SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT  Passenger Reviews and Customer opinions

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review :  6 February 2010 by Steven Koenig   (Brazil)

Customer Rating :  3/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

The airport is outdated and overcrowded, and I can't imagine how it will handle the crowds it will get for the World Cup and Olympics. Check-in lines can be very long and block access through the terminals, especially when, as with many international flights, the counters don't open until 2 or 3 hours before the flight. People line up well in advance. Getting directions even to airline counters can be difficult. Eating choices are extensive but mainly just run of the mill airport quality, and seats/tables can be overwhelmed.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review :  30 January 2010 by Adam Bentley   (UK)

Customer Rating :  1/5

Queuing

Cleanliness

Facilities

Chaotic and dirty disorder is the hallmark of this airport. We had the displeasure of spending 3 hours in transit here and found our experiences similar to previous ones. Departure gates badly signed and too close together leading to widespread passenger confusion, inadequate catering and restaurant facilities serving poor quality food, dirty bathrooms which are obviously not cleaned with any frequency. These are just some of the complaints we could make. We have resolved not to use this airport again and will try to transit through other Latin American hubs; there are alternatives.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review : 24 January 2010 by Paul Dixon

Customer Rating : 1/5

Since my previous trip in 2006 not much has changed in what must be one of the worst airports in the world, an ugly eyesore to say the least. Thankfully, however, the plane cemetery seems to have gone - this was an area where planes from former airlines such as Vasp were left in the open to rot away. Infrastructure still poor, no escalators or moving walkways, for example, even though a new terminal has opened, making the building twice as long. At last the airport has now got its website running, but Portuguese only - not much use to international passengers. Traffic is even worse than before, and slums (and two prisons) surround the airport in all directions - not a pleasant sight as your first glimpse of a new country. The traffic to São Paulo is terrible (for those who are not familiar with the airport, it lies some 15 km out of town), and as the Marginal Ring Road (in São Paulo) is being widened things have got even worse. Expect at least one hour in the traffic, especially in the morning. Public transport is poor and is limited to the Airport Service shuttle (excellent service, run by Pássaro Marron but expensive) and the city line to Tatuapé (cheap but often full). There are plans to build a bullet-train rail link between São Paulo and Rio, connecting the two airports (GRU and GIG), but will not be that useful as the plan is for only three stations between the airports - there should be at least ten times as many, as there are some 50 towns between São Paulo and Rio. There are also plans for a local rail link into town but no progress has been made. What is sad in all this is that some 50 years ago what is now the airport (then a military base) was served by a rail link - in typical Brazilian lack of foresight, the line was later closed and the track lifted. The taxi service is efficient but very expensive, the price is set beforehand which avoids the possibility of paying more for time stopped in traffic or if the driver should take a detour here and there. In the airport building, the usual chaos at baggage reclaim and long queues to get through the Federal Police check. The variety of restaurants seems to have improved, although we did not get the opportunity to use them. McDonald's in Wing A provides an excellent view of the planes but the waiters speak no English and it only takes Brazilian currency. Allow plenty of time when coming here due to traffic (see above). There is also a shortage of hotels near the airport, and the city of Guarulhos has very few hotels and is not particularly attractive - there is, however, an Ibis Hotel right in the heart of Guarulhos, next to the shopping area.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review : 27 February 2009 : by A Hijmans

Customer Rating : 3/5

As other people have mentioned, the airport has a rather grim feel to it but it does function fairly well. I had a very smooth stopover; no long queues at immigration (although I have experienced them there at other occasions) and very friendly and fast security. As for café options, the "Vienna" café / restaurant on departures level, tucked away all the way at the end of the A-Wing, is your best bet. It is spacious and has a lot of natural light coming in - an exception in a building which is basically an enormous concrete bunker. Coffee and food are good but expensive.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review : 22 February 2009 : by M Mogensen

Customer Rating : 2/5

GRU was my home airport for many years and I flew in/out as much as 3-4 times a month. It is a large concrete airport built in the early 1980s and is now very out-of-date and in need of a make-over or to be replaced. However, it is not perhaps as bad as some of the reviews claim, in my opinion. The biggest problems are a) immigration lines are slow and if you are a non- Brazilian can get very backed up when several international flights arrive together as there are never enough immigration officials and those that there are are often young and untrained b) it gets chaotic during peak travel times with long lines for bag check and due to poor layout and outdated infrastructure c) it is plain ugly - built out of concrete and dark and impersonal. Airline check-in is generally efficient, staff are friendly. There are few food options but a couple of good cafes. Security is fair, with few reports of robberies or theft compared to Rio airports or Congonhas. The taxi system is safe and efficient. Get a pre-paid taxi outside the exit doors.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review : 5 November 2008 : by A Hetier

