The Banco Safra Lounge, which was the former Star Alliance lounge, is located in Terminal 3 of the Aeroporto Internacional de São Paulo-Guarulhos. Terminal 3 is the newest terminal at the airport and is exclusively for international operations, handling nearly all flights from North America, Europe, and Africa. Today, Terminal 3 has ten lounges, only two of which are airline-branded.
LATAM Airlines has one of the biggest lounges in the entire airport and American Airlines has an Admirals Club in São Paulo. Priority Pass lounge access generally comes at a fee, but not always. Open 24 hours; the Banco Safra Lounge is primarily for passengers flying in business or first class on Star Alliance carriers (Lufthansa, United Airlines, COPA, TAP, Turkish Airlines, SWISS, Air Canada, Air China, South African Airways).
The lounge does also welcome passengers in premium cabins flying with ITA Airways and Emirates, and, for part of the day, Priority Pass members. Priority Pass access is limited to the hours of 23:00 to 14:00 and, as my flight was at 07:15 yesterday, I chose to visit the Banco Safra Lounge as I knew its food offering was better than the other two priority pass lounges in the terminal. Terminal 3 has an area where most of the lounges are located.
To access this area, nearly immediately after going through immigration, turn left and walk for a few seconds before coming to signs saying “VIP Lounges” and take the escalator up to the third level. At the top of the escalator, turn right and walk past the Oriental spa and the American Express Centurion Lounge, almost to the end of the hallway. The Banco Safra Lounge is set off in a corner by itself and overlooks the duty-free area on the second floor.
The lounge offers the following services: I arrived at the lounge at 05:54, much later than I hoped, after getting tied up with some personal business at customs. This gave me 21 minutes until boarding, which meant that I had to rush to eat and get to my gate as I wanted to change my seat and was not able to do so through the LATAM app. There was no line to get in, and the lounge was virtually empty; there must have been less than ten people there at the time.
When I first arrived at the buffet, I found it peculiar to see some of the things I have seen offered at dinnertime, but at breakfast. For example, next to some of the fruit, there were cold sandwiches, as well as some desserts, neither of which I planned to eat at breakfast. Over with the hot food, there were sliders (mini hamburgers) and mini quiches as well, two more things I did not plan to eat.
Finally, there were scrambled eggs, omelets, and chicken sausage in a tomato sauce (can be typical in some buffet breakfasts in Brasil). Over in a corner, the lounge had one of the most typical Brazilian breakfast foods available, pão de queijo. Translated, pão de queijo means cheese bread, but it is not bread.
Think of it as a delicious cheese “bite” that is soft and paired perfectly with some coffee or orange juice. After looking at all of the options, I decided to grab some scrambled eggs, pão de queijo, papaya, and cantaloupe. Over by the bar, which was not staffed that early in the morning, there were jars of grape and orange juice.
In addition to everything listed above, there were some sliced cheeses and deli meats available, as well as some cakes. The Banco Safra Lounge is my favorite lounge I have visited in all of the terminals at GRU. The first reason is for the food.
While some lounges may have a similar food offering, Banco Safra is consistent and the best lounge I have access to every time I fly. For those looking to have a hearty meal before a flight, the Banco Safra lounge has more than enough options. Second, the lounge has a darkened rest area in a corner with lounge chairs, perfect for taking a nap before travel.
Third, showers are available at no extra charge and have been crucial for me prior to overnight long-haul flights. And finally, the lounge has plenty of seating and different types of seats. While there is no specific “business corner” in the lounge, several tables and chairs with small tray tables are available throughout.
One corner has couches and a few TVs, which often play the news and/or sports. In front of the bar is a TV that almost always has football playing..
