GOL Travel Smiles is an amazing loyalty program introduced by GOL Linhas Aéreas, which is one of the major airlines operating in Brazil. Although GOL is a low-cost airline, its loyalty program is preferred by countless travelers for humongous benefits.
Using the GOL Travel Smiles program can significantly enhance your travel experience as a frequent flyer. Not just rewards, there is much more to it.
Go ahead, discover, as we bring to you a complete guide on making the best use of GOL Smiles!
What are GOL Smiles?
GOL Smiles is an account where you can collect miles or loyalty points on your flights with GOL or its partner airlines.
If you are a GOL Smile member, you can redeem these points if:
- You book a flight with GOL or any of its partner airlines.
- Book a room with a hotel belonging to the partner network of GOL.
- Rent a car through GOL’s partners.
- Shop at retail outlets that are associated with GOL as partners.
- Participate in events including concerts or other special occasions.
How Can I Earn GOL Smiles?
Earning GOL Smiles is relatively simple. Here is how you can accumulate these points.
Reserve a Flight with GOL
You can book a flight with GOL and earn Smiles based on the distance travelled and the fare class. If you choose a high fare class, you will get more Smiles.
Book a Flight with Partner Airlines
You can earn Smiles when flying with any of the GOL’s partner airlines. Make sure to make the booking under your Smiles account.
Credit Card Purchases
You can explore banks and financial institutions in Brazil that offer credit cards with a facility to earn miles on certain purchases made through them.
Shopping and Dining
Partners in retail and dining often provide opportunities to earn Smiles through loyalty points programs or special promotions.
Promotions
You can take part in some promotional schemes to earn additional miles. Interestingly, various campaigns are run by GOL on a frequent basis under which you can earn bonus Smiles.
Please Note: You are allowed to request miles after 72 hours from the date of your boarding and up to 6 months, in case of flights operated by GOL. It takes up to 72 hours for them to appear in your account. However, in case of flights operated by partner airlines, you can request miles 15 days after your boarding date and up to 5 months. It may take up to 30 days for the miles to reflect in your account.
Thereafter, you can check the collected miles by logging into your account. If the same does not happen, you can contact the airline’s customer service team.
How Can I Make Best Use of GOL Smiles?
You need to act wise and smart so as to effectively redeem your miles accumulated in the GOL Smiles account.
Here are some of the best ways to maximize the use of your miles:
Booking Flights
The foremost way to use your miles is to book flights. Apparently, GOL lets you redeem these points on both one-way and roundtrip reservations.
Changing Seats
You can change your seat or upgrade to a higher class using the Smiles program, if you have an existing flight reservation.
Creating Packages
You can also redeem Smiles by purchasing the exclusive combo packages that include flights, accommodation, and car rentals. Using Smiles can help you avail great discounts.
Special Deals and Promotional Offers
The GOL Smiles miles redemptions can also be done through new discount offers and promotions. So, keep a track of the same, as you can redeem miles for specific flights or purchases. That’s how you can make the most of your collected points.
Gifting or Transferring Smiles
You can think about giving miles if you are planning a trip for friends or family. This could be another great option to use your accumulated points. Especially, when you feel that you are not able to use your points as you don’t need to travel, you can definitely give them as a gift to your dear ones.
Hence, these are some of the GOL points best uses. Make sure to gather complete details and go through the guidelines, along with terms of use, specified by the airline while you redeem your points.
Additional Factors Associated with GOL Smiles
Here are some of the other major aspects of using a GOL Smiles account.
Priority Services
Higher-tier members using the Smiles can avail priority check-in and boarding, hence enjoying a smoother and more convenient travel experience.
Easy Management
You can use the Travel Smiles platform which serves as a simple-to-use interface for managing points, booking flights, and accessing the member benefits.
Partner Airlines of GOL
These are the partner airlines of GOL which let you earn and redeem miles for their flight reservations.
- Avianca Airlines
- Air France
- KLM Airlines
- American Airlines
- Argentine Airlines
- Air Europa
- TAP Air Portugal
- Aeromexico
- Air Canada
- Copa Airlines
- Emirates
- Turkish Airlines
- Ethiopian Airlines
- South African Airways
- Korean Air
Concluding Words
In a nutshell, the Smiles program introduced by the low-cost Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aéreas is of great benefit for frequent travelers. You can earn and redeem points for flights, upgrades, and avail other travel-related benefits. This scheme has been launched to enhance customer experiences and bolster brand loyalty. And, it is not just a points-earning project, but actually a gateway to numerous perks for both leisure and business travelers. The versatility and variety of offerings with respect to GOL Smiles make it a key necessity for anyone frequently traveling in Brazil and beyond.
By introducing Smiles, GOL has undoubtedly created an engaging ecosystem for its travelers, resulting in increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. So, whether you are a frequent flier or a casual traveler, you are advised to understand deeply how to leverage the GOL Smiles program, as it can significantly enhance your travel experience.
You are required to tap into the various learning methods and know the best redemption strategies so as to make your travel more enjoyable and affordable. Nevertheless, always remember to take complete note of the crucial terms and conditions defined by the airline for using the Smiles account.
The program encourages travelers to keep coming back to the airline for rewards, thus creating a cycle where travelers prefer GOL for their flying needs to maximize their Smiles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Confused with certain queries in mind? We are here to help you with answers to some common concerns raised by travelers. Take a look!
GOL Smiles is a membership account offered by the famous Brazilian airline GOL Linhas Aéreas. You can register for the same and earn miles on flight bookings and other relevant services. The same can be collected in the Smiles account and redeemed through future flight bookings and purchases made via partner sites or associates of the airline.
You can join the GOL Smiles Program by signing up on the official website of GOL Linhas Aéreas or through their mobile app.
You can subscribe to their Clube Smiles for which you need to pay monthly charges. Any one out of the 4 categories, Smiles, Silver, Gold, or Diamond can be chosen for a price ranging from $7 to around $140.
Yes! Your GOL Smiles can expire if you do not use them for a period of 24 months. Thus, keep your Smiles account active by using the accumulated points through purchases with the airline’s associated partners.
Once you complete your travel, you will receive points up to 72 hours in case of flights run by GOL. However, the time limit is up to 30 days for flights by the partner airlines. The collected miles can be checked in the My Account section after you log in to the same.
Absolutely! You can use Smiles to book flights for others including your family members. You need to stay logged in to your account during the flight reservation process.
Yes! You can contact the customer call center of the airline or interact with their virtual assistant online. Smiles and Silver customers can speak anytime from 6 am to midnight. However, Gold and Diamond members are allowed to speak any time of the day and night.
Why not! You can log into your account and check the Smiles balance either on the GOL website or mobile app.
You may need to pay fees or taxes during some purchases. You are strongly advised to take a complete look at the terms and conditions associated with GOL Smiles.
