Originally Posted by
alexss
I had a rather more mixed experience with TAM last year, flying LHR-GRU-GIG-EZE-GRU-LHR, in C class.
On board service was very good - comfortable seats even on the short haul legs, near-flat seats on the long haul, decent AVOD system, and the best food I've ever had on an airline.
However, almost all flights were seriously delayed and the ground service was awful:
- flight LHR-GIG (advertised as direct with one stop) turned out to require a change at GRU; we arrived there 2 hours late and there was no connection, so we had to get a bus across the city to another airport - all with no help from TAM staff;
- flight GIG-EZE was 3 hours late but there was no information provided at all - we only knew because the plane didn't turn up.
- flight EZE-GRU was hours late; the only reason we didn't miss the connection in GRU was because we turned up at EZE 3 hours early and hence were able to get on the previous flight, which was also running several hours late.
- at many of the airports no separate C class check in
- no C class lounge for international flights at GIG
They may have sorted out their operational problems now, but I would be reluctant to use them unless I was sure of this!
Here we go again......
As you may know from other threads on FT, the whole Brazilian civil aviation system (or lack of same) melted down in 2006/2007. TAM was, both due to internal and external factors, hard hit on all levels. There might be explanations, but not really any good excuses for what happened.
The whole system, including TAM's ground operations, is slowly back to normal, so I think you have good chances of a more pleasant experience nowadays.
TAM only has C class check-in in airports that have international routes, including GRU, CNF and GIG, where this product is offered. There is no C class on purely domestic routes.
There is a C class lounge at GIG in terminal 2. It opened in 2007.