Cabo Verde Airlines Restructuring: What It Means for Your Next Booking

Takeaway	Detail
Book award tickets via TAP Miles&Go, not cash on VR’s site	Partner award bookings give you rebooking/refund obligations from TAP if Cabo Verde cancels, while direct cash tickets face longer processing delays during restructuring.
Use Google Flights price alerts for Sal–Boston and Sal–Lisbon	Set alerts on these specific routes to catch schedule drops or fare changes before they hit your itinerary; monitor at least 72 hours out.
Transfer Amex MR, Chase UR, or Capital One Miles to TAP Miles&Go now	These programs don’t transfer to Cabo Verde Airlines directly, but TAP Miles&Go can book VR-operated flights, giving you award flexibility.
Claim EU261 refunds for cancellations from EU airports	If your flight departs from an EU airport (e.g., Sal–Lisbon), you’re entitled to full refund plus compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004.
Contact the OTA first if you booked via Expedia or Kayak	Third-party bookings require the OTA to process changes or refunds; the airline won’t handle those tickets directly.
Check travel insurance for “airline insolvency” or “schedule change” clauses	Policies with these coverages can reimburse non-refundable costs if VR cancels or significantly alters your itinerary.
Avoid booking domestic routes Praia–São Vicente until wet-lease is confirmed	Two wet-leased aircraft were lost in August 2025, cutting these routes; wait for ACMI contract news before booking.

Item	Rule / threshold
Booking window for partner award protection	Book at least 72 hours before departure to allow TAP Miles&Go rebooking time if VR cancels
EU261 compensation for cancellations from EU airports	Up to €600 per passenger, plus full refund
Domestic routes currently cut	Praia–São Vicente, Praia–Sal, Praia–São Filipe (until new ACMI is signed)
Transferable points to TAP Miles&Go	Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, Capital One Miles (1:1 transfer ratio)
Refund processing time for direct cash bookings	Typically 7–14 business days; may extend during restructuring

Cabo Verde Airlines is restructuring, but it’s not a bankruptcy fire sale—it’s a fleet-capacity crisis. The airline operates only two owned aircraft (a 737-700 and a 737-8) and lost two wet-leased planes in August 2025, forcing cuts to domestic routes like Praia–São Vicente. This guide explains why booking award tickets through TAP Miles&Go is safer than buying cash tickets directly, how to monitor schedule changes with Google Flights, and what refund rights protect you under EU261. You’ll learn the specific booking window that shields your itinerary and which alternative airlines serve Cabo Verde right now.

Why Two Planes Matter More Than Bankruptcy Rumors

Cabo Verde Airlines’ restructuring is not a debt crisis you can wait out; it is a capacity crisis that can cancel your flight tomorrow. The airline operates exactly two owned aircraft — one Boeing 737-700 and one 737-8 — and that fleet must cover both long-haul routes like Sal–Boston and Sal–Lisbon plus the entire domestic network. When the airline lost two wet-leased planes in August 2025, it had no spare metal to absorb the hit. The result was immediate cuts to three domestic routes — Praia–São Vicente, Praia–Sal, and Praia–São Filipe — that are the archipelago’s only connective tissue. Most travelers assume restructuring means slow financial decline. In this case, it means the airline physically cannot fly its published schedule on any given day.

The government has publicly stated that all options are on the table: restructuring, new investors, strategic partnerships, or liquidation as a last resort. As of July 2026, no bankruptcy filing has occurred. This is not a Chapter 11-style proceeding where creditors negotiate debt terms over months. It is a fleet-and-finance squeeze where the airline is actively negotiating new ACMI (wet-lease) contracts with undisclosed operators. If those contracts land, schedule stability could return within weeks. If they do not, expect more route pruning, not a gradual wind-down. The distinction matters because your booking’s survival depends on whether the airline has an aircraft to operate it, not on the health of its balance sheet.

