New Air Travel Rules Are Met with Doubt and Judicial Veto

03/14/2017 - 12h21

New air travel rules regarding luggage, plane ticket acquisitions and alterations in travel plans take effect in Brazil on Tuesday (14), however Brazil's judiciary vetoed an article, while several questions are being raised by passengers.

One day before taking effect, a federal court issued an injunction in accordance with a request put forward by the public prosecutor's office, suspending checked baggage fees on both domestic and international flights.

The public prosecutor's office claims that such fees violate consumer rights while cheap services offered by airlines will deteriorate. The National Civil Aviation Agency stated it will appeal the decision.

Currently, passengers are allowed to check a single bag weighing up to 23 kg on domestic flights, while on international flights, passengers may check two bags weighing up to 32kg each.

Checked baggage fees are already included in airfares. The first reason offered by the agency in support of the change is that, when compared to the rest of the world, Brazil's current model is outdated.
Another reason offered is that current rates are unfair for passengers who don't check any luggage.

Other measures approved by the agency that are not in the jurisdiction of the federal courts will take effect on Tuesday.

Among them is a 10 kg allowance for carry-on baggage - previously, carry-on items could not exceed 5 kg. The adjustment took into consideration the possibility that checked baggage fees would start being applied.

Translated by THOMAS MATHEWSON

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