Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo-Guarulhos is Brazil’s largest and busiest airport, and one of the busiest in South America. Since 2014, the airport has operated with three terminals, with Terminal 3 having been constructed before the FIFA World Cup. Terminal 1 is exclusively used by Azul Linhas Aéreas, one of the airlines founded by David Neeleman, founder of JetBlue , Breeze Airways, and several other carriers.
Terminal 2 is primarily used for domestic flights with LATAM Brasil , GOL Linhas Aéreas, and Passaredo. Some international carriers operate international flights at Terminal 2, like GOL, LATAM, Aerolíneas Argentinas, Aeroméxico, SKY Airlines, JetSMART, TAAG, and more. Terminal 3 is used exclusively for international flights by most large international carriers like the big three from the United States (United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta Air Lines), British Airways, Air France, Emirates, and more.
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying
Terminal 1
Terminal 1, the smallest of the three, has only one lounge. The W Premium Group is one of the largest airport lounge groups in Brazil, now with 16 lounges in 11 airports, and is the sole operator of T1. The lounge is small but enough to accommodate all the flights on a daily basis. I have visited the lounge several times and have never seen it completely full.
Terminal 2
Terminal 2 has ten lounges, The Lounge São Paulo, W Premium Lounge - The West, Urban Cowork Airport Lounge (landside), Advantage VIP Lounge, GOL Linhas Aéreas Lounge, Bradesco (local bank), Inter (local bank) and a Plaza Premium Lounge.
Terminal 3
Terminal 3, being the biggest of the terminals, and used for most international flights (operated on widebodies), has 12 lounges. Most of them are located in one area about halfway down the duty free shopping area, but as the terminal has expanded and more lounges have been added, they have been scattered throughout the terminal.
Where to find the lounges
Most lounges are consolidated on the fourth floor of the terminal. LATAM has its own lounge, Mastercard Black has one of three lounges in the terminal, American Airlines has an Admirals Club, American Express has a Centurion lounge with an exclusive area inside for its Centurion (Black) cardholders, and Banco Safra operates a lounge that was previously the Star Alliance Lounge.
Some of the newer lounges have been added on the third floor, directly under the fourth-floor lounges. W Premium has two lounges in Terminal 3, one of which is located in the “general lounge area”, Mastercard has another space downstairs, and Visa Infinite has opened a space there.
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying
Closer to the concourse, Bradesco has a lounge that has just closed for remodeling, and Nomad, another Brazilian bank, recently opened its own space on the fourth floor. W Premium has a second lounge, located at the very end of the concourse, which is operated in partnership with Air France and KLM for their business and first-class passengers.
All of the information above contains every single lounge at the airport, but let's dive into which ones can be accessed through Priority Pass .
W Premium Lounges
All the W Premium Lounges in Guarulhos are accessible via Priority Pass. In Terminal 1, the lounge is open 24 hours even though Azul has more than a four-hour gap between its “last departure” at 00:45 and its “first” departure at 05:00. The Priority Pass website specifies that although the lounge is 24 hours, access may be restricted between 05:00-09:00 and 21:00-23:00. Stays are limited to three hours and children under two years old have free entry. The lounge is equipped with a shower, but there is an additional payment for that amenity.
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying
In Terminal 2, the W Premium Lounge is called The West. This space is also open 24/7, but Priority Pass does not list any restrictions like with Terminal 1. This space is also small, but a quiet place to relax before a flight. W Premium has a good food offering and a bar, and also has a shower that is subject to payment. This space is located in Terminal 2 near all the other lounges, near gates 201-205, near the Duty Free store, and overlooks the ramp.
In Terminal 3, as mentioned above, there are two W Premium spaces. The first, which is located on the second floor of the terminal, is called 5th Avenue. Continuing with the theme of small spaces, this lounge is also small and, unfortunately, does not offer any comfortable seating for sleeping or napping. The food offering is similar to what is offered at other terminals. 5th Avenue is open 24/7 but Priority Pass does not list any specific hours in which access may be limited. Access is limited to three hours and showers are subject to payment.
The second space is the largest of any W Premium Lounge I have visited in Brazil, but that’s because W Premium partners with Air France and KLM to offer a space for their premium passengers or those with status in the Flying Blue frequent flier program. This lounge is a two-level lounge, and I have only been able to access the bottom floor with Priority Pass. The bottom floor is open to those flying in business class on Air France and KLM flights or those with status, while the top floor is reserved for those flying in La Premiere on Air France, or those who purchase access.
The PP website says the lounge is open 24/7 but does not have any hours listed during which access is restricted. This lounge is located at the end of the concourse and overlooks the ramp, facing terminal 2. It provides great views of the runways and is a perfect spot to watch the aircraft movements.
Terminal 2
The Lounge São Paulo is located in the international part of Terminal 2 and is one of two lounges in that area, but the only one accessible via priority pass. GOL also has a lounge in the international area, but that is no longer accessible to priority pass members. The Lounge is for passengers traveling in Premium Cabins on SkyTeam but ends up being packed with Priority Pass members all throughout the day. It is open 24/7 and there are no time restrictions.
The Advantage Lounge is one of the newer ones in Terminal 2 and is one of many lounges operated by the Advantage Group, which is one of the largest lounge operators in Brasil. Today, Advantage has 12 locations throughout Brazil and one of the nicest lounges in Terminal 2 of GRU. The lounge is open 24/7 and does not have any time restrictions online. The food offering is great and a hot buffet is available all day, but the one downside to the lounge, for some, is that there are no views of the airport.
Urban Cowork is a space on the top floor of Terminal 2 that is perfect for getting work done, hence the name. If a passenger desires to have some food before a flight, this is not the best place as there is an extremely limited selection of snacks and beverages. The space does have complimentary luggage storage, also a shower, which Priority Pass does not state there is a charge for.
Terminal 3
Banco Safra is one of the best lounges in Terminal 3 because of its food offering, ample space, and different types of seating. Every type of passenger is covered at Banco Safra, one looking to rest, work, watch TV, spend time with family, eat. Power is available throughout the entire lounge which makes it easy to charge devices before a long flight, and showers are free, but depending on how busy the lounge is, there may be a wait time.
Photo: Lukas Souza | Simple Flying
This space is the former Star Alliance lounge, so passengers flying Star Alliance and a few other carriers have access throughout the day, limiting PP access. Members can use the lounge between 23:00 and 14:00 every day, the least busy period in Terminal 3.
