Overview
I flew Gol Airlines 6 times in 2022. It’s the only Brazilian airline that I’ve used to date. I’ve decided to make a review of it, since now I’m a “qualified” passenger to judge this airline after all those flights. I flew Gol in economy cabin, on the flights between Rio, Foz do Iguazu, Brasilia, Belem, and Paramaribo. The partnership between Gol and KLM gave me an advantage of earning points and miles on Flying Blue loyalty programme (Air France – KLM). So, let’s find out if Gol Airlines scores.
About Gol Airlines
Official name of the company is Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. It is a low-cost airline, which is certified 3 stars with a Skytrax rating. The airline started its operations in 2001 and nowadays is the largest airline in Brazil, leader in the corporate and leisure segments. Gol competes in Brazil and other South American countries with Chilean LATAM Airlines Group, Brazilian Azul, and Colombia-based Avianca Holdings S.A.
Gol Airlines operates the fleet of Boeing 737 family with different configurations for domestic and international flights. The main base of the airline is in Rio de Janeiro. Gol has alliances with several airlines and makes available codeshares agreements, bringing more convenience and simple connections to any place served by these partnerships.
Cabin and service
Since Gol is a low-cost airline they have restrictions on luggage fares, customer service, fee of rebooking the flight, etc. I had 2 of my flights delayed by 1 hour, and experienced long layover in Belem airport, since the schedule is not well optimized. All the cabin crews spoken English, but not all of the ground staff of the airline and airport customer services.
To keep fares low, Gol offers limited in-flight services. During the flight they serve a drink with a mini snack (like chips, nuts, etc.). Passengers may purchase food and read the airline’s in-flight e-magazine. There is a Wi-Fi service available for a small fee, which wasn’t working on one of my flights. Video entertainment is provided on longer flights.
All the aircrafts configured with the 3-3 layout. The standard seat has the seat pitch of 30” and the seat width of 17”, which is a bit tight for me (I’m 190cm tall /6’3ft). There were no personal entertainment screens. The safety card in the front pocket is just a simple thin paper, that may be used as a toilet paper, in case there’s none.
Final thoughts
In my opinion, Gol Airlines offers a solid overall product with some areas for improvement. The airline provides a better experience compared to European low-cost carriers like Ryanair or EasyJet, particularly in terms of service and comfort. However, it’s important to note that Gol may not always offer the ultra-cheap fares that those airlines are known for.