For a flight that took off and landed in Brazil, there is a natural order: the airline, then a public channel that demands an answer from it and, if needed, the courts. This page describes each channel with what the official sites say about it.
The channels, in order
| Channel | What it is | What the official text says about deadline or cost |
|---|---|---|
| Airline | Electronic channel (Art. 35) and in-person service at the airport (Art. 37) | Immediate information and complaint resolved within 10 days of registration (Art. 38) |
| Anac Passageiro | ANAC service for registering a complaint against an airline; ANAC forwards it, the company answers | Up to 10 calendar days for the company to answer |
| consumidor.gov.br | Public service for direct contact between consumers and participating companies | The company has up to 10 days to analyse and answer; then you have up to 20 days to rate the answer |
| Procon and other consumer protection bodies | Individual service, pointed to by ANAC if the company does not resolve it | ANAC’s text gives no deadline |
| Juizado Especial Cível | Civil cases of lower complexity, up to 40 minimum wages | No costs, fees or expenses at first instance; no mandatory lawyer up to 20 minimum wages |
1. The airline
The Anac Passageiro page says that going directly to the company can bring a faster solution. In writing or through the electronic channel, say what happened, which of the rule’s alternatives you choose and what you ask for. Resolution 400 requires the airline to keep at least one electronic channel for complaints, information, change, cancellation and refund (Art. 35). For delay, cancellation, interruption and denied boarding, it must give in-person service at the airport for at least 2 hours before each take-off and 2 hours after each landing, and while there is operation and need in those cases (Art. 37). Information requested must be given immediately and complaints resolved within 10 days of registration (Art. 38).
The site’s letter template helps organise the request, and the guide how to claim has the general step by step.
2. Anac Passageiro
According to ANAC, Anac Passageiro lets you register a complaint against an airline: ANAC receives it and forwards it to the company, which has up to ten calendar days to answer, and the answer comes from the company, not from ANAC. After the answer, you rate whether the complaint was resolved. You can attach a boarding pass, proof of purchase, messages with the company and receipts for extra expenses. ANAC says the service does not replace the company’s channels and that it does not act in individual cases: complaints are monitored together to guide regulation and oversight. In a news item of 16 June 2026, ANAC reported that the service has operated since 13 April 2026.
3. consumidor.gov.br
It is a public service, run by the Secretaria Nacional do Consumidor (National Consumer Secretariat) of the Ministry of Justice, that allows direct dialogue between consumers and companies to resolve consumer disputes online. Only companies that have formally joined take part, and the site itself asks consumers to check first whether the company is registered. The company has up to 10 days to analyse and answer, and you have up to 20 days to comment on and rate the answer, saying whether the complaint was resolved. Before counting on it for an airline, check that it is on the list of participating companies.
4. Procon and consumer protection bodies
ANAC points to these bodies as the route for individual service when the company does not resolve the matter on Anac Passageiro. The Código de Defesa do Consumidor (Consumer Defence Code, CDC) includes among basic rights access to judicial and administrative bodies for the prevention or repair of material and moral damage (Art. 6, VII).
5. Juizado Especial Cível
Lei nº 9.099/1995 (Law 9.099/1995) gives the Juizado Especial Cível (small claims court) jurisdiction over civil cases of lower complexity, including those worth up to forty times the minimum wage (Art. 3, I). In cases of up to twenty minimum wages, the parties appear in person and may be assisted by a lawyer; above that, assistance is mandatory (Art. 9). Access at first instance does not depend on payment of costs, fees or expenses (Art. 54). This page describes only what the law says about access. What the law says about proving the harm is summarised in moral damages for a flight delay, and the decision is for whoever judges.
What to gather
- Booking and boarding pass.
- Messages and notices from the airline, with date and time.
- The reason in writing, if you asked for it (Art. 20, § 2, of Resolution 400).
- Receipts for expenses made for lack of assistance.
- For baggage, the proof of check-in and the complaint made within the deadline, as in lost baggage on a domestic flight.
Sources and date
Official sites and texts opened on 16 October 2026. Anac Passageiro and consumidor.gov.br are described here as each one describes itself; the list of participating companies of consumidor.gov.br is on the site itself. Resolution 813/2026, which changes Resolution 400 on 26 October 2026, does not amend Articles 35 to 39 cited here. For rights in each situation: delayed flight, cancelled flight and overbooking.