Customer Rating : 3/5

GRU is clean, but it is too small now and it could improve. It is becoming undersized, really. And I dislike the long long lines before passport control, especially on departure. Some good shops and good food places. Once I had luggage lost by Varig and the ground personnel was extremely helpful. A good point: there is always someone waiting for connecting passengers when they deplane (at least for TAM in my experience). So it looks disorganised, but airport staff is helpful enough to solve as many problems as they can.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review : 10 October 2008 : by Steve Koenig

Customer Rating : 2/5

GRU is older, dark and depressing, but the worst aspect to me is something it shares with other Brazilian airports: when departing from Brazil and arriving at Guarulhos on a domestic flight and then continuing on an international flight, you need to leave the security area and go to the second airline's ticket counter to check in again, even if your baggage has been checked through. Outbound international flights, especially to the US, can have long lines (i part due to secondary screening of passports), so travelers need to be prepared. When arriving in Brazil, if you are connecting to a domestic flight you need to know that there is no transit desk outside of Customs. You need to know to go upstairs, with your luggage, to the counter of the next airline and check in there. On the plus side, in Brazil you can shop at duty free shops upon arrival, not just upon departure.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review : 19 July 2008 : by P Richards

Customer Rating : 1/5

I recently came through GRU twice on a family visit to Brazil. It is a disorganised and shabby place which works well enough when there are few passengers, but which breaks down if more than one international flight arrives at the same time, which is quite common. Passport control is friendly and efficient enough, but they have structured the queueing system so that the head of the queue is hidden behind a pillar making the immigration desks invisible, so the passport officers are constantly having to shout out when they are free. Chaos. The single luggage reclaim belt for my transatlantic flight with several hundred passengers was less than twenty metres long. Most passengers couldn't even see the belt and, because they couldn't see their luggage or physically reach the belt to get their luggage, it soon filled up to the point where luggage was falling off the belt onto people's feet and no more luggage could be put onto the belt. Chaos. Two transatlantic flights had arrived at the same time and the queue to get through customs was over half a kilometre long. On my return journey I was refused entry into Departures until I got an extra stamp on my boarding pass which the airline denied that I needed. I was back and forth between check-in and the entry to Departures with each blaming the other and trying to make it my problem. Chaos. On my return the airport was less busy so they could kind of handle things and the queues were OK. The airport is certainly not restful though. TVs blaring loudly from every corner with nobody watching. Departure information screens placed so that they are invisible from where people actually sit and wait, and only visible from corridors where, of course, people don't wait. The public address staff shout into the microphones and hold them so close to their mouth that the announcements are so distorted as to be incomprehensible. Either that or the microphones are broken. The catering is completely inadequate, with one downmarket cafe open in the entire international departures area. All in all this is the worst airport that I have ever been through, and I fly very frequently, both domestically and internationally. It is chaotic, disorganised, unpleasant, badly designed and completely inadequate for its purpose.

SAO PAULO GUARULHOS AIRPORT customer review : 7 June 2008 : by A Hijmans

Customer Rating : 3/5

Passed through GRU on a connecting flight. Struck once again by the airport's grim and dark appearance. However no long queues at immigration and security, even though more than ten intercontinental flights were scheduled to depart within an hour of each other. Landside shopping and restaurants is good, airside there is next to nothing. Connecting passengers from elsewhere in Brazil please note: in winter GRU is cold! Bring a coat!

