Long Layover in GRU - Questions about Luggage, Customs
 

I'm a newbie here and a sometime lurker. I searched for the topic before, but I couldn't find what I needed, perhaps because my questions are a bit obvious.

My girlfriend (not a Brazilian citizen, but she doesn't need a visa) and I (Brazilian) are going to Brazil to visit family in March. Family is outside Rio (GIG, SDU), in Juiz de Fora (JDF, or bus from outside Rio), and outside São Paulo (VCP or GRU are most convenient). Whereas we will stay a few days both around Rio and in JF, we are not planning to spend more than a few hours with family in SP State.

I understand we could fly JFK-GIG and then do something like AD SDU-VCP (or go by bus) and P8 or T4 GRU-JDF, but when searching for our JFK-GIG flight (in Y), JJ gives an option with a roughly 12-hour layover in GRU that would give us enough time to make the ride to visit the part of my family outside SP. First flight is JJ 8081 and arrives in the early morning, and the second flight (I don't remember the number now), GRU-GIG, leaves around 7PM. Sounds good to me.

Now, my questions are the following:

1) Luggage: If we check in luggage, what happens to it once it arrives in GRU? Do we have to pick it up and recheck it for the GIG flight just because the layover is so long? Having flown with JJ before, I know this probably doesn't happen, so does the luggage fly with us on the same GRU-GIG flight, or does it go to GIG asap?

2) Customs & Immigration: I assume we can just leave the terminal at GRU and reenter in the late afternoon, particularly since we will get the BPs for the GRU-GIG flight at JFK. But, in all the times I flew JJ with a layover in GRU, I always went through customs & immigration at GIG. So, what happens when we arrive in GIG, since my girlfriend will have an entry stamp on her passport from a few hours before on that same day?

3) Rescheduling the flight: Is there a significant chance that JJ would decide to reschedule us for an earlier flight because of the long layover, either beforehand or at check-in at JFK? I guess I could just refuse the offer at check-in.

Thanks all for your input and advice!

Hi,

TAM might either :

a)Transport you internationally to GRU and consider the second flight an internal domestic flight; This way you are expected to do customs & immigration at GRU. I belive this is the most reasonable procedure. You get your luggage in Sao Paulo and recheck it at TAM counters where they also stamp your boarding pass for GRU access.

b)Consider both flghts internationals; The only way for them to consider the second flight international is that it might be the continuation of an arrival flight that ends in Rio, thus departs from the international sector. This way your luggage would be tagged all the way to Rio and would not be sent to customs in Sao Paulo. Customer is expected to clear customs in Rio.

Either way luggage should fly on the flight it has been tagged to, according to your ticket.

In option a) once you clear customs & immigration at GRU you are free to do whatever in Sao Paulo until departure later in the day.

If option b) and want to leave the airport you might, due to such a lengthier connection, clear immigration in Sao Paulo so you can leave the airport. Later in the evening you need to visit a TAM check-in counter for them to validate your boarding pass with a local GRU stamp that enables you to reenter the international area. Immigration officers would check your passport and boarding pass to Rio thus reasonably authorize you to fly to Rio without any more stamps on the passport.

Beware that if option b) you need TAM to stamp your boarding pass, otherwise you will not be able to enter the gates area. Technically they might want to assess a local GRU tax for originating pax but I believe you might convince them that it is not reasonable to stay 12 hours in an area where there is no restaurant, to say the least, thus a) either stamp the boarding pass for free or b) escort you in to the gates in the international area.

Thanks a lot, pb9997! ^ Good to know beforehand that I may have to get the GRU stamp - and that TAM may want to levy the tax too.

Based on what the OP said, I believe your second JJ flight is JJ3510 I think the most likely scenario is "a)" as set out by pb9997. I think that most continuing international flights going onward to GIG would retain the same flight number. (At least UA does this) Also, there are 2 earlier JJ flights with numbers different that 8081 that you could take, and if an international continuation it would be the earliest one, but even that is a different flight number and a 6 hour layover. So you would clear customs and immigration at GRU.

While you would have approximately 12 hours between flights, bear in mind, as often mentioned in other threads here on FT, the traffic in SP can be horrendous. So depending on where your relatives live, you might find yourself worrying about whether you would make it bake to the airport in time. You could always ask them if they could meet you closer to the airport to allow more visiting time.

Thanks for clarifying, qfrodo. Indeed, the flight I had in mind was JJ3510, which, if I understood correctly, seems to be the only GRU-GIG flight that doesn't clear customs & immigration upon arrival in GIG. See the reply from April 10, 2009, 2:42 AM on this forum.

