GoWild! Is the Frontier Airlines All-You-Can-Fly Pass Worth It? GoWild! Is the Frontier Airlines All-You-Can-Fly Pass Worth It?

GoWild! Is the Frontier Airlines All-You-Can-Fly Pass Worth It?

Bonus Points

AwardWallet receives compensation from advertising partners for links on the blog. Terms Apply to the offers listed on this page. The opinions expressed here are our own and have not been reviewed, provided, or approved by any bank advertiser. Here's our complete list of Advertisers.

Late last year, Frontier Airlines debuted its GoWild! Pass. The subscription-based all-you-can-fly product allows pass holders access to unlimited flights for one fixed price, plus taxes and fees. In the wake of recent news where the airline announced monthly and seasonal variations of the pass, we were encouraged to take a deeper look into the product and ask whether it is worth it.

Here's all you need to know about the Frontier Airlines GoWild! Pass.

GoWild! Pass Pricing

Frontier currently offers four versions of the all-you-can-fly pass. The two key differentiating factors between the passes are the price and the validity period.

TypeTravel FromTravel UntilLimited Time PriceRenewal PriceEnrollment Fees
Annual PassApril 11, 2023May 2, 2024$1,999$1,999None
Monthly PassNowSeptember 6, 2023$149$149$99 enrollment fee
Summer PassApril 11, 2023September 30, 2023$499$999None
Fall & Winter PassSeptember 2, 2023February 29, 2024$299$999None

GoWild! Passes are non-transferable and will automatically renew unless canceled. You can view their full terms and conditions here.

What Is and Isn't Included?

The GoWild! Pass includes unlimited access to Frontier's domestic and international route network. Flights and seats are subject to availability, and blackout periods apply. It's also worth noting that these flights are not status- or mileage-accruing.

Flights purchased using a GoWild! Pass include the flight, applicable taxes, fees, and other charges, such as the $0.01 fare for each segment booked. The only other inclusion is a free personal item.

Frontier Airlines doesn't have fixed fees, so the amount you will pay for carry-on and checked baggage, seat selection, and priority-related extras varies based on the route booked and when the perks were reserved. Seats and bags are cheaper to add during booking than after completing the reservation or at the airport. If these extras are a must, don't wait to purchase them if you don't have to.

Frontier's Elite Status holders have it easier when paying for extras — on both standard and GoWild! Pass flights. The cost of seat selection, priority boarding, and certain types of baggage are offset by holding Elite 20K, 50K, or 100K Status

Frontier Airlines economy seats inside a plane
Seats cost extra on Frontier unless you have status. Credit: Frontier Airlines

Elite 20K Status is worth considering due to its free carry-on bag, seat selection, and priority boarding benefits. If you have a travel rewards credit card, this status is accessible to purchase. Frontier offers two ways to purchase Elite 20K:

  • Purchase Elite 20K Frontier Status for $599. The status is valid through December 31, 2024.
  • Purchase Elite 20K Frontier Status for $199. The status is valid through December 31, 2023. Status can be retained by meeting additional requirements.

You can purchase Elite 20K Status here.

Related: Shortcuts to Airline Elite Status With Status Match or Fast Track Opportunities

How Does It Work?

You can search for and book flights on FlyFrontier.com but not in the airline's mobile app.

After logging into your Frontier Airlines account, search for flights that have GoWild! Pass availability. Typically, you can find domestic flights the day before departure and international flights 10 days before departure. However, there have been reports of flights becoming available further in advance. After selecting a flight, you'll go through the normal Frontier Airlines booking process, adding any necessary itinerary personalizations such as bags or seats.

Again, flights are subject to availability, so there are no guarantees you will be able to find flights on your intended travel dates, whether one or 10 days in advance.

Is It Worth It?

The answer to this question depends entirely on how you travel and what you aim to get out of the Frontier Airlines GoWild! Pass. To illustrate this, let's look at an example of a flight that departs on August 7, 2023, flying from Las Vegas to Seattle.

