TAM Airlines Customer Reviews and TAM Airlines Passenger Trip Reports

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JFK-EZE via GRU in Economy Class. Seating on the 777 on the route from JFK and back was awful. The 3-4-3 configuration of the cabin should be illegal. The seats were narrow, cramped, it was a miserable experience. The flight to/from EZE from GRU were on A-330-200 was much better. It had a 2-4-2 configuration, seats were wider, a by far, more comfortable experience. Flights departed on time, and the flight attendants were great! The food service was just ok. I would use TAM again, but I will try leaving from MIA on a day time flight instead.

LHR-EZE via GRU out and GIG back. Best price I found for route, with short connections. I thought legroom reasonable for economy. Food OK on long haul, but the dry cheese and ham roll on connecting flights a let down. Entertainment good - mix of new releases and good older films. Re comments about FAs - right or wrong, I have found on all South America routes you are expected to go and get any nuts, drinks, snacks etc from them, works like a bar. They were helpful with warm milk for the kids and moving our seats on the way back (arm rests wouldn't lift up for kids to sleep). Luggage went through connections fine to other end, including 2 piece pushchair left at door of aeroplane at first leg of each trip. First experience with TAM and would be happy to use again based on this experience.

FRA-GRU/GIG-FRA. Economy class. Window seated both ways. Overnight. Ground staff were ok. Attendants on board were ok. Staff very helpful until the start. Later during the flight the food was rushed, because there of some turbulence during the first hour. Quality of the food was better on the way to Brazil, than on the way back. Later light was dimmed. The movie selection was good. As I am 1.84m, I always have problems with my seating and so on. It was not enough for me, given the fact that both ways my neighbours were sleeping, so there was no easy way out. Baggage arrived fine both ways.

London Heathrow-Sao Paulo return. Overnight flights both ways. Boarding efficient at both ends. Boeing 777 with 10-abreast economy cabin, which felt cramped. Legroom just about bearable - I'm 1.82m and my knees were touching the magazine pocket of the seat in front (pocket seemed to jut out considerably, which had noticeably detrimental effect on legroom). Meals served soon after take-off on both flights and were quite skimpy, but perhaps no bad thing so late at night. Cabin crew retired to galley after meal service and were not obvious until breakfast. Variety on IFE was limited but there were some reasonably modern films that passed the time. In all, a very average (and somewhat tedious) 11-hour flight.

FOR-GIG-FOR, all in economy class, (A320). Seating cramped, but no worse than most economy class seats these days. The snack served each way on this 3.5 hour flight was perhaps the most environmentally unfriendly food service I've seen: a large, plastic tray, wrapped in plastic, containing a very small packet of a couple of small crackers, another packet (plastic wrapped) with a small cake, and a small toil-wrapped cube of cheese). Much more plastic than used to be used when the airline served hot foil-wrapped ham and cheese sandwiches. A child became ill on the flight, when we landed, people started to disembark, then were told to re-board the plane, until a health official came on board. In-flight entertainment consisted of overhead monitors every few rows, with volume that could be heard by almost no one. Flight back was less eventful. Just the same plastic-enclosed snack.

EZE-GRU. Business passengers have access to the AeropuertosVipClub lounge at EZE. The place was full and hot, so much that I had to ask the receptionist to turn on the Air Conditioning. Snacks and drinks available, but only basic stuff. No chance to feel spoiled there. Didn't hear the boarding announcement and we were the last passengers to board, after the final call - though not late really. FAs were distant and did not connect to the passengers - at least to us. The lady was so busy taking care of a passenger with a physical condition that didn't bother to pay attention to us. Got the impression that we were a burden to them, not welcomed at all and, certainly, not better than when traveling Economy. Good airplane (A330) though very old (PT- MVC). Seats (5H,5K) more than adequate since that plane has a long haul configuration and our trip took no longer that 3.5hours.

Flew from LHR-GIG and GIG-GRU-LHR outbound, A330 flight was on time which was good start. No drinks before dinner and we only got our drinks towards the end of our meal, its quicker to find cabin crew than use the call bell as they just don't bother to answer. The crew were not busy as I could see them talking and laughing in the galley. Entertainment is great if you only want to watch films that are a few years old nothing that recent to see. Inbound GIG-GRU internal flights on not bad, 50 mins flight with drinks and snacks, then GRU-LHR on a 777 same as way out no drinks before dinner and crew quite slow for service. Hope not to use them again.

