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I'm planning a trip to Brazil for this December, and I've already bought the flight to Rio and back. Now I have to book a second flight from Rio to Foz do Iguassu, that should depart as soon as possible after I get in Rio.

I'll land at 19.25, and there is an internal flight departing at 22.00. Would that be enough time to board the second flight?

Please note that I'm Italian and flying from Amsterdam, and I will have separate tickets, so I understood that I have to (retire the luggage,) pass through customs and check-in the second flight before boarding.

Also, in case I book with a flexible tariff, can I change the flight in case the first leg is delayed for some reason?

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  • ciao, purely one opinion: sounds a bit tight to me. could you enjoy a night at the airport (its the aeroporto or linx right?) and then take an early flight?
    – Fattie
    Sep 13, 2014 at 12:23
  • @JoeBlow yes I could indeed; my preference is due to the fact that I'll be in a rather short trip (a couple of weeks) with my girlfriend (she's in Foz), and the sooner the better ;) (It's aeroporto indeed ;) )
    – clabacchio
    Sep 13, 2014 at 12:34
  • holy !! you didn't mention a g/f in Foz brother, definitely just fly straight there!! :) i'd just guess it sounds a bit tight, and, I dunno about changing the ticket. i believe, if you book it all on the one airline generally that is sort of the "trick" to making sure it works. if it then does not work, they have to fix it for you, generally. if you book the two flights separately, it's just "on you" you know. buon vol!
    – Fattie
    Sep 13, 2014 at 12:37
  • @JoeBlow thank you! In fact, I bought them separately because - you know - it's cheaper ;). I'm prepared to some more hassle, and that's why I'm considering a longer layover if this is not enough. I could also take the risk and book another flight if the problem arises, though I need to evaluate the risk*cost-of-worst-case
    – clabacchio
    Sep 13, 2014 at 12:41
  • you mean .. is there actually a later flight than 22.00?? if so, i'd FWIW definitely go for a later flight for that leg. you know my only general suggest would be "in SA you will always get totally ripped off no matter what" :) I fear it would be kind of hopeless to try to cover making changes, etc - some dude would just say "oh there's this other rule" and charge you 82 bucks you know. :/// Let's see what some non-drunk experts on here say....
    – Fattie
    Sep 13, 2014 at 13:00

3 Answers 3

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I'm back from my trip, and I thought I'd share my experience. The first flight departed on time, but landed half an hour late due to strong winds on the landing site. I started getting quite concerned about making it by then, with only 2 hours to departure and a check-in to do.

Moreover, there was quite a line at the passport check (it was quite fast anyway), and the luggage took some time to come out at the belt. Even though I was getting close to departure time, passing the customs was very fast, luckily, since they weren't doing much checking.

Anyway, despite the delay in landing I managed to check in on time with some rushing, but more time would be advisable to be on the safe side.

P.S. My second flight was delayed two hours, so I wasted a lot of effort :)

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  • As noted in an another question and its answers, you have to check in on the scheduled time even when your flight is delayed. (But it might be possible to contact the airline when you are still air-side, telling you maybe late at the check-in desk but will want to fly.)
    – Willeke ♦
    Mar 4, 2021 at 15:08
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Layoverguide for Rio suggests a minimum of four hours as a slot to allow a tiny viewing bit of the city. So assuming an hour outside, that still allows three, but that's tight for you.

Another traveller online suggests that they've gotten through customs in 30-60 minutes on several occasions, however have once missed a flight with a 1h45 layover.

You never know. Your first flight could be delayed three hours and then you're in trouble. If you CAN get a flexible fare that allows last minute changes, great, otherwise it's probably not worth the risk - book the next morning and maybe even leave the airport and explore overnight, if you're not one to suffer tiredness.

Alternatively you could get a hotel for the night and get rid of some of the jet-lag.

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    Thank you for the advice! Since I'm just back from the trip, I can say that four hours would not be enough to get to the city and back, since the airport is some 30 minutes distant from the centre. It is true about the risk of a short connection time though, I've noticed that delays are not infrequent there.
    – clabacchio
    Jan 7, 2015 at 14:12
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I flew Amsterdam-Rio last year, it landed more or less on time, maybe 20 minutes late, but there was an incredibly huge queue at the passport control, that took slightly over an hour. In case your flight is also an hour late, you'd miss the connection, and the flights to Iguassu are more expensive in the last minute. I really wouldn't recommend that connection leaving you 2.5 hours altogether, but as Joe Blow suggested, in case there's a later flight on the same day, that would be my choice.

Needless to say, make sure to check that your second flight is from the same airport in Rio.

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