A bill is awaiting a vote in the Senate that expands the rights of engers who need to cancel or change their airline ticket.
O Bill (PL) 4.577/2021, authored by Senator Fabiano Contarato (PT-ES), alters the Law 7.565, of 1986, which deals with aeronautical law. The matter still awaits designation of rapporteur.
According to the project, in case of cancellation by the enger, he will be entitled to a credit equal to the amount of the air ticket, to be used in his own name for the acquisition of products or services offered by the carrier, within 12 (twelve) months , counted from its receipt.
The objective of the project is to guarantee the right of cancellation, in case the consumer has any situation that makes their trip unfeasible. Contarato explains that the proposal intends to expand and guarantee the minimum rights to the enger, inspired by the logic of the Consumer Protection Code.
“The provision of services by airlines in Brazil is a frequent target of complaints, especially about the difficulties in canceling and changing flights”, says the text.
According to Resolution 400/2016 of the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac), engers have up to 24 hours to give up purchasing the ticket and guarantee the reimbursement of the full value of the ticket; however, each airline has its own cancellation protocol.
The rights provided for in the bill can only be exercised within 48 hours before the flight. Also according to the text, carriers will be able to offer more favorable conditions to engers and must provide adequate and clear information about the policies for canceling and changing airline tickets.
Contarato claims that complaints against airlines have grown during the pandemic. In the project's justification, he reports that the federal government's consumer.gov.br platform recorded in December an increase of more than 60% in complaints from people with problems canceling flights, rescheduling or getting a refund, compared to the previous year.
The proposal seeks to ensure the right to credit, and not full reimbursement of airline tickets. The senator argues that the reimbursement could have greater negative consequences on the financial planning of airlines.
Source: The Senate Agency
