Starting Jun 8, 2011, SATA Air Azores/Express is offering direct daily flights from Boston Logan Airport to Lisbon International Airport, in mainland Portugal.

According to the new program, the Azores based airline will offer  two direct daily  flights from  Boston  to Lisbon each week — on Wednesday and Sunday — plus five additional flights from Boston to Lisbon via Ponta Delgada/São Miguel and one via Lages/Terceira in the Azores.

Direct flights from Boston to Lisbon take about five and a half hours, while flying from Boston to the Azores takes about four hours. SATA Air Azores Express is the only airline that provides nonstop summer service from Boston to Portugal.

SATA is also launching special summer traveling packages from Boston to Lisbon with airfare and hotel included. For around $1,039 to $1,249 per person plus taxes, the packages include round-trip from Boston to Lisbon, six- night hotel accommodations and breakfast.

Following a recent agreement between SATA Air Azores and US Airways, travelers using SATA Air Azores can now purchase e-tickets to and from the Azoresand mainland Portugal to new destinations within the United States including Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Philadelphia, Orlando and San Francisco and New York.

The new service also enables customers, who want to travel between the United States the Azores and/or mainland Portugal, to purchase e-tickets from various destinations in the United States.

SATA Air Azores and US Airways customers will also be able to check their luggage to their final destination, and receive boarding cards for both carriers, upon check-in with either US Airways within the United States or with SATA in the Azores and/or mainland Portugal.

In 2010, SATA showed the strongest growth of any new scheduled airline at Bosont Logan Airport. The passenger count to and from Portugal and the Azores jumped dramatically. The total last year was 74,419 which was an increase of 21 percent.

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