My relatives live in Jundiaí, so I am counting on a two-hour ride each way, including a buffer for traffic jams. I am also calculating one hour for clearing customs & immigration, and I am counting on being back at the airport one hour in advance, which would yield 5-6 hours of "free" time, assuming no significant flight delays. Does this plan sound reasonable, or should I allocate even more time to clear customs and to get to and from Jundiaí?

correct!

If your connecting flight number is 8XXX that means you will go through Customs and Immigration in Rio.

If it is 3XXX it will be a simple domestic connecting flight - which means clearing Immigration and Customs at your first Brazilian stop, which would be be GRU. :)

Your queries at GRU
 

1. You will have to pick up your luggage at GRU, pass Customs and then re-check your items to GIG. There the ground staff will be able to assist you in finding possibly another flight GRU/GIG. Or even better, try to get a flight out of Congonhas (CGH) directly to Rio-Santos Dumont (SDU) - be careful that TAM does not charge you any extras for it. There is a bus service by TAM free of charge between GRU and Congonhas.
2. I have not understood what you meant in this query
3. TAM is pretty nasty in re-scheduling your itinenary unless you are a Vermelho card holder in the Fidelidade FFP. Mainly in international flights! Better make sure that you do understand the rules of your fare and re-booking fines.
Hope it helped.

Your plans seem reasonable; You are bound to find traffic both ways on Dutra and Marginal; Once in the Bandeirantes highway it should be a pleasure the ride both ways.

Beware that it is not rain season when you travel; Rain season in SP really disrupts traffic, mainly in the Marginais in the late afternoon after 4pm; Your way back might need additional buffer time if rain season.

Rain season in SP happens during summer time - "Tropical Showers", due to the overheating throughout the day.

Thanks to everyone for your advice and suggestions. :)

The question has already been answered but, to put it shortly, when connecting on an international flight to GIG via GRU on TAM, most pax clear immigration in GIG, but some do in GRU. I was just wondering what would happen if a foreign pax cleared immigration in GRU, and then arrived in GIG on a flight that also goes through passport control in GIG. See reply 2 by pb9997.

Another note is, if you don't have to take all your luggage to Jundiai, you can leave all or some of your bags in the "guarda volume" (Malex?) at GRU.
I used it once. I think they charged me R$14 for a large bag.

I forgot where they were located.
The entrance was outside, facing the street.

ams

Domestic sector of international flight
 

I have a domestic flight from GRU to GIG on TAM that originates in Miami, flight number begins 8. I am arriving earlier that day on UA and was wondering:

- how do i avoid customs and immigration a second time on arrival in GIG?

- Will I have access to the TAM lounge, I'm *G?

- or can I check my gas when I check-in with UA and just do an international transfer?

Thanks,

Dan

Not sure why, if you are arriving on UA, you aren't continuing on to GIG on UA. If coming from ORD, it connects to UA 861 (from IAD)

Whatever the reason, when one deplanes UA and they are connecting to GIG there will be an agent directing the continuing passengers into the waiting area. So you could probably do this. Occasionally they have to do a hard stand on the tarmac and bus people to the terminal. In that case, you can still be directed to the waiting area for the next flight, but may have to go through security. However, will you have the boarding pass for the TAM flight? If not, it could lead to difficulties. Perhaps others can tell you if you can get a JJ BP at the gate. Haven't read about anyone doing what you indicate, so you might be the guinea pig :D

Yes, but those are the tickets I have.

I see that TAM sell these sectors as domestic tickets, how do passengers access the departure area without going through customs/immigartion again?

Thanks, Dan

Dan72,

Based on your description it seems TAM's flight is a continuation of an international service, thus you're expected in GRU to do an international-international connection: Just clear security to access the international gates, stay within the international sterile area to board the TAM flight as an international passenger and clear immigration and customs in Rio only. This flight arrives/departs within GRU international area and arrives in Rio at the international terminal so that all passengers get screened and cleared there.

If you start going down stairs you are going the wrong direction: Going down the stairs are for passengers clearing immigration/customs in GRU.

Once you've cleared security at GRU and access the international area, if you want to visit the lounges, head upstairs to the international lounges area. You will find TAM and United lounges within the T1 international sterile area next to each other. If you get lost, stairs upstairs are before all the gates and duty free shops.

Enjoy...

Thank you for this very useful post!

I understand that when connecting in GRU from an international point of departure one will clear immigration and customs in GIG at the condition that the flight from GRU to GIG is also coming from an international point of departure (same JJ 8096).

Does the same also apply for the contraty on a flight from GIG to GRU continuing to an international destination (same JJ 8050) ? This would make connecting in GRU less risky with only two hours, being already on the international side.