hsmall

i wonder if anyone can help me with a small query. I am travelling to Rio on a Monday (when the BA flight to GRU doesn't continue to GIG) with a gynormous amount fo luggage. The GRU-GIG portion has the prefix JJ which appears to be "TAM Linhas Aereas". Two questions really:-

- what are they like (not that it really matters for a 60 minute flight) and

- (more importantly) can I check luggage through or do I have to lug it round Sao Paulo airport?

TVMIA.

chistery

I was at GRU last week. ISTR that there were announcements that you had to claim your luggage and recheck it in.

HIDDY

Yes JJ is TAM and they are very good apart from their punctuality, I have flown with them on several occasions both short and longhaul. GRU-GIG is an all Y service as far as I know.
If all on one ticket I imagine you can check your luggage all the way through.

hsmall

Thanks both. It seems that there is scheduled to be 2h15m gap between arrival and departure so it should I suppose be fine even if I do have to collect and recheck.

LeisureFirst

I did precisly this on December 26. I was a bit worried about the connection as it is a busy time of year and, I thought, maybe not so easy to get another flight if I miss it without trekking across town to CGH (which has far more flights to Rio).

You'll have to collect your luggage, I'm afraid, and take it through customs at GRU. I've always found luggage handling extremely efficient there (nothing like many useless first world airports - or GIG for that matter) and have always had my bag within about ten minutes of the aircraft's being on stand. I trust you'll be near the front of the plane and off quickly (the only people likely to be in front of you at immigration are those on your flight) but if not, point out to the cabin crew that you have a tight connection and wave your gold card around a bit if necessary.

If you get it right, there is very little lugging around to do. There is a rather obscure desk just past the exit for customs, which I think has a bunch of airline symbols on it not including TAM. Despite this, this is the correct place to check in and deposit your bags. When I arrived early in the morning there was no queue, but there is no way I would have thought to use this desk were it not for the fact that I had a Special-Services-type person with me (useful contacts in Sao Paulo ) to point out that sort of thing and walk me to the front of (almost non-existent) queues. If you can't see where I mean, I think you should ask anyone who looks helpful as soon as you've exited customs where to go to check it - if it involves anything more than a few footsteps, they've got it wrong and you ask someone else.

Also, don't worry about having a lot of luggage. I've never been told what the luggage allowance is for domestic TAM flights, but have never had the slightest problem checking in two good-size suitcases.

The other bit of good news is that if you miss your flight then you should be able to get another one easily and cheaply. While I was boarding my TAM flight, I got a phone call from a friend who it transpired had been on the same plane as me from London and, not even sure whether I was in Brazil or London, wanted my advice about whether to go to Rio immediately. Anyhow, he had no trouble getting on a flight to GIG about two hours after mine, even at a very busy time of year, and we met in Ipanema later that day.

So, all in all, very easy. Connecting from a short-haul flight to a long-haul flight is far more stressful, which is why I virtually never do it without a gap of at least a day!

LeisureFirst

P.S. It is only an hour flight, and it is all economy with not a lot of space, but it's fine even for a tall guy like me. I've always booked my tickets through Amex, and I've discovered that you can always get an advance seat assignment but Amex don't know that so you have to get them to call TAM and sort one out for you. Worth doing otherwise you'll be in the middle (3-3 config) right at the back, as all the other pax got an assignment before getting to the airport! You want a window seat on the right-hand-side for the amazing views.

P.P.S. I'm very envious. I'm always envious of anyone going to Brazil. Even though I'll be there myself in a month less about twelve hours.

redshift27

When I saw this thread title I imagined you were suggesting we take a hike!

HIDDY

Wonderful hike - if you get the weather. ^

GRUtime

A pity you have to bypass one of the most vibrant cities in South America

The conection is a well trodden path. But it's essential to be sharpish off the plane and not to dawdle: this because immigration can be a bottle-neck. And if BA is late, or some other international flight is early, the immigration area can be overwhelmed.

However speedy you are, your bags are likely to be waiting for you. Weird but true. These can be checked in for the onward connection at a desk immediately after you have handed your baggage declaration chitty to the customs chap.

If you feel fragile/lost, ASK FOR ASSISTANCE.

If you find yourself through the doors, landside, without having checked in for GIG at the transfer desk, all is not lost. Stay within the terminal, pushing your trolley leftish-straight-ahead, at some stage using the elevators to get to the next level up (departures). TAM desks will be easy to find, and TAM is just fine.

At GIG things are simple but slower. If you need transport you can arrange and pay for a taxi at the desks in the baggage hall while waiting for yours.

The GRU GIG flight isn't likely to be scenic, you need to fly between the downtown airports (Congonhas - Santos Dumont) for that.


BTW - noting you are STAR, the TAP connection through Lisbon non-stop into GIG avoids the GRU hassle. It gives you the LIS hassle, true, but at least you stay airside and don't have the baggage trundling.

James S

Seconded.

Has BA started the direct LHR-GIG service yet, bypassing GRU?

KVS

It will start on 26 Oct:

[KVS Availability Tool 3.1.0/Platinum - Amadeus: Timetable/NL-BCDF]

LeisureFirst

One of? Which one is more so?
I'm already looking forward to being there again, for the second half of May.

Never happened to me yet, I've usually had to wait a couple of minutes. But then on my last two trips I was the first off the plane on both occasions and didn't have to deal with a line at immigration (last time there was no line at all - just a row of manned desks - and the previous time was able bypass a small queue). But I can see what you're saying would be true if you're not quick off the plane and have to get in the queue for foreigners.
As I mentioned above, you should be able to get the cabin crew to let you off quickly, especially if the BA plane is even slightly late. Last time I moved down from the UD to the LD before landing precisely because I was doing exactly what you're doing - and it wasn't even my fault: TAM had changed their schedule to turn my 4-hour connection into a 2-hour one, and BA had shaved another twenty minutes off it with a late arrival.

Mine was beautiful. Your plane needs new windows.

But I'm talking about a beautiful view of the coast between the two cities, not of the cities themselves. I'm sure you're right that you get a better view of the cities from CGH-SDU (although it is a while since I've done that).

James S

And on that route the rule is A seat out (to SDU), F seat back for best views of the Rio beaches.

LeisureFirst

Curious. From which direction does the plane approach SDU? If in a straight line from Sao Paulo (i.e. from the West) you'd expect the best seat out to SDU to be on the F (i.e. South) side - as it is for the best views of the coast along the way.

I'd never really noticed how great the GRU-GIG view is when I've done it before on the LHR-GRU-GIG jumbo. Must have been because I was still half asleep and it is early in the morning (or maybe I was on the left side every time). A couple of hours later on the JJ flight, with the sun up, on the right side, it is stunning.

IAN-UK

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FgmW6...eature=related

This might explain why A is the preferred side into Santos Dumont, and why CGH SDU is preferred to GRU GIG. Coast is coast is coast, but the opportunity to shake hands with the fellow on top of Corcovado before crossing downtown and the airport, is a jewel.