TAM 8090 Business Class Sao Paolo - Miami (with photos)
Apr 1, 2005, 1:07 pm
#1
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TAM 8090 Business Class Sao Paolo - Miami (with photos)
The official trip report with pictures can be found at:
http://www.geocities.com/olafmandk/kkgrumia
Unfortunately GeoCities limits the amount of traffic PER HOUR. So if you can't get through to the webpage, wait an hour and then try it again. Sorry for this inconvenience.
Here is an abbreviated text version of the report:
TAM #8090
Sao Paolo, Brazil - Miami 26MAR05
Airbus 330
Scheduled Departure: 10:35pm (Actual 10:55, a couple of op upgrades to process)
Scheduled Arrival:05:00am (Actual 5:05am)
Seat: Business 8A
After a great week of wining, dining, sexy Argentinean men and debauchery, Spring Break was over and it was time to head back to Los Angeles. I took a great flight from Buenos Aires to Sao Paolo (see this trip report) and arrived early so I had lots of time to see the airport, hang at the lounge and make it to the flight.
TAM's lounge is located after passport control but before security. It's an airport's version of "no-man's land". I actually think this a good place for a lounge since often they have knives and other potentially harmful objects. Although I'd still love to see someone hijack a plane with a table knife. I've always thought you could break off the base of a champagne glass and it would make a great weapon.
TAM has a dedicated lounge in Sao Paolo. I was surprised how small the lounge was considering it's their hub. But the lounge did was pretty good as lounges go.
A very friendly lounge attendant greeted me and checked that my flight was on-time. As I entered I saw that the lounge was larger than it first appeared. The central area had a number of chairs and the food area/bar. Off to the sides were various rooms including a relaxing room and an area with three computers.
The computers all worked and were connected to the Internet. Unfortunately, my wifi laptop only found pay-as-you-go wifi. How much would it really cost of put in a little wifi hub. The ice cream place across the street to my apartment in Buenos Aires can do it, why can't all airline lounges?
The food offered in the lounge was great. There were a nice mixture of hors d'oeurves, mini sandwiches, cut fresh fruit and cheeses.
My plate of appetizers contained a variety of fresh flavors all beautifully presented. I had my usual Vodka Tonic to accompany the food. I had enough time to check email and catch up at Flyertalk before heading out to the plane.
On the way out I checked to see if the seat next to me was vacant and indeed it was. She also looked up to see that all the business class passengers had checked in.
On the way to the plane, I was amazed that GAP and Banana Republic both had a large presence at the Duty Free Shops. The prices were comparable or slightly more than in the States.
Uncharacteristically, I made it to the gate BEFORE they had begun boarding! This never happens! I could see our Airbus 330 sitting out there ready to take us to Miami. Before long the boarding process began and the First and Business passengers were invited on board.
As I entered first class and one row of business were to the left and my seat in Business was to the right. TAM uses the same first class seats as SWISS and South African Airways. It is a top notch product.
My first impression of the business class section was that there was tons of room between the seats. The seat pitch must have been 90". It reminded me of the old FC on Cathay Pacific.
Both the flight attendant working in BC greeted me warmly. They helped me stow my things and get settled. I was quickly offered a beverage and I chose champagne, Drappier Carte d'Or (Champagne, France).
I have transcribed most of the menu below. It was presented in Portuguese, Spanish and English. Like my incoming TAM flight, a soup course was offered! It must be a TAM thing.
Next they passed out the TAM amenity kits which come in a nice little tin container. To me, I always look for something unique in these kits. The tin was a nice touch.
Besides a toothbrush and earplugs, I really don't need anything else in an amenity kit.
Also as we sat there, they passed out a little ramekin of crumbed parmesan cheese. It was a much more interesting nibbly than your standard nuts.
Business was less than half full but I could see they were processing so op-ups from Economy which was delaying our departure. A gentleman arrived at the seat next to mine who was very happy about the upgrade.
The door finally shut and there were still several free rows of seats. So I asked the flight attendant if I could change and they said no problem. I always enjoy having the seat next to me free especially if I am sleeping.
What I never understand is why they need to put someone next to me when entire rows have no one in them! I realize they are working quickly to get the flight out but it's still a conundrum to me.
Anyway soon we were on our way with a flight time of about 8 hours.
TAM has a lie-flat horizontal business class seat. Unlike most business class flat seats that tilt down and give you a wedgie after a couple of hours, the TAM seat actually is horizontal like BA and SA. It is lacking in privacy but it is sure nice to actually lie horizontal.
