We’re overjoyed to announce that GOL Smiles (Argentina) has joined the AwardFares family! GOL boasts one of the most unique frequent flyer programs in Latin America, with numerous non-alliance partners and many redemption opportunities and hidden gems. In this guide, we’ll break down everything you need to know about the Smiles program for Argentinean members, from understanding the award chart to maximizing the value of your miles.

¹Note: For this tutorial, you need access to an AwardFares Gold or Diamond plan. You can try these plans for free for 24 hours. With the Basic (free) version of AwardFares, you can only explore recent search results from other users.

²Note: If you are looking for the general Smiles program outside Argentina, check this post.

In This Post

• About GOL Smiles (Argentina)
• Find GOL Smiles Argentina Awards (Step-by-step)
• Understanding Smiles Award Chart
• AwardFares vs. Smiles Airlines Website
• Become a GOL Smiles Pro

About GOL Smiles (Argentina)

GOL Smiles Argentina is the regionalized edition of Smiles, the frequent flyer program of GOL Airlines. In Argentina, GOL Smiles has gained traction because GOL operates flights connecting Argentina to various destinations in Brazil and across South America. The program also allows members in Argentina to accumulate miles through everyday spending, promotions, and special partnerships with banks, credit cards, and retailers in the region.

In addition, it’s possible to buy miles at highly promotional prices, or subscribe monthly to Club Smiles. Smiles offers four elite tiers – Smiles, Silver, Gold, and Diamond – with benefits ranging from priority check-in and baggage allowances to lounge access, bonus miles accrual, and free companion tickets. Their Club Smiles subscription also earns qualifying miles.

While redemption rates for GOL flights can be reasonable, especially when leveraging promotions or Miles & Money options, the program’s true value lies in its partnerships. GOL belongs to no major airline alliance but has individual tie-ups with a ton of carriers (40+) like Air France-KLM, American Airlines, Delta, Avianca, and more, allowing members to book award flights on these airlines using Smiles miles. This, coupled with the weak Argentinean Peso (ARS), can yield exceptional value redemptions. The lack of alliance membership and occasional sudden devaluation can also pose challenges.

Program Features We Love

• Smiles Club: The easiest way to rack up miles without flying. Join their Club Smiles and get a fixed number of miles every month by paying a monthly subscription. There are four different tiers available, ranging from $5 to ~$60 USD. On the highest tiers, you can also earn qualifying miles.
• Partners, Partners and more Partners: The program has 40+ airline partners across the globe and from multiple alliances, giving you a plethora of options to redeem your hard-earned miles.
• Family Pooling: Smiles offers a simple family group feature that allows you to pool miles with your family members and friends (up to 8). Each of them can be subscribed to Club Smiles, which can multiply and drastically accelerate the number of miles you accumulate every month.
• Category Acceleration: Earn qualifying miles faster and reach elite status quicker with Category Acceleration. This benefit lets you earn additional qualifying miles based on your flight fare and Club Smiles tier.
• Free companion ticket for Diamond: Reach the Diamond elite status and enjoy a free companion ticket every year.
• Smiles & Money: Don’t have enough miles for your dream award? No problem! With Smiles & Money, you can combine miles and cash to book your flight, offering greater flexibility and accessibility.

Find GOL Smiles Argentina Awards (Step-by-step)

1. Go to AwardFares

Creating an account is optional, but it’s also free, and it gives you access to more features. Make sure to sign up for one here.

2. Select the Frequent Flyer Program

In the Frequent Flyer Program picker, select GOL Smiles (Argentina).

3. Add a Route(s)

Use the From and To fields to enter your desired route. It’s possible to include multiple departure and arrival airports (up to five) simultaneously. In the example below, we search for flights between Buenos Aires (Bue) and Recife (REC ).

4. Explore Travel Dates

Tap on Calendar to add a specific date.

AwardFares will search for available seats on flights that day, and show the results in a list below.

Alternatively, you can use the Timeline View feature to check availability across multiple days at once. The bars show different classes in different colors.

