Azores Airlines is unique primarily because of its home in the Azores, which are situated about as close to the middle of the North Atlantic as you can get. That means they offer the bulk of service to and from the Azores, which have (rightly) been dubbed the “Hawaii of Europe”. But it also makes them an interesting and often overlooked way to go all the way across the Atlantic, ideally with a nice little stopover on the way. Don’t forget: flights from North America’s east coast to the Azores are only around 4 hours in length.
Why should you consider Azores Airlines?
Azores Airlines has brand new, fuel-efficient and quiet A321NEO aircraft plying many of its transatlantic routes. These are narrow-body aircraft and the business class is more like domestic First in the US – no lie-flat seats here. However, with flights so short, they aren’t really necessary. And Azores couples those nice new aircraft with some really fantastic premium fares. Don’t expect lavish service or many bells and whistles, but relatively speaking you can get great value here.
Its route network encompassing some lesser-served cities in North America and Atlantic islands can also mean it’s an efficient way to travel, in some cases cutting out a connection on certain routes versus traditional transit points in mainland Europe. More on that a bit later on.
Azores Airlines vs SATA Azores
The first point of confusion for many when it comes to Azores Airlines is the sister airline SATA, which is what you’ll be flying if you travel inter-island in the Azores. They are technically two different airlines under one group, with Azores operating all service to Europe and North America on jet aircraft, and SATA operating turboprop Dash 8 flights around the Azores and to Madeira, about two hours away. But as far as you the passenger is concerned, they might as well be the same thing – tickets will often include both if you plan to hop around the islands.
Destinations
The Azores is comprised of several small islands out in the Atlantic and the biggest city and main hub for Azores Airlines is Ponta Delgada, on Sao Miguel island. Many flights will route to and through there. However, the nice thing about Azores Airlines is that they offer direct service to North America and Europe from other Azores islands too. For example from Boston and even Oakland direct to Terceira island.
Some unexpected cities
Azores Airlines also serves some cities you might not expect, such as Providence, Rhode Island and Oakland. Eastbound from the Azores it serves Lisbon with many daily flights, of course (the Azores is part of Portugal) but it also connects the islands to a growing list of other cities in Europe. Keep in mind that some routes are only seasonal and may not be offered year-round.
Skip the Azores altogether
On top of that, it’s also started serving Funchal in Madeira direct from New York and Toronto. (That’s another Portuguese Atlantic island that I would highly recommend.) It’s launched direct New York-Porto flights on the Portugal mainland. And it also now flies to Praia in Cape Verde too, selling tickets from Boston and London to the African island nation.
The fleet
Azores Airlines' fleet is made up entirely of Airbus A320 family aircraft. That includes a mix of older A320 and newer A320NEO, some of which have an all-economy layout while others have a small extra legroom “executive” section. These tend to serve the European mainland. Then there are the A321NEO and A321LR (they are the same from a passenger perspective) that you’ll find on the longer, more premium routes, especially to North America. These feature a dedicated business cabin. The latter do occasionally serve European routes too. Look for the aircraft code: 32Q.
Tip: The one exception to this mix is the Oakland-Terceira flight that Azores often runs during the summer. Because of range limitations that flight is operated by an A330 wide-body belonging to Plus Ultra, so the onboard product will be different to the rest of the Azores offering.
Onboard experience
Azores Airlines is effectively operated like a budget carrier but with more comfort and some added perks in its “comfort” class business cabin on longer routes. If you don’t go in expecting luxury service, however, it tends to do the trick.
Transatlantic economy class
On the newer aircraft serving the transatlantic routes from North America, economy class offers a reasonably comfortable seat with adjustable headrests and decent padding, plus reasonably good legroom. There is no in-seat entertainment screen, however, there is content available to stream to your own device for free, as well as Wifi (which is chargeable).
Economy flights over 3 hours in length are served a hot meal, meaning this applies to all North American flights. Beverages, including wine and beer, are also complimentary.
Tip: Azores will charge you for any seat assignment in the economy, though if you’re taller it could be worthwhile paying a little extra for an exit row or bulkhead seat which will offer a little extra breathing room. That said, legroom is not terrible at all for people of average size, compared to other economy class offerings.
Transatlantic Comfort (business) class
If you think of Azores Airlines business class as a premium economy product, you’ll likely come away happy. Legroom is 40 inches and seats are laid out in a 2-by-2 configuration so there’s enough space for the typically 4- or 5-hour flights you’ll be taking. There’s also a hot meal, complimentary drinks and power outlets. The very short red-eyes to the Azores are tough for getting good rest no matter how you cut it, but these seats are absolutely adequate for a daytime flight and definitely survivable on the overnight. Just don’t plan too much for the following day.
Flights under 3 hours
Many flights between the Azores and Europe are operated as an all-economy service, and on any flight under 3 hours there is no meal served – only a small snack and a drink. Curiously, there is no option to buy anything extra, and that goes for “premium” drinks too. I once asked for a beer onboard a European flight and was told that didn’t exist.
All of this is important to consider if you’re continuing on to Europe with a connection in the Azores where your ticket is otherwise in business class: the second leg could be in an economy seat, plus you won’t have any of the priority boarding, etc, that came with your business ticket on the first leg. The ticket prices do generally reflect this, but it’s good to manage expectations going in.
On inter-island flights meanwhile, there is no service whatsoever, not even a cup of water. So although these flights are usually under an hour long, you may want to bring along some snacks or at least a bottle of water.
Incredible transatlantic fares
If you’re heading to the Azores it’s a no-brainer to take Azores Airlines in many cases because they offer the vast majority of service to and from the islands. But the other reason to fly Azores Airlines is the frequently very compelling premium fares they offer between points in Europe and North America. If the price is right and you have a little extra time, I do think this can be a great value. Added bonus if you can stop for at least a night or two in these incredible islands.
Fun fact: did you know that some of the Azores are actually technically located in North America? That’s because it lies on the North American tectonic plate. So I reckon this is where you can find the shortest flight in the world between Europe and North America, technically – flying from Horta to Flores.
Navigating the fare types
Azores Airlines has six different fare types on offer and although they’ve color-coded them it can be pretty difficult to figure them out, especially if you’re on a longer itinerary that involves a mix of cabins and interline partners. On my last flight with them, there was quite a bit of confusion about which level of priority I could actually board with despite having purchased a business class ticket. In the end, the gate agent simply shrugged and let me through. So take a close look at this before you head to the airport, so that you know what you’re entitled to.
Loyalty program
SATA Imagine is the loyalty program of Azores Airlines and SATA, and unless you are traveling very often to the Azores or plan on moving there, I wouldn’t bother signing up. Attaining elite status with the program will get you some added priority and perks like a few extra bonus miles, but overall they are not too compelling. Better to credit your Azores Airlines flight to TAP Portugal’s program, which will have better usability on a much wider range of partners.
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