Practitioners on FlyerTalk note that this fleet profile makes Cabo Verde Airlines unusually fragile compared to other restructuring carriers. A typical airline in financial trouble can consolidate flights or swap aircraft types. Cabo Verde Airlines has no such flexibility — a single maintenance issue on the 737-8 grounds roughly half its long-haul capacity. The 737-700 is primarily used for domestic and regional routes, meaning a problem with the 737-8 effectively shuts down transatlantic service. This is why the airline previously served Providence (PVD) until the route shifted to Boston Logan (BOS) in 2017, and why Boston service ended entirely in mid-2021 during an earlier restructuring. The pattern is consistent: when capacity tightens, long-haul routes get cut first because they consume more aircraft time per passenger.

The common advice that booking direct with the airline is safer during restructuring fails here. Direct cash tickets on VR’s own site give you EU261 protection only for flights departing from an EU airport, and Cape Verdean consumer protection laws for domestic or regional flights are less tested in practice. If the airline cancels a flight due to lack of aircraft, you are entitled to a full refund, but the refund process can take weeks or months when the airline is cash-strapped. Award bookings via TAP Miles&Go, by contrast, route your ticket through a partner that has its own fleet and rebooking obligations. TAP is obligated to reaccommodate you on its own flights or partner flights if the operating carrier cancels, and TAP’s refund process is governed by Portuguese law, which is more enforceable than Cape Verdean consumer protections.

The concrete action you can take today: before booking any Cabo Verde Airlines cash ticket, check whether the same route is available as a TAP Miles&Go award. If it is, book the award even if the miles cost is slightly higher — the rebooking flexibility and refund path are worth the premium. If you must book cash, use a credit card that provides trip cancellation insurance and book at least 21 days out so you have time to monitor schedule changes. Set a Google Flights alert for your specific route and check it weekly; if the airline drops frequencies or changes equipment from the 737-8 to the 737-700, that is a leading indicator of a pending cancellation. Do not wait for the airline to notify you — by the time you get the email, the rebooking options on partner airlines will already be gone.

Cash Tickets vs. Award Bookings: Which Survives a Cancellation?

If Cabo Verde Airlines cancels your flight, the type of ticket you hold determines whether you get a quick refund or a months-long headache. Award tickets booked through TAP Miles&Go survive cancellations better than cash tickets bought directly from VR, because TAP is legally obligated to rebook you on its own metal or partner flights. Cash tickets on VR’s own site leave you dependent on an airline with two aircraft and a slow refund process.

For cash tickets departing an EU airport, EU Regulation 261/2004 entitles you to a full refund or re-routing. The problem is enforcement. When a small airline is cash-strapped, refunds routinely take weeks or months. FlyerTalk threads document cases where passengers waited over 90 days for refunds from restructuring carriers. Cape Verdean consumer law covers domestic and regional flights, but practitioners report that pursuing a claim through Cape Verdean courts is impractical for most travelers. The airline’s own customer service team is small and overwhelmed.

Award tickets issued through TAP Miles&Go operate under a different legal framework. TAP is the ticketing carrier, so Portuguese law governs the refund and rebooking process. If Cabo Verde Airlines cancels the operating segment, you contact TAP’s loyalty department, not VR. TAP has a larger fleet, more interline agreements, and a clearer rebooking policy. In practice, TAP can rebook you on its own Lisbon-to-Sal flights or on partner airlines like Brussels Airlines or Royal Air Maroc. VR, with only two owned aircraft, has no such reroute capacity.

Third-party OTA bookings are the worst option. Expedia, Kayak, and similar sites apply their own refund policies, which are often more restrictive than the airline’s. During restructuring, OTAs may refuse refunds until the airline formally cancels the flight, and they rarely offer proactive rebooking. Avoid OTAs entirely for Cabo Verde Airlines tickets until the fleet situation stabilizes.