Business FRA-GRU-FRA on 777. Positive: Large amenity kit, smooth check in. Average: The entertainment programme and the seat comfort with lie flat seats in a 2-3-2 config. Negative: Worst service I've experienced - on both flights. Staff seemed to avoid as many walks as possible through the cabin to check if passengers were in need of anything. The 4 course meal is served all together on one tray at the same time! Every little extra, that other airlines' attendants offer by themselves, had to be actively ordered: Coffee and digestives after meal, the bottle of water for the night, the hot breakfast. They provide 3 hot breakfast options in the menu, but you only receive it when you specifically ask for it. Bathroom was filthy in the morning. Paper and cups were not refilled. The "VIP" lounge at GRU airport is a nightmare. There's a piano man playing for the guests. Well, at least he had got a chair to sit on. 20-25 passengers on that night were not that lucky. For the biggest airline at the largest int. airport of a major country that's simply a disgrace.

GRU-SCL-GRU. Codeshare flights with LX. Arrived at GRU coming from ZRH with Swiss. I was a bit worried as only had 1 hour lay over. Boarding was well organized. 777-300 packed. Seats comfortable but a bit cramped as they do the 3-4-3 layout, but for a 4 hours flight was fine. Breakfast was scarce and quite disgusting, just a hot ham and cheese panini - almost inedible. On the way back they served lunch which was tasty but once again minimal portions. AVOD good with wide choice of movies in many different languages. Both flights on time and luggage made the 3 connections I had which was a plus. I would fly them again but would avoid long hauls.

Cancelled BA LHR-GRU flight due to snow on the 18/01 managed to get the next available flight to Sao Paulo via Madrid. Flew BA on LHR-MAD then TAM on MAD-GRU. I was impressed with the service and comfort. The FA were very attentive and helpful. The only drawback was that the IFE was not working but we were so tired after being in airports waiting for flights/connections, etc, that we slept most of the journey. Would fly TAM again.

Sao Paulo - Manaus - Sao Paulo. The most absurd was the food served on this 4 hours flight, time enough for feeling hungry: a small toast, two biscuits, a square pasteurized cheese and water (or soda). The interesting fact was seeing other crew members, probably from another flight, sitting behind us and having a warm meal on a tray, with salad, entree and dessert. Strange also is to sit on a large seat that reclines a lot (very comfortable) but have no pillows. And be in a cold cabin (very cold on that flight) and have no blankets.

We flew BSB-GRU-JFK and back in Business and as ever, the BSB-GRU leg is in economy because they don't have a Business section but they always charge full economy rate. Inflight domestic: choice of Coke or water. Staff are attentive but nothing brilliant. In GRU, the lounge is a joke - more people standing than sitting and not even beers were available. Boarding was via a bus and chaotic (TAM have instituted a set of categories for boarding, but more often than not it is ignored at boarding gates). GRU-JFK and back - seats are nothing great for Business class (not fully reclining) and food is at best average. Wines are good though. Flight was on time and luggage delivered quickly in JFK but not GRU.

Flew from São Paulo (GRU) to Paris (CDG), in April 2012. The seats were comfortable, the staff very welcoming and the food was great. There was a handful of film options, as well as many TV shows and games available. The flight was comfortable, and we arrived in Paris on time.

New York to Brazil in First. TAM's service on the ground at JFK and at Sao Paulo and Rio, when flying First at least, is one of the best anywhere. Combines Brazilian friendliness with efficiency to great effect. The food is fine, but not up to par with the best airlines, as is the entertainment. The seat is very comfortable, wide and of course flat, although the cabin could do with a little refreshing with regard to the decor, as could the tableware (yes, this is not critical). One note for competing airlines: after I sped through immigration, I waited barely 5 minutes for my luggage, which came out on a cart with a porter, who accompanied me to my car.

Mediocre Business class service between Brazil and Argentina. Outdated business class seats on the A330. Return on an older A321. No menus. No priority boarding with chaos at the gate.

