Varig from Varig, its subsidiaries, and its Star Alliance partners including flights, upgrades, holidays, hotel stays and car rentals. Smiles was part of the "new Varig" package bought by Gol Airlines. All miles were honored and eventually Smiles became Gol's own Frequent Flyer program. , Aviation Safety Network reports 39 accidents or incidents for Varig since . Varig VARIG (acronym for Viação Aérea RIo-Grandense, "Rio Grandean Airways") was the first airline founded in Brazil, in 1927. From 1965 until 1990, it was Brazil's leading airline, and virtually its only international one. In 2005, Varig went into judicial re-organisation, and in 2006
Nordeste Linhas Aéreas Regionais of this process, the airline was divided into two portions, informally known as "old" Varig and "new" Varig. "Old" Varig was judicially known as Viação Aérea Rio-grandense. "New" Varig, judicially known as VRG Linhas Aéreas, is a new airline formed with some assets of the original Varig and which was auctioned on 14 July 2006. The legal procedures were finalized on 20 July 2006. Since that day VRG Linhas Aéreas and Viação Aérea Rio-grandense have been different judicial entities and airlines. At the time of the auction, the assets of VRG Linhas Aéreas comprised the brands Varig and Rio Sul,