spinmeister

We are flying EWR-GRU in J. We have a long layover in Sao Paulo for a late afternoon flight on LATAM. Do we have any lounge access on the UA ticket once we clear customs and go to the domestic terminal?

MatthewLAX

No. Is LATAM flight in J?

UA uses Espaço Banco Safra Lounge, which is also Priority Pass.

seanp7

That's in T3 though, and they'll likely connect in T2.

If the OP has PP, then they can use the GOL lounge in T2, which isn't terrible. Otherwise, nada.

(Side note: The W lounge in T1 is under construction - saw it Dec 30 - and Priority Pass. Not open yet).

leoo

T2 has a new Plaza Premium lounge:
https://www.plazapremiumlounge.com/e...s-terminal-two

No Priority Pass allowed but AMEX Platinum or 180 BRL (33 USD) can get you access.

The GOL lounge is still closed but they're promising to reopen it "soon".

spinmeister

LATAM does not offer J on the flight. Perhaps SkyTeam Elite+ will work

Flying Machine

That’s a nice lounge and I’ve used my AMEX platinum in the past to gain entry

lincolnjkc

Haven't been following this thread super closely but may have an unexpected trip to GRU in the next several days to couple weeks coming up. My one and only trip through GRU previously was Nov 2020.

Understand the *A lounge is no more (and it seems UA is now using the Espaço Banco Safra Lounge per MatthewLAX ) -- is there anything else the UA traveler should be aware that has changed in the past year or so for arriving or departing GRU?

seanp7

No just check the testing requirements. When arriving in GRU, an agent will check your vaccination and COVID-test in line just prior to when you see the Immigration Officer.

Espaço Banco Safra is in the same space as the old *A lounge and is of the same quality. You need to put on gloves and sanitize to visit the buffet, there's a one-way system, etc, but it's a solid space before your GRU departure (pasta, chicken, beef dishes, salads, good deserts, the toaster machine is gone, etc).

Yarhead

Thanks for the posts above regarding Safra and Amex lounges. Any recent thoughts on which is the superior Terminal 3 lounge? Both sound great!

qfrodo

I was in both lounges back in Dec. Then the Safra lounge in Jan and Mar. Personally prefer the Safra lounge, but maybe because I have used it numerous times over the years. Not a lot of change from when it was *A other than food presentation, which I found similar to the AmEx lounge. I have also read that Amex tends to be crowded, which it was in Dec, but that might depend on the time of day and flights.

TravelerMSY

Anyway around the United check in trap at GRU? Arriving mid-afternoon on BA from EZE, then connecting to UA (separate tickets) at 9:50p. Their checkin doesn’t open until 5:50p. I’m assuming even if I can stay airside- I can’t enter any lounges without a BP.

Last time I just went to the Marriott.

lincolnjkc

If you're landside and don't need to (re)check any baggage, you can use any* of the CUSS** kiosks to generate a United BP at any* time -- I had a couple domestic Azul flights connecting to UA. Azul checked my luggage through but couldn't issue a BP and we arrived in a different terminal with no air-side connection so I had to go landside and I think a similar-ish scheduling conundrum -- I think I had 4 or 5 hours to kill, and when I got to the international side of things there was no signs of anything UA except the UA logo on the CUSS kiosk I noticed. Printed my BP, cleared security, walked the terminal then killed the rest of the time in the lounge.


*- Or at least any of the kiosks in the general proximity of where UA's checkin positions would be; I didn't survey the entire terminal nor have I checked 24/7
** - Common Use Self-Service

TravelerMSY

Aren’t kiosk bp going to be inhibited due to Covid doc checks? And the silly US security questions?

lincolnjkc

So my last experience at GRU was during COVID but before the COVID test-to-fly was a thing but it had no issues with anything like security questions (did have to answer them at the gate before boarding started though)

leoo

With no checked baggage, I was able to check-in and get a boarding with the United app and Travel-Ready Center a few times this year.
No issues. Only once the app failed and I had to complete the check-in on the website.

Just remember to arrive at the gate early because they'll verify your documents and put a sticker on your passport.
Some days the Safra Lounge has a UA employee to do that but not always.

In case you can't get a boarding pass or have checked luggage, GRU has a landside lounge in Terminal 2.
You'll have to pay by hour and I believe you won't need a boarding pass:
https://urbanlounge.com.br/en/