Editor’s note: This post has been updated with new information.
Not many things get frequent flyers more excited than the prospect of an all-you-can-fly pass.
It’s like an indulgent buffet of dreams in the sky for travelers: You can fly to as many places as you want and theoretically pay the same fixed price. In fact, one of the most iconic moments in modern-day travel deals was when JetBlue offered an unlimited pass for 30 days of flying in 2010.
A few weeks ago, Frontier Airlines announced an upcoming all-you-can-fly pass for 2023. We have the price and additional details on how this flight pass will work.
All-you-can-fly pass pricing
Frontier’s GoWild! pass launched for $599 for the first year. The pass will automatically renew at $1,999 the second year unless you cancel in time. The initial rate has now increased to $799 and will only be available at that rate for a limited time, according to the advertising.
Frontier also added its international destinations to the list of places where the pass is valid — and is offering a longer booking window on those routes.
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Once you pay for the pass itself, it’ll cost just $0.01 for the airfare as you use it, “plus applicable taxes, fees and other charges at the time of booking.” A Frontier spokesperson told TPG that in addition to the 1 cent in the base fare, you’ll have to pay a combination of taxes and fees that start at approximately $14.60 per person per flight.
However, Frontier states that you will not have to pay an additional “carrier interface charge” as you do with some of its fares. You will be charged if you need a full-size carry-on, checked bags or advance seat assignments — just as you would on typical Frontier flights.
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If you have Frontier elite status (which you can earn through spending on its credit card), you can use those status benefits to get complimentary advance-assigned seats or free bags when flying on this pass.
Where you can fly with the Frontier GoWild! pass
Frontier has flip-flopped in its initial announcements about whether the pass will be valid on flights to the airline’s international destinations such as Mexico, Jamaica and the Bahamas.
Frontier has officially shared that the pass will indeed be valid for both domestic and international flights. This opens the doors to the airline’s routes that touch Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America.
You can view Frontier’s route map here.
Frontier GoWild! blackout dates
We knew there would be blackout dates for this all-you-can-fly pass and now we have that list of blackout dates in the first year. The pass will be eligible for use beginning on May 2, 2023, other than on these dates:
- May 25, 26 and 29.
- June 29-30.
- July 1-5, 8 and 9.
- Aug. 31.
- Sept. 1 and 4.
- Oct. 5, 6 and 9.
- Nov. 18, 22 and 24-27.
- Dec. 16, 17, 22-24 and 26-31.
- Jan. 1 and 15.
- Feb. 15, 16 and 19.
- March 3, 10, 15-17, 22-24 and 29-31.
- April 5-7 and 12-14.
Blackout dates for May 2024 and beyond are not yet available.
How to use the Frontier flight pass
After you purchase the pass, you’ll search and book your flights on Frontier’s website. Unfortunately, there’s a pretty hefty catch: You won’t be able to use the Frontier GoWild! pass for domestic travel until the day before travel.
However, for international travel, the terms state that you can book and confirm travel 10 days in advance. This is obviously much easier to plan for than just the one-day notice on domestic trips.
In either case, the terms say that flights are subject to availability and that “last seat availability is not guaranteed.”
While flights on the pass will qualify as activity in your Frontier frequent flyer account to extend the life of your miles, the flights on the pass will not earn miles or count toward earning Frontier elite status.
Related: What is Frontier Airlines’ elite status worth?
Now available to kids
At first, the Frontier GoWild! pass was only available to travelers 18 and older, but now the pass is available to travelers under 18 years of age. Passes purchased for children by Nov. 30 will come with a $200 flight credit valid for 180 days on Frontier. Presumably, you’d use that credit before the pass travel begins in May 2023.
Is the pass a good deal?
The idea of an all-you-can-fly pass is borderline intoxicating for travelers.
If you ignore the $1,999 renewal price, the prospect of flying around the country — and beyond — all year for a set price could be a good deal.
Unfortunately, it might only be a good deal if you don’t regularly spend a lot on bags and seat assignments, and if you’re content not to have confirmed flight plans until just one day before travel (or 10 days when traveling internationally). Not to mention, you will still owe taxes and fees.
Frontier pretty frequently has sales that tip to $19 or $29 each way; this could make more sense than paying $14 for taxes and fees for each use, in addition to the hundreds of dollars you spend to purchase the pass.
Related: Things to know before flying Frontier Airlines
Bottom line
There’s an undeniable allure to knowing you can fly as much as you want for an entire year at a fixed price, and I love the ingenuity put into this pass.
In an era when hybrid and remote work is more common than it used to be, Frontier’s GoWild! pass could be a great match for someone who has the freedom to go where the wind — and seat availability — takes them. The recent addition of international travel availability and 10 days’ advance booking are major benefits. However, the pass price has already jumped from $599 to $799, which makes it somewhat less attractive to those who were on the fence.
There are catches — a lot of catches — and still some unknowns about exactly how much this pass will cost to use. Still, I’m certainly intrigued. I can’t wait to hear stories of how many Frontier flights someone can take in a year with this new all-you-care-to-fly pass.
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