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Business Profile

Airlines

SATA

This business is NOT BBB Accredited.

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Complaints

This profile includes complaints for SATA's headquarters and its corporate-owned locations. To view all corporate locations, see

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SATA has 2 locations, listed below.

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    • SATA

      211 South Main Street Fall River, MA 02721-5306

    • SATA

      128 Union St Ste 101 New Bedford, MA 02740-6386

    Customer Complaints Summary

    • 29 total complaints in the last 3 years.
    • 8 complaints closed in the last 12 months.

    If you've experienced an issue

    Submit a Complaint

    The complaint text that is displayed might not represent all complaints filed with BBB. Some consumers may elect to not publish the details of their complaints, some complaints may not meet BBB's standards for publication, or BBB may display a portion of complaints when a high volume is received for a particular business.

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    Complaint status

    Complaint type

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/09/2024

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We (myself, husband, 2 adult sons) flew on SATA Airlines from ***************** to the Azores in early January. SATA first forced us to check our carry-on bags, then deliberately did not load them on the plane (without telling us until we landed) because of expected weather concerns on the ground in the Azores upon arrival. We were without our bags for our entire trip (7 days) and did not have them returned to us until 36 hours after we returned home to ******. We incurred over $800 in expenses (having to buy everything - clothes and personal care items) while we were away. When we returned home, we submitted a claim to SATA (with proper evidence and receipts) and on January 17th SATA informed us that our claim was accepted and that we would be reimbursed for $611 of our expenses. As of today, March 9th, we still have not received any reimbursement despite many emails and phone calls to SATA to check on the status.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/19/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased a direct flight with Sata International-Azores from *** *** to ******* ******* ******** that was supposed to depart *** on 10/23/2023 at 8:55pm and land in ******* on 10/24/2023 at 9am. An hour before checkin, I was informed that the flight was cancelled and I was rebooked on a flight that now included a 12 hour layover in ****** that was scheduled to arrive on 10/25/2023 at 12:05am and the flight was now operated by Tap ********. The actual flight landed closer to 1am. I tried contacting Sata to try to get on a flight that landed earlier but their office is closed on weekends so I was not able to be scheduled on an earlier flight. I deliberately paid extra for a direct flight but ended up on a flight that landed more than 15 hours after the original landing time. I submitted a complaint per the instructions of the airline attendant for Sata but it has been 3 weeks and I have not heard a responses on how they are will to compensate me for this delay. I have tried emailing the customer support but I am just directed back to the website where I submitted the complaint.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:11/02/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My family purchased tickets to fly on a SATA flight from ****** to ************* in the Azores. At the airport were not permitted to board because my ** passport expired in less than 3 months (it expired in 2 months and 27 days) and the ** requires passports to have 3 months of validity remaining. The SATA agent told me "This happens to at least one person or more every day". When I purchased the flight I provided SATA with my passport information, including expiration date. I also entered this same information again when I checked in for the flight the day before our flight and I was never told of the ** regulation. I asked if I could move my family's flights to a few days later and they told me I could not rebook until I had a new passport.I got my passport renewed 2 days later and called SATA to rebook our flights. They informed me that they would not rebook, refund or credit me for the missed flights because each flight would incur a $350 change fee and another $350 'No Show' fee (even though we did arrive at the airport with valid passports and our bags were even loaded onto the plane). These two fees on each ticket were more than the value of the tickets. In order to go on our vacation, I paid $1300 per one-way ticket (on top of the cost of the original tickets) to buy flights for the following day. Our flight was then delayed 3 hours and due to a catering mixup, the flight proceeded with no meals. We were told to talk with a SATA representative when we landed for reimbursement. I spoke with SATA representatives in person and on the phone and was told they would do nothing about either issue. SATA profited off a regulation they did not disclose clearly to their passengers. They refused to work with me to move or rebook our flights and instead pocketed an extra $3700 from me. SATA is the airline and travel agent and has all the tools and knowledge to inform their customers of ** rules and at the very least, not to use it as a way to increase their revenue.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:08/23/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I purchased 2 airlines tickets from Azores airlines totaling *******. I requested a refund. This airline stated they will refund the seat fare, however they are not refunding sales taxes that I paid. I expect to receive and additional ******+ US dollars on sales tax if they practiced ethically. I have emailed headquarters and requested tax and fees be refunded along with invoice with itemized statement of refund and they denied this. They offered me an arbitrary refund amount without any further explanation or invoice. I specifically asked for refund on sales tax in an email. They responded with, "we've started the refund process".Please see attachments for fares, taxes, and fees. In addition, I purchased top tier seating which allows for a low fee penalty when making a flight change/canceling. I expect to pay fees of ****** for not flying, however receiving sales tax is a must as this there was no transaction.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:07/24/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Booked a flight for return to ********** for 2 months; Purchased *******+ of clothing and items to bring to the island and when I got there the suitcase nor my stuff was no where to be found. They made me wait *************************************************************** $680 in a voucher. This doesn't even cover the clothing I had to purchase to replace what I lost when I was there. I do not understand why they are able to operate in ******* if it is considered OOB.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:06/14/2023