Sao Paulo Airport review by N Hadden-Paton

6 March 2008   Customer Rating :

We were then required to join the Security Check and Passport Control queue. The end of this queue reached to the far wall of Hall A, passed through Hall B before snaking (four times) into the Control zone. Eventually, we arrived at Gate 10 – after queuing for a further 65 minutes.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Karsten Sander

7 February 2008   Customer Rating :

I travel through Guarulhos airport 2-3 times a year and everytime I get a reminder of how outdated this whole airport and its operation is. Immigration usually is a big problem, either way in or out with long lines and in most of the cases only a limited number of checkpoints manned. United/Lufthansa/Varig Busness class lounge is not very appealing to say the least, airport facilities are generally limited.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Richard Turnley

16 December 2007   Customer Rating :

Came in from Panama with Copa and the line of non brazilian passengers was spilling out from the 8 or 9 zigzag ropes - there were 4 immigration officers on duty that reduced to 3 after an hour of waiting. The floor is hard cement and the air was stale and sticky. In my opinion, Sao Paulo rivals Los Angeles as the worst entry point made only slightly more pleasant by the less officious officers. I think it is time that a list of airports that could cause problems for elderly passengers was made public because standing on hard concrete for more than 90 minutes in stressful conditions should be avoided.

Sao Paulo Airport review by D Williams

6 November 2007   Customer Rating :

Careful when using on-line check in with BA - queued to get to the front of security, only to be told that my e-boarding pass needed BA service desk to put a sticker on it, so had to queue all over again. No fast track. Miserable BA lounge that is used by other airlines.

Sao Paulo Airport review by B Roland

1 May 2007   Customer Rating :

Flew from GRU at the time (in the evening) when several intercontinental planes leave and the experience was far from any imagination. In total we queued 2 and half hours for security check and passport control. The security line was about 400 meters long with several twists from one end to the other of the terminal building, I will certainly skip GRU in the future

Sao Paulo Airport review by Bryan Harris

4 April 2007   Customer Rating :

GRU is OK but due to increased frequencies and new airlines using GRU the airport security lines are getting longer. I traveled from GRU on March 26, 2007 and I was in the security line for 1 hour and 30 mins. Most airlines advise checking in 3 hours prior to departure. I agree, although check in at Continental was fast, the line for security, then the line for passport control was long and slow moving. Allow extra time and you won't be upset.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Kevin Ivers

24 March 2007   Customer Rating :

I traveled through GRU very regularly from the US (and to Argentina and back) for about seven years until I moved to São Paulo in 2007. So in a way, I'm sure my opinion is tainted by the fact that I know the airport like the back of my hand, and know all the ups and downs of traveling through it. But it's not really all that bad, if you're flying a legacy carrier on an international flight in or out. United and American/TAM have the longest history in the terminal, so check-in (if you arrive 2 hours early) is usually very sensible and smooth, with excellent English speakers at all the various desks. The immigration line is alternately deserted or very long, just depends on the day or time of year. The Red Carpet Club is indeed a little too overcrowded sometimes, but it beats those in the US and has some decent snack food. Arriving at GRU on an intl flight is usually also easy to handle. Immigration is always much faster than at JFK, IAD, MIA, ORD or LAX, and never as surly or demeaning. They have also made a lot of improvements in the last year to the international depatures and arrivals areas, especially with the new, very expansive Duty Free store at intl baggage claim, before customs. I stop in there almost every trip because there are so many things in there that you can't get for less than twice the price outside the airport. Also, the taxi system is fast, efficient, easy to understand, and set up precisely to ensure you are not ripped off. Now, if we could do something about the journey between the airport and downtown -- or about the collapsing air traffic control system --- then we'd be ahead.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Walter Rebello

1 February 2007

I travel to Brazil several times per year on biz and vacation. I know the airport almost as much as my own house. It is clean, easy to get around but on peak times and specially during the vacation period in Brazil lines and delays are everywhere. from Arrival, Immigration, getting your luggage, going thru customs (took me 1h 10m' in the customs line). Lines for the international departure for security can also take a long time. Airport needs an improvement but as always the Brazilian Federal authorities have made a 2nd not needed terminal in Rio, built a white elephant in Belo Horizonte but nothing has been done in Sao Paulo. I do not dislike the airport. Food area specially in the gates area is poor. Airport design is nice - it is clean. Duty Free Areas could have more space.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Andre Boulos

29 January 2007

The airport is the busiest in South America and, because of that, improvements to make the life of the passengers easier are being made. There are more passport control cabins in both departure and arrival lounges and X rays for the the international departure. The international departure areas are clean and have many seats, but sometimes become really crowded. There are connectors for both domestic and international areas linking terminals 1 and 2, without being necessary to change terminals after the X-rays. Despite the international traffic, the arrival lounges offer good duty-free shops. GRU will become bigger and more efficient in 3 to 4-year time with the terminal 3, adding more space for the international and domestic traffic. The terminals are lighter now and really dont seem old- fashioned.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Steve Koenig