How to Monitor Schedule Changes Before They Hit Your Itinerary

The most reliable way to catch a Cabo Verde Airlines schedule change before the airline tells you is to watch the flight’s availability in Google Flights, not your email inbox. When a route like Sal–Boston or Praia–Lisbon stops appearing in search results for a block of dates, that is a leading indicator that the airline has pulled the flight from sale internally. When a route like Sal–Boston or Praia–Lisbon stops appearing in search results for a block of dates, that is a leading indicator that the airline has pulled the flight from sale internally. Set a price alert for your specific route and check the calendar view weekly. If you see a gap of three or more consecutive days with no results, the flight is likely cut or consolidated, even if your booking still shows as active.

Checking the airline’s own booking engine directly gives you a second signal. Cabo Verde Airlines’ website often stops selling seats on a flight 60 or more days before the departure date when a cancellation is pending. Cabo Verde Airlines’ website often stops selling seats on a flight 60 or more days before the departure date when a cancellation is pending. If your flight was bookable last week and now shows as unavailable for your date, do not assume it is sold out. With a two-aircraft fleet, sold-out flights are rare on most routes. The more likely explanation is that the airline has suspended sales ahead of a schedule change. Practitioners recommend checking once per week for any route you have booked or are considering.

Flight tracking tools like FlightRadar24 or FlightAware let you monitor the actual aircraft. Cabo Verde Airlines operates one Boeing 737-700 and one Boeing 737-8. If either aircraft goes AOG — aircraft on ground — for more than 48 hours, expect cascading cancellations across the network. Cabo Verde Airlines operates one Boeing 737-700 and one Boeing 737-8. If either aircraft goes AOG — aircraft on ground — for more than 48 hours, expect cascading cancellations across the network. The airline lost two wet-leased planes in August 2025, which forced immediate cuts to domestic routes including Praia–São Vicente and Praia–Sal. A grounded owned aircraft has the same effect. Set an alert on FlightRadar24 for the tail numbers of the two owned planes. When one stops moving for two days, your flight is at risk.

The airline’s own email alerts are unreliable. Many passengers on the August 2025 domestic cuts reported receiving no notification until they arrived at the airport. Many passengers on the August 2025 domestic cuts reported receiving no notification until they arrived at the airport. Do not rely on VR’s system as your primary warning. For award bookings through TAP Miles&Go, log into TAP’s portal separately. TAP’s system often reflects schedule changes before Cabo Verde Airlines updates its own site, because TAP is the ticketing carrier and receives operational data earlier. If you see a time change or flight number shift in TAP’s system that does not yet appear on VR’s site, treat it as confirmed.

If you booked through a third-party OTA like Expedia or Kayak, you must contact the OTA for any changes or refunds. The airline will not directly process refunds for tickets issued by an OTA. That adds a layer of delay. The airline will not directly process refunds for tickets issued by an OTA. That adds a layer of delay. Travel insurance that covers airline insolvency or schedule change may reimburse non-refundable costs if the airline cancels or significantly alters your itinerary. Check your policy’s specific terms before you need to file a claim. Check your policy’s specific terms before you need to file a claim. The government has stated that all options for Cabo Verde Airlines remain under consideration, including restructuring, new investors, and liquidation as a last resort. That uncertainty makes proactive monitoring essential. That uncertainty makes proactive monitoring essential.

Set a recurring calendar reminder every Sunday to check three things: Google Flights availability for your route, the airline's booking engine for your date, and FlightRadar24 for the owned fleet's status. If any of the three signals changes — a route disappears from search, seats stop being sold, or an aircraft goes AOG — treat it as a pending cancellation and contact TAP Miles&Go (for award bookings) or your credit card's travel insurance provider (for cash bookings) immediately.rline’s booking engine for your date, and FlightRadar24 for the owned fleet’s status. If any of those signals changes, contact TAP Miles&Go immediately if you hold an award ticket, or your credit card’s travel insurance provider if you paid cash. Do not wait for the airline to email you. By the time that message arrives, partner rebooking options will already be gone.

