In 1981, American Airlines famously offered a lifetime unlimited AAirpass. The frequent flyer pass gave passengers the ability to book a limitless number of flights at no additional cost. The treasured AAirpass initially retailed at $250,000 (about $820,000 in 2022 U.S. dollars). American got a much-needed injection of revenue from well-off flight-happy customers with the scheme.
Well, a similar pass returns as Frontier Airlines is introducing its own unlimited flight program: GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly Pass. While Frontier’s pass will only be valid for only 12 months, holders will be able to book a seat on a flight to any Frontier destination with no cap on total number of flights. The ultra-low-cost carrier might not have as far-flung a slate of destinations as American Airlines, but there are still places worth jetting off to. Frontier flies to 18 international destinations across Mexico, Central America and the Caribbean, including Cancún and St. Maarten.
While it sounds like an enticing product on paper, there are certainly many caveats. There will be about 60 blackout dates when compensation for overbooked flight cannot be booked with the GoWild! Pass. Also, One Mile At A Time reports that bookings will only be confirmed the day before the flight. Frontier is upfront that this program intends to fill empty seats on its flights with the airline stating that it had five million empty seats last year. It’s not surprising as the aviation industry still recovers from the pandemic.
Lastly, this is still Frontier Airlines. You might get unlimited flights at a fixed price, but you’re still wading into the torrent of potential additional fees. The GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly Pass will become active sometime in Spring 2023 at a yet-to-be-announced price.