Other North & South America Frequent Flyer Programs - First trip on Varig - few questions

Hi all. Flying LHR-GRU-POA-GRU-LHR in a few weeks, as a *A Gold, and was wondering if you guys could advise me on a few things (tried looking on the Varig site but language difficulties don't help!).

- Is it possible to call reservations, or check-in online, to get a seat allocation? Just want to make sure I have an aisle seat.

- Are there *A lounges in GRU & POA that I can use?

- What's my chance of blagging an upgrade, is Varig historically generous in op-upping Star Golds?

Also anything else I should bear in mind would be good. Thanks! :)

Flying LHR-GRU-POA-GRU-LHR in a few weeks

You may want to make backup travel plans, as RG may be forced into liquidation within a matter of days. For your sake and mine, (I have a reservation JFK-GRU in mid-June) I hope they stay afloat, but things aren't looking good.

First of all, check your itinerary every day because Varig is on the verge of collapse and cancelling a lot of flights. This is UK's call center number: 0870 120 3020 . You should be able to get seats there too (I don't think you can do it online).

There are several nice lounges in GRU. The RCC (United's lounge) is nice, though in a different terminal (only 5 minute walk though). Varig also has a couple of lounges of varying quality... look for some previous threads on them.

I'm not sure about lounges in POA.

As for up-ops, I've never had one either in Varig or elsewhere, so all I can say is good luck :)

Varig does have lounges in both POA and GRU.

They have web check-in, phone check-in and downtown check-in, but only for certain domestic routes.

RG has a good reputation for op-ups. I got upgraded from C to F last month on GIG-FRA, and have also been op-up'd from Y to C on CPH-LHR-GRU, GRU-LHR-CPH, as well as GRU-FRA and GRU-CDG. ^

Good luck - But don't have too high expectations on service, food or IFE... ;)

Thanks guys, all my questions answered.

Didn't realise they were that close! One of our contacts in Brazil said they could be on the brink but went ahead anyway. The alternative flights were over double the cost, so it would have been Varig or nothing anyway. Fingers crossed they don't go under.

RG has a good reputation for op-ups. I got upgraded from C to F last month on GIG-FRA, and have also been op-up'd from Y to C on CPH-LHR-GRU, GRU-LHR-CPH, as well as GRU-FRA and GRU-CDG.

Does anyone know if you can get a paid upgrade at check-in for inter-continental flights on VARIG? I am booked on FRA-GRU in June in Y, and op-ups are unlikely now that most of us try to stay away from RG (can't quite imagine an overbooked RG flight right now...)
I hope they'll stay afloat through June, as it would be my first flight on VARIG and would like to give it a try before they opt out :rolleyes:

RG has always been known to fiercely protect their premium cabins - Could this be a reason they're as they are... :D

You can/should try at check-in.

Per the rules only Y/B fares are upgradeable with miles... but a nice agent might do the trick and let you upgrade with miles from a cheapo bucket.

Weird. Flight from LHR - GRU was on an ancient MD-11, didn't realise these were still in the air, no movies at all even on the big screen, with the entire cabin in almost complete darkness all the way, except at each end of the flight. That said, it was excellent for sleeping.

Then, GRU - POA on a very new looking, rather nice 777 with PTVs even in Y. Huge difference.

Did my upmost to blag an op-up at LHR (hey, you've got to try) but it was never going to happen with so many empty seats in the back.

Returning tomorrow.

Weird. Flight from LHR - GRU was on an ancient MD-11, didn't realise these were still in the air

This observation alone says worlds about the state of RG's aircraft.

Believe it or not, the MD-11 is actually a relatively new model, with the first delivery taking place in 1990--only five years prior to the first 777 delivery.

That such a new aircraft appeared ancient is surely a testament to Varig's maintenance and upkeep standards.

Haha, oops. I am no plane expert (clearly).

Whilst on the topic, I thought I would have a moan about the shocking flight back that I just got off (GRU-LHR).

Another 11 hour flight, again, completely plunged into absolute darkness and totally ignored by the FAs for the whole flight aside from meal service. I couldn't quite believe how dark it was - to the extent that the FAs carry torches and you can't see if you're knocking someone's leg when you walk up the aisle. Nothing at all on the big screens: if movies are off the agenda due to financial issues (?) couldn't they at least show a map?

I also had a seat where the electronics weren't working properly - reading lights were stuck on, radio not working at all. Eventually a FA killed the power to the two seats entirely which turned off the reading lights so we could get some sleep, which helped, as long as we didn't want to read at any stage in the rest of the flight. With no movies, no map, no radio, no reading light (and no magazine in seat pocket anyway), the choice of in-flight activity was limited to sleeping, and by the end of the flight (once my iPod and laptop had both ran out of batteries), boredom was well and truly kicking in.

I probably could have handled this, but the one thing I really couldn't stomach was the state of the toilets. Absolutely disgusting by the end of the flight, and probably a health hazard. No need to go into further details but I'm sure others who have been on this flight can emphasize.

All in all, I've never been so keen to get off a plane, except for when a Virgin Blue flight I was on had to make an emergency landing in Brisbane ;) In all seriousness, I'm extremely loyal to *A, but the thought of doing this particular trip again on Varig might even persuade me to pick a non-*A carrier. It really was that bad.

NO movie on a flight that long? That is sad. :td:
The toilet situation you mention? That is disgusting :td:


Hope your flight back is a better one. If they even operate the flight :(

In all seriousness, I'm extremely loyal to *A, but the thought of doing this particular trip again on Varig might even persuade me to pick a non-*A carrier. It really was that bad.

