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✓ You only pay if you get compensation✓ Up to €600 per passenger✓ EC Regulation 261/2004
Azores AirlinesDelay · Cancellation · Overbooking

Azores Airlines compensation: up to €600 per passenger

Azores Airlines flight delayed, cancelled or overbooked? Check for free in 2 minutes: we handle the claim, all the way to court if needed.

  • Up to €600 per passenger
  • Check in just 2 minutes
  • Nothing upfront: you only pay if you get compensation
  • Legal assistance specialised in air travel
DelayFlight24 applies European Regulation EC 261/2004
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  • Data protected
  • Nothing upfront
  • You only pay if we win
  • Transparent feeOnly 25% + VAT and only if Azores Airlines pays: out of €400 you receive €278.
  • All the way to courtIf Azores Airlines does not pay, our lawyers take the airline to court, at no extra cost to you.
  • Claims handled87,704 passengers have already trusted usupdated in real time

In short

  • Delay: if you arrive 3 hours or more late, Azores Airlines owes €250 to €600 per person, depending on the distance.
  • Cancellation: you are owed compensation if you were told less than 14 days before departure, on top of a ticket refund or an alternative flight.
  • Not owed for extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, air traffic control strikes). Technical faults and strikes by the airline's own staff usually are not extraordinary.
  • With DelayFlight24 you pay nothing upfront: if Azores Airlines pays, you keep €173.75 out of €250 or €278 out of €400.

Azores Airlines claims in numbers

Figures from the Azores Airlines claims we have handled for our customers, updated daily.

190Azores Airlines passengers have trusted us
65%of claims concern delayed flights
33%concern cancelled flights
2%concern overbooking and denied boarding

Azores Airlines routes with the most claims

Azores Airlines routes with the most claims
RoutekmOwed
Ponta DelgadaLisbon1,450250 €Check
LisbonPonta Delgada1,450250 €Check
Ponta DelgadaHorta278250 €Check
PortoPonta Delgada1,510400 €Check
FunchalPonta Delgada986250 €Check
Ponta DelgadaPorto1,510400 €Check
Ponta DelgadaNew York4,108600 €Check
TorontoPonta Delgada4,516600 €Check

Amount per person for arrival delays of at least 3 hours, cancellations with less than 14 days' notice and overbooking, unless there were extraordinary circumstances.

Azores Airlines compensation: what you can claim for delays and cancellations

Azores Airlines, called SATA Internacional until 2015, links the Azores with mainland Portugal, Madeira, several European cities and North America. We have already handled more than 120 Azores Airlines claims, mostly between Ponta Delgada and mainland Portugal, to Funchal and on the short hop to Horta. If your flight landed 3 hours late, was cancelled at short notice or left you behind because it was overbooked, you could be owed €250 to €600 per passenger.

The airline is based in Ponta Delgada on São Miguel and belongs to the SATA Group, owned by the Autonomous Region of the Azores, so it is a Portuguese, EU-licensed carrier. Regulation (EC) 261/2004 therefore protects you on flights leaving the EU and also on flights into the Azores from Toronto, Boston or New York.

Long delay

You reached your final destination 3 hours or more behind the booked arrival time.

3+ hours on arrival

Cancellation

You were told less than a fortnight before departure, with no replacement close to your original times.

Less than 14 days' notice

Bumped off

Full flight, valid ticket, on time at the gate, and still left behind.

Owed on the spot

When nothing is due

Fog or crosswinds that genuinely close an island airport, if they grounded your flight.

Extraordinary circumstances

Enter your airports and date to see within minutes whether you have a case. Check your Azores Airlines flight.

How much Azores Airlines pays per passenger

Your fare is irrelevant, even a discounted resident ticket: only the straight-line distance to your final destination counts.

Distance Example Azores Airlines routes Compensation
Up to 1,500 km Ponta Delgada–Horta, Funchal–Ponta Delgada €250
1,500 to 3,500 km Ponta Delgada–London, Ponta Delgada–Paris, Ponta Delgada–Frankfurt, Lisbon–Horta €400
Over 3,500 km Ponta Delgada–Toronto, Ponta Delgada–Boston, Ponta Delgada–New York €600

Every traveller on the booking has a separate claim, including children with their own seat. Two adults and two children on a Ponta Delgada–Paris flight cancelled the day before could claim €1,600 between them. Ponta Delgada to Lisbon or Porto sits near the 1,500 km line, so we calculate the exact distance.