Frontier Airlines Flight Selection screenshot
You can potentially save a lot with the GoWild! Pass. Credit: FlyFrontier.com)

There's only one flight on this date that features GoWild! Pass availability. For $14.91, you can reserve a seat on this last-minute flight, and that would be all you pay if you opted out of adding bags, seats, or priority-related perks.

If you were to add extras, here's how the price could change:

Bundled perks

Frontier Airlines offers bundled perks that can include seat selection and checked bags. Given that the GoWild! Pass won't afford the flexibility provided by a standard bundled fare, you would only have the option to add the $111 perks bundle. This bundle includes a personal item, a carry-on bag, a checked bag, and seat selection. If you apply this bundle to the $14.91 GoWild! fare, you're looking at a total cost of $125.91.

Frontier Airlines Bundle Selection.
Bundling seats and bags can make a cheap flight a lot more expensive. Credit: FlyFrontier.com

Seats

If you forego the bundle and go straight for seat selection, you could pay between $30 and $74. Tacked on to the $14.91, your total for the flight — with no baggage — you could pay between $44.91 and $88.91. Alternatively, Frontier provides random seat assignments at no charge.

Frontier Airlines Seat Selection.
Seats can vary widely in price. Credit: FlyFrontier.com

Bags

Carry-on prices for the Las Vegas to Seattle flight start at $60, while prices for checked bags start at $65. Bringing a carry-on alone would make your $14.91 flight cost $74.91 — assuming you didn't select a seat. Adding a checked bag would drive the cost up even more.

Frontier Airlines Bag Addition.
The GoWild! Pass is better for travelers who don't need bags. Credit: FlyFrontier.com

Pass value depends on the traveler

GoWild! Pass holders could grab a seat on the Las Vegas to Seattle flight that departs today for $14.91. If you chose to add seats, bags, or a combination of the two, you could pay upwards of $200 — a massive difference.

Economically, the pass makes more sense for travelers who don't require carry-on or checked baggage, can pass up on priority perks, and can live without selecting a seat. A no-frills travel style makes the pass more valuable, as you're only paying out of pocket for the taxes and fees on the ticket. If you took frequent advantage of the pass, paying roughly $15 per ticket is more cost-effective than paying around $200 — should you require bags and a reserved seat.

Unless you carry status with Frontier, baggage and perk-needy travelers should steer clear of the GoWild! Pass. Those who can't plan last-minute trips also will struggle to find value in the pass.

Flight availability is another critical factor in determining how valuable the GoWild! Pass is. Given that availability isn't guaranteed, it's impossible to be anything but flexible when using the pass. A short booking window combined with potentially little to no availability could create unfortunate circumstances of being unable to use the pass at all or getting stranded on a trip with no return flight in sight. However, the pass might be more tolerable if you're a last-minute, go-with-the-flow person who can live with the potential frustration.

Our Take

The all-you-can-fly pass program is incredibly appealing in an environment where travel costs are extremely high. Paying a fixed fee plus taxes and other applicable charges to book a ticket, even if last minute, is intriguing.

That said, the Frontier Airlines GoWild! Pass is not for every traveler.

For those who can get away on short notice while taking a no-frills, go-with-the-flow approach, the GoWild! Pass can make a lot of sense and provide a lot of value. For those who can't live without checked bags, seat selections, and other perks, the pass might not be worth the effort and the initial cost. The longer-term cost of all the extras could be substantial.

5 / 5 - (2 votes)
AwardWallet Tip of The Day
Did you know that AwardWallet doesn’t solely focus on travel-related loyalty programs? We support many retail loyalty programs including grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies and more. You can browse the full list of the programs that AwardWallet supports.
Show me how

The comments on this page are not provided, reviewed, or otherwise approved by the bank advertiser. It is not the bank advertiser's responsibility to ensure all posts and/or questions are answered.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Comments

  • The pass would worth if frontier is hones on the game. The pass is becoming a scam now. I have to admit I had a few successful bookings. But they are changing now. Even within their 24 hours booking window, even if the tickets are still available under standard and discount den price, the pass option is unavailable.