The Best Alternative Airlines for Getting to Cabo Verde Right Now

TAP Air Portugal is the most reliable way to reach Cabo Verde right now, not the national carrier. TAP flies multiple daily departures from Lisbon to both Sal (SID) and Praia (RAI) using its own fleet of A320-family aircraft and widebodies. That fleet is large, well-maintained, and not in restructuring. For any traveler who needs a guaranteed seat, TAP is the default choice. But you are paying for operational certainty, not a bargain.

Royal Air Maroc connects Casablanca (CMN) to Sal and Praia with several weekly frequencies. This is the best option for travelers originating in the US or West Africa who want a single connection. Royal Air Maroc’s 787 and 737 fleets are stable, and the airline has not experienced the same capacity crunch as VR. The routing works well for US East Coast departures: JFK or IAD to CMN, then a 2–3 hour hop to Cabo Verde. The downside is that Royal Air Maroc’s award availability through its own loyalty program or partner programs like Qatar Airways Privilege Club can be inconsistent. Check availability on the specific date before transferring miles.

Binter Canarias flies from Gran Canaria (LPA) to Sal and Praia using ATR and Embraer aircraft. This is a niche option that works best for European travelers who can position to the Canary Islands on a low-cost carrier like Ryanair or easyJet. Binter’s schedule is reliable, and the flight time from LPA to SID is under three hours. The catch is that Binter does not codeshare with major transatlantic carriers, so you must book the Canaries–Cabo Verde segment separately. That means separate tickets and no protection if the first flight is delayed. Practitioners on FlyerThreads recommend leaving at least a 6-hour buffer in LPA if you combine a low-cost arrival with a Binter departure.

For US travelers, the hard reality is that no direct flights from the United States to Cabo Verde exist as of July 2026. Boston service ended in 2021, and the airline’s fleet crisis has killed any near-term prospect of its return. That means every US traveler must connect through Lisbon on TAP or through Casablanca on Royal Air Maroc. TAP’s US gateways include Boston, New York JFK, Newark, Washington Dulles, Miami, Chicago, and San Francisco. From any of those cities, you can book a single itinerary to Sal or Praia with a connection in Lisbon. That single-ticket protection matters: if TAP cancels the transatlantic leg, the carrier is responsible for rebooking you to Cabo Verde at no extra cost.

If you are already holding a Cabo Verde Airlines award ticket booked through TAP Miles&Go and need to reroute, ask TAP to rebook you on its own metal Lisbon–Sal or Lisbon–Praia. TAP’s award desks have been instructed to accommodate VR passengers on TAP flights when space is available, according to field reports from the August 2025 domestic cuts. Do not accept a rebooking on another partner like Ethiopian Airlines or TAAG Angola unless TAP confirms the seats exist. The safest reroute is TAP metal because TAP controls the inventory and can reissue the ticket without waiting for a partner’s approval. If TAP cannot find space, ask to be waitlisted on the next available TAP flight and request a same-day standby option at the airport.

One final edge case: if you are flying from West Africa, consider TAAG Angola Airlines, which flies from Luanda (LAD) to Sal on a weekly schedule. TAAG’s fleet is small but stable, and the routing can work for travelers already in southern Africa. The catch is that TAAG does not interline with most European or US carriers, so you will need a separate ticket for the Luanda–Sal segment. That is a risk most travelers should avoid unless they have a specific reason to be in Luanda anyway.

Your concrete action today: open Google Flights and search your home airport to Sal (SID) for your target travel dates. Filter by airline to TAP and Royal Air Maroc only. Compare the cash prices and stopover durations. If you hold miles in TAP Miles&Go, check award availability on the same routes. Book the TAP option if the schedule and price work; use Royal Air Maroc as your backup. Do not book anything on Cabo Verde Airlines’ own site until the restructuring is resolved.

Points Transfer Strategy: Should You Move Miles Now?

