Business
Unhappy Fliers Cost Brazil’s Airlines Millions With Easy-to-Win Lawsuits
Suing air carriers there is easy and cheap. So Brazilians are 800 times more likely to head to court than those in the US
Travelers at the Guarulhos International Airport in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Photographer: Jonne Roriz/BloombergThis article is for subscribers only.
In most countries, flight delays and lost luggage are an unfortunate reality of air travel. In Brazil, those are a potential payday.
There, unsatisfied fliers can easily take airlines to court — and win anywhere from 8,000 reais to 15,000 reais, or $1,600 to $3,000 — over such issues, according to Ricardo Bernardi, specialist in aeronautical law at Bernardi & Schnapp and legal consultant for International Air Transport Association in Brazil.