This is the 1st of 2 flights from the Azores back to London.
Online check-in opened 36 hours before departure and it was easy enough. A seat has already been pre-selected for me and changing it would cost money. Both flights on my ticket back to London were loaded and I was given an exit row for the first leg to Lisbon, which I kept, and I paid an extra 26 euros for a right window seat on the next leg to London. There was also a reminder to click through about whether I'm fit to fly in the exit row.
TAP's website has numerous prompts to encourage you to pay them more money, with more noticeable add-on's being an empty next seat and even a whole row for yourself. They had contacted me days earlier with an email to bid for an upgrade as well. It all screams Ryanair vibes.
Ponta Delgada's airport is quite close to the city centre and only a 10-minute drive away. Taxis have a set fixed charge of 8 euros if you don't have luggage and only a little more if you do. There is supposedly a bus service as well but I've never seen one and they're not that much cheaper.
Land-side, there is a shop selling popular local souvenirs such as cheese, pineapples, and corn bread just before security in case you want to pack them in your checked bags.
While there were sizeable crowds at the check-in counters, this is actually not a busy airport by any means. However, it does have a respectable selection of transatlantic flights such as to the US and Canada in addition to the many inter-island flights within the Azores.
With a domestic flight only, mobile boarding pass, and no checked baggage, I headed straight into security. While I had to take my electronics out for the scanners, I was air-side in no time.
This airport is relatively small and there are no jet bridges. All passengers walk on the tarmac towards their aircraft. Seating space is insufficient on the main floor but there are a few shops and restaurants to grab a bite. I prefer the lounge upstairs, but it is really stuffy there and not that ideal either despite the sparse crowd.
Having arrived almost 2 hours before departure, I had little to do here, and couldn't find a quiet seat. There is also a hidden corner gates 10-11 that I ventured out to but they're also boarding a flight there so it was busy too. The strange bit is in order to reach that gate, you have to pass a corridor that is shared with service vehicles coming on and off the tarmac and there is a security guard to stop passengers if a vehicle is coming.
Boarding was called at 10:10am and they initially scanned us in, then we lined up behind the counter waiting for clearance to head out onto the tarmac. The whole thing was quite organized with a neat line already cordoned off behind the counter to manage everyone. The agent also reminded me I'm at the exit row and whether I was OK to sit there.
Soon, we were off to walk to the plane. A cabin crew noticed the checked tag on my hand carry from the prior day's flight in from Sao Jorge and took it off for me as I pulled it up to place on the overhead. She also dropped by later to explain the exit row protocol.
The A320's exit row has massive legroom and I was surprised I had the entire row of 3 seats to myself when boarding finished at 10:33am. I slid over to the window and patiently waited, hoping for an early departure. However, the captain announced at 10:49am due to airport constraints, we would be delayed 15 minutes, although it would be good weather along the way for the 2h10 journey.
Watching the 11am Newark flight depart on time nearby, and the BA flight from London arrive, we finally pushed back at 11:04am.
It seems this airport doesn't have a proper taxiway and planes head to the end of the runway to U-turn to take off. However, there are passing bays along the way, where we pulled into so other planes can depart or land. At the end of the runway, I could clearly see Ponta Delgada's centre. We took off towards the west 14 minutes after push-back.
With my right window, I could spot Sao Miguel's rugged coast but we quickly turned south and then U-turn to continue east towards Lisbon. So I was out of luck with views for now.
I then turned my attention to the paid menu. Flying short-haul in Europe isn't so exciting. Some airlines give the most basic of amenities, like a bottle of water and a cookie. The service cart came by and it seemed few were interested and even passed on a cup of water. I presume even a cup from the big bottle isn't free?
It was a fairly uneventful flight and I dozed off a bit, which is quite rare but the extra legroom and empty row really enhanced my experience significantly. The weather was really good and it was a smooth journey all the way and we started our descent at 1:53pm (Lisbon is an hour ahead of Ponta Delgada), followed by a chocolate run. The cockpit announced mentioned we would be on the ground in 35 minutes, which seemed a bit strange because is that Lisbon in the distance already?
The reality is we have to come in from the north so would need to loop around the city. There was also a short hold on top of that, but with clear skies over the area, I had plenty of chances to photograph the landscape as we slowly made our way to approach. Too bad we couldn't come in directly from the south, since my right window would have a spectacular view of the historic centre on final. But I didn't expect a window seat on this leg after all - just the exit row, so no complaints on how this all turned out.
We landed at 2:38pm, about half hour behind schedule, shortening my lounge time for lunch before the next leg to London. Overall, it was a good flight. The crew were attentive, safety-minded during their fairly rigorous checks, and I can't blame them for the delays due to airport issues and traffic.
Here at Lisbon airport, arriving passengers mix with the departing folks and. I didn't need to clear security again for my next flight. I looked for signs to the central food court where the ANA lounge is located. It's upstairs, but only the up escalator was working while people were carrying their cases down.
There was a small line to get in and it felt a bit odd why the lounge was named after a Japanese airline, but seems it has a different meaning entirely. Once inside, it was crowded and I realized this is the place for poor people with credit cards to come for alcohol. It was nearly full but I was able to find a seat in the dining area, where each small table had 4 chairs to go with it even though it is physically impossible to fit so many people at once.
I helped myself to the mediocre buffet of mostly sandwiches and pastries. There wasn't even a salad available but there was a soup on offer, although there were no bowls available to try it. On the other side are the drinks, which include sodas, beer, coffee, and tea. There is a separate manned bar for the alcohol, which was quite popular.
Luckily, access was free for me although I went away hungry and disappointed. I would have had better luck in the food court although it's just as crowded down in the cattle pit.
