I used this one on my last trip. Rio has the equivalent of daylight savings time but their clocks change on different days & in different directions than ours. In any event, last weekend in Rio the time changed. I was up on this time change but it had an unfortunate side-effect in that the flight times on Continental back to USA also changed. But (un)/fortunately for me my ticket still had the old time so when I showed up at the airport my plane was history so I had to stay 4 more days.

I know that Wilco has a couple of reasons for missing his flights on his last trip. Hopefully he'll add them here.

But if anyone has any other good excuses, then post them here 'cuz I'm sure that I will need to use them in the near future.

In Terminal One at GIG there are duplicate gate numbers in different zones. The different zones have different colors.

Taxi drivers have no idea which terminal is which at GIG.

Some connecting fleights through Sao Paulo can leave you in the GRU international terminal. You will have to reenter Brazil then walk to a seperate terminal to check in again then reexit Brazil.

You can take the commuter flights from Santos Dumont in downtown Rio and end up in the wrong airport in Sao Paulo.

Also, brazilians use the same word for boarding time and departure time.

Actually, flying around Brazil is quite easy. I have been there 7 or 8 times in the last two years. If you traveled very much, you would realize that going to either Rio or Sao Paulo and figuring out the airports is no different then going to Los Angeles and deciding if you are going to land at LAX or Burbank.

For the most part I find airports in Brazil easier to get in and out, and the planes in Brazil fly on a more predictable schedule.

I wish flying in the US was as easy as it is in Brazil.

Web sites for most airlines in Brazil can be read in Portuguese, or English.

Also, if you know a travel agent in Brazil, you can usually purchase tickets to fly around inside Brazil at a lower cost then if you buy the tickets in this country.

Lets give these guys some credit.

Youngtom, try these: the cab took me to the wrong airport, and once I figured it out and took another cab to right airport the flight had taken off.
On the way to the airport there was a traffic accident and we were trapped in a tunnel (heh-heh).
There was a protest/riot and the streets were blocked, I thought I was gonna die! By the time traffic moved again it was too late.
I met a girl and she said if I didn't spend the night with her she would commit suicide, and I knew I couldn't go on living with that on my conscience.

Enough for now.
Did Continental charge you extra $$ for changing the flight?

You don't seem to understand, my friend..... We are looking for excuses for missing your flight back to Rio. Sound reasoning like yours would prove counter-productive, LOL.

I would agree that the airports I've been to in Brazil have their act together.

The final excuse I used (for second missed flight) was the truth. My credit card company had put a hold on my card due to out of the ordinary usage. (always alert them you will be in a foreign company). Anyway, the cash I had planned on using for cab to airport and the $100 for rescheduling of flight fee, I had to give to the preflight terma. Hence, I needed another day to straighten things out.

My new trip buddy Wes called in to work and said he was sick...they said bring a Dr's note...he hung up, looked at me and said "oh, shit I screwed up, why the hell did I say that, what am I gonna do?"...I thought about it for a few minutes and said "don't worry, we're in Rio we'll find a dr's note for you"...1.5 hours and R$200 later we had a "legitimate Dr's note citing "gastroenciritis" (sp?)...worked like a charm...

It was $100 bucks to change the flight - it depends on your tickets (they all have different restrictions) but most airlines are charging $100 right now. I was afraid they would make me buy a new ticket at full cost.