LHR - Rio on 7/11/12, 20.45 (A330). Return from Sao Paulo on 5/12/12 to LHR at 13.30 (B777). Excellent in LHR T1 both ways especially returning. Priority boarding both ways - very useful in Brazil. On board - comfortable space, excellent meals, decent wines. Attentive service. Good IFE. B777 is quieter then A330. Seat not great for sleeping on way out. Solved problem on return. Got a 2nd pillow, put it below feet. Slept really well. Only (small) grouses: 1. Pilots often signalled seat belts sign - and thus no cabin service or toilet access - with minor turbulence. 2. Sao Paulo TAM business lounge too small and poor choice of food. TAM is good value.

Flew Santos Dumont (Rio) to Congonhas (Sao Paulo) on November 10th. A319 aircraft - looked very new. I was on a later flight but friendly TAM agent offered me an earlier flight as weather was rainy and sometimes they close SD airport. Got my window seat and was off. Boarding was very organized. Plane was clean and about 95% full. For a 50-minute flight you get a drink and snack box with a yummy sandwich and peanuts. Smooth flight and prompt luggage retrieval at the end. My first time with TAM and I would fly them again in a second.

GRU-SCL yesterday 19/11/2012 Business Class. Staff speak no English, Spanish or other language spoken other than Portuguese. No Star Gold priority line on boarding. Food is a joke for a 4 hour flight, just one round of drinks and no welcome water/juice/champagne. Seats are old in a new 777-300. Very uncomfortable and are not lie flat like old style Biz seats. The only good part is that it was quite on time, arrived 15 min later in SCL. Baggage took a long 45 minutes to arrive. Overall, not worth the price I paid for a round trip in Business class.

MIA-GRU aboard the 77W. The TAM economy experience was standard with the rest of the industry - nothing exceptional nor abysmal and the well maintained aircraft really helped. Seat comfort was decent with leg space providing the typical 32 inch space that is usually found in the economy class cabin and the recline was a bit more better than most. The area TAM makes strides in is when it comes to their in-flight entertainment system, which provides a wide variation of films, TV shows, music, games, and much more! Food wise, it was just okay with the food being decent and nothing really to write home about: omelette for breakfast, as the flight commenced early morning and pasta, chicken, or beef for dinner. Service offered by the cabin crew was pleasant, but with some shortcomings as their lacked a personal touch. Moreover, as a *G member, I did feel that there was some negligence on TAMs part in demonstrating their Star Alliance membership with the absence of priority boarding service and star signage. Another drawback is the ridiculously long wait for baggage to come out due to the excessive baggage check-ins by passengers and the antiquated facilities at Guarulhos airport, which really is not TAMs fault. Overall, TAM delivered a decent product and I would consider flying them again if the price is right.

Poor service. Additional drinks also during the meals you will get them only at request. Flight attendants were not offering any service. In the bathrooms only the most essential articles are available.

MAD-GRU-BSB. BSB-GRU-FRA-TXL (last segment on LH). Generally a good experience. Madrid to Sao Paulo on A330, clean, seat comfort average. On-board service good, but old LCD screens on the IFE leave a lot to be desired. Sao Paulo to Frankfurt was on a B777 in a 3-4-3 configuration, which I thought would be very tight because of other customer comments here but are actually fine, and I am a fairly big guy. Seat recline very comfortable for Economy class, and IFE was above average. A321s on BSB-GRU segments were clean and pleasant. All flights on time. Transfers at Sao Paulo are confusing but I recommend a minimum 2-hour connection arriving in Sao Paulo if you are connecting to an onward flight, because of delays at immigration, baggage pickup and drop off, and a confusing airport (on first visit). Several colleagues missed connecting flights in Sao Paulo arriving on AF and KLM with a 90-minute connection and had to spend the night. Language skills at the airport are poor if you don't speak Portuguese. Two TAM airline staff in Sao Paulo insisted they could not check me in and issue a boarding pass for my LH connection in Europe, even though the whole trip was on a TAM ticket. I was later able to do this at the TAM automated machines in Sao Paulo.

Salvador–Brasília–Belém. TAM changed my onward flight, which meant a 6 hour layover in Brasília. However, they offered me a meal voucher out of their own accord, which made up for the inconvenience. Flights on time and uneventful.

