Rio de Janeiro Galeao Airport GIG: Help & Info Guide
This is one of the most popular airports in the world, the Rio de Janeiro Galeão International Airport.
Galeão Airport is one of the biggest airports in Rio de Janeiro and the second busiest airport in Brazil with over twenty million passengers passing through the airport annually. Whether you are a first-time visitor, or you have been traveling a lot, this guide will give you significant details on how you can move around Galeão Airport during your trip without stress.
Arriving at the Airport
Galeão Airport has two terminals – domestic or Terminal 1 for flights within Brazil and international or Terminal 2 for flights from other countries. All the other passenger facilities including food courts, shops, duty-free shops, lounges, and others are available at both terminals. Ensure that you confirm where your airline flight will be originating from bearing in mind that it might be operating from different terminals. Both terminals are physically connected from both ground and above; there is a free 24-hour shuttle bus.
The primary means of transport that are used to gain access to Galeão Airport and other related facilities are public transport, taxis, as well as booking a car beforehand. The BRT Transcarioca express buses run between the Alvorada Bus Terminal and Terminal 1/2 every 30 minutes from 5:30 a.m. to 12 midnight every day of the week. The BRT stop is nearby and is located right at the arrival terminal for easy access. Taxis in Rio are yellow with blue stripes, and the next time you arrive at the airport you will find a booth that was fixed at a certain price per zone on the arrival floor of each terminal. Other similar facilities include the use of an application such as 99Taxi to request a taxi. When choosing transport, it is advisable to book in advance via the Internet to avoid additional queues.
Checking In
Check-in generally opens 2-3 hrs before the scheduled flight time and most airlines welcome passengers to come in during this time. This may also depend on the airline, although all airlines that have a website with this feature allow free changes within a certain number of hours before the flight. All the airlines also provide online and mobile check-in services to their passengers, where they can check in by themselves. If checking bags, search for such services as self-check-in kiosks, and baggage drop-off points next to the check-in counters. Do not assume that your airline has reasonable baggage policies; always ensure that you get to know their policies.
Check-in counters at Galeão Airport are over 130 splits between the two terminals. Look at the airport information screens to get the specific checker row for the airline you will be using. Ideally, the ticket, passport, and any luggage should be handy because they’ll help to ensure that everything runs smoothly. Other forms of check-in that can be useful are the web check-in boarding passes and printed ones.
Security and Passport Control
The departure of both domestic and international flights from Brazil involves travelers going through security scanning. For instance, after check-in, there is usually a metal detector that passengers have to pass through with their hand luggage. Allowed items such as water, electronics, medicines, etc. should be packed in a transparent, plastic bag. It is possible to be ready for short-term undressing to the shirt and free of shoes and laptops in the bags.
For International flights, the passengers will then move to passport control checkpoints before accessing the main terminal areas. Passport: Be sure to have your passport with you and be prepared to show it to the officers; Boarding Pass: Always ensure that you have a boarding pass and be ready to present to officers. You also should verify the entry documentation that will be necessary for the given country before your arrival there. He also noted that there is a clear division of space with Brazilians and foreigners/tourists having distinct paths.
Duty-Free Shopping and Lounges
The shopping precincts within the airports are duty-free shops, restaurants, fast food outlets, and waiting areas before reaching the boarding gates to the planes. Shops without taxes can be found at both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 providing perfumes, alcoholic drinks, chocolates and souvenirs, electronics, and other gadgets without the local taxes.
Certain lounges as VIP lounges, and airline business lounges, offer comfortable seating and free food and drink by membership, through airline status, or using one-time entry fees. Some of them include the American Express Centurion Lounge, LATAM VIP Lounge, and Smiles VIP Lounge scattered across the terminal. Numerous cheap paid-per-visit public lounges such as BeerHouse Lounge GIG and MaxMilhas Lounge GIG have decent facilities that one may use before embarkation.
At the Gate
It is recommended to arrive at the departure gate between half an hour to forty-five minutes before the time stated on the boarding passes and on the screens. Sometimes it is changed so please be informed of any changes whenever a new announcement is made. As for the appearance, each gate seating section will have screen displays indicating flight status and updates.
: Be prepared to present gate agents with your passport and your boarding pass as you are required to provide them before you board. Ensure that you have utilized restrooms and bought foods or drinks that you may require when on board before the gate area is full. Should the parents wish to, they can ask about the conveniences of the pre-boarding for families with young children.
When your boarding group or your row number is called, make sure to have your ticket or pass ready for scanning, get to the jetway, and walk towards the airplane. Ensure that you assist the flight attendants in carrying the bags into the overhead bin, and take your assigned economy class seat immediately so that there is no delay.
We wish you a pleasant journey through Galeão Airport and trust this guide to be useful in the process! Let us know if there is anything else you need to know. Bom viagem and safe travels from Rio de Janeiro!