For sleeping it still isn't quite the same as a typical first class seat. Your feet hang slightly lower than the rest of your body which I find quite uncomfortable. I was surprised that the seats were not motorized but they worked fine.
You can see from the photos here that there is a HUGE amount of space between the rows. This is a lovely thing.
I had originally booked 9A for this flight and then moved to 8A after getting a seatmate. There is a single row of BC in front of the galley but I was worried about sitting too close to the galley. Seat 8A was great!
The best feature of the seat is it has a power port that accepts a standard 110V US plug! No need to bring a separate 12V adaptor! This should be standard in premium classes WORLDWIDE.
TAM has an AVOD system but I never use their entertainment except to watch the Airshow. I think six features were available including "The Incredibles, Shall We Dance, Farewell to Neverland..." all the same stuff they are showing on EVERY other airline this month.
During the middle of the night a drunk guy came up from economy and wanted to sleep in a BC seat. The attendant handled it very well.
The food overall was excellent for international business class.
The Appetizer Courses offered were:
Goat Cheese served with Grilled Tomato in Basil Pesto
followed by
Asparagus Cream Soup
The goat cheese was a bit hard but still had good flavor. Immediately as I was finishing the salad, the asparagus soup appeared was was delicious.
The Main Courses offered were:
Grilled Sirloin Steak with Olive Tapenade served with Artichoke and Pupunha Compote
Robalo Fillet in a Champagne Sauce served with Rice with Spinach and Mango
Chicken Fillet marinated with Chimchurri in Ginger, Soy and Honey Sauce,
served with Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Carrots
Barquette stuffed with Buffalo Mazzarela, Chicory and Hazelnut in Tomato and Basil Pesto Sauce
I chose the steak and it was your typical airline steak. The artichokes added great taste. Throughout the meal the flight attendants were very good about topping up glasses and offering more bread.
Then an Assorted Cheese Course followed by
The Dessert Course was:
Coconut and Lemon Tartelette served with Lemon Julienne
Ice Cream (Cornetto)
Assortment of Fresh Fruits
I love ice cream at the end of the meal but was a bit dissappointed
Bebidas:
Drappier Carte d'Or (Champagne, France)
Chateau Haut-Surget (Bordeaux, France)
Finca Sophenia Altosur Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)
Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet (South Eastern Australia)
White wine:
Steenberg Semillon (Constancia, South Africa)
The Breakfast offerings were:
Seasonal Fresh Fruits
Assortment of Cold Cuts
Warm Rolls
Crepe stuffed with Tofu and Spinach served with Sausage and Grilled Tomatoes
Omelet stuffed with Cheese served with Grilled Sausage and Tomato Concasse with Mushrooms
Yogurts
Cereal
Jam and Honey
The cold cuts and fruit were all fine although I wasn't very hungry. The crepe was a disappointment: dry with little flavor. Also it did not come with any of the side dishes listed in the menu.
The service was excellent on this flight. The flight crew was very friendly and warm. I was watching "The Official Story" on my laptop and one of the attendants asked what I was watching. He had seen the movie and we chatted a bit about it and Argentina in general. I love it when someone actually looks like they truly enjoy their job. Both of the attendants were like this.
TAM is a top airline. It easily surpasses all the airlines in the USA. I read where they were recently purchased by VARIG and probably will become part of them or Star Alliance. So I'm glad I used some AA points to fly with them.
http://www.geocities.com/olafmandk/kkgrumia
Unfortunately GeoCities limits the amount of traffic PER HOUR. So if you can't get through to the webpage, wait an hour and then try it again. Sorry for this inconvenience.
Here is an abbreviated text version of the report:
TAM #8090
Sao Paolo, Brazil - Miami 26MAR05
Airbus 330
Scheduled Departure: 10:35pm (Actual 10:55, a couple of op upgrades to process)
Scheduled Arrival:05:00am (Actual 5:05am)
Seat: Business 8A
After a great week of wining, dining, sexy Argentinean men and debauchery, Spring Break was over and it was time to head back to Los Angeles. I took a great flight from Buenos Aires to Sao Paolo (see this trip report) and arrived early so I had lots of time to see the airport, hang at the lounge and make it to the flight.
TAM's lounge is located after passport control but before security. It's an airport's version of "no-man's land". I actually think this a good place for a lounge since often they have knives and other potentially harmful objects. Although I'd still love to see someone hijack a plane with a table knife. I've always thought you could break off the base of a champagne glass and it would make a great weapon.
TAM has a dedicated lounge in Sao Paolo. I was surprised how small the lounge was considering it's their hub. But the lounge did was pretty good as lounges go.
