Guarulhos International Airport — Sao Paulo, Brazil

Wong Kwong Sin Benjamin (Hong Kong China) - November 17, 2018
On 11.11.2018, I and my wife took a flight from Rio de Janeiro and transferred at Guarulhos Airport back to Bogota. We then checked in again at the Latam counter F02, the Latam staff asked us to produce the Yellow Fever Vaccination Certification for checking. However, we told her that the certificates were in the check in luggages. Another staff came to the counter and asked us about our ages. Upon enquiry, they did not insist to see the certificates and proceeded to issue the boarding passes to us and labelled the luggages. We then proceeded to the security checking and immigration and went to the gate 303 waiting for boarding. At 1515 hours, we went to the boarding gate and handed the passes to the Latam staff. He asked us for the Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificates for checking. We told him that they were put in the check-in luggages and your staff at the check-in counter did not require to see them. However, he still insisted to see it. After having consulted his senior officer, we were still required to produced it for checking before we were allowed to board. We asked why there were two standard procedures of the same airline. So, we requested to see his senior officer and still received the same answer. He said that he would arrange another flight tomorrow. Later, we went back to the check-in counter and talked to the same staff who were handled our check-in. They said we were at the age of 60 or over and did not require to produce the certificate.

The staff in-charge of the counter told us the staff at the boarding gate had made a mistake and and she on behalf of the airline apologised for the wrong doing of its staff. We were later arranged a hotel including meals and hotel transfer. Finally, we could get back to Bogota in the next day.

In view of the above, we would like to seek you assistance to clarify whether it is a procedural requirement to produce the Yellow Fever Vaccination Certificate before allowing for boarding and also what is the standard procedure for checking them, both in the check-in counter and boarding gate.

We hope your authority would look into this matter and prevent the recurrence of the same incident in future.

I do not know whether it is appropriate to write to you. If it is not correct, please tell me which authority should I address to. In fact, I have already made a complaint to the Latam Airline on 11.11.2018 and asked for compensation for the time lost for both of us.

We look forward to receiving positive reply from you.

NISHA SINGH - November 18, 2013
DEAR SIR/MADAM,

SUB: FAKE SEAMEN USING SOUTH AMERICAN COUNTRIES AIRPORT TO REACH CENTRAL AMERICA AND THEN CROSSING BORDERS OF MEXICO TO ENTER USA.

THIS IS KIND TO BRING TO YOUR NOTICE THAT MORE THAN 600 FAKE SEAMEN HAD ENTERED USA IN LAST 5 MONTHS THROUGH MEXICAN BORDERS. STILL MORE THEN 900 ARE IN QUE TO FLY FROM BANGKOK, DUBAI, ABU DHABI AND ADDIS ABABA. THEY TAKE DIFFERENT KIND OF ROUTES VIA EUROPE, CHINA AND SOUT H AFRICA AND REACH MAINLY ON SAO PAULO, RIO DE JANERIO AND BUENOS ARIES AIRPORTS. FROM THEIR THEY FLY TO GUATEMALA OR HONDURAS OR MEXICO AIRPORTS. MAILY AIRLINES USED ARE AVIANCA, TACA, TAM AIRLINE, AIR MEXICO, LACSA, COPA ETC. IBERIA FROM MADRID TOO. AVIANCA AIRLINE IS MOST FAVOURATE AMONG THEM. THEY FLY VIA BOGOTA, LIMA AND SAN JOSE.

THEY ARE ALL FAKE SEAMEN. THEY CARRY SEAMEN BOOKS AND TRAINING CERTIFICATES ALONG WITH LETTER OF GUARANTEE AND THAT IS GENERATED FROM AGENTS COMPUTER. ALL ARE ISSUED WITH PAYING MONEY ONLY. THESE ALL PAX ARE BOOKED FOR 50000 US $ EACH TO REACH USA BY CROSSING MEXICAN BORDERS ONLY. IF THESE ALL PAX ARE QUESTIONED FOR FEW MINUTES ONLY, YOU WILL SURPRISED TO KNOW THAT THEY NEVER WENT NEAR SEA IN THEIR WHOLE LIFE AND MOST OF THEM HAVE FAKE SIGNATURE ON TRAINING CERTIFICATES DONE BY THEIR AGENTS. THEY ARE TOTALLY UNAWARE FOR NAME OF JOINING SHIP, SALARY AMOUNT, JOB TERM AND CONDITIONS ETC.

