Tam Brazil
 

Just booked August flights SCL - GIG then onwards to Iguacu and Campo Grande before Buenos Aires, all on Tam.

Any recent experiences flying Tam domestic? The general consensus seems to be pretty good, but not much on FT since they joined *G.

I wonder particularly about
a) domestic lounge access - haven't found a thread in definite, although suggestions both ways on *G access
b) delays and connection time. Have several connections in GRU and one in CNF - GIG - IGU at 50mins. Will I make this...the next flight is 4hrs later and there doesn't seem to be any other earlier connection options ...Would rather a day at the falls than at the airport even if there is a lounge ;)

a) as *A Gold you have access to JJ lounges. There are nice ones at GRU (International) and GIG, but there are no lounges at IGU as far as I remember. It's a tiny airport so it really isn't too important.
b) Connections usually work out well with JJ although flights are not the most prompt in the world they do usually accomodate connecting passengers pretty well. There's a new law providing for compensation for delays above 4 hours and that's helped some.
c) Remember Brazil domestic flights have carryon limited to 5kg and they're forced to comply. Do not forget that!

I just flew TAM from GRU - POA two days ago and am actually at POA right now awaiting the flight back. TAM allows online check-in up to 72 hours in advance! Yep, 72 hours. I highly recommend it if you aren't checking luggage.

Can't comment on lounges since I only have EXP on AA and no status on * Alliance.

Connections are generally ok and all domestic flights have a drink and snack service.

Like the OP said, JJ flights often have delays but connections seem to work. If you are going somewhere with very limited connections, add a bit more time if you can

Not a ton of legroom in coach, but no worse than anyone else I've been on.

I carried on both my large purse (with laptop) and my rolling small carry-on two days ago and am planning to do the same today. Sometimes they are strict, but not always.

While it is true that sometimes one can get away with a carryon bag in excess of 5KG, the OP is travelling out of IGU and CNF, both of which, like other smaller airports, seem much more strict than are GRU and GIG. That said, I have had my carryon weighed at IGU, GIG and GRU.

Don't try to go overweight unless you'll have a checkin bag to accept your extra items if they catch you. Otherwise you'll be leaving things behind. The only exception I have seen is women's handbags, which are rarely checked.

Elite status, including TAM Vermelho, does NOT help with extra flexibility. They're very, very polite, but firm about the weight limits.

TAM is the best brazilizan company in services. It usually works without problems. You made the best choice you could do.

Regards!

CNF has 5.8 million passengers a year. Hardly a "small" airport anymore. That said, I haven´t had any issues with hand luggage in CNF for some time now, so who knows what happened. :cool:

Now, now, now, not so fast.......;) this used to be true, but it is really questionable at present.

TAM has service issues all over the place and your flight experience with them at this stage can probably best be described as "hit or miss" :(

BTW they seem to have really big problems with crediting "points" for travel on their own Fidelidade program recently. I have heard of many people complaining about missing credits and personally I have three complaints for missing credits running at this time. :mad:

I am waiting for points to be credited too, last time took more than 1 month since I sent the boarding pass. And they stick the luggage receipt over my last boarding pass, so it is completely illegible. Just want some points credited, so I can spend them before they expire.
But in the air, I have no complaints.

Well, send your request to "[email protected]" and be sure to tell them how dissatisfied you are with the delay in posting miles. Trust me, they know they have a serious problem on their hands but true to TAM culture (recent TAM culture, I should say) they will not admit to it.

You should call them...I don't use their miles program....but never had problem flying the company. Regards!

Trust me my friend, I have....even "TAM Fale com o Presidente" is light years away from what it used to be......... :rolleyes:

But FYI, the route for missing miles is either their website or the email address posted above.

As usual AAEXP is correct, IMHO, in his observations. TAM is certainly "hit or miss" but they're always very, very polite about whatever happens and the mile posting in Fidelidade just requires persistence. Now that they're in *A I am no longer using Fidelidade (their miles expire 18 mo after each flight anyway) and the posting to my other *A accounts seems to be better than to TAM's own.

As for "TAm Fale com O Presidente" I suspect they no longer read the messages or think it to be important. I no longer even try.

Still, I prefer to fly TAM on international routes because the on board service and the seats are better than the competition. The FA's are so much better than most others that they remind me very much of Singapore Airlines before they became so over-hyped.

BTW, AAEXP, I apologize for denigrating CNF. I had no idea anybody thought well of it. Of course I may suffer from jingoistic feelings about Rio, even though GIG is a fairly awful airport itself.

SQ seems to be the Brazilian Football Team of Airlines, and they're not so good anymore. JJ will never have such a problem so they can keep being excellent onboard, if nowhere else.

I too find that TAM has been doing a pretty good job of posting miles to my MP account. In fact, since my tickets are normally purchased via UA, I had problems trying to get at least one leg posted to my Fidelidade account so I could get the few points I was shy for an award trip.

I happened to go through CNF last month for the first time and found the airport of fairly good size (at least compared to VIX) but got the sense that it is underused, even with the 5.8 million pax per year AAEXP mentions. Perhaps my 3 hour layover was at a very quiet part of the day.

The official capacity of CNF is 5 million a year, so we are about one million over that. I never said it's a wonderful airport (it isn't), but my point is that it is not a small airport. Morning and evening hours are very busy and no pleasure to be in CNF.