Domestic flights in Brazil: LATAM, GOL and Azul compared

Three airlines, LATAM, GOL and Azul, carry most domestic passengers in Brazil. In 2025 LATAM carried about 39% of them, GOL about 31% and Azul about 30%. Fares now come in families, and the cheapest Basic fares on GOL and LATAM include only a personal item. A new ANAC rule on delays and cancellations, Resolution 813/2026, took effect on October 26, 2026.

Brazil is larger than the contiguous United States. Flying is often the only sensible way to link regions in a short trip. A bus from São Paulo to Salvador takes well over a day, while the flight takes about two and a half hours. This guide covers how the fare families work, what you can carry, how refunds and the 24-hour rule work, and what the airline owes you when things go wrong.

The three airlines and their fare families

Each airline sells several fare levels. The level decides your bags, seat choice and refund, so compare the fare rules and not only the price.

GOL keeps a separate set of fare rules for tickets issued before October 14, 2025. If you bought earlier, read that version.

LATAM’s domestic fare table also applies to its flights within South America and the Caribbean.

Each airline has its own strengths. LATAM and GOL focus on the big hubs: São Paulo (Guarulhos and Congonhas), Rio de Janeiro, Brasília. Azul runs a hub at Viracopos in Campinas, near São Paulo, and flies to many smaller regional cities the others skip. If your destination is a mid-sized town in the interior, check Azul first.

Bags on domestic flights

Bags depend on the fare. On GOL, the Basic fare includes one bag or backpack up to 10 kg (22 lb). GOL’s other fares include a small suitcase up to 12 kg (26 lb). Read the fare details on the booking screen to see whether that suitcase travels in the cabin or in the hold, and what checked allowance your fare includes.

Basic fares on GOL and LATAM allow one personal item at no extra charge. The traditional carry-on, checked bags, seat selection and refunds all cost extra or are not offered. If you travel with more than a backpack, the cheapest fare is often not the cheapest trip once you add a bag.

ANAC Resolution 400/2016 sets the base rule. Article 14 says airlines must allow at least 10 kg (22 lb) of carry-on per passenger, within the size and number of pieces set in the contract. Article 13 makes checked baggage an add-on contract, so airlines may charge for it.

On LATAM’s Light, Standard and Full fares, you get a personal item (bag or backpack) up to 10 kg (22 lb) and a small suitcase up to 12 kg (26 lb). A 23 kg (51 lb) checked bag costs extra on Light and is included on Standard and Full.

On Azul, the first 23 kg checked bag on domestic flights is free on Mais Azul and charged on Azul. Cabin bag sizes and weights appear in the fare details when you book on voeazul.com.br.

Power banks. New rules on lithium batteries took effect on May 4, 2026. Lithium batteries and power banks go only in your carry-on, never in a checked bag.

Check before you go: add a checked bag at booking, not at the airport. Airlines usually charge more at the counter than online. Weigh your bag at home if you are close to the limit.

Cancel within 24 hours

You can cancel and get a full refund at no cost if you ask within 24 hours of receiving your receipt. The condition is that you bought at least 7 days before departure.

The rule comes from article 11 of ANAC Resolution 400/2016 and covers every airline. Resolution 813/2026 does not change it. GOL applies it to flights it operates alone. If your ticket includes a partner airline, check the conditions before you buy. Make the request through the airline’s website or app and keep the confirmation email.

Refunds by fare

GOL’s domestic Light and Classic fares are non-refundable, before or after the flight. Flex gets a full refund without fees before the flight. Boarding fees are refundable on every fare, so claim them even if you lose the fare itself.

GOL returns the amount to your card issuer within 7 days of the refund request. Your card company then credits your statement on its own timeline. For international refunds GOL gives 30 days.

If you think your plans may change, the price gap between a Light fare and a Flex fare is the cost of flexibility. On a short trip with fixed dates, the cheaper fare usually makes sense. On a long trip with open plans, the flexible fare can save money.

