SATA International

✅ Verified Review | Porto to Ponta Delgada. The waiting times for check in were simply absurd for a 180 passengers flight. One line for regular passengers and 3 for priority is not acceptable. Waiting to board and the flight was late (as usual) and the company didn't bother to tell the customers and staff at the gate were totally oblivious of passengers, almost as if we didn't exist. Boarding was long and confusing because this airlines lets passengers carry everything they want into the cabin and then there is not enough room for passengers to store their belongings. Seats were not that roomy, they were ok but the new Airbus seats on the TAP and EasyJet give so much more space and are much more comfortable. No entertainment apart from some small and far way screens showing some boring adverts about the Azores, with no sound. No music, no usb port or mains to charge the mobile and no Wi-Fi. This could be ok if the flight wasn't that expensive but it was. Plane looked clean, the key word here being "looked" because as soon as I opened the seat pocket in front of me to store my wallet I noticed how dirty it was. Cabin crew was not helpful or friendly by any standards and serving the meals was embarrassing to say the least. They started serving from the front of the plane and took forever, then for no logical reason they started collecting the trays from behind leaving no time for passengers to finish the meal and even trying to hurry them up. Very rude. For some reason, although I had finished, the steward didn't collect my tray and even after 2 passengers seating next to my tried to call his attention he didn't care and ignored them so another passenger standing in the aisle, next to the cart did his job for him and very nicely took my tray and put it in the cart. Cabin crew's chief was the worst, bordering on rude. He looked very experienced but he was very pretentious and when he asked me if I would want coffee or tea and I replied with "can I have both, please?" - he stared at me as if I was asking for the most outrageous thing in the world. That was nothing compared to what he did to the passenger in front of me. He asked the lady if she would want sugar or cream with her coffee and she said yes please, one bag - so the chief of the cabin crew asked her of cream or sugar? and the lady replied very politely I said a bag, so sugar, please - and he lost his temper and shouted almost as if talking to a toddler. "Lady, one bag can be of cream or sugar, I don't guess what you want!" News for him, cream was not being served on bags but sugar was. Food was dry, without flavour and the bread was very hard to chew. We did arrive late, as always and no apologies where presented. Redeeming grace for the this company: When still at Porto I had to contact the SATA desk and those people over there were amazing. Very professional, very nice and kind and with a great sense of humour.

✅ Verified Review | Boston to Lisbon. My experience with this airline was just horrible. My girlfriend and I were scheduled to depart for Lisbon on September 5th. We bought our tickets 4 months in advance. On the day of our trip we found out while attempting to check in our luggage that the flight had been cancelled and when asked the reason for this cancellation the employee at the counter refused to explain and merely offered to reschedule our flight. I can't stress enough how profoundly irritated I was with this situation. We had made a car reservation which we lost for failing to pick up the vehicle in Lisbon by the stipulated time. We had to pay a fee for the late check in into the house that we had rented as well as pay for an extra day that we lost with the delay. It is my opinion that not only did they fail to explain the reason for this cancellation they also failed to offer any compensation for the tremendous hassle they caused us. I will not travel with SATA ever again and i will certainly make sure that none of my friends do either.

✅ Verified Review | To start with check in and boarding was very long and staff was not particularly nice. Has usual, we boarded late and departed after the scheduled time, to be honest I can't remember a SATA flight departing on time. Plane was old, reasonably clean, it could be much better if you take into consideration it was the first flight of the day. Seats were old and with not that much legroom and no entertainment on board, just some old CRT screens showing some boring adverts to the Azores and with no sound to go with it. Crew was ok but never really friendly and didn't bother much in the way of helping passengers with luggage. Smiling a bit more wouldn't hurt them either. No sales were done. When it comes to the meal that is when everything goes really bad. Service was slow, just a few choices of soft drinks, wines and beer. The meal itself was the usual sandwich with very hard bread, seemed like yesterday's leftovers, very hard to chew and the filling was uninspired to say the least and lacking heavily on taste. The little cupcake for desert was ok. Then the crew came and started taking «all the trays«. All the trays isn't the correct term here, maybe "some trays". For some unknown reason the left mine behind, I tried to warn them, they didn't care, them the two passengers next to me called for the staff but he didn't care too, so one of the passengers got up and called him again. The crew was really not paying any attention to what they were doing or to the passengers. When the plane was preparing to land, much to my amazement, several passengers had to get up and walk to the back of the plane to get the used trays to the crew because the crew had done such a poor job collecting them. It was painful to look at such a bad performance from the crew, they almost looked like novices or something. As usual, we landed late.

✅ Verified Review | Great flights, but my wife and I flew SATA from Boston to Terceira, Azores on April 26, 2017, seats 25F, G. The 4.5 hour trip was on time, leaving Boston about 10.20 pm. The plane was new, the seats comfortable — nicer than what we have recently had on trans-Atlantic flights, the dinner tasty (although served at midnight Boston time) and service excellent. The return trip was equally pleasant. We hope to use SATA for travel to Portugal (with a "free" stopover in the Azores on the way home) likely in the fall 2018. So, I give SATA high marks for comfort, service, food, and value. However, our flight from TER to BOS on May 4 was also cancelled, the plane, due to technical reasons, never left Lisbon. Some 200 of us sat at the airport waiting for the plane, every half hour or so there was an announcement that there would be another announcement later. Not until an enterprising would-be traveler tracked down an airline rep did we get meaningful information. Eventually the flight was cancelled and SATA arranged good quality lodging, local transportation, and meals: excellent dinner, good breakfast, and lunch. We were rescheduled to return to Boston, returning some 26 hours late. So, in our 10 days of experience with SATA they cancelled 3 of the 10 flights from TER to BOS. The two flights we were on, however, were excellent. Further negotiation: pursuant EU regulation (EC 261/2004) I requested 600 euros each for me and my wife as compensation for the cancellation. SATA began a negotiation: first, offering me two 50 % off vouchers (I would though pay the tax) for travel in the next year. I responded requesting the total of 1200 euro; SATA countered with an offer of two 75 % off vouchers (I pay the tax) good for two years. I asked for the 1200 euros; SATA again countered, suggesting this would be their final offer, with two 100 % off vouchers (I pay the tax) good for one year. It is my dwindling hope to reach an agreement with SATA without involving the EU.

✅ Verified Review | Toronto to Ponta Delgado. I want to concur with the other review on this airline published May 23rd. My experience on May 21st was simply horrible. I had to cancel my flight with Sata and ask for reimbursement. That's sad as I was really looking forward to visit the Azores. But the company decided to cancel the flight from Toronto to PDG and postpone it to the 22nd. I got no help upon arrival in Toronto, no forewarning at my point of departure (in Montreal) by anyone associated with the company, no instructions in Toronto, a tentative rebooking of seat that did no comply with the original request on planned flight, a very long wait at the counter in Toronto with only 1 employee to assist hordes of travellers angry and at loss, and to top it all, being told that the return flight was not guaranteed as a strike was and is looming early June. At least the employee of Sata promised the company would reimburse in full my ticket and promptly returned me at my point of origin. But I'm still waiting for that reimbursement and so does my travel agent!

✅ Verified Review | Toronto to Lisbon RETURN, aboard old A330. Smooth Flight both ways. Crew took three hours to serve main meal. Breakfast a little bag of cookies. Flight entertainment zero. Only four old movies, one children's. Hard and uncomfortably seats. Some not reclining. Only one 23Kg suitcase allowed, extra you have to pay on an expansive flight priced ticket. Don't recommend.

✅ Verified Review | Boston to Lisbon. I enjoyed my whole experience flying on Azores Airlines. It was a great experience from beginning to end. It was a value for my ticket, the boarding process was great the inflight staff were fantastic. Airport staff great. I will fly them again!

✅ Verified Review | Ponta Delgada to Porto with SATA International. As usual it was very complicated to book with this airline, specially where it concerns to carrying my pet as this airline as no concept that pets and respective owners need to travel together and that when I make my reservation I need to know weather or not my pet will be able to travel with me. The staff at the airport counter was very nice and friendly when I was paying for my pet. Boarding was fast and simple and the plane departed with just a small delay. We did arrive on time though. The airplane was a very old but well kept Airbus A310, with the usual amount of space but far less pitch than on newer A320, with the new seats. The airplane was tidy and clean. No entertainment system, except for some very old CRT monitors displaying some adverts and some short movies, with no sound at all, not acceptable for a flagship airliner. No wifi was available. The crew was friendly and efficient. Food was decent, with a sandwich, a dessert, some drink and coffee or tea, but the bread was a bit dry and stale. The amount of permitted checked in luggage is very good for this price.

✅ Verified Review | Funchal to Toronto via Ponta Delgada. I continue to have favourable experiences on this airline. First leg from Funchal, Madeira to Ponta Delgada was on a Q400. Easy check in, friendly cabin crew, good cockpit announcements and the star of the show was the great sandwich snack served on a 2 hour flight. The next leg to Toronto was on an older Airbus. Food was OK at best, generous beverage service, friendly cabin crew and on time arrival. It was an older plane but had seat back entertainment. This is a great value way to travel to Madeira.

✅ Verified Review | Toronto to Lisbon via Ponta Delgada. Our departure flight was cancelled and we did not leave Toronto until more than 24hrs after our scheduled depature and to make things worse we were not notified of the cancellation or delay until we waited in the check-in line at the airport. So now we've lost a day of our vacation we then learn that there is not assigned seating because the airline is using another airlines seating so passengers are quite unhappy. The new flight left Toronto late, stopped in Ponta Delgada before arriving in Lisbon. We get to baggage claims only to learn that my luggage was missing even though it was checked in with my husband's luggage, and his luggage arrived. I reported my lost luggage to lost and found and was given a care package that had a one day supply of toothpaste and deodorant, socks and a t-shirt and a promise that I would be contacted once they found my luggage. I called the airline daily to find out when I would receive my luggage and was told it would be delivered to the Airbnb where we were staying. We spent 3 days in Lisbon, Portugal and my luggage was never found. On the last day I contacted the airline to say we were leaving the following day to Barcelona and I was told my luggage would be delivered to where we were staying at in Barcelona. Well that didn't happen either. One agent told me my luggage was found in Ponta Delgada and the following day I was told my luggage was still in Toronto and they would bring it to my Airbnb in Barcelona because it wouldn't arrive in Lisbon before we left. I have called and emailed Sata International in hopes of retrieving my luggage. After numerous phone calls and several unanswered emails to Sata International I am still unable to retrieve my luggage. I arrived at Barcelona airport and asked the Sata International rep that checked me in and she said she has nothing to do with lost luggage just check-ins and her tone was very rude and belittling. I made my way through the airport, frustrated that I could find someone to guide me to Sata international's lost and found luggage area. When I finally found it, it was closed and had a sign in Spanish on the door (not helpful to people who don't speak spanish). I ended up finding an information desk and was told that I would have to exit through arrivals and go back through the security checks to get back to my departure gate and then contact the airline when I arrive in Canada to ask that my luggage be delivered to my home. This is the worst treatment I have ever experienced by an airline in my more than 30 years of flying. I will never fly Sata International again. Being in a foreign country with no luggage for you entire vacation, not speaking the language and having to use your spending money on clothes to wear is not a pleasant experience. My vacation is over and I still do not have my luggage or information as to when I can expect to get it. Thanks for nothing SATA International, thanks for nothing!