Dan and I found ourselves flying out of Ponta Delgada airport verrrry early in the morning in September – like 7:30 a.m. flight early – on our way home from our “mini-moon” after our wedding (terribly depressing). We knew that PDL had a SATA Lounge, and we are hopeful that it would be open before our flight. And, it was! We were able to enjoy about 45 minutes in the SATA Lounge before our flight due to our Priority Pass.

The SATA Lounge is located post-security in the Ponta Delgada airport, just to the left of the security check point. The SATA Lounge is somewhat hidden in a corner with a nondescript entrance. For those confused about the name, SATA is the former airline of the Azores; however, it was recently rebranded to Azorean Airlines, but the SATA legacy continues to live on and the lounge did not change its name… Although they did add that little blue bird.

We checked in to the SATA Lounge with our Priority Pass and tickets very easily. Since it was so early, the SATA Lounge was practically empty, which was good because the SATA Lounge is TINY. Seriously. The lounge is basically a rectangle with comfortable leather chairs arranged in a living room fashion. The SATA Lounge design is focused around exposed wood, and it kind of reminded me of a Scandinavian lounge.

For food purposes, a buffet is set up just past the check-in area. On our early morning visit, I enjoyed a Diet Coke, some very delicious Azorean chocolate milk, and some Azorean trail mix. Note that while I call it it “buffet,” the food options are extremely limited. For example, the only food that was out was a single apple wrapped in plastic, two types of Azorean cookies, and Azorean trail mix. It may have just been the early hour, but I was less than impressed with the food offerings.

In terms of alcohol, we skipped it on account of it being so early in the morning,  but there is a decent selection. There was a standard selection AND a bottle of Licor de Maracujá, the famous liquor from São Miguel. 

There were also small bottles of wine and beer in the fridge. On the non-alcohol drink note, the SATA Lounge offered small bottles of water, cans of soda AND the most delicious Azorean chocolate milk!

In terms of other amenities, the wifi worked well on my visit.  There are also newspapers and a TV showing CNN. However, there are no restrooms in the SATA Lounge. You have to exit the lounge and use the public facilities – I really hate this.

All in all, the SATA Lounge was certainly not the nicest airport lounge that I have ever visited. That being said, it was a nice was to pass the time while waiting for my flight, especially so early in the morning! I also thought they did an excellent job of featuring Azorean products in the lounge.

STEAL OUR LOUNGE

SATA Lounge (no website): Located post-security, to the left of the security exit. Open daily 6:00 – 22:00, although it was open a few minutes before 6:00 when I visited. Priority Pass members enjoy free entrance. Unclear if you can purchase a day pass.

ON A BUDGET

The Ponda Delgada airport has a lot of amenities for such a small airport, including shops, cafes, and free internet. Accordingly, I would not recommend paying to enter the SATA Lounge. It is worthwhile if you have free access, such as status with the airline or Priority Pass.