A couple of weeks ago, we wrote about another European airline that was going to start an “all you can fly” pass. As we had mentioned in that piece, Frontier has offered such passes, on a seasonal basis, for a while.
We decided to see how they’re doing with that.
Believe it or not, Frontier Airlines has been around since 1994—nearly 30 years! However, it’s only been designated as a “major carrier” by the USDOT since early 2007. That is probably about the time when those of us not in Denver and the surrounding area started to take notice of the ultra low cost carrier.
Frontier has tried various ways to gain publicity and extra revenue:
- They sold flights for 100% off
- They had a status match offer (if you paid for the application)
- Their offer that was best given to your enemies
- Why they said checked bag fees were good
- They let you fly free to Orlando…if your name was Orlando
And that was just in the past few years!
In November 2022, Frontier decided on another way to get extra money – a limited-time “all you can fly” pass. They called it the GoWild! Pass (GWP). With it, you could pay a flat fee and, effective May 2, 2023, passholders would be able to book flights for a fare of $0.01, plus taxes, fees, and booking charges, for a specified period (e.g., three months, a ‘summer season,’ or a full year). It depends on whatever the current promotion is). Adding baggage or assigned seating would, of course, cost extra. Originally introduced with only domestic flights, the program was eventually grown to include Frontier’s international flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and Latin America.
There was one catch – you had to book your domestic travel within 24 hours of the flight, or within 10 days of international travel (so they were obviously filling the few empty seats left on a flight at the last minute).
Frontier hasn’t let on how many people have actually bought their GWPs. However there’s a public Facebook group, run by fans of the GWP program, with almost 40,000 members. If the comments of the group members are any indication, there seems to be a lot of buyer’s remorse. Here are some of the common problems mentioned:
Inability to find open seats
Members oftentimes couldn’t find an empty seat on a twice-a-week flight between Point A and Point B. You may have to work the system by flying to Point C (maybe on Frontier, maybe on another airline) and THEN flying on Frontier from Point C to B, because THAT flight happened to have an empty seat.
One person who got the GWP explained a situation where she searched for free flights for “tomorrow,” and those that were available included 12+ hours of flight times due to multiple connections; it was the only way they could get from Point A to Point B.
Cancelled flights
It’s hard enough to find domestic flights because you can only book 24 hours or less in advance. Frontier gives you a little more leeway for international flights (isn’t that nice of them), and even has occasional “extra” advanced booking time. And then they cancel the flight. That has to be SO frustrating.
(Almost) being charged for cancelled flights
Someone’s flight was changed from a 3-hour flight to a 9-hour flight with a layover. They decided to cancel. When they did, they were hit with a cancellation fee. Apparently if you use GWP, you can’t just cancel in the usual manner. You have to cancel on the special portal they have. (this type of issue was brought up time and time again)
Limited Flight Availability in Certain Areas
Obviously, the more flights Frontier flies in and out of your area, the better your chances of finding flights with open seats. And if you live in a remote area, the GWP might wind up being such a bargain for you, because you’ll have less opportunity to use it.
Technical Difficulties with the GoWild! App
The GWP app is apparently trash; it’s strongly recommended that you only use a browser. LOTS of people nowadays do the vast majority of their computer work on their phone, not an actual computer.
Steep Learning Curve for GWP Users
Using GWP to your advantage apparently takes a learning curve. That’s great if you have the time and ability to learn it. If you don’t, and already bought the pass, welllll… (The FB group apparently has an 24-page FAQ. Yes, twenty-four pages to just learn how the system works).
Criticism of the GoWild! Pass
Besides the experiences in the GWP Facebook group, there has been article after article about the pass and, yes, its positives…but also its glaring issues.
- Mashable
- NBC News
- Insider
- NerdWallet
- Michael Mastronardi, a SoCal-based video producer, posted a TikTok sharing his frustration when he tried to book an international trip with his GWP.
Overall Frontier’s GWP can be helpful if you’re in a place where you have time to learn the ins and outs of the system, are OK with planning very last-minute flights that might be cancelled, don’t mind spending the money you saved on GWP by spending extra nights in hotels because there weren’t any flights home for 3 days, may not necessarily care where you fly (“Hey, there’s a flight to San Jose in 10 hours; let’s go!”), and, if you have a goal of where to go, if you don’t mind the possibility of enduring multiple flights to get there (or back). Oh, and if you live in an area where Frontier has a decent amount of flights.
But otherwise? It sounds like some people enjoy the product, but there’s also a lot of buyer’s remorse. Certainly not enough for Frontier to cancel the system – I mean, they’re still making a few hundred dollars on every person, when they may only typically pay $29 per flight. But overall, it sounds as if people discover it’s not worth the effort, after making the investment.
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