7 Reasons Frontier’s Unlimited ‘GoWild! Pass’ Is Trash For New York State Flyers
As someone who loves to travel and does it frequently, I was super excited about Frontier Airlines' Unlimited flight 'GoWild! Pass'...until I read the fine print.
***This is an opinion piece
For decades, I had dreamed about a sort of 'bus pass' for flying. Being able to just hop on a flight anywhere using a pre-paid pass. So, when I had seen the initial teasers for the pass I got excited and immediately signed up to receive an email when it became available. I never did get any email saying that the pass was available for purchase, but I did find an article about it. I was ready to charge my credit card the $599 price for the GoWild! Pass, until I read the terms and conditions.
$599 sale ends at 11:59 PM Mountain Time on November 18, 2022!
You can't begin to use the GoWild! Pass until May 2023.
Why Isn't Frontier Airlines' Unlimited Flight Pass Worth It?
Frontier Airlines is a major ultra-low-cost U.S. carrier headquartered in Denver, Colorado. Frontier operates flights to over 100 destinations throughout the United States and 31 international destinations and employs more than 3,000 staff.
In my experience as an avid flyer, Frontier is definitely not my first choice (Delta is), but when it comes to low-cost, direct flights, I have found it to be quite useful. Having lived in 6 different, I have friends and family all over the United States, so I frequently pop into cities for a quick visit. From Buffalo, where I live, Frontier flies to quite a few destinations in Florida, as well as Atlanta. When I need a quick, inexpensive weekend getaway, I am more than willing to hop on a Frontier flight. When I travel for a weekend, I can usually pack my necessities into a small bag and buy whatever else I need at my destination, so the fact that Frontier charges for bags have never bothered me.
Before you start judging me as a traveler, just know that I am a Delta Skymiles Medallion member with two Delta Amexes, so I can choose to fly with all the perks of early boarding, free bags, great customer service, no change fees, and free upgrades. I am even a SkyClub member. So, I am not necessarily a 'budget' traveler. I am willing to pay more for a ticket (when it makes sense) to have a much better travel experience (humble brag).
One of my gripes with Frontier is the lack of customer service. Sometimes you can get lucky and reach a representative, other times it's like trying to send an email in 1895, it just doesn't work.
Here's why the Frontier Airlines unlimited flight 'GoWild! Pass' is trash in my opinion, as a traveler in New York:
- Cost: It initially costs $599, which is a great price, but then it automatically renews at $1,999 after the first year, unless you remember to cancel. With the price more than tripling after the first year, it doesn't seem worth it to me.
- Inability to Plan Ahead: You can't actually book domestic flights with the GoWild! Pass until the day before. So, unless you're an 18-year-old social media influencer with no set schedule, just hoping on random flights, it makes it virtually impossible to plan a trip. With international flights, they do give you a more generous lead of 10 days.
Flights can be booked and confirmed the day before flight departure for domestic travel and starting 10 days before flight departure for international travel.
- Blackout Dates: There are so many blackout dates; over 40 and most of them are holidays
May 25, 26, 29; June 29, 30; July 1-5, 8, 9; August 31; September 1, 4; October 5, 6, 9; November 18, 22, 24-27; December 16, 17, 22-24, 26-31; 2024: January 1, 15; February 15, 16, 19; March 3, 10, 15-17, 22-24, 29-31; April 5-7, 12-14.
- Limited Airports: Sure, Frontier flies out of Buffalo-Niagara International Airport, but there are only six other airports it offers flights from in New York State - Albany International Airport, Frederick Douglass International Airport in Rochester, LaGuardia Airport in Queens, Long Island MacArthur Airport, New York Stewart International Airport, and Syracuse Hancock International Airport. That leaves a lot of New Yorkers with limited access to Frontier flights.
- No Extras: GoWild! Pass flights do not include baggage fees, seat selection, or any other additional options or services. Plus, you still have to pay taxes and fees.
- Age Limit: You must be at least 18 years old to be a GoWild! Pass holder, so New York families with children can't buy one for their kids in the hopes of taking inexpensive and frequent family vacations.
- No Flights: Frontier Airlines' fine print says that the pass doesn't even guarantee that you can actually catch a flight,
The GoWild! Pass does not guarantee the availability of air transportation services. The ability to make GoWild! Pass bookings is based on flight and seat availability; not all Frontier flights will be available for booking through the GoWild! Pass. Last seat availability is not guaranteed.
Imagine paying $600 to catch a flight and you can't. And, you can't even get in touch with a customer service agent to complain about it lol. And I have one last gripe about the pass - you can't earn miles on the flights you take.
If you are still interested in buying the GoWild! Pass, I have some ocean-front property in Arizona that I'm looking to sell real cheap, so hit me up!