drop of wine is locally sourced. But is there such a thing as too much Portugality? Enter the octopus.

“The difficulty is meeting the balance between international requirements. Many foreigners won’t look at octopus as a good thing to eat, but it’s very traditional here,” says Índio. “So then we have the question – should we serve them octopus? We need to think hard about our passengers who aren’t from Portugal and might not like to eat the same things. It’s not easy to find the right balance and put all these things together.”

Asked about the outcome of the octopus conundrum, Índio confirms: “Yes, we’ve successfully served octopus and we’ll do it again – but our passengers will always have an option.”

Although tentacles are no longer taboo, there are a handful of traditional products that are hugely popular in Portuguese society that you’ll never find onboard. 

Pork, a staple of many recipes, is often replaced with smoked turkey to maintain traditional flavor profiles while respecting religious and cultural dietary restrictions. Cheese is another consideration. Only pasteurized dairy products are allowed to be served, limiting TAP’s ability to showcase some of the nation’s best cheeses.

Food and wine is one of the country’s trump cards, but it isn’t the only way to get a distinctive edge over international rivals. In June, TAP launched its first Altitude Film Festival. As well as bringing original content to the airline’s in-flight entertainment system, it offers the chance for filmmakers to have their work presented on a truly global stage. Notably, all the films submitted for consideration must focus on Portuguese culture and/or be shot in Portuguese territory.

An expert panel is currently finalizing 10 films that will be made available for long-haul passengers to watch onboard in October. Travelers will be able to nominate their favorite via a follow-up survey. The ultimate winners will be announced later in the year.

Why Knowledge is Power

Whether customers are flying high in 1A or in a less enviable economy seat near the lavatories, Índio says passenger feedback plays a critical role in refining the onboard experience. Detailed reports are produced by cabin crew after every flight, with a head office team analyzing them to find improvements and identify trends. 

Índio notes that this feedback loop helps the airline address specific issues: “On an average day we’ll receive around 80 cabin reports, and even more during the summer peak. Of course, you cannot change an entire meal plan based on a single experience, but if you suddenly have 10 reports with comments about a particular dish – then you need to see what’s going on.”

Índio’s team also keeps a close watch on the airline’s Net Promoter Score (NPS), a key metric to assess customer satisfaction. “Even if our passengers are in transit, on every itinerary they will have at least one flight that is departing from Portugal. That’s our opportunity to really showcase the country and be distinctive,” says Índio.

TAP’s stopover program is one of the most popular in the industry. The initiative brought more than 200,000 extra visitors to the country last year. Connecting passengers can include a complimentary break in their journey in Lisbon or the northern city of Porto. This can be on the outbound or return and last between one and 10 days.

But Índio is keen that even those who don’t leave the airport get a comprehensive taste of local hospitality. “Today I’m the airline, but tomorrow, I might be the passenger. We put ourselves in their shoes. If I visited our airport lounge in Lisbon, would I be happy with just sandwiches and chips? The answer is no.”