I was booked on Iberia to fly FRA-MAD-MVD this coming Thursday. While checking my seat assignment online, I noticed that the MAD-MVD flight no longer operates Thursdays. The only involuntary re-route that fits my travel plans is now FRA-MAD on the same flight as originally scheduled, then one hour less layover in MAD (fine by me) and taking the MAD-GRU flight (which is shorter, so less time on board, also good!), but then I arrive at 7:55 am and must leave at 9:15 am on a TAM flight to MVD. Also, Iberia cannot confirm seat reservations for the trans-atlantic flight nor for the TAM flight, so maybe they are overbooked. Several questions arise:

1) assuming I make all my connections, will I be denied AAdvantage miles for the GRU-MVD segment because TAM is not a oneworld partner?

2) do I need to take my bags through Brazilian customs, and do I need to go through immigration and/or security? (I am an EU citizen, so I don't need a visa)

3) if I miss the TAM flight to MVD, the next flight is with Gol, which would get me into MVD more than four hours later than my originally scheduled arrival--does that mean I am entitled to compensation according to Article 7 of the EU Regulation 261/2004 regarding flight cancellation, since I only found out about the cancellation today (on my own initiative)?

4) what if I am denied boarding to either of the two connecting flights?

1) you will have to deal with IB for any FF credit for non-eligible flights. Good luck!!!!
2) most countries have baggage transfer in transit but I have it in the back of my mind that there is an airport change involved -- in which case you'd have to clear customs. Better check with IB about this detail.
3) no idea, you would need to file a claim with IB. My one attempt at compensation (with BA, when they canceled a flight due to lack of pax) was ineffective and BA claimed it was an exempted reason. I'm sure IB is equally creative.
4) IB agent in GRU would reroute you if needed.

If I were flying I would look into using LAN FRA-MAD-SCL-MVD instead.

1) You'll need to claim original routing credit with AA. Provide the details and they'll confirm with IB that the reroute was involuntary to get the miles.
2) No idea.
3) Assuming 1:20 is a legal connection and that the flight to GRU is not late then I wouldn't expect so.
4) What number_6 says.

The routing via SCL instead of GRU takes about three hours longer, and the connecting time at SCL is just as tight. There is no need to change airports in Sao Paolo--although there are two airports, both the inbound Iberia flight as well as the outbound TAM flight are operating from GRU, and both are in the same terminal. If we miss the TAM flight, we could change terminals at GRU and try for the Gol flight two hours later (getting us into MVD at the same time about as we would have arrived if we had made the SCL connection), or at 4 pm there is a Pluna flight from the other GRU terminal as well. But after being up on the transatlantic flight all night, spending 8 hours changing planes at GRU does not seem so appealing. I can't find any maps of the GRU terminal buildings which would indicate how the arrivals-departure-transfer setup works, and whether an airside connection with the luggage checked through to MVD is possible. One Iberia agent on the phone said it was possible, and one Iberia agent on the phone said it was not possible. If we have to wait at baggage claim for our luggage, stand in line at customs, re-check our bags with TAM and go through security, I don't think 1:20 will be enough time (although the Iberia telephone agent who said that this would be necessary assured me that we should make the connection, anyway, but I am not sure I believe her on either point).

In case anyone was wondering how the connection went, there was someone with a list of names of international connecting passengers who met us at the gate and shepherded us all to the special security line for people not entering Brazil. Probably I would have found that myself faster than waiting for everyone who needed shepherding, but it was nice to know that someone knew about us. The flights were all punctual, and both we and our luggage made the connection to TAM. TAM was nicer than Iberia, we got a second breakfast, and it broke up a twelve-hour flight into a ten-hour flight and a two-plus-hour flight, so all in all, the re-route was more a blessing than a curse. Now I am just trying to get the FFM for the remaining flight segment using the original-routing rule. The American people said that Iberia did not use the same electronic system as AAdvantage, so I had to fax them a copy of my boarding pass, and now I am waiting for the credit.

LAN, which we flew for three intra-Argentinian legs and from SCL-MVD, was a nice enough airline. On the brief flights, they don't feed you much, and the domestic flights were all-economy, but even the international one wasn't much over two hours. Iberia, which had been surprisingly incompetent during the ticketing process, proved to be also unpleasant after arrival when we had some luggage damage. The luggage person working on Sundays said our damage was too minor to take note of, and we had to argue with her for half an hour (some of which was spent looking for someone else to argue with) before she made a preliminary report of it. (Crack in hard-shell luggage.) Only after calling back the next day and talking to the supervisor (not there on weekends) did we get a claim number. Otherwise they hide behind an expensive, 12-euro-cent a minute call center number and everyone says they can't help you, you have to call there (same experience when getting ticketed).

Oh, and the logistics of international connections work thus: both Iberia and TAM are in the same wing of the terminal, and there is no need for internationally connecting passengers to go through immigration or customs, just security. So it was about a twenty-minute wait after arriving at the gate until boarding began--good connection!

GRU airport enables international-to-international pax to simply get screened and onward to their deparing gate, regardless of Terminal.

GRU T1 & T2 have a connector that allows pax to be international-airside, without having to go through Immigration & Customs.

There is a paid rest area for international pax with small cabins/beds and showers if the layover is too long, operated by a private company, international airside located, between T1 & T2.

Cheers

I confirm the information provided above.

You can connect international-international in GRU without the need to claim bags or going through immigration.

IB and TAM use the same terminal in GRU, T1. In case you are in different terminal, no problem, there is a glass connector which links GRUT1 and GRUT2.

As mentioned, there is a paid rest for transiting pax. It is called FAST SLEEP and they are located mid-way in the glass connector which links GRUT1 and GRUT2. They offer full Spa service, plus showers, and beds for rest paid on the hour. You also have the option to use the L'Ocitane Spa located in GRUT2.

You may note that TAM has just requested 14 additional frequencies to MVD which means that soon additional 2 daily flights will be loaded. TAM operates the A320 in 2-class configuration GRU-MVD. Pluna also flies the route 16 weekly in 1-class configuration.

Rgs,

Great to hear you connection went well. I must say TAM ground personal is very efficient in ensuring transiting of connecting pax. GOL also offers the same service.

Rgs,

Getting the miles for the involuntary re-route is another story. Called AA the day of my return. The agent noted my file, said to fax the boarding passes, but that the e-Ticket validated what I said, and so they would ask Iberia to verify the miles. Then a couple weeks later, AA sends a postcard that TAM is no longer part of Oneworld and therefore I cannot get miles (nothing in the computer-printed postcard about involuntary re-routing). So I call back, and the agent says that I need to contact Iberia directly. I call Iberia, and they say their reservations number is not responsible for FFM, I should either call a phone number in Spain or send e-mail to a certain address--I sent the e-mail on Thursday and haven't heard a peep back since then.