I spent $299 to fly as much as I wanted. I love the idea of traveling on a whim, but the spontaneity isn't for everyone.

29.10.2023 - 15:59 / insider.com / Airlines

Frontier Airlines' all-you-can-fly pass is an interesting concept that comes with a major catch.

Called "GoWild!," the subscription-based program gives members exclusive access to heavily discounted flights — $0.01, plus taxes and fees.

The bookings can be made the day before for domestic flights or 10 days in advance for international, with the option to pay an early booking fee for dates beyond that. Luggage, reserved seats, snacks, and drinks other than water still cost extra.

Hypothetically, this means one could wake up one morning and, on a whim, go hop across Frontier's route map for as low as $15 per leg with just a personal item.

It sounds too good to be true, so I decided to test it out using Frontier's $299 unlimited fall and winter pass. The seasonal price I paid is discounted from $999, while the annual GoWild pass costs $1,999 and the monthly subscription costs $149.

I hit three cities across five days, spending $60 total on the last-minute flights. There were early mornings and late nights, some moments of uncertainty, and hours of flying on Frontier's uncomfortable planes.

All of these things I can emotionally and physically handle, but I know this type of spontaneous travel can be draining for others.

After using the pass, my gut was right. I found that GoWild can be extremely frustrating to use if you aren't flexible or willing to get creative. But for others, it may be a golden ticket.

Frontier's GoWild pass offers unlimited flights across its entire network, which touches the US, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

The seasonal pass I bought is only good for the fall and winter and lasts from September 2 to February 29, minus some blackout dates.

I started my trip in Austin, Texas, on a Sunday after a friend's wedding. I had a few travel goals in mind: go to Sphere in Las Vegas, ride the Brightline train in Florida, spend a day exploring whatever city I could get to along the Northeast Corridor, and then make my way home.

My routing ended up being Austin to Vegas to Orlando to Miami to Philadelphia to Stamford, Connecticut. The legs to Miami and Stamford were via trains.

I bought my first leg to Vegas about a week in advance thanks to the early booking option to ensure I'd at least get out of Texas. I was also worried that the newly-opened Sphere would be so popular that tickets would sell out.

I felt guilty because I think early booking defeats the point of GoWild, but the peace of mind was worth the extra $15.

The other two legs were booked at the lowest rate, so I paid $15 to Orlando and Philadelphia and $30 to Vegas for a total of $60 on three flights. Without the pass, the flights would have cost about $260, the most expensive being $123 to Orlando at the regular fare.

By the end of my