Indicate by check mark whether the registrant by furnishing the
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information to the Commission pursuant to Rule 12g3-2(b) under
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Yes ______ No ___X___
SÃO PAULO, JUNE 21, 2012 – GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (BM&FBovespa: GOLL4 and NYSE: GOL), (S&P: B+, Fitch: B+, Moody`s: B3), the largest low-fare, low-cost airline in Latin America, and Qatar Airways, the Qatar state airline, announce the beginning of a Frequent Flyer agreement, enabling participants of GOL SMILES and Qatar Airways’ Privilege Club loyalty programs to accumulate miles on all flights operated by the two groups. It will also be possible to redeem tickets shortly.
“We are very pleased to expand our partnership with Qatar Airways, one of the most renowned international airlines. In addition to augmenting movement through our system, the agreement will allow us to offer our SMILES clients direct access to the Middle East and Asia, extending the reach of the program, which already has partners in North America and Europe, even further,” declared Constantino de Oliveira Junior, CEO of GOL.
The two airlines have maintained a codeshare agreement since 2011, through which Qatar Airways can add its code (QR) to GOL flights from São Paulo to 48 domestic destinations. Additionally, Qatar Airways, which operates in Brazil through direct flights between Doha, the capital of Qatar, and São Paulo, has the possibility of distributing its clients throughout GOL’ entire route network, one of the largest in the continent, with multiple connection options. For GOL, the agreement represents an efficient additional sales channel which will help increase passenger flow and push up the load factor on its own flights.
ABOUT GOL LINHAS AÉREAS INTELIGENTES S.A.
u GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A. (Bovespa: GOLL4 and NYSE: GOL), the largest low-cost and low-fare airline in Latin America, offers around 810 daily flights to 63 destinations in Brazil and 13 in South America and the Caribbean under the GOL and VARIG brands, using a young, modern fleet of Boeing 737-700 and 737-800 Next Generation aircraft, the safest, most efficient and most economical of their type. It also offers its clients a further 12 Brazilian destinations through agreements with local regional airlines. In addition, the SMILES loyalty program, the biggest in Brazil, allows members to accumulate miles and redeem tickets to more than 560 locations around the world via flights with foreign partner airlines. The Company also operates Gollog, a logistics service which retrieves and delivers cargo and packages to and from more than 3,400 cities in Brazil and eight abroad. With its portfolio of innovative products and services, GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes offers the best cost-benefit ratio in the market.
ABOUT WEBJET LINHAS AÉREAS S.A.
u Webjet Linhas Aéreas S.A., controlled by VRG Linhas Aéreas S.A., offers around 140 daily flights to 18 Brazilian destinations, using a fleet of Boeing 737-300 and 737-800 Next Generation aircraft. In July 2011, GOL announced the acquisition of Webjet. The companies are continuing to operate separately while awaiting the approval of CADE, Brazil’s anti-trust authority.
This notice contains forward-looking statements relating to the prospects of the business, estimates for operating and financial results, and those related to GOL’s growth prospects. These are merely projections and, as such, are based exclusively on the expectations of GOL’s management. Such forward-looking statements depend substantially on external factors, in addition to the risks disclosed in GOL’s filed disclosure documents and are, therefore, subject to change without prior notice. | |
CONTACTS | uLeonardoPereira | uEdmarLopes | uGustavoMendes | uRicardoRocca |
INVETOR RELATIONS ri@golnaweb.com.br www.voegol.com.br/ir +55 (11) 2128-4700 |
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GOL LINHAS AÉREAS INTELIGENTES S.A. | ||
By: |
/S/ Leonardo Porciúncula Gomes Pereira | |
Name: Leonardo Porciúncula Gomes Pereira
Title: Executive Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer |
This press release may contain forward-looking statements. These statements are statements that are not historical facts, and are based on management's current view and estimates offuture economic circumstances, industry conditions, company performance and financial results. The words "anticipates", "believes", "estimates", "expects", "plans" and similar expressions, as they relate to the company, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Statements regarding the declaration or payment of dividends, the implementation of principal operating and financing strategies and capital expenditure plans, the direction of future operations and the factors or trends affecting financial condition, liquidity or results of operations are examples of forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views of management and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. There is no guarantee that the expected events, trends or results will a ctually occur. The statements are based on many assumptions and factors, including general economic and market conditions, industry conditions, and operating factors. Any changes in such assumptions or factors could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations.