pomkiwi

I have just learnt through checking my reservation that LATAM have changed my flight in a couple of weeks without informing me. I was originally booked on a direct flight from GRU to Iguazu which has now changed to a 1 stop flight. As a result LATAM have booked me on to the direct flight leaving 1 hour earlier. The potential problem is that I am connecting from a SWISS incoming flight due to arrive at 05.30 and my connection to the LATAM flight has reduced from 3hr 40min to 2hr 40 min. I will have checked baggage but I am travelling at the front to the SWISS plane.

My question is whether those in the know feel that 2hr 40min is sufficient time to make this connection or whether I should refuse the schedule change and get a direct flight with GOL leaving around my original time instead? Any help/views based on experience at GRU would be very welcome at this point! Thanks.

pmichelazzo

Is enough but don't walk like a turtle ;-)

After the immigration, pick-up your bags, cross the customs (they never ask anything) and leave the fu...ing freeshop that you need to pass through. On your left side, there's a place where you drop your bags again and make the ckeck-in with LATAM. Without the bags, you just need to walk to the Terminal 2 (around 10 min) and embark (after the security check but is ok).

I've made this process last week and took me one hour to leave the aircraft and be ready in front of the gate to a LATAM flight.

PABLOCO

I think that you will arribe to T3 and depart from T2. I dont think you will be able to check your bags all the way.

So a conection with imigration and picking up your bags and then dropping them should be about 90 minutes. Even if all the lines are full, your bag is the last one and you walk slow, this should not take more than 2 hours.... so you have 40 minutes to spare for a flight delay

pmichelazzo

Yes, arrives on T3 and take another one on T2.
Unfortunately the customs in Brazil don't care if the bags are tagged until the final destination. Everybody need to pick-up them and drop again.

Another advice to make the process fast: make the LATAM check-in BEFORE you leave the Europe. On the LATAM drop-off area, they split passagers using the check-in boarding pass. If you have your boarding pass (electronic or not) ready, you just need to drop-off the bags, making the process fastest.

FairDinkumMate

2hr 40min at that time of the morning is a breeze. I'll take any flight over 90 mins connection when doing International to Domestic at Guarulhos & that's at busier times.

Being at the front of the plane means that you will be through Immigration & waiting for your bags when they come onto the conveyor. Assuming that Swiss load the plane correctly & your bags are prioritised, you should be at Brazilian customs within 40 minutes of landing. They rarely do inspections, but even when they do, it's just throw your bags onto the X-ray machine conveyor & collect them.

The only delay you ever get arriving at GRU International T3 is your luggage being slow coming out or a Customs queue if they happen to be doing one of their random "x-ray everything" days. Even then, it'd unlikely to be anywhere near long enough for you to not make a 2hr 40min connection.

pomkiwi

Thanks all for your helpful and reassuring replies. I have left things as they are although it took over half an hour on the phone to reconfirm the flights with LAN - not quite sure why they couldn't have notified me and got me to confirm agreement.

broland

OP, when is your flight?
Normally I would say you're safe, but I read in the papers that customs agents are starting a "turtle operation" (they're demanding a raise in salaries), which means they will inspect every bag from every flight.

pomkiwi

Thanks. My flight is in just over a week. I'm not sure there is much I can do about a customs go slow if it happens - just book some new flights as necessary and claim on the insurance if LATAM are unhelpful...

pomkiwi

Just a quick follow-up for anyone with the same question. Transfer in GRU was easy. T3 is well laid out and signs were plentiful in English. There was no significant delay at immigration or customs. We had an onward connection with LAN and the transfer check-in was easy to find as you exited customs. It took bout 10 minutes to drop bags there and a further easy 10 minute walk indoors between T3 and T2. Even had time for a quick coffee in the domestic GOL lounge in T3 courtesy of our Priority Pass.

tikchik

I was referred to this thread by another poster. Below is my original post.


I am not sure if this is the right section, I am looking for information about a USA-Brazil-Chile-Brazil-USA itinerary? I would only be connecting in Brazil 1.5hr-4hr layover. Is there anything I need to know about connecting? I would be on LAN in all directions with checked bags. One of the schedules has only a 90minute connection in GRU. If I have to go thru passport control and re check my luggage theres no way 90minutes is enough. But if it is like connecting on Copa in Panama City, 90minutes should be fine, I would think.

Also- is there any additional documentation I need? A Visa to travel through Brazil, bank statements, travel itinerary?

Thank you.

Semphyra

Are you flying on separate tickets? A 90 minute connection might be tight if you are flying in certain hours with checked baggage

If you are a US citizen you need to apply for a Electronic Visa https://brazil.vfsevisa.com/brazil/online/home/index

tikchik

Thank you. All would be on the same reservation, MCO-BBA-MCO.

I am based in DFW, prices are higher there, so looking at other options like this. Travel is miid February. Flying J

Semphyra

With 90 minutes a same-ticket connection would be ok.

Since you're in transit, you shouldn't need a Visa for staying airside

headinclouds

What about a routing JFK-GRU (AA) -> EZE (LA) ? Are these flights in the same terminal (T3) ? Connection times are between 2 and 4 hours. I believe that I do NOT need a visa as long as I stay in the internation area of the airport. Is this correct and will the LA staff in EZE be up to date? I'm always leary of visa exceptions which are buried in the bottom of the Timatic page. Thanks...

Semphyra