Island Hopping in the Azores
The Azores are a beautiful group of islands in the heart of the Atlantic Ocean, accessible via nonstop flights to Ponta Delgada (PDL) from various parts of the US, Canada and Europe, including Boston (BOS), Toronto (YYZ) and Lisbon (LIS).
Ponta Delgada is located on São Miguel Island, one of the larger islands of the Azores, but access to the other islands is easily available thanks to Azores Airlines' island hopper commuter flights, which mostly take place on Bombardier Dash aircraft.
The carrier is owned by the SATA group, which owns two airlines: Azores Airlines, which flies international routes from the Azores on Airbus aircraft, and SATA Air Açores, which operates the regional flights, connecting the islands within the Azores.
I joined the crew on an early morning flight between Ponta Delgada (PDL) on São Miguel Island and Santa Maria island. There are two flights a day, one in the morning around 6:30am, and the other in the evening around 5:00pm. The aircraft spends around 30 minutes on the ground at Santa Maria before retuning to Ponta Delgada on Sao Miguel Island. Tickets for the flight are mostly bought via the local ticket office on various islands in the Azores, and usually cost about 50 euros (~$56) each way.
The Aircraft
The flight between Ponta Delgada (PDL) and Santa Maria (SMA) is operated by a Bombardier Dash 8 Q4OO aircraft.
These planes are young and were only delivered from the Bombardier factory in Canada about seven years ago.
The aircraft sports the traditional SATA livery.
A turboprop aircraft is perfect for island hopping, thanks to its ability to land on short runways.
Cabin and Seats
Seats in this island-hopping aircraft are arranged in a 2-2 configuration.
The blue SATA bird logo is featured on the headrests of each seat.
The Flight
The flight between Ponta Delgada (PDL) and Santa Maria (SMA) is one of the world's shortest commercial flights, at roughly 12 minutes. I joined the Azores crew in the flight deck for this short flight and the views were incredible! By 6:30am local time, it was time to take off.
Here's a look at some of the views during the "cruise," which only lasted about five minutes. We reached a maximum altitude of 9,000 feet, which we maintained for a few minutes before initiating our descent.
After just 10 minutes in the air, we were on final approach to Santa Maria (SMA), one of the smallest islands in the Azores. Flying conditions were great; it can be a little turbulent in the Azores because its location is so remote in the Atlantic Ocean, while landings can be a little tricky since crosswind conditions are frequent. On this particular day, it was smooth with great visibility.
Here's the view of our final approach, with the runway in sight. It's a typical Azorean airport, where the other side of the runway is a sheer drop, meaning there's little room for error.
After 12 minutes, we were on the ground in Santa Maria (SMA) and the aircraft was already being prepared for the hop back to Ponta Delgada (PDL).
I can't think of a better way to spend 12 minutes of my morning than island hopping in the Azores.
Have you ever flown on such a short commercial flight? Tell us about it, below.
All photos by the author.
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- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
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- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
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| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
| 4X | Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year. |
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You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after spending $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer.As High As 100,000 points. Find Out Your Offer.Annual Fee
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Why We Chose It
There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.