Beware at GRU of gate changes!!!
Mar 8, 2011 | 4:43 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Posts: 1,926
Beware at GRU of gate changes!!!
Heck this place is a zooo I have never had this many gate changes on a single trip. Connecting at GRU on the way into SA we had 3 gate changes over the 3.5 hour wait. Leaving for Europe via GRU on the return was even worse. At check in in Buenos Aires we have gate 13 on our boarding passes (OK it is 6 hours from dep in GRU so who cares). We get to GRU and it is still gate 13 (Ok so wonders do happen) well gate 13 is at the end of one of the arms........
about 15 min later the gate changes to 27 right on the very OTHER side of the airport at the end of the other finger!! Ok it is a long walk may as well head on over there. Once there it takes anther 30 min and the flight disappears entirely......
Now what?! - there is no such thing as a TAM info desk anywhere in the terminal BUT we figure we still have lots of time we wait some more......
20 min later we are heading back to gate 13 and since there is a 777 at the gate and since they only have 4 of those we figure it is safe to assume this will be our gate. We sit down and wait our turn....
about 1.5 hours later one person in the party notices the flight at the gate no longer says Frankfurt but London - so back to the board we go.....
It is now just over an hour to our departure time and the flights disappears once more.
All of a sudden 4A pops up on the screen with the attachment to proceed to the gate at this time. Only problem this is a down stairs area from which they bus passengers to an apron or distant parking space AND they are currently already boarding a full United flight to Washington out of it.
Can you imagine the Zoo down there! Passengers from both flights are trying to queue up and there is absolutely no kind of order. The space down at those gates is VERY limited and then all of a sudden they announce First Business etc from the TAM flight to board the bus at 4C. Oh boy that did it since that was on the other side of the hall and now you people from 2 full flights try to change sides and get by one another!!!
In hind sight it is now funny but in this mess it was everything but!!!
In the end it took over 1,5 hours to board our flight out of this mess. To crown it once onboard we discover overhead compartment for 6 ROWS of seats are completly full of airline supplies including a HUGE box of toilet paper!!! (which incidently was never touched on that trip)
The golden rule for GRU seems to be get there early and find a spot at one of the monitors and keep an eye on your gate - on proceed there once it really says to proceed to the gate. Oh and don't go there expecting any sort of order.
about 15 min later the gate changes to 27 right on the very OTHER side of the airport at the end of the other finger!! Ok it is a long walk may as well head on over there. Once there it takes anther 30 min and the flight disappears entirely......
Now what?! - there is no such thing as a TAM info desk anywhere in the terminal BUT we figure we still have lots of time we wait some more......
20 min later we are heading back to gate 13 and since there is a 777 at the gate and since they only have 4 of those we figure it is safe to assume this will be our gate. We sit down and wait our turn....
about 1.5 hours later one person in the party notices the flight at the gate no longer says Frankfurt but London - so back to the board we go.....
It is now just over an hour to our departure time and the flights disappears once more.
All of a sudden 4A pops up on the screen with the attachment to proceed to the gate at this time. Only problem this is a down stairs area from which they bus passengers to an apron or distant parking space AND they are currently already boarding a full United flight to Washington out of it.
Can you imagine the Zoo down there! Passengers from both flights are trying to queue up and there is absolutely no kind of order. The space down at those gates is VERY limited and then all of a sudden they announce First Business etc from the TAM flight to board the bus at 4C. Oh boy that did it since that was on the other side of the hall and now you people from 2 full flights try to change sides and get by one another!!!
In hind sight it is now funny but in this mess it was everything but!!!
In the end it took over 1,5 hours to board our flight out of this mess. To crown it once onboard we discover overhead compartment for 6 ROWS of seats are completly full of airline supplies including a HUGE box of toilet paper!!! (which incidently was never touched on that trip)
The golden rule for GRU seems to be get there early and find a spot at one of the monitors and keep an eye on your gate - on proceed there once it really says to proceed to the gate. Oh and don't go there expecting any sort of order.