ALL AIRPORTS IN CENTRAL AMERICA HAVE FIXED PRICE TO CLEAR IMMIGRATION FOR THESE PAX. FEW AIRPORTS IN SOUTH AMERICA ALSO PROVIDE THIS FACILITY. TRUST ME USING ALL ABOVE MENTIONED AIRPORTS, AIRLINES AND FINAL DESTINATIONS ARE 100% FAKE SEAMEN AND NOT EVEN SINGLE IS ORIGINAL. THEY WILL BE ALWAYS REACHING SOUTH AMERICAN AIRPORTS FROM BANGKOK, ADDIS ABABA, DUBAI, ABUDHABI, JOHANNESBURG, MADRID AND BEIJING.

PRICE FOR IMMIGRATION CLEARING THESE FAX SEAMEN PAX:-
GUATEMALA 2500 US$
HONDURAS 2000 US$
MEXICO 100000 TO 120000 US$

PLEASE NOTE: - IF ALL SOUTH AMERICAN AIRLINES MENTIONED ABOVE AND AIRPORT IMMIGRATIONS KEEP AN EAGLE EYE ON ALL SEAMEN HOLDING INDIAN PASSPORTS AND HAVING FINAL DESTINATION GUATEMALA, HONDURAS AND MEXICO AND CHECK THEM SERIOUSLY. ALL FAKE SEAMEN CAN BE STOPPED IN FEW MONTHS AND HUMAN TRAFFICKING RACKET WILL BE DISCOURAGED PERMANENTLY.

COPY SENT TO USA BORDER FORCE.



THANKS AND REGARDS

A. G. - November 11, 2013
I would like to warn people coming to GRU for a connecting flight. I arrived with a Lufthansa flight on 10th of Nov from Munich at 5:00 am. I was supposed to take my luggage and redo the checkin so that I can continue my journey to Buenos Aires. At the door of the plane there were two people in uniforms, one young woman and one man dressed in uniforms and asked for people with connecting flights to Buenos Aires. I went to them and the said that they will help me transfer the luggage to my next flight to Buenos Aires at 13:20 with Virgin Lineas Aereas to J. newberry airport. The took my tag number and they even asked how the luggage looks like and they said to go directly to departure and don't worry for my luggage. At departure I told them that I had my luggage transfered by the staff and they said don't worry your luggage is in the plane. Surprise, surprise in Buenos Aires no trace of my luggage. I made a complaint and then had to go to my next flight to Bahia Blanca. They did not know where my luggage was left. So now I am without my luggage for a month that I have to stay in Argentina. Please be aware and don't do the same mistake like me.

gavin (USA) - September 11, 2013
actually i travel into GRU regularly and dont think I have ever waited more than 10 mins in lone, they are fast and friendly and efficient. if you think GRU is slow or unfriendly try JFK or Heathrow .

Jitin Sethi (India) - May 21, 2013
This airport has poor cultural sensitivity. I am a Sikh (religion) fom India and as a part of my religion I wear a turban (a long piece of cloth wrapped around the head). The turban is an integral part of the Sikh religion and each Sikh gentleman sports one. A Sikh gentleman never steps in public without a turban. Not wearing a turban is like being naked. All major countries (US, UK, canada, european countries) recognise this. However, the security personnel at this airport were culturally insensitive to the fact. Even after my much explaining to the officers I was asked to strip my turban very harshly. This was even before doing a metal scan or any kind of patting etc.
It was a humiliating experience and I hope that the airport authorities will take note of it and amend the policies.

Peter Branches (England) - April 17, 2013
Immigration line for foreigners is pathetic and makes an extremely bad impression. I am afraid that 10 out of 10 foreign visitors were very disappointed by the way you treat us at the airport. I have travelled a great deal this year and have never ever seen such a disgraceful treatment. It makes one wonder. Really

Dr. Hansjörg Stutzer (Zurich, Switzerland) - April 14, 2013
This is a formal complaint about how immigration is handled in the airport. On last Sunday I flew in with Swiss from Zurich early in the morning and I had to qeue up for 1 hour 15 and today I returned from Santa Cruz in the afternoon with GOL and had to qeue up for 1 h. In both cases I noticed that only a few boothes were occupied by immigration officers.
You only have one chance to make a first impression and this first impression of a tourist coming to Brazil is very bad since you do not care to receive your tourists in a respectful way. How do you want to be a respectful host for the Mundial of next year and the Olympics in 2016 if you can not resolve the most basics welcome procedures ? I understand and respect that you want to make a thorough inspection of who enters your country . Switzerland does so as well. But please do then staff your immigration desks accordingly and do not treat tourists as fools, as you do presently !