21 January 2007

One of my least favorite airports. Dark, in places dirty. Very old (the large flight arrival and departure boards with signs that flip around are almost quaint). Transferring from an international to a domestic flight can be confusing, even if you understand Portuguese. There is a flight transfer desk downstairs (on the level you leave customs), but there may well be no one there. Need to trudge up and stand in line at the ticket counters (you need to figure this out on your own). A huge airport with many flights but no hotel near the airport. Tough to get reliable information on hotels nearby (e.g., for day rooms between flights). The array of restaurants and bars outside the security area isn´t bad, but near the gates the selection is poor. One nice thing about Brazilian airports: you can go into the duty free shops upon arrival from international flights, not just as you are departing.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Mary Silva

9 January 2007

Guarulhos is clean, people are usually friendly and try to be helpful. The carts (trolleys) are free - you don't have to use a coin or your credit card to start moving your baggage, the toilets are clean. The parking lot is big and well signalled.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Ron Kuhlmann

15 October 2006

It's big, cavernous, and not very appealing. The gate areas are small compared to the overall structure size and the food options are minimal- - but the food they have is ok. The main check in hall can seem like a maze. The premier airport for Brazil should be better but it is far from the bottom of my list.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Tristen Bjornsson

18 July 2006

While it is true Immigration can be a bit slow, it is an ok airport all things considered. Food choices aren't the best - but people are friendly. If you are taking the shuttle from Sao Paulo in the rain, leave early.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Holly Rasky

28 April 2006

I recently travelled to Rio through Sao Paulo. The Sao Paulo airport is so run down it is comical. Many of the seats in the waiting areas were ripped open with stuffing coming out, while others were totally broken. I used the Varig Lounge and while it was clean, it was not very comfortable and there was no food (and I was there for 4 hours). At least the airport is small, so you can't get too lost, which is good because they do not speak ANY English. One good point, I had heard that the immigration lines might be a problem on my transfer, but they seem to have figured it out so I did not have any problem in that respect.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Henry Osserman

9 March 2006

Mixed feelings about GRU. I lived a short while and Sao Paulo and the worst aspect of GRU is immigration as it is a very small area that does move, be it all slow and if you by chance land at the same time as a 747 forget it as you will roast to death waiting to have your passport and paper-work checked. Bags are usually arriving by the time you get through immigration so just head out the green lane. Taxis are safe and be sure to use the ATM machines when you can for quick cash. Better rates as well! Departure can be a headache and make sure you have your paper-work ready for check-in. if you have any special needs or issues get to the airport very early, especially if you are flying at night. Staff at check-on are not fully trained in every area and there is usually one lone supervisor who can handle problems, he or she is usually busy helping someone else. It was a nightmare travelling twice on Delta as we had an infant and those tickets are issued at the airport. It took the manager over an hour each time we flew to get out infant ticket issued! Both times we had to run to the gate which was on the opposite sound of the entire Terminal. Check-in areas at GRU are NOT in relation to gate areas for aircraft! Lounges are over-crowded as well, esp. United Red Carpet!

Sao Paulo Airport review by Jonathan Lacoste

6 February 2006

I have mixed feelings when I pass through GRU, and can’t believe Brazil’s financial capital would have an airport so dull and boring. As with most complaints, mine centers on the lack of eating options. I know others say to eat prior to passing through immigration but how about the transit passengers? In my case, I transfer through GRU to get to ASU. There are a couple of snack bars inside the terminal but not worth standing in the long line that often stretches outside of the store, especially in the evenings. I wish they would tear down the duty free shop that lies at the end of terminal 2 and place a food vendor or two there, especially since there is already a duty free shop after immigration. At least now the airline lounges are past security. Previously, I had to worry about missing my flight after exiting the lounge because of long security lines. I’m really not that impressed with Sao Paulo’s airport. At least the good looking Brazilian women working in the airport softens my disappointment with GRU.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Michael Hardi

