Passenger rights in Brazil: delays, cancellations and baggage
Documents, timing, baggage and what the airline must provide if your flight is delayed or canceled. Rules for flights in Brazil.
If your flight is delayed or canceled
- From the start
Clear information
As soon as it knows, the airline must tell you the reason and the new expected departure time, clearly, and keep you updated.
- From 2 h
Food
A meal or voucher suitable for the time of day.
- From 4 h
Hotel and transport
Accommodation when you need to stay overnight, with transfers. If you live in the departure city, the airline can replace the hotel with transport to your home and back. Passengers with disabilities or reduced mobility are entitled to it even without an overnight stay.
- Over 4 h or canceled
You choose
Take another flight, get a full refund or continue by another means of transport.
Don't be the one left on the ground
Airlines sell more tickets than seats, betting that someone won't show up. When everyone does, someone gets bumped. Here's how to avoid it, and what to do if it happens.
✅ Lock in your seat
It opens 24 to 48 hours before. Passengers with a boarding pass are among the last to be bumped.
Passengers with no assigned seat are first on the list.
The last people to show up are the easiest to leave behind.
It's free, and frequent flyers usually get priority.
It's usually the first to lose its seat.
The day before a holiday, Friday afternoon, Sunday night and the last flight of the day.
Every connection is one more chance of overbooking.
⚖️ If it happens to you (rules in Brazil)
- First, they ask for volunteers
If you can wait, negotiate: cash, an upgrade or a hotel. Only accept once it's all agreed.
- You get paid on the spot
250 SDR on domestic flights or 500 SDR on international ones (an IMF currency; its value changes daily).
- You choose
Another flight, your money back or another means of transport.
- You still get assistance
Food from 2 hours. A hotel and transport from 4 hours, if you need them.
- Keep proof
Ask for the reason in writing and keep your boarding pass, screenshots and receipts. If it isn't solved: consumidor.gov.br or ANAC 163.
Documents
- Flights within Brazil: an official photo ID, such as a Brazilian ID card (RG), driver's license (CNH) or passport. The official digital versions also count.
- Children under 12 can use their birth certificate.
- Minors under 16 traveling without their parents need an authorization. Check the rules before buying.
- International travel: a valid passport and, if the country requires it, a visa. Some South American countries accept Brazilians' RG ID card in good condition.
Timing
- Check in online; it usually opens 24 to 48 hours before departure.
- Arrive at the airport at least 1 h 30 before domestic flights and 3 h before international ones.
- Boarding closes before departure, usually 20 to 40 minutes before. The exact time is on your boarding pass.
- Check your gate on the screens, because it can change.
Carry-on and checked bags
- A carry-on bag of up to 10 kg is free. Size and number of pieces are set by each airline.
- Checked bags may cost extra, depending on the fare.
- On international flights, liquids in your carry-on only in containers of up to 100 ml, in a 1-liter clear bag.
- Lithium batteries and power banks always go in your carry-on, never in checked baggage.
Lost or damaged bags
- Report it to the airline while still at the airport, at the baggage desk, and keep the receipt.
- The airline has up to 7 days to return your bag on domestic flights and up to 21 days on international ones. After that, it must pay compensation.
- Damage or missing items: file a claim within 7 days.
Your rights
- Free cancellation within 24 hours of purchase, if you bought at least 7 days before the flight.
- A mistake in the name on the ticket can be corrected at no cost until check-in.
- If you are denied boarding because of overbooking, you are entitled to immediate compensation, plus rebooking or a refund.
Disabilities, seniors, pregnancy and children
- Request assistance when buying or at least 72 hours in advance.
- When the airline requires a companion, they pay at most 20% of the ticket price.
- Pregnancy: from about 28 weeks, airlines usually ask for a medical certificate. Check your airline's rule.
- Medicines should go in your carry-on, with the prescription.
Health in flight
- Drink water often. Cabin air is very dry.
- On long flights, get up and move your legs every 1 or 2 hours to prevent blood clots.
- During descent, chew, yawn or swallow to relieve the pressure in your ears.
Receipts
- Take photos of your boarding pass, bag tags and delay notices.
- If you have expenses because of a delay or cancellation, keep the receipts. Under the new rules, in exceptional situations, such as a lack of available hotels or restaurants, the airline may reimburse food, transport and accommodation instead of providing them. The refund depends on the receipts and must be paid within 7 days after you submit them.
Traveling abroad
- Check whether your destination requires a visa, vaccines (such as yellow fever) or travel insurance.
- Check your passport's expiry date. Many countries require at least 6 months of validity.
- Declare cash and goods above the allowed limits at customs.
Checklist before leaving home
0 of 10Where to complain
First, contact the airline and write down the case number. If the problem isn't solved:
