Question for Dileep (or anyone else) re layover in Sao Paulo

[Peregrina651]

Dileep --

 

I saw in your excellent cruise review that you had a layover in Sao Paulo airport on your way home. Can you tell me if you needed a visa for Brasil because of that layover? Were all of your flights on one confirmation number?

 

Yes, I know it seems like a silly question but we are flying through Sao Paulo (as far as we could get with our FF miles; all award seats to BA are gone 10 months in advance) with changes in airline and perhaps even changes in reservation numbers. My TA is having trouble getting answers and I know that CC is a good place to hear what others have experienced.

 

Thanks in advance for your help,

Andrea

(peregrina651-rollcallATyahooDOTes)

 

 

[Peregrina651]

I should have asked this in my first post.

 

When booking our flights from GRU to Buenos Aires, how much time should we allow to make the connection? Would 2 hours be enough? Our current flight is due to arrive at 10:25 am and I would love to be able to make a 12:45/12:50P flight to Buenos Aires. Could we make it?

 

Again, thanks for your help.

 

[RioRabbit]

If you're an American citizen you will need a visa to get to the hotels on the airport, as they are all landside. If you're simply connecting you don't need one, as (opposed to US) you can stay airside all the time to make a connection.

 

Regarding the connection time, I guess it depends on whether you will need to check-in on your connecting flight or not. If you need to check-in or to re-check your bags, you will have to go through Customs and Immigration, go landside to the check-in counters and go back through security to go to your gate. For that not only you need a visa, but it will also make the 2-hour connection quite tight.

 

Hope this helps.

[Peregrina651]

RioR --

 

Thank you for your help. I wish you had delivered better news. :( Still it is very helpful information; at least I know what I have to be ready for since I don't deal well with surprises.

 

We are now wait-listed for flights to directly to Buenos Aires and with any luck, we will avoid adding the extra time to the journey.