Azores Airlines flight delayed? Your next steps

Around 6 in 10 Azores Airlines claims we receive involve a delay. The clock stops when the first door opens, not at touchdown. While you are still at the airport:

  1. Hold on to your boarding pass, printed or saved after online check-in.
  2. Ask at the Azores Airlines desk why the flight is late and photograph the departures screen.
  3. Write down your arrival time, especially if you were connecting to another island.
  4. Keep every receipt for food, taxis or a hotel you paid for yourself.
  5. Turn down travel vouchers offered instead of cash compensation.

Meals and hotels while you wait

Whatever happens with compensation, the airline owes you food, drink and, if stuck overnight, a hotel with transfers.

Flight distance Care due after
Up to 1,500 km 2 hours
1,500 to 3,500 km 3 hours
Over 3,500 km 4 hours
Delay over 5 hours You may abandon the trip and get your fare back

Missed connection in Ponta Delgada

Many trips to Terceira, Pico or Horta connect in Ponta Delgada. If both legs were on one booking and you reached the last island 3 or more hours late, compensation is based on the whole distance. Separate tickets are judged one by one. More on our page about Azores Airlines delay compensation.

Does your Azores Airlines flight qualify?Check in 2 minutes, with no obligation.
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Azores Airlines flight cancelled: refund, rebooking and compensation

About 3 in 10 of our claims against this airline concern a cancellation, which gives you two separate rights.

Refund or alternative flight

Your choice: the money you paid back, or another flight to the same destination.

Compensation of €250 to €600

Due on top when the cancellation reached you less than 14 days before departure.

Notice given Compensation
14 days or more None, but refund or rebooking still apply
7 to 13 days Yes, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours early and lands less than 4 hours late
Under 7 days Yes, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour early and lands less than 2 hours late

Retimed flights. A big schedule change announced only days before departure can be treated as a cancellation. Already had your ticket money back? See whether compensation is still owed. More on our page about Azores Airlines cancellation refunds.

Azores Airlines overbooking

Denied boarding is rare in our files, about 2 claims in 100, though island flights fill up fast in summer. If you held a ticket, reached the gate in time and were still left behind, compensation is owed straight away, together with a new flight or a refund. See our guide to Azores Airlines overbooking and denied boarding.

Azores Airlines and SATA strikes

When the airline's own pilots, cabin crew or engineers walk out, compensation is normally payable: the EU Court of Justice treats a strike by an airline's staff as part of its ordinary business (case C-28/20). Air traffic control or airport staff strikes are different: they are extraordinary, so only care and rerouting remain.

Azores Airlines rejected your claim? Common reasons

The usual explanations, and how European judges view them.

It depends
"Bad weather in the Azores"

The weather must have affected your flight at that time.

Usually owed
"Technical fault"

Repairs and checks are routine airline business. Only hidden manufacturing defects flagged by the maker or regulators are excluded.

EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07
Usually owed
"Late arrival of the incoming aircraft"

A small fleet means a morning delay ripples through the day, but a knock-on effect alone is no defence.

Often not owed
"Air traffic control strike"

If the walkout was outside the airline and really stopped your flight, nothing is payable.

Has Azores Airlines already said no? Send us its reply: we compare the reason with the real flight data and, if it does not hold up, follow up with a formal demand and court action if needed. Check your flight.

Inter-island flights run by SATA Air Açores

Flights inside the archipelago, such as Ponta Delgada–Horta, are generally operated by SATA Air Açores, the group's regional airline with its own operating certificate. It is Portuguese too, so your rights are identical and the claim goes to whichever airline actually flew you.

Azores Airlines claims on flights from Canada, the US and the UK

As an EU airline, Azores Airlines is also liable for flights arriving in the EU from elsewhere. Covered in both directions:

  • Toronto and Montréal to and from the Azores
  • Boston and New York to and from the Azores
  • Praia in Cape Verde
  • London Gatwick, in the months it is served

Departures from the UK are also covered by UK261, with amounts in pounds. We apply whichever rules suit your case.

How to claim from Azores Airlines

You can write to the airline yourself through the "Complaint" form in the Customer Care area of azoresairlines.pt.

On your own

Free, but replies can be slow and any rejection is yours to fight, through the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for UK departures) or the courts.

With DelayFlight24

A two-minute form and an online signature. We handle the claim, the formal demand and any court case with our own lawyers. You pay 25% + VAT only if you are paid; legal costs are ours, even if the case is lost.