      Type:Service or Repair Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I am hoping to get some assistance with some unexpected baggage expenses we incurred at the ************** when checking in to our flight home to the **** My boyfriend and I knew we were going to check 1 bag for 90, but on this occasion were forced to check our carry-on bags as well by a rude staff member for an additional 180! We tried to explain that we were flying internationally and each had 1 carry-on and that SATA Azores staff at *** had previously accepted our standard-sized carry-ons a week ago when we first flew from *** to ********. We even offered to repack our bags to lower the weight, but were told by the staff member checking us in that our standard-size cases were too large (although this was not true when flying into ******** on another SATA Azores flight). When we asked staff at our departure gate, they said our standard-sized bags would have been fine and did not know why we were told to pay for the bags. They even said we could have checked them for free at the gate of departure if it were truly an issue. Furthermore, several passengers on our flight had the exact same size, type, and brand luggage as ours. We're looking for some assistance in recovering the charges for the two unnecessarily checked bags. Our booking confirmation was 4RNJGQ. We departed on 5/17/23 and returned 5/26/23.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:04/24/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      I was supposed to be on flight 232 - the booking code is R4CEOR. I arrived at the terminal at 9:25 and the check-in station was completely shut down. I spoke to an agent over the phone and she referred me to this email. There was not a single employee there who could help me. There were 10 other people in the same situation. We were waiting for two hours, unable to get help or information about the flight. The flight didnt leave until 10:30pm. I would like a full refund for my flight, and a reimbursement for the expenses that was caused by SATAs lack of help. It is completely unacceptable that there was nobody available to assist us.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:03/28/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      My family and I due to family and Covid travel restrictions were not able to make our trip to the Azores. SATA Airlines has penalized us 250$ per ticket (3) and will not allow my family to use the remaining credit on a lesser fare. Unknown to us the tickets have to be of equal or greater value in order to purchase new ones, resulting in, not only losing the 250$ but now having to pay more per ticket. I feel that this is incredibly distasteful and we were not fully made aware of the polices by the airline. I would like a full refund on my tickets.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/27/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      We purchased Azores airline tickets from *** to *******, ******** through a third party on line (GoToGate). Our flight was supposed to depart on Thursday 2/16/23. We received a text saying the flight was cancelled due to power outage at Terminal 1. We attempted to contact the airline many times each time being placed on hold for an hour and a half or more and no resolution was provided. Our flight kept on getting rebooked for the next day. 5 days later we flew out on Monday 2/20. We tried to contact GotoGate (our next complaint) and all we got was a very rude dismissal claiming it was not their problem. We tried to contact the ********************** without luck. There is no one to be directed to. Everyone is pointing fingers but no one would help. We have pre purchased parking, car rental and hotels, all paid for in full. We lost our parking spot and had to pay again and then get a taxi (both directions). We did not get reimbursed for any of these and still not able to find anyone who would respond to us. We worked so hard to finally be able to go on vacation. We ended up with a 3-day vacation that cost us a lot of money. Someone needs to be held responsible. This was a terminal one mess up but they told us this should be directed through the airline. The airline is not responding or taking calls. someone has to respond.

