Start here: GOL Smiles — joining, earning Smiles miles, the five categories and redeeming for flights

Step 1: What Smiles is and who it suits

You will learn: what kind of programme Smiles is, who maintains it, and how its rules and dates can change.

Smiles is a coalition loyalty programme maintained by Gol Linhas Aéreas S.A., successor by incorporation of Smiles Fidelidade S.A., covering a network of airline, commercial and financial partners [1]. It suits travellers who fly Gol or its airline partners, or who earn through Smiles commercial and financial partners [1].

The rules can move: Gol may add to, modify or update them at any time by unilateral act, with prior notice on the Smiles site and by email, and continuing to use the programme after that notice counts as acceptance [1]. The programme itself may be suspended, ended, modified or have its management transferred, with at least 90 days' prior notice by site and email, and miles already accumulated up to that date are protected [1]. The rules are governed by Brazilian law, with the forum of the participant's domicile [1].

Dates printed side by side. The title of this version reads 'valid from 17/06', and clause 14.3 records registration on 12 March 2026 [1]. Clause 14.3.1 as printed states that the instrument takes effect from 11 December 2023, for an indefinite term, cancelling and replacing earlier contracts [1]. The dates are given as printed and are not reconciled.

Go deeper: Start here: airline miles for how mileage currencies work in general.

Step 2: Joining and looking after the account

You will learn: who may join, what happens to your application, and the ways an account can be closed.

Who can join. Individuals aged 18 or over, or minors assisted by a legal guardian, with an active CPF registration at the Ministry of Finance or a valid identity document for their country of residence [1]. Where the participant is legally incapable, the guardian must already hold an active Smiles account to validate and link the registrations [1]. Registration is made on the Smiles site or other channels Gol makes available, one email address cannot be used on more than one Smiles account, and keeping the data complete and up to date is the participant's responsibility [1]. Gol reviews the application and may grant or deny it, with grounds for denial including false, irregular or insufficient information, evidence of fraud in the registration, and an attempt to re-enter after exclusion [1].

After approval. A Smiles account is created, a virtual Cartão de Categoria Smiles can be printed in the logged-in area, and the Smiles number is sent to the registered email [1]. Only one active account per participant is allowed; Gol may cancel a duplicate and keep the account with the higher Smiles balance, and miles in the cancelled account are subject to Gol's internal analysis and, where the cancellation is not due to suspected fraud or false registration data, may be transferred with their original expiry date [1].

Closing and sanctions. A participant may ask to cancel at any time without giving reasons; cancellation ends the account and the miles in it, while tickets already issued and not yet used stay valid [1]. Gol may suspend or exclude a participant for conduct including trading miles with third parties, fraud, illegal or irregular conduct, irregular use of the account, and giving the Smiles number or password to third parties [1]. An account with a zero balance and no movement for more than 12 months may be cancelled, with 30 days' notice [1]. On the participant's death the account is closed immediately and the miles cancelled, while redemptions already made stay valid [1].

Go deeper: the GOL Smiles programme hub gathers every Flyerfolio page on this programme by task.

Step 3: How Smiles miles are earned

You will learn: the three ways miles are earned, how long crediting may take, and what does not earn at all.

Smiles miles are personal and non-transferable: transfer by sale, purchase, donation, exchange, assignment, succession, inheritance or any other form is prohibited, and miles cannot be converted into money, in whole or in part [1].

Earning acts are eligible domestic or international flights with Gol and/or airline partners, eligible purchases of products and services from commercial partners, and transfers of points from financial or commercial partners [1]. Rules for earning on flights are set by Gol for its own flights and by each airline partner for theirs, and are published on the Smiles site [1]. The participant must be registered and give the Smiles number when performing the act [1].

Crediting has its own deadlines: Gol has up to 60 days from the participant's request for Gol-operated flights, and for other cases from each partner's request [1]. Miles are credited only once, and where an act allows earning in more than one loyalty programme the participant must choose one and renounce the others [1]. On partner flights, miles go to the passenger who actually flies, whoever paid for the ticket [1].

Nothing is earned on charter flights; on tickets granted by courtesy or through awards and draws, including tickets redeemed with Smiles miles; on promotional tickets subject to specific fare conditions; on non-regular fares such as group and negotiated fares; or on payments of taxes, airport and other fees, fines and penalties [1]. Gol may reverse miles and cancel transactions where the act was not properly completed, or where miles were acquired or redeemed illicitly, irregularly or fraudulently [1].

Go deeper: Start here: airline miles for the general mechanics of earning and crediting.

Step 4: The five categories and how they are reached

You will learn: what counts as a qualifying mile or segment, the printed thresholds for each category, and the points in the text that are printed inconsistently.

