A really good experience from start to finish. The staff at the Azores Airlines office in Toronto were polite and efficient and did a great job of booking our flights and advising us and making a small adjustment when the schedules changed. Then, in the midst of horrible Christmas weather causing continent wide flight disruptions, we had a surprisingly positive check in experience at Toronto Pearson - 25 minutes in total from entering the airport (total chaos inside with other airlines) until our first glass of wine after security. The first flight left Toronto about 1 hour late but the connecting flight in Ponta Delgada, Azores was held and we arrived in Madeira about 30 minutes late. A nice touch - when we landed in the Azores it was pouring rain so, instead of the usual 200 foot outside walk to the terminal, Azores Airlines provided a covered staircase and a bus, limiting our exposure to the outside weather to no more than 5 feet. In addition to our checked luggage, the SATA Azores Airlines check in staff were happy to put our carry on bags in the hold all the way to Madeira at no additional cost so we carried only our one personal item. On board staff were friendly and courteous and advised us of progress. Food on board all flights was OK. We have been flying this route for 10 years now and, despite weather and small fleet challenges, we have never had a bad experience similar to what other reviewers have had.
airlines reviews