Most have heard the story of investment banker Steven Rothstein buying the American Airlines (AAL) AirPass in 1987 for $250,000 and, before the airline finally cut him off, spending the next 25 years milking it for all its worth with nonstop flights around the world in business class.
To prevent this kind of thing, airlines have largely pulled back unlimited flight programs by the early 2000s before introducing severely cut-down versions over the last three years. Alaska Airlines (ALK) tested a program in which one could take six, 12, or 24 flights a year for a single price while Frontier's (ULCC) GoWild! pass comes closer to unlimited but still has extensive terms and conditions around which flights one can take and additional airport and baggage fees.
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The latest airline to launch an unlimited pass is the European low-cost airline Wizz Air (WZZAF) . The Hungary-based carrier's new WIZZ All You Can Fly pass costs 499 Euros ($550 USD) and allows one to "fly without worrying about price modifications" on an "unlimited number of international routes subject to availability."
Here is all you need to know about Wizz Air's new unlimited flying pass
Founded in 2003 out of Budapest, the Hungarian carrier found a customer base offering bare-bones fares on flights to and between European capitals such as Budapest, Paris, Vienna, London, Madrid and Athens.
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Similarly to Frontier's program, holders of the new pass will be able to book flights available on Wizz Air's website up to three days before travel. Each booking will require one to pay a processing fee of €9.99 while what one can choose from will be subject to availability (if a flight is particularly popular or full, it won't be released for unlimited members.)
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Want the pass at a lower price? You have to act fast
The yearly period will start in September 2024 while those who book after the end of August 15 will no longer have access to the introductory fee and need to pay €599 ($650 USD).
"Fly without worrying about price modifications," Wizz Air writes about the pass on its website. "With a fixed recurring fee you can access all of our flights. Plan your upcoming year with peace of mind and gear up for the exciting adventures ahead."
For those who want something more specific to flights they actually take, Wizz Air also launched a separate monthly WIZZ MultiPass subscription that allows one to pay either €59.99 or €69.95 ($55 or $71 USD) for one-way and €129.99 ($118 USD) for round-trip that will allow one to take one flight a month from a specific destination such as Romania, Bulgaria, Hungary, the United Kingdom and even the United Arab Emirates.
This is specifically designed for those who travel back and forth from a specific place frequently and is charged at a monthly price despite a yearlong commitment being required.
"WIZZ MultiPass gives you the opportunity to lock your price for ticket and baggage for the whole 12-month period regardless of seasonality and/or last-minute booking period," the airline writes on its website. "Once in a month you can choose from a great variety of flights on the eligible routes by paying a fixed fare for the ticket and baggage."
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