5. Sort by Price

A key advantage of AwardFares is that it lets you easily sort results with just a few clicks. It’s the simplest way to explore the cheapest options and find the best awards.

On the result list, tap on the header columns to sort the results by price. Use the Eco, Prem, Biz, and First class tags to find cheap awards across multiple dates, itineraries, and airlines.

Plus, use the Max Price pill to set a maximum number of miles for the reward flights you are searching.

6. Filter & Explore (optional)

Try filtering out by cabin class (e.g., Business Class, First Class), number of stops (e.g., nonstop), number of passengers, aircraft type, or even flight number!

7. Book on Smiles Website

Once you find your desired flight, click the Book button.

AwardFares will redirect you to the Smiles website to finish the booking process, without the need to re-enter your search criteria, as it will be pre-populated.

Understanding Smiles Award Chart

Unlike traditional award charts that have fixed mile amounts for specific routes, GOL Smiles operates on a dynamic pricing model. This means the number of miles required to book a flight varies based on factors such as demand, route, and travel class. Therefore, you might find different mile prices for the same flight on different days.

How Are Segments Priced? (Be Careful)

Even though award pricing is dynamic, internally they seem to be using regions and zones. Here’s an example: an Economy Class award from Florianopolis (FLN) to Recife (REC) via Congonhas (CGH) costs 35,000 miles one-way:

But the segments between Florianopolis-Congonhas and Congonhas-Recife also cost 35,000 miles each!

Fuel Surcharges and Fees

When redeeming Smiles miles, it’s crucial to account for any additional fees or surcharges that may apply. Some routes, especially those on partner airlines, may include high fuel surcharges, reducing the overall value of your redemption. Make sure to review the total cost, including taxes and fees, before booking your flight.

Promotions and Offers

GOL Smiles frequently runs promotions that can offer significant savings on award tickets. These promotions often include discounts on certain routes or bonus miles for new members, so keeping an eye on ongoing deals can help stretch your miles further.

AwardFares vs. Smiles Airlines Website

When it comes to searching for award flights, AwardFares offers a vastly superior experience compared to using the GOL Smiles portal. AwardFares simplifies the process by providing more comprehensive search tools, enhanced availability visibility, and flexibility. It makes it much easier to find the best flights using your GOL Smiles miles.

1. Search Multiple Dates and Routes at Once. Unlike the GOL Smiles website, where you need to manually search each date and route separately, AwardFares allows you to search for multiple dates and routes in a single query. This broader search capability saves you time and increases your chances of finding optimal award flight options quickly.
2. Complete Partner Availability. While GOL Smiles does display some partner airlines, its portal may not show all available award seats, particularly for international routes or complex itineraries. AwardFares offers a comprehensive view of both GOL flights and partner airlines (such as Delta and Air France-KLM), ensuring you have access to a wider range of options.
3. Set Availability Alerts. AwardFares allows you to set up custom alerts to be notified as soon as seats become available on GOL or its partner airlines. The Smiles website lacks this feature, meaning you’d need to keep checking manually to secure the flights you want.
4. Advanced Search and Filtering Options. GOL Smiles has limited filtering options, making it harder to find flights that meet your specific needs. AwardFares offers advanced filtering capabilities, including options to narrow down by cabin class, layover preferences, and even stopover lengths, ensuring you get the most convenient itinerary.
5. Compare Award Flights Across Multiple Programs. While the GOL Smiles website limits you to searching within its own program and limited partners, AwardFares allows you to compare flights and availability across different frequent flyer programs. This feature helps you find better value, especially if other airlines or programs offer more attractive redemption options for your trip.

Become a GOL Smiles Pro

You can try AwardFares for free. We are rolling out new features and improvements regularly. With our Gold and Diamond tiers, you can access premium features such as unlimited daily searches, alerts, seat maps, flight schedules, and more!

Our guides have all the information you need to be a pro travel hacker and explore the world on points. Here are some related posts you might enjoy:

• GOL Smiles (Argentina) Key Facts: What You Need To Know
• Breaking: GOL and Azul Merger Could Be Finalized Before the End of the Year