Brazil Experience

[Jasecoop]

Had the most unbelievable experience last week travelling in Brazil, only there for a week and started off well but went downhill quick

• Arrived Sunday and all went smooth
• Wednesday transferred to a new town which involved 3/4 days work, 6 hour bus ride then 1.5hr flight. Got to hotel at 10pm and they tell me they cancelled my room as I arrived after 6pm. They also said that all hotels are booked and walked away. Finally sorted after many phone calls late at night. When offered a room eventually, i asked if it was smoking and they said no but no probs to change rooms (booked out my cough, thats at least 2 rooms at 11pm they had empty)
• Sat morning, arrived at airport at 3.30am, checkin closed but open at 4.30 for a flight at 6am. The travel for the day was Belo Horizonte to Buenos Aires via Sao Paulo with TAM, then QF Buenos Aires to Sydney. Get to counter, my travel mate's TAM ticket was cancelled. He managed to get on the plane with a few minutes to spare after TAM reissued the ticket they cancelled by mistake
• Arrive Sao Paulo, second leg of trip to Buenos Aires was cancelled (had officially left country by then, mmm)
• Wait for an hour to reach the service desk, they provided new tickets on the next flight that leaves 2 hours after the original, exactly the stopover time we had in Buenos Aires. Asked about our connecting flight, they said stand over there
• While waiting, checked the ticket they gave me, same last name but different first name. Good security. Told them that they gave me the wrong ticket and after a few heated discussions between the TAM employees they threw the ticket away and asked me to wait again
• After 3 hours waiting for them to sort out connections and telling me that I would be stuck for 3 days I decided to ring my travel agent (midnight in Australia) but managed to organise flights via Santiago - another $5k later
• Told them i had organised flights and that I need my bags to checkin to another airline so they escorted us out through customs without a stamp but gave us a note to get back in
• The guy picks up my travel mates bag and I ask where mine is. All I get is "lost". There was a second bag but not mine, would appear that the other guy with the same name used my J ticket and travelled to Buenos Aires and my bag went with him. His bag was stuck in Sao Paulo.
• Fill out lost baggage form and check in on new flights and wait around for the next 8 or so hours for the new flights
• Decide to head back through customs before our flight, lady at desk says "no stamp, why". I tell her to read the form I had but after the third time i told her to read the form and after she talked to her boss they let us pass
• First flight is Sao Paulo to Santiago, thought it was LAN chile but turned out it was operated by TAM. Get to gate at boarding time, no plane yet. Start to get worried as we only had 1hr20 stopover. Anyway only left 20min late in the end and the LAN chile rep was there to meet us at the gate (chalk and cheese when comparing LAN and TAM)
• Anyway, after that all smooth flying except for me wondering if I would ever get my bag back
• Get call today, bag is in Adelaide so can pick up - wonder if anything is missing

So message of the story, wont be travelling TAM again

 

[UP4014]

Yes, I feel I can cross TAM from my list of must fly airlines.

 

[moa999]

And LAN and TAM have announced they are merging.
although it remains under investigation

Lan, Tam Sink as Chile Antitrust Tribunal Proceeds With Acquisition Review - Bloomberg

 

[casanovawa]

Hmmm, i think i might have one upcoming TAM flight in SA... hopefully it all goes a bit better than this!!!