Is an Unlimited Flight Pass Actually Worth It? Travel Experts Reveal Who Saves the Most Money
Taylor McIntyre/Travel + Leisure Pay one fee and fly as often as you want. That’s the appeal of Frontier Airlines’ GoWild Pass , which offers unlimited flights starting at $249 for fall and winter or $599 for the year. But there are catches: Seats are limited, you can’t book most flights until shortly before departure, and you’ll still pay certain fees. We asked two travel experts who can actually save money with this pass, what to watch out for, and how many flights it takes to make the purchase worthwhile. Who Actually Saves Money With an All-you-can-fly Pass? All-you-can-fly passes make the most sense for people who can travel on short notice and aren’t set on a particular destination. Retirees, digital nomads, remote workers, and frequent fliers living near an airline’s hub may have an advantage because they can choose from more routes and travel during the week. Katy Nastro, aviation and travel correspondent at Flighty , says teachers and students with extended breaks may also benefit, especially if they’re flexible about where they go. “The people who truly save money with an all-you-can-fly pass are travelers who would have paid for a ticket anyway,” says Jimmy Yoon, travel expert and head of points intelligence at Point.me . For anyone planning a family vacation, attending a wedding, or working with limited vacation days, a regular ticket may be the safer bet. If your dates aren’t flexible, you probably don’t want to wait until the day before departure to find out whether you can fly. For travelers who regularly fly between the same destinations, Nastro points to Alaska Airlines’ Flight Pass as another option. Unlike Frontier’s GoWild Pass, it doesn’t offer unlimited flights. Instead, subscribers receive a set number of flight credits for use on eligible routes, making it a better…
Taylor McIntyre/Travel + Leisure
Pay one fee and fly as often as you want. That’s the appeal of Frontier Airlines’ GoWild Pass , which offers unlimited flights starting at $249 for fall and winter or $599 for the year. But there are catches: Seats are limited, you can’t book most flights until shortly before departure, and you’ll still pay certain fees. We asked two travel experts who can actually save money with this pass, what to watch out for, and how many flights it takes to make the purchase worthwhile.
Who Actually Saves Money With an All-you-can-fly Pass?
All-you-can-fly passes make the most sense for people who can travel on short notice and aren’t set on a particular destination. Retirees, digital nomads, remote workers, and frequent fliers living near an airline’s hub may have an advantage because they can choose from more routes and travel during the week. Katy Nastro, aviation and travel correspondent at Flighty , says teachers and students with extended breaks may also benefit, especially if they’re flexible about where they go.
“The people who truly save money with an all-you-can-fly pass are travelers who would have paid for a ticket anyway,” says Jimmy Yoon, travel expert and head of points intelligence at Point.me .
For anyone planning a family vacation, attending a wedding, or working with limited vacation days, a regular ticket may be the safer bet. If your dates aren’t flexible, you probably don’t want to wait until the day before departure to find out whether you can fly.
For travelers who regularly fly between the same destinations, Nastro points to Alaska Airlines’ Flight Pass as another option. Unlike Frontier’s GoWild Pass, it doesn’t offer unlimited flights. Instead, subscribers receive a set number of flight credits for use on eligible routes, making it a better fit for those with more predictable travel plans.
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The Main Drawbacks
One drawback of all-you-can-fly passes is that you can’t always book when you want. With Frontier’s GoWild Pass , for example, domestic reservations don’t open until midnight the day before departure (international flights can be booked up to 10 days out), and there’s no guarantee a seat will be available, especially on popular routes or holiday weekends. These passes are also subject to blackout dates. “Airline seats are a perishable product: once the doors close, the airline can’t make any more money on an empty seat,” Yoon explains. “The pass is Frontier’s way of earning something on those seats while keeping planes full.”
For travelers, that can mean settling for an inconvenient departure time or a long layover. Nastro also points out that not every airport an airline serves is necessarily covered by its pass, leaving fewer options if your flight is canceled.
The short booking window can also complicate the rest of your trip. “Purchasing anything in advance that cannot be canceled is a recipe for money lost,” Nastro warns. That includes nonrefundable hotels, rental cars, and tours booked before you’ve secured a flight. Getting home can be another concern. Nastro notes that some passes don’t allow traditional round-trip bookings, so you could book a flight to your destination without knowing whether you’ll find one back. If you need to return by a certain date, she recommends setting aside enough money for a last-minute ticket.
How Many Flights Does It Take to Break Even?
The number of flights you need to break even depends on the pass price and what you’d normally spend on airfare. Travelers who often buy expensive last-minute tickets may save more than those who book cheap fares in advance. As a general rule, Yoon suggests aiming for at least five round-trip flights. “I’d say at least five round-trips would make most people happy, but it could take even more, because Frontier’s fares can be very competitive when you book ahead.”
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Nastro notes that if you typically book inexpensive flights, a pass might save you as little as $5 per segment. Before buying one, look at what you’ve spent on airfare over the past year and how many trips you’d realistically take given the booking restrictions.
The Bottom Line
For frequent travelers with flexible schedules, an all-you-can-fly pass could be a great deal. But if you have to be somewhere on a certain date or can usually find cheap fares in advance, it may be more trouble than it’s worth. Ultimately, the pass is only a bargain if you can actually use it enough to save money.