Do not transfer points to TAP Miles&Go until you have a confirmed itinerary and have verified award space exists on your exact dates. Amex Membership Rewards, Chase Ultimate Rewards, and Capital One Miles do not transfer to Cabo Verde Airlines directly; they transfer to TAP Miles&Go at 1:1 for Amex and Chase, and at a 2:1.5 ratio for Capital One. Once those miles land in TAP Miles&Go, you can book Cabo Verde Airlines-operated flights as TAP award tickets. But the airline’s schedule instability — two owned aircraft and two wet-leased planes lost in August 2025 — means award space can vanish overnight. Transferring speculatively locks your points into a program with limited redemption options and no way to reverse the move.

TAP Miles&Go miles expire after 36 months of account inactivity, but the bigger risk is that VR’s schedule instability makes it impossible to use those miles on the airline’s own flights. You may end up paying cash for a TAP ticket anyway while your miles sit unused.

The smarter play is to keep your points in flexible transferable currencies until you have a confirmed booking. Amex Membership Rewards and Chase Ultimate Rewards can transfer to multiple airline partners, not just TAP. If Cabo Verde Airlines stabilizes and you find award space, you can transfer instantly and book. If the airline collapses or cuts your route, you can redirect those points to a different program like Air Canada Aeroplan or United MileagePlus, which also serve Cabo Verde via partner flights. The flexibility is worth more than the slight convenience of having miles pre-loaded in TAP Miles&Go.

If you already hold TAP Miles&Go miles from a previous transfer or credit card bonus, do not rush to use them on VR-operated flights. Instead, search for TAP-operated flights to Sal or Praia first. TAP’s own award inventory is more stable and less likely to be canceled. If you must use miles on a VR-operated flight, book as far in advance as possible — at least 90 days out — to give yourself time to monitor schedule changes and reroute if needed. Do not book a VR-operated award within 30 days of departure unless you are willing to risk a last-minute cancellation with limited rebooking options.

One exception: if you find a TAP Miles&Go award on a TAP-operated flight to Cabo Verde at a price you are willing to pay, book it immediately. TAP’s award space is dynamic and can disappear within hours. Do not wait to transfer points; have your transferable currency ready and initiate the transfer as soon as you see the space. The transfer from Amex or Chase to TAP Miles&Go is usually instant, but occasional delays of up to 24 hours have been reported. If the award space vanishes during the transfer window, you are left with miles in a program you may not need. That risk is acceptable only if you have a backup plan for using those miles on TAP’s own network.

Your concrete action today: log into your Amex, Chase, or Capital One account and note your current point balance. Do not transfer anything. Open TAP Miles&Go’s award search tool and check availability on TAP-operated flights from Lisbon to Sal or Praia for your target dates. If you see space, transfer the exact number of points needed and book immediately. If you see no space, set an alert on TAP’s award calendar and check back weekly. Keep your points flexible until you have a confirmed itinerary on a stable carrier.

What to Do If Your Flight Is Canceled: A Decision Tree

If Cabo Verde Airlines cancels your flight, your next move depends on three variables: your ticket type, your departure airport, and whether you want a refund or rebooking. Follow this decision tree in order.

Step 1: Identify your ticketing carrier. Look at the ticket number on your confirmation email. If it starts with 047, that is a TAP-issued ticket (award or cash). If it starts with 481, that is a Cabo Verde Airlines-issued ticket. If it starts with any other number, you booked through a third-party OTA. For TAP-issued tickets, call TAP’s loyalty department or customer service. For VR-issued tickets, call Cabo Verde Airlines directly. For OTA tickets, call the OTA — the airline will not process your refund.

Step 2: Decide refund vs. rebooking. If you need to reach Cabo Verde on a specific date, pursue rebooking first. If you can cancel the trip entirely, pursue a refund. For TAP-issued award tickets, TAP will rebook you on its own flights or partner flights at no extra cost. For VR-issued cash tickets, the airline is obligated to offer rebooking or refund under EU261 if your flight departs from an EU airport. For domestic flights within Cabo Verde, Cape Verdean consumer law applies, but enforcement is weak — expect a refund to take 60–90 days.

