For our second trip to Portugal but first to the Azores, we flew coach from Paris to Ponta Delgada non-stop and found it surprisingly enjoyable.
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Check-In And Boarding
Departing from the revamped Terminal 1 at Paris Charles de Gaulle, SATA Azores Airlines boarded from a random counter in section 5 which was prior marked for LOT Polish. In fact, there was virtually no signage at all and I had to ask staff (as did others) before seeing a tiny sign on an LCD which is not visible from where you join the lines. For what it’s worth, the carrier is sometimes called SATA Airlines, Azores Airlines, Açores Airlines, or SATA Azores Airlines.
We checked five of our bags, though four of them were cabin-sized, as they were included it made for an easier experience in the airport. Of note, our lap infant incurred a small fee (€9) but also received a free checked bag at check-in. I’m not sure if this is supposed to happen but it was appreciated.
We arrived at the gate about 80 minutes prior to departure, 30 minutes prior to boarding. In this small section of Terminal 1 there are just a handful of gates, but our flight changed three times in 30 minutes.
The disorganization at Paris CDG continued into boarding. One person in a wheelchair was allowed to lead boarding but families with small children and others that appeared to have mobility challenges were not. Boarding began a few minutes late and was meant to move first to business class then to the last rows, then progressing toward the front of coach.
That never happened. Everyone just boarded and no one did anything about it. As the line stacked down the jetway and into the hallway, we sat there waiting for the mess to alleviate and as we had few bags to bring onboard we weren’t bothered about it. Still, it seemed useless to announce boarding by sections and then just never follow through after the first. I don’t put this down to SATA but more to contract staff at CDG.
Aircraft
The plane, an Airbus A320 CEO was clean, tidy and the seating was spacious. One of the upsell opportunities was to buy the rest of your row from €38. Though we could have submitted for this (and in retrospect, should have) I doubt it would be granted as the aircraft was nearly full. Still, for a single traveler, what an incredible value.
Service and Meals
The staff onboard was fantastic. Every flight attendant we encountered seemed to really care about their jobs. They were incredibly accommodating to our family, took the time to bring us a lap infant package that included an additional safety belt loop (this should be standard in the US too), and made sure we were comfortable.
My ten-year-old daughter received a kids’ packet with coloring postcards and some cardboard blocks. For parents out there, these blocks were genius. They are light, packed flat taking up virtually no space, they give the kids something to do forming them together which it turns out becomes a puzzle, and the best part – no one cares if you lose one or throw them away. We weren’t alone in loving these blocks because we found other families on the island with strollers and their kids still playing with the blocks.
The meals weren’t great. But getting a meal in coach on a 3.5-hour flight is evidence of trying pretty hard and we appreciated that. Children and special meals were served first. Kids received spaghetti and meatballs and a kit kat, but otherwise the same meal as the adults.
In a world-first for me and my family, our infant was offered jarred baby food which we felt was above and beyond.
Cost and Inclusions
We paid approximately $166 USD per person for the nonstop flight. Included in our fare was seat selection, a standard European size carry-on, a personal item, and a checked bag. We also received 125% mileage earnings, though we credited to TAP Portugal and I am not sure if we will still earn the same bonus. There were four different levels to choose from with other benefits that coincided with a price increase. The difference was about $30 from Basic which came with almost no inclusions compared to all the inclusions we received.
Have you flown SATA Azores Airlines? How was your experience?
That isn’t an A320neo, and definitely isn’t relatively new!
What was the adult meal? Maybe I missed it, but it looks odd like pasta and ham or something.
The second one, “pasta ham” though it smelled better than it tasted. It was like linguica floating from the galleys but when it arrived it was sadly mostly flavorless.
Thanks. Never encountered that!
Why do people still call economy class “coach”? You’re not nearly as bad as Gary Leff, but it just feels like an outdated term…like using “stewardess” for flight attendant.
This comment feels not very passive
Azores have a number of A21Ns in their fleet but the A320s are CEOs as the pic demonstrates.
If flying from Europe to São Miguel it’s worth trying to sit in a port side window. Should you get a landing on 012 which happens about 50% of the time, the approach is to skirt the north coast of the island, continuing over the sea but to make the turn so that you can see Sete Cidades and then skirt the coast again flying south east to make the approach to PDL, it almost feels at times on that approach as though the wing is scraping the cliff.
The approach to 030 is much more mundane and over water until the last minute or so. All departures are a swift turn out over the sea and so relatively unremarkable.
Having flown a number of times from CDG (and once from Orly), wheelchair users were always boarded before families, & F and C.
This is especially if the wheelchair user requires the use of the onboard aisle wheelchair.
First on – last off.
We have far less of a problem in Europe compared to US of passengers pretending to require mobility assistance
Basic fact checking is absent from this post. That is obviously an A320-200, not an A320neo.
My experience with SATA is horrible. We had a flight from JFK to Ponta Delgado on the 15 of March, 2024. As instructed, we arrived 3 hours prior to the 10.10pm flight. 2 hours later the flight was delayed and we had no info till 1 am, when we were told that there was a tire problem and the crew was working on it. At 3:30AM the flight was cancelled and the terminal was about to close. Now imagine finding accomodations in the middle of the night in NY. The nearest hotel wanted $384 per night. We were given booklets telling us that SATA will reimburse lodging up to $100. We were not offered as much as free water during more than 5 hours of waiting. We were told that we’d get info about our flight on the 16, but never did. I spent an hour on the phone to confirm the reservation. The plane seemed to be built for midgets. I am not very big, but getting and out of the chair or toilet was an acrobatic act. Finally, upon arrival, no lift was provided, though I am handicapped and requested assistance. All I can say – never again!