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After a wonderful 4-day familiarization trip to Brazil, it was time to head back home to Montreal (YUL). The morning of my return, the rain had broken loose over São Paulo, and instead of taking one hour, my ride to São Paulo International Airport (GRU) took 3, because of the traffic. Fortunately, my flight was also delayed.
When I passed by the Air Canada check-in counters, there was no one there. I was torn between thinking I was really late and that all the passengers had gone ahead of me, or that everyone was still behind, stuck in traffic.
On the way to the airport, my stress level had risen at times at the thought of missing my plane. But now, with my Signature class ticket and confirmation that the flight really was delayed, I told myself, “why not head to the Star Alliance Lounge to relax and eat some pão de queijo!”
This lounge is located in terminal 3 (after security) for international flights, in the corner of the duty-free shops. It is located on the mezzanine, with 4 other lounges, and is open between 07:00 and 03:00 in the morning.
You can get in:
In these last two cases, you of course have to be flying with the airlines grouped under Star Alliance.
During peak periods between 3:00 p.m. and 8:30 p.m., access is limited exclusively to Star Alliance passengers. Entry with only Priority Pass or Lounge Key access can therefore be refused.
Finally, for those who do not meet the conditions listed above, and if the lounge is not crowded, an entrance fee of $70 USD per person is required.
The entrance is modern and the agents at the reception give you the wifi code of the lounge. They told me they would call me when it was my time to board, but that was not done.
When you enter the lounge, you get an impression of great space because of the high ceilings and the bay windows.
The view is overlooking the corridor leading to the gates and shops on the lower level.
When I was there, there was really very little traffic!
A system of intertwined ropes acts as a false ceiling.
There are plenty of armchairs and electrical outlets, coffee machines, magazines and daily newspapers.
There is also a closed section, sponsored by an electronic tag, which can be used for groups or meeting purposes.
A section is completely set back for people who want to watch TV.
A room is ideal for people with babies or young children. A nursing chair and a mattress for diaper changes are available to help families. Everything seemed very clean.
Shower stalls are available for $20USD, but are free for Star Alliance Business Class ticket holders or American Express card American Express Platinum. I was able to sneak into a booth to take a picture, because there was no one at the counter. This cabin appeared to have been used several hours ago and had not yet been cleaned. All the others were locked.
I love the note that shows which way to turn the faucet for cold and hot water!
The breakfast offer was decent, although I’ve seen better. But on this Monday morning, the lounge is practically empty and the plateaus are barely touched. I saw few staff there during my visit, only a lady who stocked the fridge with drinks.
There’s even a station for making grilled cheeses!
And I have reached my ultimate goal… to eat the marvellous id=”gid_0″>pão de queijo, which I discovered during this trip to Brazil! The ones from this lounge were good, although I had eaten better ones in the last few days. But I was happy with it.
The bar is located in the center of the lounge. There were no employees assigned to the bar, so the bottles of alcohol were available to everyone. Even though it was only 8:30 in the morning, people were parked next to the bottles of wine and happily helping themselves. It’s 5:00 p.m. somewhere in the world, as they say!
This lounge is a good option, both for its comfort and for what it offers. It’s on the way to the gates and allows for plenty of daylight before a long flight.
Goodbye, pao de queijo! You smell sua falta! I’m going to miss you!
Here are 3 excellent Canadian credit cards that give you access to airport lounges:
If you want to learn more about the credit cards that give you access to airport lounges, check out this strategy!
To access VIP lounges without paying $50 each time, check our complete guide on free airport lounge access and our best credit cards for airport VIP lounges ranking, updated monthly by the Milesopedia team.
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