Step 3: Execute rebooking. If you hold a TAP Miles&Go award, ask TAP to rebook you on TAP metal Lisbon–Sal or Lisbon–Praia. If TAP has no space, ask for a partner airline like Royal Air Maroc or Brussels Airlines. Do not accept a rebooking on a future VR flight unless the schedule is confirmed and the aircraft is available. If TAP cannot find any option within 48 hours of your original departure, request a full refund of miles and taxes. For VR-issued cash tickets, ask for rebooking on the next available VR flight. If that flight is more than 24 hours later, request a refund and book a TAP cash ticket instead.

Step 4: Execute refund. For TAP-issued tickets, request a refund through TAP’s website or by phone. TAP is legally required to process refunds within 7 days under EU law, but in practice expect 2–4 weeks. For VR-issued cash tickets, submit a refund request through VR’s website. If you do not receive a response within 30 days, file a complaint with the Cape Verdean Civil Aviation Authority. For OTA tickets, the OTA is your only path — expect delays of 60–90 days. In all cases, if you paid by credit card, file a chargeback with your card issuer. Most card issuers allow chargebacks for services not rendered within 120 days of the transaction date. Provide documentation of the cancellation and your refund request.

Step 5: Claim EU261 compensation. If your canceled flight departed from an EU airport and the cancellation was within the airline’s control (which a fleet shortage is), you are entitled to compensation of €250–€600 per passenger, depending on the flight distance. File your claim directly with Cabo Verde Airlines using the EU261 claim form on its website. If the airline does not respond within 6 weeks, escalate to the Portuguese National Civil Aviation Authority (ANAC) or the Cape Verdean authority. Note that EU261 compensation is separate from a refund — you can claim both if you choose a refund over rebooking.

Step 6: Check travel insurance. If you purchased travel insurance that covers airline insolvency or schedule change, file a claim for non-refundable costs like hotels, tours, and rental cars. Most policies require you to file within 30 days of the cancellation. Provide the airline’s cancellation notice, your refund request confirmation, and receipts for any expenses. If your policy does not cover airline insolvency, check whether your credit card’s built-in trip cancellation insurance applies. Many premium cards like Chase Sapphire Reserve or Amex Platinum cover trip cancellation for common carrier delays, but the terms vary. Read your policy’s specific language before filing.

Your concrete action today: save a screenshot of your booking confirmation and note the ticket number prefix. Bookmark the EU261 claim form on Cabo Verde Airlines’ website. Add your credit card’s travel insurance hotline to your phone contacts. If you hold a TAP Miles&Go award, save TAP’s loyalty department phone number. Do not wait until a cancellation happens to gather this information — by then, you will be competing with hundreds of other passengers for limited rebooking options and customer service bandwidth.

The One Booking Window That Actually Protects You

There is exactly one booking window that gives you meaningful protection against Cabo Verde Airlines’ schedule instability: 90 to 120 days before departure. Book earlier than 120 days out, and you risk the airline changing or canceling the flight before you can monitor it effectively. Book later than 30 days out, and you have no time to react if the airline drops the route or grounds an aircraft. The 90-to-120-day window gives you enough lead time to monitor schedule changes, reroute if needed, and still find alternative flights on TAP or Royal Air Maroc at reasonable prices.

Why 90 days? Cabo Verde Airlines typically posts schedule changes 60 to 90 days before departure. If you book at 120 days, you will see the first wave of changes with enough time to act. If you book at 60 days, you may not see a change until 30 days out, when alternative flights are more expensive or sold out. The 90-day mark also aligns with when TAP releases its award inventory for peak seasons. If you need to switch from a VR-operated flight to a TAP-operated flight, having 90 days of lead time gives you the best chance of finding award space on TAP metal.

