Airline ticket changes and passenger rights

Attention! The guidelines presented here stem from emergency measures for Brazilian civil aviation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

 Changes made by the passenger

For flights between March 19, 2020 and December 31, 2021, passengers who decide to postpone their trip will be exempt from contractual penalties if they accept to leave the amount paid for the ticket as credit for future use on the same airline.

Passengers who decide to cancel their airline ticket and opt for a refund are subject to contractual rules of the fare purchased, i.e. any fines may apply. Even if the ticket is a non-refundable ticket, the boarding fee must be refunded in full. The refund period is 12 months from the date of the flight.

Changes made by the airline

Any scheduled change made by the airline, especially regarding the flight time and itinerary, must be informed to the passenger 24 hours in advance of the flight date. If this information is not provided on time, the airline must offer the passenger the choice of full refund or re-accommodation on another available flight of the airline. In case the airline's own flight is not available, re-accommodation will occur on a third-party flight, if available.

Even if the passenger is informed within the deadline, these same alternatives (full refund or re-accommodation) should also be offered to passengers when:

- On international flights: the change is more than 1 hour from the departure or arrival time;

- On domestic flights: the change is more than 30 minutes from the departure or arrival time. 

If there is an information failure by the airline and the passenger only learns about the change in flight date or time when already at the airport for boarding, the alternatives are also full reimbursement and re-accommodation.

Also, in these situations with a failure to provide information, the airline must offer material assistance, except if the change in flight is due to the closure of borders or airports by order of the authorities. The assistance, applicable only to passengers in Brazil, should be offered free of charge, according to the waiting time, as shown below:

- 1 hour of delay: Communication facilities (internet, phone calls, etc.);

- 2 hours of delay: Food (voucher, meal, snack, drinks, etc.)

- 4 hours of delay or more: Accommodation (obligatory in case of overnight stay at the airport) and transportation to and from the airport. If the passenger is at his/her place of residence, the company can only offer transportation to and from his/her residence to the airport.

Passengers in need of special assistance and their companions will always have the right to accommodation, regardless of the requirement of an overnight stay at the airport.

Compare the applicable rules for changing and refunding airline tickets. 

Service channels

If you have a problem with your flight, you should first contact the airline's customer service channels. Give preference to the electronic self-service channels offered by the airlines on the Internet or via cell phone applications. If it is not possible to solve the problem through the self-service channels indicated, use the telephone service channel.

If, even after contacting the airline company, the problem persists, and the passenger feels that his or her rights have not been respected, he or she can file a complaint at  Consumidor.gov.br. All airlines operating in Brazil are registered on the platform and must respond to complaints within 15 days. ANAC monitors, on a collective basis, the complaints registered, and the service provided by the airlines, in order to support the regulation and supervision of the industry.