SATA Air Azores

Customer Reviews

3 star Skytrax Rating
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Seat Comfort 12345
Staff Service 12345
Value for Money 12345
Customer rating from 168 reviews
4/10
3 star Skytrax Rating
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1/10

"complete confusion"

(United States)

Trip Verified | Our return flight from Terceira to Boston was delayed twice spanning 8 hours stuck in the airport we were notified that the replacement aircraft would not be able to take all the passengers, therefore the flight was overbooked by 80+ passengers who were removed from the flight and offered options to fly an extra 5 hour (roundtrip) to Lisbon plus an overnight stay at a 1-star hotel, then the next day to Boston. We stood in line for over 5 hours to be rebooked with only 2 junior counter people who were inexperienced requiring them to call a supervisor by phone for codes in order to alter the passengers tickets while 2 other senior agents hide at a check-in counter, refusing to help anyone except the few who sweet-talked them into changing their flight, of which they refused to do for me. Not knowing my wife was with me they changed her tickets also, choosing, in secret whom they would help. This is no exaggeration. After the first 2 hours, only the first 2 people left the counter with altered flights (again because the agents obviously didn't know how to make the alterations). Paperwork was required for reimbursements (2-page form, 1 per passenger, 5 in my case, wife, and kids). After the first 2 hours passed we asked the counter to pass the paperwork out the the group so that we could start filling it out in line. They refused at first and after the repeated request by very agitated passengers did they start to pass out the forms as it was creating a bottleneck at the counter, but then refused to give out pens. People began buying pens at the gift shop next to the ticket counter. Again after 1 hour of refusing to give out pens (an obvious premium at SATA) they then found a box of pens to hand out (the 3rd hour in). There was no communication, no advisement. They expected stranded passengers to figure out what to do and where to go, there were 3 different lines, no guidance, SATA employees scattered from the terminal check-in area. Passengers where left to get information from each other, often conflicting. Complete confusion. There were families with children, who became desperate without access to baggage (another completely ridiculous story), many crying over the stress of the long day (7:30am check-in to 9:30 PM before everyone was served, my self last as I gave my place inline to an elderly couple who lost their place in line after they had to sit after 3 hours in line (other passengers were so desperate they refused to let them back in line where they were, that is how desperate everyone became at a certain point). Please choose another destination as the SATA staff in Terceira (and the other islands for that matter) is not capable of servicing tourist. They do not have the experience, the staff, or planes to properly handle cancelations. Their staff have a sense of entitlement and lack the sensitivity required to care and have the patience to help clients. This is not my first time on SATA and could fill pages with stories but at a point which Delta Airlines and Jet Blue are exploring direct flights, I implore them to reconsider until the Lajes Airport privatizes to a company that doesn't rely on SATA and their very, very, poor record.
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteTerceira to Boston
Date FlownAugust 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
1/10

"airline gets worse every year"

(Portugal)

Trip Verified | Boston to Terceira. This airline gets worse every year. They essentially have the monopoly in the Azores, as far as routes and usually pricing, meaning they don't care how poorly they treat customers. I have often had them tell me there are no flights available, only to arrive at the airport to see the exact flight I wanted only half full. I have flown close to 100 times, and almost a dozen times with SATA, and I have never been asked to weigh my carry-on bags. Any other airline doesn't generally care, as long as it fits. On 12 August, we were on a flight that was less than half full, on a large A321 with plenty of overhead and cabin space. I assume because they wanted to make some extra bang for their buck, they stopped every single person at the boarding pass counter and made them weigh every carry on. If you wanted to keep it, you had to pay $100 to check it, whether it had medications or anything. The average weight of just a carry on bag alone is 9 lbs, meaning virtually no carry on will ever be light enough to be under 17 lbs. SATA has a tendency to underbook flights and delay or cancel a lot, but why they decide to gouge everyone again at the counter is beyond me. This aircraft was also utterly filthy, as when we opened our tray tables they were covered in an unknown sticky substance. I would love to tell you to never book with SATA, but sometimes you don't have a choice. If you can, do as much research as possible, as TAP, Delta, and RyanAir are starting to get flights to the islands. Maybe if they start losing enough business, they will start treating people better!
AircraftA321
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBoston to Terceira
Date FlownAugust 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
1/10

"refusing to respond"

(United States)

Trip Verified | My sister, brother, friend, and I were scheduled to leave Boston for Terceira, Azores on January 17, 2018 with SATA flight S4232. Unfortunately the plane was cancelled. We were given no reason why, just a letter to email SATA with questions. (No phone number was provided and when we asked the employee behind the counter she repeatedly told us to email customer service. The flight was not rescheduled until January 19, 2018, two full days later. This left us holding the bag for a hotel and rental car on Faial which had been pre-paid and we missed out on. We also had taxis, food, etc. in Boston while we were waiting to find out if our flight was going to be rescheduled. (Not to mention that the Azores in January is 50-60 degrees, while Boston was around 30 degrees! We were not packed appropriately at all and had to purchase additional clothing to compensate for the differing climates.) Since that time, I have sent numerous emails and Facebook messages to SATA. Their response, after months of emails to the customer care email are two-fold. One: “The contract that is made with the Airline Company, only contemplates the passengers transportation until the final destination. The reasons for which someone travels from one point to the other are unknown to the airline company, therefore, we can neither be held responsible when a passenger fails to show at a scheduled location, nor when other contracts are made with other entities.” Our flights were booked through a travel agent but they are all with SATA. So SATA does know we were flying on to Faial; we were on their flight. And, moreover, they re-booked us through to Faial two days after our originally scheduled departure. Two, after months of asking for reimbursement: “If you have any expenses regarding any meals you had to make during that waiting, please send them together with your bank details information (account holder, name of bank, address of bank, account number, bic/swift code, routing) for their analysis and eventual reimbursement according to SATAs regulation.” Of course I have had no acknowledgement that they even received my email, or follow-up emails. To top things off, when they did rebook us, the airplane was decrepit. The heating/cooling system didn’t work. The seats were the smallest, most uncomfortable things ever. And the flight attendants were rude. My family and I had flown SATA in the past and had no issues. However, after this total lack of, and disregard for, customer service, I will most likely be flying TAP Portugal. I understand things happen. But blatantly disregarding and abusing your customer base, ignoring emails and refusing to respond in any way, and being altogether apathetic towards your clientele is no way to operate a business. SATA needs to figure it out.
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBoston to Terceira
Date FlownJanuary 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
7/10

"flight attendants nice and friendly"

(Germany)

Trip Verified | Ponta Delgado to Funchal. The seating in the plane was relatively narrow. The plane made a well-maintained impression. The flight attendants spread a nice and friendly atmosphere. The drinks were adequate, but the food should be thought over. Better a few cookies than a dry roll. Overall, you can rate this flight as average.
AircraftA320
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RoutePonta Delgado to Funchal
Date FlownMay 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
1/10

"Worst airline I have flown"

(Spain)

Trip Verified | Ponta Delgada to Gran Canaria. Worst airline I have flown so far. Two out of two flights would be allocated a week earlier, so I arrived at noon instead of noon. Both flights were delayed. The food on board was lousy and the aircraft old. You really can not recommend this airline.
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RoutePonta Delgada to Gran Canaria
Date FlownApril 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
1/10

"ashamed of this Portuguese airline"

(United States)

Trip Verified | Last month we traveled with them and it was a nightmare. First the agency (eDREAMS) that booked our flights made a "mistake" on the name of my daughter (infant). Because she has a long name, they only put down her initials for the first name. The last name and date of birth were correct. Noticing the mistake my wife contacted them and told them about the situation, and they said that we needed to contact eDREAMS to get it solved. My wife literally spent more than 5 hours between eDREAMS and SATA to get this solved. SATA insisted that there was nothing they could do, which sounded like a lie because if we decided to pay they could get it done. After many other calls, eDREAMS paid for the change (which was fine by me). On the day of the flight they printed the boarding passes and there it was my daughter's name was incomplete, and what did they do? Fill the missing characters by hand! They made us go through all that trouble for nothing! On the flights to Portugal we had no issues, but on the way back to the US it was a very long trip. First flight from Lisbon to Ponta Delgada was fine and they served a small snack. The second flight from Ponta Delgada to Boston was late about 2hr and during the flight they announced that they wouldn't be serving food. Why? According to the "chief of cabin" they did not have enough crew and therefore everybody had to starve for 5hr 45 minutes. No compensation or warning was given to passengers about this situation so that they can find alternatives other than starving. This is unacceptable specially given that my wife is breastfeeding and I (and all other passengers) paid a ticket that included a meal. For clarity I would also like to say that the aircraft we flew in was a small A320. Just to make the point that with 3 crew members they could have served everybody with no problem. Conclusion SATA just save ~120 meals, with no care for their cutomers. I am Portuguese, and I am ashamed of this Portuguese airline. Avoid.
AircraftA320
Type Of TravellerFamily Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteLisbon to Boston via Ponta Delgada
Date FlownMarch 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
1/10

"It was canceled for two days"

(United States)

Trip Verified | SATA Air Azores was the worst airline I have ever taken and I travel often. First the plane was canceled due to operational issues. It was canceled for two days. So I lost two days of my vacation and this airline would not reimburse me anything except a hotel night for those two days. I was stuck in Boston for two days. I had to rearrange my entire trip to extend the trip for the two days I lost which cost me money. The airline said they wouldn’t do anything for me. The seats are small, the food was horrible, the flight attendants were not nice, and the airplane was so hot I thought half of us were going to pass out. This airline was so bad that although I would love to come back to the islands, if I have to fly this airline I probably would not. I am not normally a negative person and I realize as a world traveler that things are different everywhere, but this airline was the worst I have flown.
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBoston Logan to Terceira Island Lajes
Date FlownJanuary 2018
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
no
8/10

