Free car seat on the plane: what changes for those traveling with children

The Traffic and Transportation Committee of the Chamber of Deputies approved a bill that requires airlines to check a child restraint device — such as a car seat or booster seat — for each child transported free of charge. The text also creates rules for the offer of this equipment by car rental companies, with a requirement for transparency in prices and the guarantee of availability when the customer makes the request in advance.

Approved on Tuesday (23), the proposal is based on a substitute by the rapporteur, Deputy Helena Lima (PSD-RR), to Bill 5052/25, by Deputy Diego Garcia (União-PR). The original version required rental companies to provide the accessory at no additional cost. The new wording, on the other hand, allows the charge, as long as the amount is clearly informed at the time of booking and that there is no tie-in sale – that is, the rental of the vehicle cannot be conditioned to the hiring of the equipment.

According to the rapporteur, the measure seeks to balance the protection of children with the economic viability of the rental sector, in addition to facilitating compliance with the rules of the Brazilian Traffic Code (CTB).

“The proposal helps to comply with the law on the use of car seats, because it ensures that the transport of the equipment on the air segment is free and safe. On the other hand, it creates clear national rules for contracting accessories with rental companies, which makes the use of child seats more predictable, transparent and legally safer”, said Helena Lima.

The parliamentarian pointed out that the free air segment ensures that no family is prevented from complying with traffic legislation because they cannot transport their own equipment.

According to the text, the dispatch of the device will not be discounted from the baggage allowance nor will it replace other items already allowed at no cost, such as strollers and car seats. To be entitled to the benefit, the guardian must prove, at check-in, that the child’s age requires the use of the equipment. Airlines will be able to define technical rules for the packaging of items.

In the case of rental companies, the equipment offered must meet the standards of the National Institute of Metrology, Quality and Technology (Inmetro) and be in good condition for use. Accessories involved in accidents will have to be discarded, and the responsibility for the integrity of the item during the rental will be the renter, according to the contract.

The project will still be analyzed, in a conclusive manner, by the committees of Social Security, Social Assistance, Childhood, Adolescence and Family and Constitution and Justice and Citizenship. To become law, it needs to be approved by the House and Senate.

With information from the Câmara de Notícias Agency