For a lot of people, the idea of heaven is not too distant from an all-you-can-fly pass — hopping on a plane for Bali tomorrow and, if that gets boring, doing a quick stopover in Paris without worrying about rising airfare prices or ticket change fees.
The closest person to come to that utopia was investment banker Steven Rothstein, who bought an unlimited American Airlines (AAL) pass for $250,000 in the 1980s and spent the next 25 years flying first class nonstop.
DON'T MISS: Major Airline Says Fly As Much As You Want For $49
While American Airlines eventually accused Rothstein of "milking" the system and cut him off, airlines have started experimenting with less expansive all-you-can-fly passes.
Frontier/TS
What You Need To Know About Frontier's New Fall & Winter Pass
Alaska Airlines (ALK) was the first major airline to launch a revamped flight pass offering six, 12, or 24 nonstop West Coast flights a year for a starting price of $49 a month launched in February 2022.
By October, Denver-based budget airline Frontier (FRON) started hinting at a pass offering an "unlimited number of flights" a year and eventually unveiled the GoWild! Pass that lets holders book travel to any of its domestic and international destinations on the 300 days outside of the year's busiest travel periods.
The program was extremely popular and Frontier started experimenting with more options — it launched a $799 all-you-can-fly pass for children and teens in November and a $999 summer pass for May 2 to Sept. 30.
While the opportunity for scoring the summer pass in 2023 has passed, Frontier just committed to a similar option for travel between September 5, 2023 and February 9, 2024.
The $299 Rate Won't Last (But Is a Flight Pass Worth It?)
For those booking before June 13, the Fall & Winter Pass will cost only $299. After that, the price will rise to $999 up until the start of the valid travel period — up to now, all of Frontier passes can only be booked ahead of time (you can't, in other words, realize you're flying a lot this summer and book a flight halfway through the season.)
"Get confirmed bookings the day before flight departure for domestic travel and starting 10 days before flight departure for international travel," Frontier says in its promotional materials for the pass.
While Frontier initially aimed the summer pass at the popular travel period, strong demand pushed the airline to extend it to what is traditionally a time people travel less frequently.
“Whether you want to soak up some sun on the beach or hit the ski slopes, the GoWild! All-You-Can-Fly Fall & Winter pass is an unprecedented bargain at just $299 while supplies last,” Frontier SVP Of Commercial Daniel Shurz said in a statement.
The biggest condition to the promotion are the blackout periods as well as having to pay extra for any baggage and seating assignments — it may be a potential bargain for those who hop between cities and like to travel light but not necessarily for those who will use it only a few times and need a suitcase.
Some holders also complained that Frontier does not fly out of the airport they commonly use — in Los Angeles, travelers would not leave from LAX but John Wayne Airport or Ontario International Airport around 50 miles outside of town.
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