A very friendly lounge attendant greeted me and checked that my flight was on-time. As I entered I saw that the lounge was larger than it first appeared. The central area had a number of chairs and the food area/bar. Off to the sides were various rooms including a relaxing room and an area with three computers.
The computers all worked and were connected to the Internet. Unfortunately, my wifi laptop only found pay-as-you-go wifi. How much would it really cost of put in a little wifi hub. The ice cream place across the street to my apartment in Buenos Aires can do it, why can't all airline lounges?
The food offered in the lounge was great. There were a nice mixture of hors d'oeurves, mini sandwiches, cut fresh fruit and cheeses.
My plate of appetizers contained a variety of fresh flavors all beautifully presented. I had my usual Vodka Tonic to accompany the food. I had enough time to check email and catch up at Flyertalk before heading out to the plane.
On the way out I checked to see if the seat next to me was vacant and indeed it was. She also looked up to see that all the business class passengers had checked in.
On the way to the plane, I was amazed that GAP and Banana Republic both had a large presence at the Duty Free Shops. The prices were comparable or slightly more than in the States.
Uncharacteristically, I made it to the gate BEFORE they had begun boarding! This never happens! I could see our Airbus 330 sitting out there ready to take us to Miami. Before long the boarding process began and the First and Business passengers were invited on board.
As I entered first class and one row of business were to the left and my seat in Business was to the right. TAM uses the same first class seats as SWISS and South African Airways. It is a top notch product.
My first impression of the business class section was that there was tons of room between the seats. The seat pitch must have been 90". It reminded me of the old FC on Cathay Pacific.
Both the flight attendant working in BC greeted me warmly. They helped me stow my things and get settled. I was quickly offered a beverage and I chose champagne, Drappier Carte d'Or (Champagne, France).
I have transcribed most of the menu below. It was presented in Portuguese, Spanish and English. Like my incoming TAM flight, a soup course was offered! It must be a TAM thing.
Next they passed out the TAM amenity kits which come in a nice little tin container. To me, I always look for something unique in these kits. The tin was a nice touch.
Besides a toothbrush and earplugs, I really don't need anything else in an amenity kit.
Also as we sat there, they passed out a little ramekin of crumbed parmesan cheese. It was a much more interesting nibbly than your standard nuts.
Business was less than half full but I could see they were processing so op-ups from Economy which was delaying our departure. A gentleman arrived at the seat next to mine who was very happy about the upgrade.
The door finally shut and there were still several free rows of seats. So I asked the flight attendant if I could change and they said no problem. I always enjoy having the seat next to me free especially if I am sleeping.
What I never understand is why they need to put someone next to me when entire rows have no one in them! I realize they are working quickly to get the flight out but it's still a conundrum to me.
Anyway soon we were on our way with a flight time of about 8 hours.
TAM has a lie-flat horizontal business class seat. Unlike most business class flat seats that tilt down and give you a wedgie after a couple of hours, the TAM seat actually is horizontal like BA and SA. It is lacking in privacy but it is sure nice to actually lie horizontal.
For sleeping it still isn't quite the same as a typical first class seat. Your feet hang slightly lower than the rest of your body which I find quite uncomfortable. I was surprised that the seats were not motorized but they worked fine.
You can see from the photos here that there is a HUGE amount of space between the rows. This is a lovely thing.
I had originally booked 9A for this flight and then moved to 8A after getting a seatmate. There is a single row of BC in front of the galley but I was worried about sitting too close to the galley. Seat 8A was great!
The best feature of the seat is it has a power port that accepts a standard 110V US plug! No need to bring a separate 12V adaptor! This should be standard in premium classes WORLDWIDE.
TAM has an AVOD system but I never use their entertainment except to watch the Airshow. I think six features were available including "The Incredibles, Shall We Dance, Farewell to Neverland..." all the same stuff they are showing on EVERY other airline this month.
During the middle of the night a drunk guy came up from economy and wanted to sleep in a BC seat. The attendant handled it very well.
The food overall was excellent for international business class.
The Appetizer Courses offered were:
Goat Cheese served with Grilled Tomato in Basil Pesto
followed by
Asparagus Cream Soup
The goat cheese was a bit hard but still had good flavor. Immediately as I was finishing the salad, the asparagus soup appeared was was delicious.