"Flight attendants were friendly"

(Canada)

Trip Verified | Boston to Ponta Delgada. This airline seems to get a lot of negative reviews so I figured I'd write a review from my own experience. Check in was pleasant, boarding and departure were on time. Onboard the aircraft is older (pull down CRTs, etc), but the flight is only 4.5hrs. Full meal was served on board, food was decent. Flight attendants were friendly. Arrived less than 30 mins late. Baggage was on the carousel in PDL. For the price we paid for the flight and convenience of flying direct to Ponta Delgada from North America, would fly again.
AircraftA310
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBoston to Ponta Delgada
Date FlownNovember 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
7/10

"an acceptable economy class"

(United States)

Trip Verified | We flew round trip from Boston to Ponta Delgada. The plane is an older aircraft, but the lights, vent, bathroom were functional. Seats were a bit cramped but workable for this duration flight. Entertainment with the center drop down TV style screens was lackluster, but it was only 4-5 hrs each way. Food was average at best, wines were good, onboard staff were friendly & courteous. We had a couple of beverage runs, if you wanted anything more the galley got it for you. It was not the nightmare flight I read about. We left about 30 min late each way, baggage was there when we landed. Overall an acceptable economy class flight.
AircraftA310
Type Of TravellerCouple Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBoston to Ponta Delgada
Date FlownNovember 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Value For Money 12345
yes
1/10

"no attempt to offer an explanation"

(United States)

Verified Review | Boston to Lisbon return via Ponta Delgada. Left Boston with a delay as has been the norm for the last few years! The flight to Lisbon was uneventful of note the way SATA boards their flights: instead of calling the passengers by class, everyone camps right at the gate and so the process becomes a nightmare similar to a herd of bison on a stampede! The real fun begins on my return to Boston where I had to arrive no later than October 20th at 9 pm. I got to the airport at 10 am, for my flight scheduled to leave Lisbon at 1:05 pm, on October 20th. My bag was checked in, my boarding pass handed to me and then, I was informed that the flight was 5 hours behind without an explanation! I told the SATA representative that I was going on call at 10 pm and had to be in Boston before that! She sent me over to their sales counter where I explained the whole thing again. She was kind enough to route me to a TAP flight leaving Lisbon at 12:45 to Newark where I would then fly to Boston on JetBlue and assured me that my luggage would be taken care of. Upon my arrival in Newark, I could not find my bag so I thought they maybe I would get in when I arrived in Boston. To my dismay I got to Boston and could not find my bag anywhere! I contacted SATA, TAP, JetBlue to no avail! I got an email from TAP and JetBlue, apologizing for the incident and informing me that they would try to locate my bag. I spend most of Saturday and Sunday calling SATA in Lisbon, Ponta Delgada, and Boston being given contradictory information stating that it was not their problem because I flew TAP and JetBlue. I explained to the persons that I handed my bag to a SATA employee and had a baggage claim to prove it! That was of no use. The folks in the US basically told me to get lost because it was not their problem even though I have been flying SATA for almost 20 years! My brother in Lisbon spent hours at the airport, trying to locate the bag, since, in accordance with safety rules a bag cannot fly without the passenger so we were hoping that the bag was lying somewhere in Lost & Found in Lisbon. After several hours, he was told that they could not help him. I kept calling my agent, SATA, TAP, JetBlue without any luck. On Monday, October 23, I got a phone call from Logan Airport, Lost & Found letting me know that my nag was found on the SATA carousel and luckily, it had my contact info on the pocket so they were able to contact me so I could come and get my bag! I did go back to Logan to get it and, to my surprise, they were right: the bag flew on my original SATA flight, un-accompanied, was never opened or checked to make sure it did not pose a threat to the safety of the other passengers. Even with the baggage tag, SATA was unable or un-willing to locate and deliver the bag to me! After all, in this day and age where unfortunately so many horrible things happen all the time, I can’t fathom how a real airline can allow for such a breach of security. I called SATA again, explained the whole thing and, to my surprise, there was no attempt to offer an explanation or apology and so I decided to not only publish this review but also to open a complaint for an investigation which hopefully will prevent situations that could escalate into a tragedy.
AircraftA310-300
Type Of TravellerSolo Leisure
Seat TypeEconomy Class
RouteBoston to Lisbon via Ponta Delgada
Date FlownOctober 2017
Seat Comfort 12345
Cabin Staff Service 12345
Food & Beverages 12345
Inflight Entertainment 12345
Ground Service 12345
Wifi & Connectivity 12345
Value For Money 12345
no