Is Frontier’s GoWild! Pass Worth It? – Technologist

Whether it’s restaurants, travel or the movie theater, the “all you can eat” model is attractive to savers and passionate consumers.

Unlimited flying for a set monthly, seasonal or annual fee sounds terrific in theory, especially to frequent travelers. But what if I told you it excludes holiday and peak travel times, is limited to last-minute bookings and is tied to the airline perhaps most known for disappointing its customers?

That’s the Catch 22 that Frontier’s GoWild! pass presents.

Is Frontier’s GoWild! Pass Worth the Money?

Is Frontier’s GoWild! pass a good deal?

That’s what a Clark Howard listener recently asked.

Asked Richard in Connecticut: “Frontier has the GoWild! pass with a variety of options. How is this rated and what other airlines have similar plans?”

What Is a Frontier GoWild! Pass?

Frontier’s GoWild! passes come in three types:

• Annual Pass: $599/year; May 1, 2024 to April 30, 2025
• Summer Pass: $499/year; May 1, 2024 to Sept. 30, 2024
• Monthly Pass: $149/month; automatically renews monthly

The plan comes with unlimited flights. But you can’t book domestic flights until the day prior (10 days prior for international flights). You’re also still responsible for taxes, fees and add-ons (baggage and seat selection, for example).

However, you can earn miles on all GoWild! purchases. And you can use Elite Status for free bags and seats.

You can’t book flights with your GoWild pass during blackout dates. For 2024, those dates are:

• Jan. 1, 15
• Feb. 15, 16, 19
• March 3, 10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31
• April 5-7, 12-14
• May 23-24, 27
• June 27-29
• July 5, 7
• August 29-30
• September 2
• Oct. 10-11, 13-14
• Nov. 23, 27, 30
• Dec. 1-2, 21-24, 26-31

For 2025, those dates are:

• Jan. 1, 4-5, 16-17, 20
• Feb. 13-14, 17
• March 14-16, 21-23, 28-30
• April 4-6, 11-13, 18-21

What Clark Howard Thinks About Frontier GoWild! Passes

Clark isn’t a big fan of Frontier’s customer service. He got a sly grin on his face when trying to articulate his feelings.

“There are people who have just been able to have a field day traveling with the GoWild! passes,” Clark says. “There are also a lot of people complaining online that the availability of the seats has been really rough. They didn’t get value out of it.”

Combined with the last-minute nature of these bookings, Frontier’s poor track record for delays and customer service issues means you need to have great patience if you intend to use these passes.

“I love for deep discounters to be there and do well. But they’ve got to have their act together. And Frontier historically has been a very hard company to do business with,” Clark says.

“Now Frontier claims they’ve turned over a new leaf. That they’re going to be a customer-friendly airline now. They’ve come up with new pricing strategies. New policies. And if you are somebody who adversity just rolls off you like water rolling off your back, that when things don’t quite go like you’re planning for that you’re OK, that’s who is the perfect person to buy a GoWild!”

If on the other hand, you feel anxiety when you travel and don’t like unexpected changes, this is not the pass for you.

Clark says that no other airlines are currently offering a pass like this.

Final Thoughts

An all-you-can-fly annual pass for less than $600 a year sounds like a tremendous opportunity. But it’s via Frontier, and there are several restrictions and date limitations.

Clark gave a less-than-stellar review of the Frontier GoWild! passes on his podcast. If you’re into it, be sure that you’re a patient personality who isn’t easily rattled when things go wrong.