The Main Courses offered were:
Grilled Sirloin Steak with Olive Tapenade served with Artichoke and Pupunha Compote
Robalo Fillet in a Champagne Sauce served with Rice with Spinach and Mango
Chicken Fillet marinated with Chimchurri in Ginger, Soy and Honey Sauce,
served with Mashed Potatoes and Sauteed Carrots
Barquette stuffed with Buffalo Mazzarela, Chicory and Hazelnut in Tomato and Basil Pesto Sauce
I chose the steak and it was your typical airline steak. The artichokes added great taste. Throughout the meal the flight attendants were very good about topping up glasses and offering more bread.
Then an Assorted Cheese Course followed by
The Dessert Course was:
Coconut and Lemon Tartelette served with Lemon Julienne
Ice Cream (Cornetto)
Assortment of Fresh Fruits
I love ice cream at the end of the meal but was a bit dissappointed
Bebidas:
Drappier Carte d'Or (Champagne, France)
Chateau Haut-Surget (Bordeaux, France)
Finca Sophenia Altosur Malbec (Mendoza, Argentina)
Jacob's Creek Shiraz Cabernet (South Eastern Australia)
White wine:
Steenberg Semillon (Constancia, South Africa)
The Breakfast offerings were:
Seasonal Fresh Fruits
Assortment of Cold Cuts
Warm Rolls
Crepe stuffed with Tofu and Spinach served with Sausage and Grilled Tomatoes
Omelet stuffed with Cheese served with Grilled Sausage and Tomato Concasse with Mushrooms
Yogurts
Cereal
Jam and Honey
The cold cuts and fruit were all fine although I wasn't very hungry. The crepe was a disappointment: dry with little flavor. Also it did not come with any of the side dishes listed in the menu.
The service was excellent on this flight. The flight crew was very friendly and warm. I was watching "The Official Story" on my laptop and one of the attendants asked what I was watching. He had seen the movie and we chatted a bit about it and Argentina in general. I love it when someone actually looks like they truly enjoy their job. Both of the attendants were like this.
TAM is a top airline. It easily surpasses all the airlines in the USA. I read where they were recently purchased by VARIG and probably will become part of them or Star Alliance. So I'm glad I used some AA points to fly with them.
Last edited by olafman; Apr 1, 2005 at 1:23 pm
Apr 1, 2005, 2:10 pm
#3
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Originally Posted by sftrvlr
Excellent report! I would love it if they joined Star Alliance and give us another choice to S. America.
Wanna fight?
Apr 1, 2005, 2:32 pm
#4
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Originally Posted by olafman
TAM is a top airline. It easily surpasses all the airlines in the USA. I read where they were recently purchased by VARIG and probably will become part of them or Star Alliance. So I'm glad I used some AA points to fly with them.
Btw, did the FA collect your menus again like your previous flight from Buenos Aires to Sao Paolo ? I find that it is very annoying if they pass out menus and they have to take it back later especially since you are in business class. They should just rather tell you the choices instead.
Apr 2, 2005, 9:47 am
#6
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Actually what I read was that TAM and Varig are in merger talks. Who knows where they'll end up.
CharlesMD: I too was surprised that it was a prepackaged ice cream. Even Cathay Pacific First class passes out Movenpick in a little container!
AA wins the sundae contest any day!
CharlesMD: I too was surprised that it was a prepackaged ice cream. Even Cathay Pacific First class passes out Movenpick in a little container!
AA wins the sundae contest any day!
Apr 2, 2005, 10:13 am
#7
Join Date: Sep 2003
Location: LAX
Programs: UA MM | BA Silver
Posts: 7,193
Originally Posted by CharlesMD
How disappointing to have pre-packaged ice cream! I much prefer the sundaes AA prepared at your seat!
Apr 2, 2005, 11:01 am
#8
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Originally Posted by anc-ord772
Isn't this no longer an option and is now pre-packed at the lovely AA as well...
Apr 4, 2005, 8:23 am
#11
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Originally Posted by UA 882
A very impressive trip report!!
I wonder whether it is actually worth it, having a Business Class if the F class has a fully flat seat as well?
I wonder whether it is actually worth it, having a Business Class if the F class has a fully flat seat as well?
The difference in the seat is WELL worth it!
Apr 4, 2005, 8:52 am
#12
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I haven't experienced J class on TAM, but F is first rate -- I have the menus from a trip from over Christmas that I should get around to posting...
Apr 7, 2005, 4:41 pm
#13
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Carl
As always, I am speechless after reading/looking at one of your well crafted Trip Reports. But at least I can utter "Fantastic Job!", "Thank You!" and "More! More!"
As always, I am speechless after reading/looking at one of your well crafted Trip Reports. But at least I can utter "Fantastic Job!", "Thank You!" and "More! More!"