Portuguese Airline Azores Airlines is offering an interesting deal, connecting Madeira and New York via their hub Ponta Delgada on the Azores Islands. Discounted roundtrips are available in both directions, starting at US$299 (~€255) for departure from New York and €274 departing from Funchal. Flights are available in the first three months of 2025.
The quoted prices are light fares, including only a 8kg cabin bag. The cheapest round-trip including a 23kg checked bag is available for €346 on Azores Airlines’ website.
One-way tickets are also quite attractive. Flights from New York to Madeira start at just $131. The other direction is available for €160. Both prices are light fares, without a checked bag.
It is also possible to add a lengthy stopover in Ponta Delgada with just a slight price increase.
This deal is part of a large scale offer by Azores Airlines:
Our availability calendar highlights all possible round-trips at the lowest price for trips up to 28 days. It will forward you to Skyscanner with your selected flight dates.There, you check what Azores Airlines or OTAs have to offer, as they sell these tickets up to €30 cheaper.
Azores Airlines uses their A321neos on this flight. The airline advertises power outlets and a warm meal with complementary beverage service on their website.
Most Europeans need an electronic system for travel authorization (ESTA) to enter the USA for up to 90 days. This costs US$21 (~€19) and you should apply for it a couple of days before your trip, at the latest.
There are some cases where you cannot apply for an ESTA, e.g. if you’ve been to Cuba since 2021 or to Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, or North Korea since March 2011. In those cases, you’ll need to get a visa from a US embassy or consulate, which can take multiple weeks.
Search & Book
According to the fare rules, these tickets are on sale until October 2, 2024 for travel before March 29, 2025. On this day, your inbound must arrive back at your origin. There is no minimum stay required in either direction.
You can find suiting flight dates easily on Google Flights. While online travel agencies sell the cheapest tickets, booking directly with the airline comes with added benefits, like being able to add an Azores Islands stop-over without much hassle.
Why is booking with an airline better than with an online travel agency?
More often than not, online travel agencies offer lower fares than airlines do. We still recommend booking with the airlines directly. There are two main reasons for that:
Better Customer Service
In case any problems like delays, cancellations or missed connections arise, you can communicate directly with the airline. The airline has to take care of you because you have a contract with them.
If a travel agency issues your ticket, you may have to reach out to them first. You also depend on your OTA to forward information like flight changes instead of receiving them directly from the airline. In many cases, you may get a prime exhibition of responsibility shifting rather than problem-solving.
This especially applies to premium tickets. You don’t want to spend more than €1,000 to wind up with some budget OTA’s telephone hotline in case anything goes wrong.
Baggage and Other Fees
Economy fares not including hold luggage are industry standard by now. In most cases, travel agencies charge much higher baggage fees than the airlines themselves. If bags are not included in your fare, airlines are often the cheaper alternative.
This also applies to other things like food services, insurances or priority treatment. In almost all cases, you pay less for additional amenities when booking on the airlines’ website.
Miles & Points
Azores Airlines issues tickets between Ponta Delgada and Madeira in booking class O, yielding no miles in the most common frequent flyer programs. Flights from/to New York are booking class L. A roundtrip earns the following miles and points:
- 2,550 Award Miles on TAP Miles&Go
- Customize Calculation
Inspired by fly4free