Nice to see this promo coming back more than usual lately. The goal is to hit it as hard as possible with your Ink card for 5X points. Office store purchases are your friend.
So, about that post yesterday…
You guys buried me in emails. Some killer questions. To be honest, I don’t know much more than I knew a day ago. Just wanted to share something that sounded cool. Here were 3 of my favorite emails…
From Sidharta:
“Thanks for posting about the triple miles deal. This looks like a great opportunity. I checked out the site. I don’t speak Portuguese but was able to register for an account. Before I pull the trigger on purchasing miles I wanted to see if I could use them. I poked around a little but couldn’t get a ticket search to work. Do you know if it’s possible to book flights from another site or if there’s an award chart?”
Sorry man, I don’t know much. But, an award chart is available.
From Will:
“Regarding your latest post, did Rod explain how he opened an account or got his CPF number? I’m having some trouble logging in as it requires a CPF number as a username.”
Nah, but I can try to find out.
From Adam:
“Let me know if you have any questions/problems with the site. I speak and read Portuguese fluently.”
I have so many questions! Is this really possible for non-Brazilians? Some people emailed and said a CPF number was required. I’m lost. Thanks!
“A CPF is like a Social Security No., which one has to apply for with a lot of paperwork in Brazil. I have one, and it took some time to get it. The terms and conditions’ first line states that to participate one must have a valid CPF AND have a credit card issued in Brazil.
Importante: Somente estão aptos a esta promoção os Participantes do Programa Smiles que possuam CPF/MF válido no Brasil e sejam titulares de cartões de crédito, emitidos no Brasil, das Bandeiras Amex, Visa, MasterCard, Diners e Elo.
Translation: Important: Only eligible for this promotion [are those] Smiles Program Participants that have a CPF/MF (Physical Person Registration)valid in Brazil and hold credit cards, issued in Brazil, of the brands Amex, Visa, MasterCard, Diners and Elo.
I don’t have a card of that type (and probably neither do most of your readers).
Once upon a time, there were work arounds to buy Gol tickets at the prices set at the Brazilian price (which was once much lower than the dollar price) without having a CPF, namely by going through the Argentine version of the website.
My CPF is my birthdate plus five numbers so that may work. I doubt they double-check; it’s a number registered at the Federal Treasury that is reported for taxation purposes every month or so. The bureaucracy is notoriously slow and disorganized, andI have multiple friends who’ve purchased things (like cell phones andcomputers) without a valid CPF. One couldn’t however, buy a car or a house in Brazil without a CPF.
So in the end I think it’s a YMMV situation. I’m still contemplating it, but I’d buy tickets immediately after the miles post and hope for the best.
Guys, the emails were pouring in all day. I still don’t know many answers, but wanted to share some of the conversations. Multiple other people said the CPF was optional. That’s about all I’ve got on this one for now…
What the hell is/are Gol Smiles? Well, reader Rod sent a very long and interesting email educating me more about this Brazilian airline. Looks like Gol Smiles could be very valuable this week.
Use Google Chrome and translate this page. Here’s the summary:
(Edit: Rod said he was able to buy the miles and is not from Brazil).
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