American Airlines Elite Members Get Reciprocal Benefits When Flying on Brazil’s GOL Airlines

2 of the biggest airline players in the Americas are planning on strengthening their connection and forming the largest airline network between the U.S and Brazil.

American Airlines and GOL Linhas Aéreas have proposed to link both their networks and loyalty programs, building on the existing codeshare in place between the airlines since 2020.

The strengthened partnership is set to provide “customers flying to, through and from Brazil, access to the largest network with the lowest fares and the Americas’ biggest and best joint travel loyalty program,” according to Robert Isom, President of American Airlines.

American and GOL Loyalty Program Partnership

Loyalty programs joining forces is something to get excited about.

The benefits of American’s AAdvantage and GOL’s Smiles loyalty programs will be accessible to members of both programs. This means if you’re an American Airlines elite, you’ll have access to GOL’s Smiles benefits when flying GOL in Brazil and beyond in South America.

The shared benefits include priority check-in, fast-track security, priority boarding, and priority baggage handling, as well as access to airport lounges and the option of preferred seating onboard. The newest benefit offers free checked bags to AA elites when flying on GOL.

AAdvantage Gold members get 1 free checked bag, Platinum members get 2 free checked bags, and you’ll get 3 free checked bags if you have Platinum Pro or higher status with AA.

The airlines also plan to introduce a joint loyalty offering, the details of which are yet to be revealed.

What Does the Codeshare Mean?

The enhanced codeshare agreement gives American travelers the option to travel to 20 new destinations across South America, thanks to GOL’s network. For travelers coming from Brazil, the codeshare will provide access to more than 30 destinations across the U.S.

“This codeshare agreement between two of the leading airlines in the Americas combines our highly complementary route networks to offer customers a seamless travel experience with the largest number of flights and destinations in North and South America,” said Paulo Kakinoff, GOL CEO.

GOL Linhas Aéreas: A Brief Intro

GOL is Brazil’s second largest airline, operating routes from the Manaus in the Amazon and north of the country down to Porto Alegre in the South. The majority of the airline’s routes connect through hubs at São Paulo (GRU), Brasília (BSB), and Rio de Janeiro (GIG) airports.

The global pandemic forced the airline to temporarily cancel almost its entire international network. As normality returned, routes to cities like Buenos Aires (EZE) in Argentina, Paramaribo (PBM) in Suriname, and Santiago (SCL) in Chile returned to the route network.

However, GOL also flies beyond the South American continent to destinations like Aruba (AUA), San José, Costa Rica (SJO), Punta Cana, Dominican Republic (PUJ), Cancun (CUN), and 2 destinations in Florida: Miami (MIA) and Orlando (MCO). These exciting destinations will be accessible through flight bookings with American Airlines, connecting onto GOL-operated flights in Brazil.

The airline flies 128 Boeing 737 aircraft, comprising the -700, -800, and -800 MAX, and -800 BCF.

Final Thoughts

After the departure of LATAM from the Oneworld alliance, American Airlines’ partnership with GOL will undoubtedly provide improved journey experience and increased connectivity between the U.S., Brazil, and South America. As such, AA elites can enjoy multiple perks on GOL flights through this partnership.