    • Initial Complaint

      Date:02/13/2023

      Type:Product Issues
      Status:
      Unpursuable
      Resolved:
      The complainant verified the issue was resolved to their satisfaction.
      Unresolved:
      The business responded to the dispute but failed to make a good faith effort to resolve it.
      Answered:
      The business addressed the issues within the complaint, but the consumer either a) did not accept the response, OR b) did not notify BBB as to their satisfaction.
      Unanswered:
      The business failed to respond to the dispute.
      Unpursuable:
      BBB is unable to locate the business.
      Case Number: CAS-*****-H8F9D0 Case Codes: ******* Dear ************************* We apologize but regarding the expense you have to check with **************************************************.HELLO Where is my refund? What is the problem? Please respond!Sincerely,******************* ****** From: ****** ************************** Sent: Wednesday, January 4, 2023 8:04 AM ***************** <*************************************>; Info - SATA Azores Airlines <****************************>; ************************************************** Cc: ****** ************************** <*************************************>Subject: FW: FW: [EXTERNAL] Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation SATA0364303 Importance: High Hello and Happy New Year!I have not received my refund from my trip last August! What more do you need to process??? I did the direct deposit form months ago.I do no understand. Why am I being ignored? Is this how you treat customers?I would appreciate a response from someone please. I would more appreciate getting my refund.Sincerely,******************* ****** *************************************************************** From: Tayler ************************** Sent: Friday, December 9, 2022 11:59 AM ***************** <*************************************>Subject: RE: FW: [EXTERNAL] Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation SATA0364303 Please facilitate my refund for me. Do whatever you need with **************************************************. My efforts over these past few months have not been successful. Please help me out!Thank you,******************* ****** ________________________________________From: SATA ************* <*************************************>Sent: Wednesday, December 7, 2022 12:23 PM To: ****** ************************** <*************************************>Subject: RE: FW: [EXTERNAL] Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation SATA0364303 Case Number: CAS-*****-H8F9D0 Case Codes: ******* Dear ************************* We apologize but regarding the expense you have to check with **************************************************. Apoio a clientes | Customer Support ********************** **************************************************, *************** ************* Fax: ***************** ************************************* AVISO DE CONFIDENCIALIDADE Esta mensagem e quaisquer ficheiros anexos a ela ***** informao confidencial e destinam-se a uso exclusivo a quem nela ****** como destinatrio. Podendo conter informao privilegiada, confidencial ou qualquer outro contedo protegido e impedido de ser revelado sob a lei aplicvel. Caso no seja o destinatrio ***** mensagem, fica notificado de que qualquer utilizao, distribuio, reencaminhamento ou outra forma de revelao a outrem, impresso ou cpia ***** mensagem expressamente proibida. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This e-mail, as well as any attachments, is intended only for the use of the individual or entity shown above as addressees. It may contain information which is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure under applicable laws. If the reader of this transmission is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, printing, distribution, copying, disclosure or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited ------------------- Mensagem original -------------------De: ************************* ****** <*************************************>;Recebido: Mon Nov 07 2022 14:09:09 GMT-**** (Azores Standard ********** SATA ************* <*************************************>; ************* <*************************************>; Irregularidades Terceira <**************************************************>;Cc: ************************* ****** <*************************************>;Assunto: FW: [EXTERNAL] Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation SATA0364303 Algumas pessoas que receberam esta mensagem no costumam receber e-mails de ************************************** Saiba por que motivo isto importante Good morning, I would appreciate my refund or at least a response to my email on 10/31 please. A refund request should not take months!! Sincerely, ******************* ****** From: ****** ************************** Sent: Monday, October 31, 2022 8:04 AM To: SATA ************* <*************************************>Cc: ************************************************** Subject: RE: [EXTERNAL] Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation SATA0364303 Hello *************, Im not sure what was meant by the last email on 10/28. It does not make sense to me. Please clarify. When will I see my refund money in my checking account???????? It has been two months now since this request! Sincerely, ******************* ****** From: SATA ************* <*************************************>Sent: Friday, October 28, 2022 10:43 AM To: ****** ************************** <*************************************>Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation SATA0364303 While email attachments are a popular and convenient way to send documents, they are also a common source of viruses. Use caution when opening attachments, even if they appear to have been sent by someone you know. Case Number: CAS-*****-H8F9D0 Case Codes: ******* Dear ************************* We apologize but we inform you that, regarding the expense you have to send to ************************************************** Best Regards Apoio a clientes | Customer Support ********************** **************************************************, *************** ************* Fax: ***************** ************************************* AVISO DE CONFIDENCIALIDADE Esta mensagem e quaisquer ficheiros anexos a ela ***** informao confidencial e destinam-se a uso exclusivo a quem nela ****** como destinatrio. Podendo conter informao privilegiada, confidencial ou qualquer outro contedo protegido e impedido de ser revelado sob a lei aplicvel.Caso no seja o destinatrio ***** mensagem, fica notificado de que qualquer utilizao, distribuio, reencaminhamento ou outra forma de revelao a outrem, impresso ou cpia ***** mensagem expressamente proibida. CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This e-mail, as well as any attachments, is intended only for the use of the individual or entity shown above as addressees. It may contain information which