21 January 2006

GRU is a very efficient and clean airport. I have travelled through this airport with many airlines, such as DL, CO, KL, RG and TP, and as a foreign national found immigration quick and polite. Sao Paulo is one of the biggest and most important cities in the world, and the GRU airport reflects this: all major airlines fly to GRU! As for the airport, I find it easy to navigate and user-friendly. The only problem concerns eating places after immigration, so eat before passport control. Also, until the metro/subway link comes out of paper, sometimes traffic could be a problem to/out city centre - airport at peak times. There is, however, an excellent coach Airport Bus which links the airport to many places in Sao Paulo. Cabs are also well organised and all charge metered rate.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Paul Dixon

14 January 2006

I live in São Paulo so have to use GRU whenever I fly. I honestly find it a shabby airport with bad structure and extortionate prices. For anyone landing here, the bad experience starts before landing, as shantytowns follow each other in succession below, reminding everyone that Brazil is the country with the widest social gap in the world. Expect long queues at Passport Control, if you are not Brazilian, and also expect to have your luggage inspected - thankfully, however, this means just put through an x-ray machine, not actually opened. At baggage reclaim, instead of the cases remaining on the conveyor belts, they are put on the floor at random, so the chance of your baggage being mistaken for someone else's, or even stolen, is high. Once you get into the concourse, shy away from Banco Safra's extortionate exchange rates. You can get a better rate elsewhere in the airport, but my advice is to check rates in your home country, before you travel. Infra-structure is very poor compared with FRA, AMS, BRU or BHX, for example. Moving walkways are nowhere to be seen, and the passenger terminal is more than a mile long! Flight announcements only in Portuguese and a kind of English. Bathrooms still use the old paper towels, and taps must still be turned on manually! In terms of transport, there is no train link to the city centre, which means the only options are an expensive executive coach or a more expensive taxi, both of which come up against São Paulo's terrible crawling traffic. There are plans to build this rail link, it must be said, but no-one knows when. Eating facilities poor and only take Brazilian currency. Internet access available but awfully expensive at R$ 30 an hour (that is about $ 13). Duty-free also expensive. It's hard to believe in this computer age, but GRU does not even have a site on the Internet. One last thing - guess what you see first as you leave the airport? Yes - another slum.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Dale Hancock

22 December 2005

I have made four trips into GRU since September, flying both Delta & Continental. I am a US citizen. Arrivals has always been very quick with no photos or fingerprinting. The longest it took to meet my ride was about 30 minutes (no currency exchange & no checked luggage). The quickest was about 15 minutes. There is currency exchange after immigration just prior to baggage claim & also currency exchange once you exit into the free world. I found the exchange rates fair (much better than IAH & ATL). Departures have always moved quickly, even when the customs people were on strike. If you don't eat before you get to the airport then eat before you go through passport control. Essentially nothing to eat on the other side. The security people overdo it, asking if you have needles (sewing) and matches. Overall though the security was very good. You'll be questioned at the airline counter & again on the jetway to the aircraft. Remember to take you immigration card with you - passport control will pick it up as you leave. If you've lost it ask for another at the airline counter before entering the immigration line. The Brazilian nationals will often get pulled into another line to expedite the exiting process so that foreigners will go through the normal passport control stations. It usually did not take more than 15 minutes to get through the passport control & security clearances. One time there was a HUGE line, but it still only took about 30 minutes. I'm elite level with both Continental & Delta & I have never gotten to the airport more than 2 hours before departure & I've always had more than one hour waiting at the gate, even when I've gotten a bite to eat. Duty free is a rip off. Yes the terminal is drab. Yes there are limited eating places (so just remember to eat before passport control!). But overall, GRU is a great place to travel through - enough seats & the lines have never been horrible for me. Alas - no DL or CO lounges though. Finally - it seems very common to get late checkout at the hotels for no charge.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Alex Mackay

17 November 2005

Airport was not the worst I have been through with some good shops and OK food outlets (sandwiches and coffee predominantly). THe main issue was with the Astureus First Class lounge - booked through loungepass.com. Waste of money! 6 seats, 1 coffee machine, no snacks - drab and horrid place! Do not book this lounge - head straight to departures and find a seat the

Sao Paulo Airport review by Miguel Oli

24 October 2005

Sao Paulo Airport has been refurbished now for quite some time, but still is not reaching real international standards. Especially the catering in the gate area is insufficient and broadly unattractive. The gate areas are generally too small to accomodate the passengers for the big international flights, which then normally ends up with a huge crowd standing and blocking the gate entry. Priority boarding then is usually a big hassle. In immigration there has been recently a big improvement in processing speed from the staff and now most of the time 4 (of 10) desks are occupied, which is double than in the past.