Hi Gaz! Grim picture :( I am booked on RG from FRA to GRU and then from GRU to LHR in June. You made it sound so horrible that I am seriously considering BA instead... But, since I've never flown Varig, I thought I would give it a try before they are history! :confused:

Ha ha, it was REALLY horrible. No redeeming points at all. I was expecting something akin to Lufthansa long-haul Y (which is pretty nasty and previously the worst *A economy fight I'd been on), but this was another level.

Obivously things will vary route to route though, as I mentioned, the GRU-POA on the 777 was actually very good, over and above what I would expect for a sub-2hr flight, so kudos go to Varig for that one.

It'll be a hard choice for me if I have to do this route again. I would take any other *A options even if it forced me into an extra stop in Europe... but if none were available it'd be a tough decision.

The MD-11's that RG have are from 1997 or younger. They took them over from Swiss and Garuda in 1999 or later.

I only fly RG as second choice, and only when I am quite certain, that it is operated with B777, preferably with individual IFE, as they don't have that in all B777.
From Europe to Brazil, I would rank the options as follows:
Very good: LX, BA
Good: LH
Average: AF (B777), JJ, RG (B777)
Poor: KL, AF (B747), TP, AZ
Very poor: RG (MD11, 767), IB, PU

From Europe to Brazil, I would rank the options as follows:
Very good: LX, BA
Good: LH
Average: AF (B777), JJ, RG (B777)
Poor: KL, AF (B747), TP, AZ
Very poor: RG (MD11, 767), IB, PU

Will have to refer back to this list when I'm slated for a trip to Brazil next - you clearly know the options on this trip well!

I haven't experienced LX for long-haul before but if they are as good as you say that would be an ideal soultion for future flights, and means I can keep within *A too.

Well, it looks as if my first trip on Varig will not be that smooth... I was booked on RG7363 on 28 June from MVD to GRU to connect to an overnight flight to LHR. Today around 1pm VARIG decided to move the departure time of the flight from 17:45 to 17:15 and at the same time cancelled my confirmed reservation!! :confused:

My travel agent contacted them to find out the reasons for the cancellation, and the answer was something like 'we were not sure he would want to be on the flight if it leaves eariler'... And what's more annoying, they could/would not re-instate the booking, because the flight is heavily overbooked!! The option is to leave at 10am the same day and have a layover of some 10 hours in GRU - in other words cancel the conference I go to so that I catch my flight back to Europe :mad: :mad: :mad: And no, I can't be there another day, I'm due in London on 29 June!

I guess there's little help I can get from here, I just felt I should let off some steam... I'm no church goer, so this is the closest I come to confessing :rolleyes:

My TA is doing her best to get me back on that plane - do miracles happen?

My TA is doing her best to get me back on that plane - do miracles happen?

Well, miracles DO happen somtimes, even if at a cost... I got a place on the 17:15 flight MVD-GRU, but in C, and had to add another 200€ to my travel bill. At least I am getting out of there :rolleyes:

Well, miracles DO happen somtimes, even if at a cost... I got a place on the 17:15 flight MVD-GRU, but in C, and had to add another 200€ to my travel bill. At least I am getting out of there :rolleyes:

I'm sorry your travel plans were changed this way.

RG planes are flying with little loads and I'm surprised you found yourself in a overbooked situation...

RG has been doing their best to accomodate their best customers including bending backwards to include unusual needs.

Well, miracles DO happen somtimes, even if at a cost... I got a place on the 17:15 flight MVD-GRU, but in C, and had to add another 200€ to my travel bill. At least I am getting out of there :rolleyes:

Hope you still get back OK!!!!

Do keep us informed.

Hope you still get back OK!!!!

Do keep us informed.

At the moment I am not even sure I am lgetting down there :rolleyes: I called SAS, since my TA is closed for the midsummer weekend, and they told me the onward flights from FRA to MVD look fine for tomorrow. And Varig is unlikely to cancel FRA and LHR as long as they are in business, because these are their most profitable routes... It's just wait and see :confused: I'll let you know how it works out - fingers crossed!

Hope you still get back OK!!!!

Do keep us informed.

Hi guys,

My first flights on Varig were a bit of an adventure, but it all ended well... The FRA-GRU flight on 25 Jun left some 5 hours late due to a techincal problem ( :confused: in fact the rumour in the plane was that the company had no money to pay for the fuel, so we had to wait for a solution - no idea if that was the case!), but a very nice lady at check in gave me a free upgrade to business. Service was brilliant, very friendly staff, did their best to keep everyone happy and make us forget about the delay. The problems continued when to land in Sao Paolo - bad weather made the captain take a turn back to Rio, where we spent another three hours, changed the aircraft and went on to GRU (where the weather was great, with the sun shining :confused: ). It seemed a bit fishy... Since I had missed the morning onwards flight to MVD and the evening one was cancelled, I had to spend the night in Sao Paolo and got to the destination 24 hours late... The sad part was that the staff was nowehere to be found in the transit area (one of them told me later that apparently they did not have any information on what to do with the passengers, so they just stayed away!), and when they did show up, there was nothing they could do for us - the Varig hotel/taxi vouchers were no longer accepted around GRU, so we had to foot the hotel and dinner bills ourselves (albeit small amounts). I'll probably get it back on insurance anyway.

Finally got to MVD, ended up spending only one night at the place and that between endless meetings... The flight back to LHR went wihtout significant problems, although it was heavily overbooked and many had to be left there until the next day. I guess my *G status helped me stay on the flight, but there was no chance of an upgrade this time - it was all full.

Well, perhaps it sounds masochistic :D , but I'm not that mad at Varig right now and I'd probably choose them again... The service I got was good, and they tried their best in the bad financial circumstances they are going through. So let's hope they keep flying!