is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure under applicable laws. If the reader of this transmission is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, printing, distribution, copying, disclosure or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited ------------------- Mensagem original -------------------De: ************************* ****** <*************************************>;Recebido: Mon Oct 10 2022 12:30:25 GMT+0000 (Azores Summer ********** SATA ************* <*************************************>; ************* <*************************************>;Cc: SATA Info <****************************>; Emails CSC <****************************>; ************** <****************************>; ********************;Assunto: Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation Hello *************, I left for the ********************** in August and I am still waiting for my refund please see chain of emails below. Do you need anything further from me? Are you mailing me a check soon?? This is getting frustrating for me. Please resolve. My address: ************************************************* Thank you for your consideration in this matter. Sincerely, ******************* ****** From: Info - SATA | Azores Airlines <****************************>Sent: Friday, September 30, 2022 9:40 AM To: ****** ************************** <*************************************>Cc: ******************** Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: RE: Refund Request due to Flight Cancelation While email attachments are a popular and convenient way to send documents, they are also a common source of viruses. Use caution when opening attachments, even if they appear to have been sent by someone you know. ** Responda acima ***** linha // Reply above this line **Dear Passenger, we inform you that your request was forwarded to our ************* department. For more information about your refund please contact: ************************************* At your disposal.Com os melhores cumprimentos/Best regards ************SATA | Azores Airlines Morada | Address: ***************************************************************************** | 9504-528 ************* | ************************ - ******** Telefone | Phone: **************** | Fax: **************** Chamada para rede fixa nacional **********. O custo das comunicaes depende do tarifrio acordado com o seu operador.E-mail: **************************** | Website: www.azoresairlines.pt AVISO DE CONFIDENCIALIDADE Esta mensagem e quaisquer ficheiros anexos a ela ***** informao confidencial e destinam-se a uso exclusivo a quem nela ****** como destinatrio. Podendo conter informao privilegiada, confidencial ou qualquer outro contedo protegido e impedido de ser revelado sob a lei aplicvel.Caso no seja o destinatrio ***** mensagem, fica notificado de que qualquer utilizao, distribuio, reencaminhamento ou outra forma de revelao a outrem, impresso ou cpia ***** mensagem expressamente proibida.CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE This e-mail, as well as any attachments, is intended only for the use of the individual or entity shown above as addressees. It may contain information which is privileged, confidential or otherwise protected from disclosure under applicable laws. If the reader of this transmission is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any dissemination, printing, distribution, copying, disclosure or the taking of any action in reliance on the contents of this information is strictly prohibited.--------------------------------------------------------------------- ************Dear *********, we inform you that your request was forwarded to our ************* department. For more information about your refund please contact: ************************************* At your disposal.30 Sep, 14:39 You Dear Azores Airlines,Why is my request for refund taking so long? I returned from my trip 3 weeks ago. I am waiting for the extra hotel night refund. I forwarded several attachments previously.Please advise.Thank you,******************* ****** 30 Sep, 13:50 ****************Dear *********, We inform you that your email has been sent to be analyzed by the ************************************* department. Thank you for your attention. 23 Sep, 13:24 You Good morning,I'm just following up as I have not yet been refunded for the extra night hotel stay. I did receive this email below on 9/15:Dear *** / *****,File ref: ******* Thank you for your communication.We will return to your contact.In some situations, we will need to contact internal or external departments to verify the situation. Therefore, we kindly request your comprehension for some delay that we may have in our answer.This is an auto-generated message. Please do not answer to this email.Best Regards,SATA AZORES AIRLINES **************************************************************************************************************************** Please advise as to the status of my refund.Thank you for your time and consideration.Sincerely,******************* ****** 23 Sep, 13:12 You Good morning,Attached are other documents regarding my trip. If none of these have the "booking reference" your looking for, please tell me where I can find it or perhaps you can reach out to ************************* at the booking department with Azores Getaways as she assisted us on this extra hotel night due to the flight cancelation. Her number is ************** *** or 315 308 803 425 ********.Thank you,******************* ****** 14 Sep, 13:24 ****************Dear Passenger, SATA appreciates your contact. Please provide your booking reference in order for us to verify. We await an answer.13 Sep, 15:32 You Good morning,We had a wonderful vacation in Terceira!!Attached is a scanned copy of the invoice for the extra night paid due to cancelation of flight S4230-03SET as we are requesting a refund. I understand you may have a form for me to complete. If you need anything further, please let me know.Thank you very much for your time and consideration.Have a great day!Sincerely,****** & ***************************** ****** ********************************************************************** The information transmitted is intended only for the person or entity to which it is addressed and may contain confidential and/or privileged material. Any review, transmission, re-transmission, dissemination or other use of, or taking of any action in reliance upon this information by persons or entities other than the intended recipient is prohibited. If you received this in error, please contact the sender and delete the material from any computer.13 Sep, 13:25 2/13/2023 -- Sata airline changed the flight and told us we would get refunded for one hotel night from our trip to the Azores in August 2022 -- Should be about 80 Euros. I submitted my bank direct deposit slip months ago. I'm tired and not getting anywhere. It's been due for past 6 months!Thank you for your assistance.Sincerely,******************* ******

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