If Azores Airlines has already refused

You can still pass it to us: we check whether the reason given stands up.

What to have ready

  • Booking and boarding passThe confirmation email is enough.
  • ID or passportOne for each passenger, children included.
  • Airline messagesDelay or cancellation notices and receipts for expenses.

Time limits for an Azores Airlines claim

The Regulation sets no deadline of its own: national law in the country where you bring the claim decides (EU Court of Justice, case C-139/11). Last year's flight is very likely still claimable: enter the date and we will check.

How long Azores Airlines takes to pay

If the airline accepts, payment usually arrives within a few weeks. If it disputes the claim, a formal demand and sometimes court action follow, which adds a few months.

Lost or damaged luggage with Azores Airlines

Bags fall under the Montreal Convention rather than the delay rules. Fill in a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) before leaving the airport, then claim through the "Losses and Damages" section of the website within 7 days for damage, or within 21 days of delivery for a delayed bag.

Azores Airlines contact details and flight status

Head office
Azores Airlines (SATA Group), Ponta Delgada, São Miguel, Azores, Portugal
Complaints
"Complaint" form in the Customer Care area of azoresairlines.pt
Flight status
Official website
No win, no fee. Nothing to pay upfront, and we cover legal costs even if we lose. Check your Azores Airlines flight.

What if Azores Airlines does not pay? We go all the way

Many airlines only pay when they realise we will not give up. If they refuse or do not reply, our lawyers take legal action, and you do not have to do anything.

Claim to the airline

We send the formal claim with all the documents.

Formal notice

If they do not pay, we send a formal notice with legal value.

Our lawyers in court

Our lawyers take the airline to court, all the way to a judgement.

  • If we lose, you pay nothingNo fee and no costs. If we win, the fee is 40% + VAT.
  • Legal costs are on usYou pay nothing for the court case, even if we lose.
  • All the way to a judgementWe do not stop at the formal notice: if needed we go to court.

Azores Airlines compensation: frequently asked questions

Is Azores Airlines an EU airline?
Yes. It is based in Ponta Delgada in the Azores and belongs to the SATA Group, so it is a Portuguese carrier. EU Regulation 261/2004 covers its flights leaving the EU and its flights arriving in the EU from outside, such as Toronto–Ponta Delgada.
How much does Azores Airlines pay for a 3-hour delay?
€250 per passenger on flights such as Ponta Delgada–Horta or Funchal–Ponta Delgada, €400 on routes such as Ponta Delgada–London or Ponta Delgada–Frankfurt, and €600 on flights to Toronto, Boston or New York. What counts is the delay on arrival at your final destination.
My inter-island flight was operated by SATA Air Açores. Can I still claim?
Yes. SATA Air Açores is the SATA Group's regional airline and is Portuguese, so the same rules apply. The claim goes to the airline that operated the flight; just give us the flight as it appears on your booking.
My flight was cancelled because of weather in the Azores. Am I owed anything?
If the weather genuinely prevented the flight, compensation is not due, but you keep the right to a refund or new flight plus meals and a hotel if needed. If other flights left the same airport normally, the reason is worth checking.
Are flights from Toronto or Boston to the Azores covered?
Yes, because Azores Airlines is an EU carrier, flights arriving in the EU from non-EU countries fall under Regulation 261/2004. These routes are over 3,500 km, so the amount is €600 per passenger.
I missed my connection in Ponta Delgada. What can I claim?
If both flights were on one booking and you reached your final island 3 or more hours late, you can claim compensation based on the total distance. Separate tickets are assessed one flight at a time.
Does a strike by SATA staff give me a right to compensation?
Usually yes. A strike by the airline's own pilots, cabin crew or engineers is not an extraordinary circumstance according to the EU Court of Justice. Strikes by air traffic controllers or airport staff are.
Where do I send a complaint to Azores Airlines?
Use the Complaint form in the Customer Care area of azoresairlines.pt; luggage issues go through the Losses and Damages section. Or let us handle it: we contact the airline and deal with any rejection.
What does DelayFlight24 charge for an Azores Airlines claim?
Nothing upfront. If we recover your compensation we keep 25% + VAT, so you receive €173.75 out of €250 €278 out of €400, or €417 out of €600. Legal costs are always ours, even if a court case is lost.

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Azores Airlines flight delayed or cancelled?

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