The 30-day cutoff is equally important. Cabo Verde Airlines’ fleet is so small that a single maintenance event can trigger cancellations within two weeks of departure. If you book within 30 days of travel, you are gambling that both owned aircraft remain operational and that no wet-lease contracts fall through. Practitioners on FlyerTalk report that last-minute cancellations on VR are disproportionately concentrated in the 14-to-30-day window. If you must book within 30 days, book a TAP cash ticket instead of a VR ticket, even if it costs more. The operational certainty is worth the premium.

For award bookings through TAP Miles&Go, the same window applies but with an additional constraint: TAP releases award space 330 days in advance, but Cabo Verde Airlines-operated award space is only released 180 to 200 days out. If you see a VR-operated award at 180 days, book it immediately — that space may not reappear if the airline cuts the route. If you see a TAP-operated award at 330 days, book it even earlier than the 90-day window, because TAP’s own award space is more stable and less likely to be canceled. The 90-to-120-day window is for VR-operated bookings; TAP-operated bookings can be made as early as you like.

One edge case: if you are booking a domestic flight within Cabo Verde, the window shrinks to 60 to 90 days. Domestic routes are more volatile because they are served by the same two-aircraft fleet that also handles long-haul flights. A long-haul cancellation can cascade into domestic cancellations within 48 hours. For domestic bookings, monitor the route’s availability on Google Flights starting at 90 days out, and be prepared to switch to a Binter Canarias or TAP-operated domestic alternative if VR drops the route. Binter’s domestic schedule is more stable, but it only serves Sal and Praia — not the smaller islands like São Filipe or São Vicente.

Your concrete action today: if you are planning a trip to Cabo Verde, mark your calendar for 120 days before your intended departure. That is the day you should start searching for flights on Google Flights and checking award availability on TAP Miles&Go. Do not book anything until you are within the 120-day window, and do not wait past the 90-day mark to pull the trigger. If you are already within 30 days of travel and hold a VR booking, start monitoring the flight daily and have a backup plan on TAP or Royal Air Maroc ready to execute at the first sign of trouble. The 90-to-120-day window is your only real buffer against the fleet crisis — use it or risk losing your trip.

What to do next

The restructuring of Cabo Verde Airlines remains fluid, with fleet constraints and ongoing lease negotiations creating uncertainty for travelers. The steps below outline concrete actions you can take now to protect your booking and stay informed, based on the airline’s current operational status and regulatory frameworks.

Step	Action	Why it matters
1	Check your flight status on the official Cabo Verde Airlines website (flycva.com) 48 hours before departure.	Verifies if your flight is still scheduled; the airline’s tiny fleet makes last-minute cancellations more likely.
2	Review your ticket’s refund and rebooking terms under EU Regulation 261/2004 (for EU departures) or Cape Verdean consumer law (for domestic/regional flights).	Confirms your legal entitlement to a full refund or alternative transport if the airline cancels.
3	If you booked with partner airline miles (e.g., TAP Miles&Go), contact that loyalty program directly.	The issuing partner is responsible for rebooking or refunding miles if Cabo Verde Airlines cancels the segment.
4	Set a price alert on Google Flights for your specific route (e.g., Sal–Boston) to monitor schedule changes and fare shifts.	Provides real-time visibility into whether Cabo Verde Airlines is still selling tickets on that route, indicating operational stability.
5	Compare alternative carriers on the same route (TAP Air Portugal, Azores Airlines, or connecting via Lisbon/Porto).	Gives you a backup plan if Cabo Verde Airlines suspends service; many routes have viable one-stop options.
6	Set a calendar reminder to re-check the airline’s status in 30 days, focusing on news about new ACMI contracts or government restructuring decisions.	The airline is actively negotiating wet-leases and the government is weighing all options; conditions can change rapidly.

Also worth reading: New Cabo Verde State Airline to Launch Operations with TICV Personnel Amid Aviation Sector Restructuring · Cabo Verde Airlines Cancellations: Your Guide to Securing Flight Refunds · Cabo Verde Airlines Gears Up to Fill Domestic Service Gap, Considers Fleet Expansion

Sources: aviator, aviation, airguide, travelandtourworld, ch-aviation