Mar 8, 2011 | 8:49 am
#2
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 2,360
Heck this place is a zooo I have never had this many gate changes on a single trip. Connecting at GRU on the way into SA we had 3 gate changes over the 3.5 hour wait. Leaving for Europe via GRU on the return was even worse. At check in in Buenos Aires we have gate 13 on our boarding passes (OK it is 6 hours from dep in GRU so who cares). We get to GRU and it is still gate 13 (Ok so wonders do happen) well gate 13 is at the end of one of the arms........
about 15 min later the gate changes to 27 right on the very OTHER side of the airport at the end of the other finger!! Ok it is a long walk may as well head on over there. Once there it takes anther 30 min and the flight disappears entirely......
Now what?! - there is no such thing as a TAM info desk anywhere in the terminal BUT we figure we still have lots of time we wait some more......
20 min later we are heading back to gate 13 and since there is a 777 at the gate and since they only have 4 of those we figure it is safe to assume this will be our gate. We sit down and wait our turn....
about 1.5 hours later one person in the party notices the flight at the gate no longer says Frankfurt but London - so back to the board we go.....
It is now just over an hour to our departure time and the flights disappears once more.
All of a sudden 4A pops up on the screen with the attachment to proceed to the gate at this time. Only problem this is a down stairs area from which they bus passengers to an apron or distant parking space AND they are currently already boarding a full United flight to Washington out of it.
Can you imagine the Zoo down there! Passengers from both flights are trying to queue up and there is absolutely no kind of order. The space down at those gates is VERY limited and then all of a sudden they announce First Business etc from the TAM flight to board the bus at 4C. Oh boy that did it since that was on the other side of the hall and now you people from 2 full flights try to change sides and get by one another!!!
In hind sight it is now funny but in this mess it was everything but!!!
In the end it took over 1,5 hours to board our flight out of this mess. To crown it once onboard we discover overhead compartment for 6 ROWS of seats are completly full of airline supplies including a HUGE box of toilet paper!!! (which incidently was never touched on that trip)
The golden rule for GRU seems to be get there early and find a spot at one of the monitors and keep an eye on your gate - on proceed there once it really says to proceed to the gate. Oh and don't go there expecting any sort of order.
About one year ago, during the days when "gate checkers" stopped boarding passengers to "wand" them and look through their hand luggage, I had a similar situation only it was worse.
When we were finally in the downstairs area to board the buses, the "gate checkers" decided to stop passengers prior to their boarding the bus to do their meaningless "searches" of passengers and their hand carry luggage.
There were three flights boarding at the same time and there were several buses parked outside the doors. The meaningless "searches" caused the flights to go out more than an hour late.
Although I generally like GRU, sometimes it gets crowed with not only passengers but with robotic employees or rules that lack logic.
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Mar 9, 2011 | 3:47 am
#5
Join Date: Jul 2008
Location: Virginia and Vitoria, ES Brazil
Programs: Former 13 Yr 1K, Million Miler, *G, Azul Diamante, JJ, Global Entry, CLEAR, H.O.G. Life Member
Posts: 1,512
I believe the anticipated infrastructure work is underway at GRU and adding to the problems. Last week on UA 860 from GIG we were ready to leave 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure but the Captain announced there was no gate available at GRU so they would wait for a while at GIG. Left 15 minutes after scheduled departure. At GRU we waited another 20 minutes and then pulled up to Gate 12 where the jet bridge wasn't working, so down the stairs and on to buses, Then had to go through the security check. Reboarded to continue the flight at Gate 10. Had to wait some again as the Captain announced only one runway was in operation. Boarding out of Gate 4 is no fun, so I'm glad that didn't occur this past trip, but I expect it to happen more frequently
Last edited by qfrodo; Mar 9, 2011 at 11:06 am Reason: fix typo
Mar 9, 2011 | 8:50 am
#6
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: AMS>GRU/GIG
Programs: KL/AF Platinum
Posts: 1,420
I believe the anticipated infrastructure work is underway at GRU and adding to the problems. Last week on UA 860 from GIG we were ready to leave 10 minutes prior to scheduled departure but the Captain announced there we no gate available at GRU so they would wait for a while at GIG. Left 15 minutes after scheduled departure. At GRU we waited another 20 minutes and then pulled up to Gate 12 where the jet bridge wasn't working, so down the stairs and on to buses, Then had to go through the security check. Reboarded to continue the flight at Gate 10. Had to wait some again as the Captain announced only one runway was in operation. Boarding out of Gate 4 is no fun, so I'm glad that didn't occur this past trip, but I expect it to happen more frequently
Rgs,