Varig

To us Anglo speakers: it is not pronounced Varig, but be-​Brazilian, and pronounce it: Va-​ree-​ggee. This is from an old trip, so I do not know how the «new» Varig operates. However, the «old» Varig offered excellent service. Let’s just say that when I was in Brazil many years ago, and ended up with a broken leg, time in the hospital, and missing all my flights… these guys came through! The agent visited me in the hospital, and changed all my flights to accomodate my return to the good ‘ol USA. Since I was injured, the company phoned ahead to the stewards/​desses of my condition — top notch. I just hope the «new» Varig is the same way…
…anyway, from what I understand, VARIG (acronym for Viação Aérea RIo-​Grandense (English: Air Traffic Rio Grande)) From 1965 until 1990 it was Brazil’s leading and almost only international airline. In 2005, Varig went into judicial reorganisation, and in 2006 it was split into two companies informally known as «old» Varig — heir to the original airline and now defunct, and «new» Varig — a new company presently fully integrated into Gol Airlines.