Here’s an announcement full of Smiles (wink wink). We are thrilled to share that GOL Smiles (Brazil) is now part of the AwardFares family! GOL has one of the most interesting frequent flyer programs in Latin America, with plenty of non-alliance partners and a jungle of redemption opportunities and sweet spots. In this guide, we’ll cover all you need to know about the Smiles program, helping you understanding the award chart, and how to unlock the best value for your miles.

Note: 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.

In This Post

• About GOL Smiles (Brazil)
• How To Find GOL Smiles Award Availability (Step-by-step)
• Understanding Smiles Award Chart
• AwardFares vs. Smiles Airlines Website
• Become a GOL Smiles Pro

About GOL Smiles (Brazil)

GOL Smiles is the frequent flyer program of GOL Airlines, a major Brazilian low-cost carrier known for its extensive domestic network and select international routes. The program’s accrual and redemption structure is straightforward, earning mainly through flights, co-branded credit cards, and partner activity. In addition, it’s possible to buy miles at highly promotional prices, or subscribe monthly to Clube 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 Clube 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 (57+) like Emirates, Etihad, and Air France-KLM. This allows members to book award flights on these airlines using Smiles miles. This and the relatively weak Brazilian Real can lead to 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 Clube Smiles and get a fixed number of miles every month by paying a monthly subscription. There are four different tiers available, ranging from $7 to ~$140 USD. On the highest tiers, you can also earn qualifying miles.
• Partners, Partners and more Partners: The program has 57+ 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.
• Extensive Network in Brazil: GOL Smiles boasts an extensive network within Brazil, making it ideal for frequent domestic travelers. Enjoy convenient connections and seamless travel experiences across the country.

How To Find GOL Smiles Award Availability (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 (Brazil).

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 Rio de Janeiro (GIG) and New York (NYC).

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