Sao Paulo Airport review by D Dixon

9 October 2005

Can't complain about the arrivals part. Arrived from Houston this morning (US citizen) and was in the taxi in 45 minutes. In all fairness, 20 minutes was spent in the currency exchange line, so we could have made it to the taxi in less than half an hour, even picking up the luggage. The line went quickly with girls checking documents for errors before the passengers arrived at passport control. The girls were fluent in English & helpful to those who needed it. We were not photographed or fingerprinted. No Americans arriving today were (maybe that's over with?). I strongly suspect the departure will be less fun.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Rafael Barbosa

17 May 2005

I'll agree Guarulhos is hardly a first-Tier airport, but I enjoy using it and think it's a bit unfair to dismiss it as disfunctional, especially when we consider it's current function is far form the original "Master Plan" for Sao Paulo (GRU was supposed to handle domestic flights, whilst VCP would be the major International gateway - CGH would handle only regional and private aviation, if not suppressed altogether). The major problem with GRU is it's design enables it to handle smaller flights very efficiently, but causes trouble for the major aircraft which use it; undersized Immigration and Arrivals/Departures lounges and a lack of airbriges suitable for long- haul aircraft were the most crippling problems, and these were at least partially solved with a major overhaul of the terminal, adding 30.000sq.m of space and increasing the number of airbriges (now at 24, 12 for medium and 12 for long-haul aircraft). The shopping/restaurant problem is quite annoying, but not critical, and Infraero is taking steps to revitalize Floor 3, reserved almost entirely for commercial ventures, on par with it's "Aeroshopping" philosophy. Regarding T3, I wouldn't wait up for it. Infraero routinely announces its construction but the fact is it hasn't even past licitation phase yet, and the plans change every few months. Infraero is on a clear "cash cow" policy regarding GRU, and plans to exhaust the current infrastructure before making the very heavy investment needed to upgrade and increase it.

Sao Paulo Airport review by G Rayfield

6 April 2005

The "new" international departures terminal at GRU is a paradigm of poor planning and discomfort -- especially for those making a connecting flights. Among the deplorable situations - An insufficient number of seats in the otherwise spacious int'l. departures lounge; around 2000 hours, when dozens of flights depart for Europe and N. America, all seats are taken and many passengers have to remain standing or sitting on the floor. Miserable food/refreshment amenities; as noted in previous correspondence there's only a tiny shop to sip a cafezinho or buy a snack from a very limited assortment. Redundant "security" checks (Hello!? Is anyone interrupting a conversation to look at the scanner's monitor?); connecting flight passengers must go through an alleged "security check" as they make their way directly from the arrival gate to the departure area --both in the same terminal and beyond any other unsecured area of GRU.

Sao Paulo Airport review by Philip Drost

21 March 2005

I agree with Mr Hong. GRU is dull, dark and inefficient. No clear signing: when you arrive in 1 terminal, there is no overview of the departures of the other terminals. And you have to go trough the hand luggage x-ray control to look at tv screens for information. No internet access either. Shops are so so. No restaurants, only a small coffee shop, with 4 chairs. One positive point: the coffee was excellent!

Sao Paulo Airport review by Joe Emling

28 June 2004

While Guarulhos is obviously aged, it seems to function well enough. Having 5 hours to spend there before my departure, I enjoyed shopping in the many stores. The restaurant selection was underwhelming, but there were some pretty good places to find Brazilian crafts and tourist souvenirs. Entering Brazil from the U.S. was an ordeal. The new tit-for-tat requirement that Americans must submit to photos and fingerprints causes some confusion in the serpentine passport control lines. You go part way through the line, then break out of line to a different line, get fingerprinted, and get back in the first line for a passport check. Hey - it's their country, so if they want to fingerprint me that's their prerogative, but couldn't they make the system a little more straightforward? By having the same guy take your prints AND check your passport, perhaps? Upon departure, one confusing aspect of the airport is that the check-in counter for a particular airline (Continental, in this case) may be in one terminal, but the flight actually departs from a different terminal. It's a long walk from the end of Terminal 2 to the opposite end of Terminal 1. There should also be some warning that there are relatively few services once you pass through the ticket-checking gate prior to security screening. The airline lounges were also difficult to find, even with a map supplied by the airline. All in all, GRU is a decent airport with decent services.