Brasilia - Paris with a stop in Sao Paulo. The staff on check in counter in Brasilia was helpful and polite, very fast check in. From Brasilia to Sao Paulo we travel on a brand new Airbus A321, it was OK, nothing special. From Sao Paulo to Paris we flew an old Airbus A330, many individual monitors were not working. The food was good, flight attendants were helpful and polite but they were sad.

Frankfurt to Brasilia via Sao Paulo. I had a pleasant surprise with this flight, I had not a good experience 20 days ago with TAM on the leg Sao Paulo - Paris, but this one was excellent, brand new Boeing 777 with a good entertainment system, 3 options of meal to dinner and 2 options to breakfast, the food was great. Flight attendants were OK.

Santiago to Sao Paulo on TAM business and I found the service standard very poor. Boarding at the gate was chaotic and business and first class passengers were kept waiting at the gate for more than 30 mins. Business class staff seemed uninterested, no after take off drinks offered. The first drink we received was with our lunch which was delivered on one single tray. I found the service standard of the this flight below other companies' business class services and a little smile from the crew will go a long way. The business class seats (this was a Boeing 777 aircraft) were uncomfortable and with a need for new covers - they look worn out. I would not recommend the airline for international flights.

Watch out for C class fares. Between Brazil and Argentina, TAM sells Business class fares on planes not offering this service. If you get lucky enough to connect out of Rio or S.P you will be offered on the Brazilian leg of your flight to pay an extra BRL30.00 for a bulkhead or exit row seat, even if you paid C class fare for the whole portion of your trip. The Business class product is outdated, with an old seat design and odd ergonomics as well as a very basic video system. Staff is doing the bare minimum.

Milan to Buenos Aires for the second time in this month. Arrived at the airport, checked in, and ground agents never told me the flight was delayed. I spoke with a lady who told me that she knew it before checking in. I could have called and change my ticket. Crew only spoke Portuguese, no English. Very poor service. Landed in Sao Paulo and connecting to a flight that would take me to Buenos Aires. Impossible. Flight cancelled. Agents said we would be taken to a hotel because other flights were full. I asked an agent who spoke Italian, a ground agent, who made me fly with GOL airlines and land in a small city airport in Buenos Aires. Will ask my company to change my return. Not flying a Brazilian airline anymore.

No German speaking FA's even in Business. For a 12 hour flight FRA-GRU the food portions are far too small. FA's don't help a passenger flying with 2 toddlers. The seating is not acceptable with the 3-4-3 layout. Much too narrow. The movies I had already seen in February. The only good thing is the staff in FRA. The rest you can forget. If LH catches up with the entertainment system in the old 747 it is my choice in the future for direct flights if the price is right.

Flew from Sao Paolo to New York/JFK on TAM JJ 8080. Paid for extra-legroom "comfort seats" for myself and travel companion. Flight was oversold and those seats were not available, so was downgraded to regular coach where we had broken seats. We were promised a refund of the comfort seat fee, but no refund has come through despite numerous calls.

Very good meal on a regular 1 hour flight. Cabin members very polite and nicely dressed. Legroom is okay. Aircraft is regular, not brand new. More expensive then other companies.

FOR-GRU-FOR. One-class cabin. We were booked biz and first class on other legs of the trip, but were in economy on TAM so would have had to pay extra if we wanted exit row seats. Food consisted of a foil- wrapped hot ham and cheese sandwich (on shorter flights you may get just chips and cookies). Seats were fairly small, but standard for airlines these days.

EZE-ASU-EZE, same day business trip. Outbound delayed due to weather. We were informed at all times. Check in fast and easy. Boarding organized. Once on board nice crew, very polite and attentive. Snack both ways, with drinks on a 2hr flight. Seats comfortable for an A320. Will fly them again.

Flew CNF-GRU-LHR-GIG-CNF in business in July. For the most part an OK experience. Check in was fine and quick. Seats comfortable, more shell shaped than lie flat, I was able to sleep for a few hours on both legs. Service was courteous. Outbound flights on time but lounge at GRU way to small. Return flight had a one hour delay on the GIG-CNF leg. Food OK but nothing special and IFE screen big and easy to use but limited selection. Priority tag on bags meant nothing on last leg. My bag was one of the last ones to be delivered. My main gripe is that even if booked in C you end up flying Y in domestic sectors.

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