Find Award Flights with GOL Smiles (Brazil)

What is 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, allowing members to book award flights on these airlines using Smiles miles. This, coupled with the relatively weak Brazilian Real, can lead to exceptional value redemptions. The lack of alliance membership and occasional sudden devaluation can also pose challenges.

What's new with Smiles Brazil in 2025?

• Potential Merger with Azul Airlines: In January 2025, GOL and Azul announced progress towards a potential merger, aiming to create a leading airline in Brazil controlling about 60% of the domestic market. This merger is expected to enhance connectivity and operational efficiency.
• Partnerships and Airline Alliances: GOL Smiles continues to expand its network of over 57 airline partners, including recent collaborations with Turkish Airlines and Abaeté Aviação. These partnerships allow members to earn and redeem miles across a diverse range of international and regional carriers.
• Integration with Avianca LifeMiles: Avianca LifeMiles members can now transfer miles to GOL Smiles at a 1:3 ratio, enabling greater flexibility and value for frequent flyers. This feature is currently in beta testing and may be adjusted based on feedback.
• Mileage Expiration: Smiles miles generally expire after 36 months for standard members. However, elite members with higher tiers, such as Smiles Diamond, may have extended expiration periods or even non-expiring miles, depending on their status.
• Dynamic Award Pricing: GOL Smiles employs dynamic pricing for award redemptions, meaning the cost in miles for flights fluctuates based on factors such as demand, timing, and availability. It's crucial to book at optimal times to secure the best deals.
• Smiles Club: The Smiles Club offers members the opportunity to earn bonus miles and access additional benefits like reduced mileage requirements for certain redemptions and special promotions. Various tiers of the club (e.g., 1,000, 5,000, 10,000) provide increasing benefits based on monthly fees.
• Mileage Purchase and Promotions: GOL Smiles frequently runs mileage purchase promotions, allowing members to buy miles with significant bonuses (up to 200% in some cases). These promotions can provide value for those looking to top up their accounts for large redemptions.
• Cash + Miles Option: GOL Smiles offers a Cash + Miles feature, enabling members to pay for tickets with a combination of miles and cash. This option is useful if you don't have enough miles for a full redemption.

How many GOL Smiles Miles for a flight?

GOL Smiles, like many airline loyalty programs, offers a dynamic pricing structure for award tickets. This means that the number of Smiles Miles required for a flight can vary significantly depending on factors such as demand, the booking time, and the ticket's cash price. As a result, during busy travel periods or on popular routes, you may need more miles to secure an award seat. Conversely, if you're flexible with your travel dates or choose less popular routes, you might find that fewer miles are needed.

In our experience, Smiles' inventory and prices can be highly volatile. To maximize the value of your Smiles miles, we recommend booking flights as early as possible, remaining flexible with your travel plans, and consistently checking for availability. AwardFares can help monitor award availability and set alerts for specific routes. Plus, keeping an eye on cash ticket prices is a good practice, as higher cash fares often correlate with higher mileage requirements in GOL Smiles' dynamic system.

Smiles also offers unique benefits, such as booking flights on partner airlines like Air France, KLM, Delta, Etihad, etc. These partnerships provide added flexibility and allow you to use your Smiles miles on many international routes. Moreover, Smiles frequently runs promotions that can offer discounted award redemptions or bonus miles on purchases.

How much are GOL Smiles miles worth?

Domestic flights within Brazil can start from as low as 4,000 miles, while international long-haul flights on partner airlines may start around 25,000 miles. The value of Smiles Miles can vary, but it's estimated to be around 0.9 cents (USD) per mile on average.

The table below gives an idea of reasonable award prices based on search data:

By taking advantage of early booking and promotions, GOL Smiles members can find good value in both domestic and international award travel.

Key features of Smiles Brazil

• Tiers and Elite Status: Smiles, Silver, Gold, Diamond.
• What We love: Smiles & Money (pay with miles and cash), GOL Club Lounge Access for elite members, and an extensive partner airline network for international awards.
• Exclusive Perks: Focus on earning Smiles Miles, consider co-branded credit cards for easier mileage accumulation, track Smiles promotional discounts and partner offers, free companion ticket for Diamond.
• Best Redemptions: Domestic Economy Class within Brazil for low-mileage redemptions, Delta Air Lines Business Class (Delta One Suites), American Airlines Business Class, Etihad Business Class, ANA Business Class (The Room).
• Award Release Dates: On GOL, Smiles releases seats up to 359 days in advance. Partner airlines might have different policies. Read our full guide here.