Smiles has five categories — Smiles, Prata (Silver), Ouro (Gold), Diamante (Diamond) and Diamante Magno — awarded on qualifying miles and/or qualifying segments accumulated in the calendar year, January to December [1]. A qualifying segment is a segment operated by Gol and bought in Gol's channels, except the Smiles programme channels, and/or redeemed with Smiles miles in the Smiles channels; a segment operated by Gol or an airline partner on a fare that earns Smiles miles where accrual was requested; or segments operated by airline partners issued with Smiles miles that include a Gol-operated segment [1].

Qualifying miles come from Smiles miles: 10 Smiles miles obtained with Smiles credit cards, or through the miles of an active Clube Smiles plan, give 1 qualifying mile; 1 Smiles mile from airline partners gives 1 qualifying mile; on Gol-operated segments, R$1 gives 1 qualifying mile for domestic or South America segments and US$1 gives 2 qualifying miles for other international territories; bonus miles are excluded [1].

• Smiles: 0 to 5,999 qualifying miles and/or 0 to 5 qualifying segments [1].
• Prata: 6,000 to 11,999 qualifying miles and/or 6 to 11 qualifying segments [1].
• Ouro: 12,000 to 23.999 qualifying miles and/or 12 to 23 qualifying segments [1].
• Diamante: from 24,000 qualifying miles and/or from 24 qualifying segments [1].
• Diamante Magno: from 50,000 qualifying miles and 50 qualifying segments [1].

Three points reported as printed. The Ouro upper bound appears as 23.999 in figures but is spelled out as "vinte e nove mil, novecentas e noventa e nove" (29,999) in words [1]. Diamante Magno is written with "and" while the other categories use "and/or", and clause 11.1 says the category is defined by the qualifying miles accumulated or by the qualifying segments accumulated [1]. The fourth example under 10.3.1.1 is headed "Categoria Diamante" but describes Diamante Magno, deducting 50,000 qualifying miles and 50 qualifying segments [1]. These are reproduced as printed and are not reconciled here.

Where miles and segments are reached at the same time they count jointly, and the threshold met is deducted: 10,000 qualifying miles with 10 qualifying segments gives Prata, deducts 6,000 miles and 6 segments and leaves 4,000 miles and 4 segments for the following year [1]. Category cards for Prata, Ouro, Diamante and Diamante Magno are valid from the date earned to the end of the current calendar year plus 15 months [1]. A participant who does not accumulate enough in the previous calendar year to stay in the current category moves down one category for 12 months, except in the Smiles category, where the participant stays until promoted; a participant who does accumulate enough to keep the category has the card extended by a further 12 months [1]. Counts run to 31 December and restart on 1 January, except in the cases set out in clause 10.3 (b), (c) and (d) [1].

Go deeper: the GOL Smiles status guide for the tier mechanics in detail, and the status calculator to test a year of flying.

Step 5: Redeeming miles and how long they last

You will learn: how long miles last, what governs the price of an award, and the rules for issuing and changing tickets.

Validity runs 36 months for Smiles and Prata, 48 for Ouro and 120 for Diamante and Diamante Magno, counted from the date and time the miles are credited and based on the category in force before that credit; debits take the miles nearest to expiry first [1].

Redemption happens on the Smiles site [1]. Gol does not practise pre-determined prices [1]. Award tickets depend on seats being available for issue with miles [1], and miles may also be used in the virtual store for commercial partners' products and services [1]. Fees may be charged for redemption, issue, cancellation, refund of miles, withdrawal of awards and transfer of miles [1].

To issue, the account must be in order, the miles must be available, the award must be available at the search and the remaining taxes paid [1]. Tickets may be issued for the participant and up to 25 different people per calendar year, with a new count each year [1], as one-way or return [1]. A Gol ticket can be changed only where there are operational or system inconsistencies or where the law permits; partner tickets cannot be changed by Gol except with the partner's authorisation or on such an inconsistency [1]. A Gol ticket can be cancelled under the cancellation rule for its fare, and a partner-airline ticket only with the partner's authorisation and where the fare rules and intermediation contract provide; valid miles are refunded with the validity they had when the ticket was issued, and miles whose expiry has passed are not returned [1].

Go deeper: booking GOL Smiles awards, GOL Smiles upgrade awards, and the mileage expiry calculator.

Step 6: Your first concrete action

You will learn: the five moves that put a new Smiles membership on a sound footing.

• Register with your CPF or a valid identity document, and keep the data complete and up to date [1].
• Give your Smiles number on every eligible flight and purchase, and check the credit within the 60 days Gol has from your request for Gol-operated flights, or from each partner's request for partner-earned miles [1].
• Never share your Smiles number and password and never trade miles: both are grounds for suspension or exclusion [1].
• Track your qualifying miles and qualifying segments within the calendar year against the printed thresholds [1].
• Check the validity of your miles in your account and plan award tickets inside the 25-person annual limit [1].

Next: open the GOL Smiles programme hub, then the award booking guide and the status guide; Start here lists the other courses.