Delays and cancellations: the rules since October 26, 2026

ANAC Resolution 813 of September 23, 2026 amends Brazil’s general conditions of air transport (Resolution 400/2016). It took effect on October 26, 2026, and applies to flights from that date. The main changes:

• Airlines must tell you about a delay, cancellation, interruption or denied boarding as soon as they know of it, in clear language, and keep updating you.
• Digital channels must show the date and time of the last update.
• Each notice must give the status, the new departure time if known, rebooking options, refund or alternative-transport options, and how to get material assistance.
• At booking, airlines must state that operational and security factors may cause delays or cancellations.
• Where an airline repays your expenses in place of giving assistance directly, it has up to seven days to pay. This is allowed only in exceptional cases, such as airport limits or no local suppliers. The seven days count from when you hand in your receipts.

The new rule also changed how liability works when the cause is outside the airline’s control, such as unscheduled maintenance or air traffic congestion. Consumer agencies expect disputes over these cases. If you are affected, ask for assistance in writing and keep everything.

The assistance thresholds sit in article 27 of Resolution 400/2016. Until October 25, 2026, the airline owed you communication after 1 hour of waiting and food after 2 hours. After 4 hours it owed a hotel plus transfers if you had to stay overnight. Since October 26, the 1-hour communication item no longer applies. Food after 2 hours stays, through a meal credit or voucher. A hotel plus airport transport stays after 4 hours when you need to stay overnight. If you live in the departure city, the airline may take you home and back in place of a hotel.

Rebooking and refunds sit in article 21. The airline must offer rebooking, a refund or another means of transport, and you choose. This applies to delays over 4 hours, cancellations, interruptions and denied boarding. It also covers a missed connection caused by the airline. Resolution 813/2026 does not change article 21.

Delays are common. Domestic and international delays happen often, and airport strikes occur. Keep every receipt if you are stuck.

ID at the airport

Carry your passport on domestic flights. Article 16 of Resolution 400/2016 says foreign passengers board with a valid foreign passport or another travel document. If your ID is stolen or lost, airlines must accept a police report (boletim de ocorrência) on domestic flights.

If your passport is stolen, you can fly within Brazil to Brasília, São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro with a valid photo ID or a police report. Those cities have the embassy and consulates. You can file a police report online in most states, or at a police station.

Safety oversight

Brazil’s civil aviation authority has been found to meet international standards for safety oversight. All three main airlines fly modern Airbus, Boeing and Embraer fleets on domestic routes.

Practical tips for booking

Book on the airline’s own website or app where you can. You see the full fare rules, and changes are simpler than through a third-party agency. Brazilian sites sometimes ask for a CPF, the Brazilian tax number. Foreigners can usually choose a passport option instead. If a site insists on a CPF, try the airline’s English-language site.

Prices rise sharply around Carnival, Easter, the July school holidays, and Christmas to New Year. Book early for those dates. Midweek flights are often cheaper than Friday and Sunday flights.

Check which airport you fly from. São Paulo has Guarulhos (GRU) for most long routes and Congonhas (CGH) in the city for short hops. Rio has Galeão (GIG) and Santos Dumont (SDU) near the center. Belo Horizonte has Confins (CNF) and the smaller Pampulha. A wrong airport can cost you the flight.

Arrive at least 90 minutes before a domestic flight at a big hub. Security lines at Guarulhos and Brasília can be long at peak hours.

How to complain

Start with the airline, in writing, and keep your receipts. Ask the airline for assistance and repayment first. If that fails, contact the consumer agency (Procon) of the state you are in, and ANAC. The federal consumer portal consumidor.gov.br also takes complaints against airlines, and airlines tend to respond there.

Checklist

1. Compare fare families, not only prices.
2. Check whether your fare includes a carry-on or only a personal item.
3. Buy at least 7 days ahead if you want the 24-hour free cancellation.
4. Pack lithium batteries and power banks in your carry-on.
5. Carry your passport.
6. Keep receipts for meals and hotels if a delay strands you.
7. Screenshot every delay notice with its time stamp.

To go overland instead, read long-distance buses in Brazil. For the ride into town, see airport transfers, and check what your travel insurance pays for delays.