TAP Air cancellation on part of one way flight to Madeira

maranassy

Hi,
I  booked flights for 4 (2 adults, 2 children) to Gatwick - Madeira end of August.  The outbound is booked through BA.  The return Madeira - Garwick is booked directly through TAP Air with a short stop-over in Porto (booked as 1 transacton).  I used my regular visa debit card to make the transaction for both sets of flights.
I received an email a few days ago from TAP AIR to say the Porto - London flight on my return has been cancelled due to lack of demand (Covid-19).  They sent me a a link to get a voucher to book another TAP Air flight for same value + 20%.
I am not terribly happy with this.  There are flights available from Madeira to Gatwick via Lisbon but the vouchers would not now be enough to cover this.  TAP Air have whacked up their prices since I bought the flights.  I feel TAP Air should've given me re-route options.
If I can't go to Madeira (as it looks like quarantine may be an issue) the vouchers may also be of very little value.   TAP Air destinations from London are very limited and often not competetively priced making vouchers even at +20% not that palatable.   If I did have to accept vouchers I would at the very least expect them to cancel the Maderia - Porto flight as well and compensate for that too.
What I want to do is contact TAP to discuss my options.  I have tried to contact TAP air on their website and facebook a few days ago but no reply at all.   Their website says that their premium rate call line is facing severe call volumes - giving the impression that I would be very unlikely to get through.  So I feel very stuck.   

Any advice on what to do would be great?   If anyone has any experience of TAP Air in this Covid-19 situation and knows the easiest way to get them to respond that will be great.   I plan to write to them again on Twitter and Facebook and then try calling them a few times as may be I can just get lucky and get through?.   I'm even considering a letter to Portugal.  If I still can't get through what is the next step?  I am hesitatant to take any sort of extreme action as, from what I've heard, this doesn't always turn out successfully.   I do realise I'm not the only person having difficulties with sorting out their travel arrangements in this pandemic.   I am kicking myself for booking with TAP Air and not using my credit card - so just wanting to get some opinions on what to do.

Many thanks.

onwards&upwards

Just email stating clearly that you are not accepting the vouchers and you expect a full refund.  

Airlines are hoping people don't know that's what they're entitled to. 

maranassy

Hi.  Thanks for the reply.  TAP Air have no email address.   I have requested details on how to a get a refund or a rerouted flight from Madeira via Lisbon (not Porto) on their facebook page and using their website.  And if still no reply will try phoning (even though it warns about a low response rate) and possibly Twitter.   I've not heard good stuff about TAP Air responsiveness so my concern is what happens if I simply can't contact them.   I suppose I have a while yet until it becomes a problem.   

macman

You don't need a credit card. Chargeback is always the first option to try, on your debit card.
My old boss used to fly TAP a lot...Take Another Plane...