Frontier Airlines is getting into the subscription flight pass business. The carrier formally launched its GoWild! Pass, touting access to the carrier’s entire US route network for a full year. The pass is priced at $599 to start for a limited number of buyers. After that – and for renewals – it prices at $1999 per year.
Passes are on sale as of today, with travel available to book and fly starting May 2, 2023.
And while it comes close to being a truly all-you-can-fly offering, it comes up short in a few notable ways.
The pass has been updated to include international destinations. More details here.
For starters, the pass includes blackout dates. No real surprise to learn that the days around major holidays or Spring Break weekends are restricted from travel with the pass.
Beyond those blackout dates, the company also reserves the right to limit access to inventory on its flights. The T&Cs explicitly state “last seat availability is not guaranteed.” Details on what the limits are, however, do not appear to be published.
Finally, the program is designed to limit the ability of pass holders to plan ahead. Travel can only be booked one day in advance.
Passengers will, of course, be responsible for all taxes incurred at the time of the flight booking. That should generally just be the TSA security fee and passenger facility charges passed through to the airport. Additional fees would be levied on Puerto Rico flights. Bookings also require paying a token one cent fare, to keep things running in the reservations systems.
Flights are not eligible for earning in the Frontier loyalty program, but that’s mostly an academic exercise. The program is revenue-based and the one cent fare wasn’t really going to earn any points anyways.
And, depending on travel habits, the real cost could increase notably. Passengers will have the option to pay for bags and seat assignments as part of the booking process. Otherwise, however, the GoWild! Pass includes only the booking for the flights.
And while the pass won’t help travelers earn elite status in Frontier’s loyalty program, those who hold that status could benefit the most, as even the lowest tier includes access to advance seat assignments and a carry-on bag.
The auto-renewal at the prevailing price is also a bit sketchy, but not too surprising for a subscription product like this.
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