iceblueshoes

Hello all,
I recently managed to snag a cheap flight on SATA from YYZ - Lisbon w/ a stopover in the Azores.

While I'm sure the plane is fine, there's next to no info about this airline. Just wondering if anyone can shed some light on them?
My understanding is that they mainly cater to the Portuguese ex-pat community.

Also I've heard that immigration in Lisbon is a gong show at best for non-EU passport holders (I don't speak Portuguese), but would anyone know if you go through customs in the Azores instead or if you have to wait until you get to Lisbon?
I have a Canadian passport so there's no issue with me needing a visa or anything. Plus we also have a 7.5hr layover in the Azores so I'd like to try to leave the airport and explore the island a bit.

Any info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

rankourabu

I had a friend who last year thought she got a good deal on SATA to Porto.

I chuckled when she said how bad can it be?

Apparently it was a tight-pitched old A310, with minimal onboard service, and 2+ hour unexplained delays on each leg.

The words never again were spoken afterwards.

It does cater to the large Toronto Azores community.

NeptunePT

Hi,

SATA is an airline that mostly serves the islands of Azores (inter-island fligths/flights from mainland Portugal). However, as you mention, they are also an international airline for quite some years, as a support for the high numbers of emmigration from Azores to US/Canada.

I never took an international flight on their A310s, only between islands (De Havilland DHC-8 400 Series) and from mainland Portugal (A320-200). Although some small delays can be expected when flying between islands (weather and other conditions aren't always that good), I can recommend their service and found it to be at the level of TAP or even better in some aspects. Both cabin crew and airport staff are very friendly and helpful, and I am sure you will like the islands if you have such a big layover. Where are you landing in Azores btw? Is it TER? If so, you can get out (there should be no issues with passport control), take a taxi and have a very good meal at one of the amazing restaurants in Praia da Vitória. I can point you to some if you want

Just as a side note, and if you haven't seen it yet, here is their fleet (in english):

http://www.sata.pt/en/sata/fleet

iceblueshoes

Sounds like something of a mixed bag then...
Hmm...
I'll be taking the A310 from YYZ to Ponta Delgada, Azores and then the A320 onward to Lisbon. The way back is just the A310. Still debating if I want to upgrade and have the exit row to stretch out a bit, but I'm more concerned with seat pitch which I think is more or less the same anywhere.

I don't expect much to be honest. I'm guessing the planes are the equivalent of easyjet and the service being on par with AirTransat. Not expecting Porter or Avianca service with freeflow drinks either. :P

Important thing is to make it there and back in one piece!

NeptunePT

Ponta Delgada is still a very nice place. It's sort of the capital city of Azores (autonomous region of Portugal) and you can find pretty much anything there. I can still recommend you some places to spend some time between your flights.

As for seat pitch in the A310, I have no idea. But I saw that you get some extra elbow room in the rear because the layout becomes 2x3x2 instead of 2x4x2 (I found a couple photos that I'm attaching to this post).





In the A320 (at least the one I took), I can tell you that everything is much better than EasyJet in terms of seat pitch, legroom and service. It was very comfortable in fact. And they gave me a nice meal with all the drinks I asked for. You should get the same in both aircrafts

iceblueshoes

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BB10; Kbd) AppleWebKit/537.35+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/10.2.1.3247 Mobile Safari/537.35+)

Thanks for the info about the planes. That's more than is online.

From your pictures it seems there's a decent amount of leg room and I highly doubt that there's less than Hainan. That was tight and I'm not even that tall (5'9").
Decisions, decisions...

carbonaddict

SATA are a well established and growing airline with 3 businesses - transatlantic for Azorean emigres and backpacker fares; inter-island flights in the Azores (lucrative as very few ferries) and to/from there and Lisbon; and business/leisure flights to a few European cities (London, Madrid etc). The latter opens up interesting open jaw possibilities from Canada.

I flew them in Sept to and from Lisbon as TAP codeshares, which was fine, and was discussing their transatlantic comfort and fares (which can be rock bottom in winter) with my Toronto friend. I showed him the many reviews here:
http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/sata_intl.htm.
My summary is OK if you're not too big, but probably a mistake if you have long legs.

The Azores are an absolutely fantastic destination by the way - definitely worth stopping over and travelling within them.

IAN-UK

I'm sorry, but I think an alternative view is needed ....

SATA is a rag-bag state-owned company operating airlines, airports, ground-handling companies and tour operators. It follows the organisational template of last century's carriers, overlaid by the ambitions of bright-young-things returning to their Acorean roots from the US.

2013 saw a stonking great operational loss.

The airline was kept aloft for years by direct state subsidies and then by European public service obligation money. This was fine as the carrier was operating vital, inherently unprofitable, routes between the islands and from the archipelago to mainland Portugal.

Sadly the carrier developed grandiose schemes from its charter links to the diaspora of Acoreans in US and Canada, and then extended tenuous and infrequent routes into Europe. Loopy links join the Acores with Madeira and the Canary Islands.

Last year the bill to the regional government of the the Acores for inter-island services was over $30,000,000. This joined the accumulation of unpaid subvention monies yet to be passed on to the airline by the state.

tff

I'd overall agree with IAN-UK and add that the A313s are old and tired. That said, I'd love to fly the A313 again

cy_berd

SATA is basically a No-Frills airline. The service on board is basic. No personal screens or power outlet in the seats.
Food is not remarkable.
However, prices are remarkable lower than competitors

Fionacortland

I would avoid SATA at any cost. They screwed me over on so many counts, including making me go after my own beverage, and attempting to impose extra tariffs on my flight home even though I had bought a r.t. ticket
SATA is AWfUL. Staff rude, food inedible. airport staff horrid

No frills, is right. When I rang for a beverage, I was ignored. I went to the rear where I found everyone "yukking it up" One of the guys said "Yes?" I said that I would like a cup of water, showing my meds. The guy just gestured with his head for me to go behind the curtain and get it for myself. They tried to screw me for an additional $350.00 on mt return ticket even though i had purchased a RT ticket

OMG! I flew SATA a couple of times because of the low fares, The last time was the worst flight experience of my entire life (I've been going to Portugal since 1970) I would rather reach in and pull out my own tonsils than ever to fly SATA again.

TAP is a wonderful choice. I've friends who have been working for TAP for decades and they are happy. I loved my flights, except for the one when they lost my luggage. Fortunately, one friend is head of security and they found my luggage overnight and delivered it all the way to Albufeira

Palal

Welcome to FT.

Care to elaborate as to why?

tmac100

It sounds like you are going to pull out your own tonsils! Seriously, they are not anatomically "available" to be pulled out. Perhaps you are thinking that the dangling uvula at the entrance to your naso-pharynx are tonsils...

Stick to what you like. Keep your tonsils. Spend some money and fly TAP.

Recently my 2 sons flew YYZ-LIS-PDL-YYS on a RT SATA flight and both adults had 3 fine flights. They are over 6' tall and said the seats were more comfortable for them than recent flights on the AF A380 because they had a place for their long feet under the seats...

useless

I'm flying SATA in 2 weeks in business YYZ-PDL-LIS I'll let you know how it goes.

djjaguar64

TAP will start flying from YYZ soon.
http://www.travelweek.ca/news/tap-po...s-summer-2017/