GoWild Pass vs Discount Den: Which Is Worth It? (2026)
Frontier sells two very different ways to fly cheaper, and people constantly try to figure out which one to buy: the GoWild Pass and Discount Den. We're GoWild Pass holders who fly Frontier constantly, so here's the honest version: they're not really competitors. They solve different problems, and which one is "worth it" depends entirely on how you travel. Plenty of flyers (us included) keep both.
This guide breaks down what each one does, who each is worth it for, and the underrated move of using them together so you're never stuck paying full price.
The one-line difference
- GoWild Pass makes fares nearly free, but only in a tight, day-before booking window, on a limited pool of seats. It rewards flexibility.
- Discount Den makes normal, book-ahead fares cheaper, on whatever date you want, with a guaranteed seat. It rewards planning (and groups).
Everything below comes back to that one distinction: GoWild trades certainty for an almost-free fare; Discount Den keeps the certainty and just lowers the price.
Side by side (2026)
| GoWild Pass | Discount Den | |
|---|---|---|
| What it does | Near-free ($0.01 base) fares | Discounts normal fares |
| Typical cost per flight | ~$15 all-in nonstop domestic | Standard fare minus a variable discount |
| Booking window | Day before (domestic), 10 days (international) | Book ahead, any time |
| Your seat | Capacity-controlled, first-come | Guaranteed when you book |
| Your dates | You take what's open | You pick them |
| Covers others on the booking | No, it's your fare | Yes, up to 9 passengers on one membership |
| 2026 price | From ~$199 (summer), ~$349 to $599 (annual) | $59.99/yr (+$40 first-time enrollment) |
| Blackout dates | Yes | No |
| Best for | Flexible, spontaneous, fly-often | Planned trips, fixed dates, groups |
Prices change constantly, so always confirm the current numbers on flyfrontier.com before you buy.
Which is worth it for you?
Skip the generic advice. Here's the no-spin verdict by traveler type.
Get the GoWild Pass if you…
- Are flexible on dates and can travel on short notice
- Live near a high-frequency Frontier hub (Orlando and Atlanta beat Denver for seat availability; here's why frequency beats route count)
- Will take roughly six or more trips during the pass period
- Can fly light or pair it with the Frontier credit card for bags
The GoWild fare is the cheapest seat in the sky. The catch is the day-before window and limited seats, which is the part that actually takes a system to win. (That's literally why we built the fastest GoWild seat finder.)
Get Discount Den if you…
- Need to book specific dates in advance and want a guaranteed seat
- Fly Frontier with other people, since one membership discounts everyone on the reservation, up to nine passengers
- Travel a few times a year on planned trips rather than spontaneous ones
- Want savings without the day-before scramble
The underrated move: keep both
Here's what experienced Frontier flyers actually do, and almost no comparison mentions: they hold both, and use Discount Den as the safety net for everything GoWild can't cover.
The GoWild Pass is incredible when a seat opens for your dates. But it won't always. Three situations leave GoWild empty-handed:
- Fixed dates. A wedding, a work trip, a return flight that has to be Sunday: GoWild's day-before window and limited seats can't promise those.
- Blackout dates. The GoWild Pass has blackout periods around peak holidays where you can't use it at all.
- Group travel. Lining up multiple open GoWild seats on the same flight is tough; Discount Den discounts the whole party on one booking.
In all three, a Discount Den membership is your fallback: instead of paying the full public fare when GoWild comes up empty, you book ahead at a discounted fare with a guaranteed seat. For about $60 a year, that's cheap insurance against the GoWild window not breaking your way.
What neither one covers
Both programs only touch the base fare. On every Frontier ticket, GoWild or Discount Den, these are still extra:
- Checked bags and carry-ons
- Seat selection
- Anything onboard
If you fly Frontier enough to be weighing these passes, it's worth pairing either one with the Frontier World Mastercard, which includes free checked bags and Elite Gold perks (free carry-ons, free seat selection). We cover that stack in detail in the GoWild Pass guide.
See the real numbers before you buy
The mistake with both programs is buying on the marketing instead of the math. GoWild's "$0.01 fare" still has taxes; Discount Den's discount swings from a dollar to $100+ depending on the flight. The only way to know what either is worth to you is to look at real fares on the routes you actually fly.
That's the whole point of FlyGoWild: search any Frontier route and we show the GoWild, Discount Den, and standard fares side by side with real seat counts, so you can see exactly what each membership saves before you spend a cent on it.
The bottom line
The GoWild Pass and Discount Den aren't rivals; they're tools for different jobs. GoWild wins on price for flexible, frequent flyers who can hunt the day-before window. Discount Den wins on certainty for planners and groups who need fixed dates and guaranteed seats. And the quietly smart play, if you fly Frontier a lot, is to keep both: hunt GoWild first, and let Discount Den catch the trips it can't.
New here? Start with our honest GoWild Pass guide, see what a GoWild flight actually costs, or read the full Discount Den worth-it breakdown.
Frequently asked questions
GoWild Pass vs Discount Den: which is better?
Neither is universally better; they solve different problems. The GoWild Pass gives near-free ($0.01 base) fares but only in a day-before booking window on a limited pool of seats, so it rewards flexible, fly-often travelers. Discount Den lowers normal, book-ahead fares and applies the discount to everyone on the reservation, so it rewards planners and groups who need fixed dates. Pick GoWild if you're flexible and want to fly as much as possible for almost nothing; pick Discount Den if you book specific dates in advance, especially for a family or group.
Can you have both the GoWild Pass and Discount Den at the same time?
Yes. They're separate Frontier products and many flyers hold both. The common setup is to use the GoWild Pass for flexible, spontaneous trips and keep Discount Den as a fallback for the dates GoWild can't cover: fixed plans, holidays during GoWild blackout dates, or group bookings where you need guaranteed seats. When a GoWild seat doesn't open for the day you need, a discounted Discount Den fare is your backup.
Is Discount Den included with the GoWild Pass?
No. The GoWild Pass and Discount Den are two separate memberships with separate fees, and buying one does not include the other. If you want both the near-free GoWild fares and the discounted regular fares, you pay for each. Always confirm current terms on flyfrontier.com, since Frontier changes its programs often.
Which is cheaper, the GoWild Pass or Discount Den?
Per flight, the GoWild Pass is far cheaper: a nonstop domestic GoWild flight runs about $15 all-in versus a discounted-but-still-real Discount Den fare. But the GoWild Pass costs more up front (from roughly $199 for a summer pass) and only works in its day-before window, while Discount Den is $59.99 a year and works on any flight you can book ahead. Cheapest per seat is GoWild; cheapest to own and most flexible to use is Discount Den.
I can't find a GoWild seat for my dates. Does Discount Den help?
That's exactly when Discount Den earns its keep. GoWild seats are capacity-controlled and only bookable the day before (domestic), so for fixed dates, peak travel, or blackout periods there may be no GoWild seat at all. A Discount Den membership lets you book those flights ahead at a lower-than-public fare, so you're not stuck paying the full standard price when GoWild comes up empty.
Do either GoWild Pass or Discount Den include bags or seat selection?
No. Both only affect the base fare. Checked bags, carry-ons, and seat selection are sold separately on every Frontier ticket regardless of which membership you use. Many frequent Frontier flyers pair either program with the Frontier World Mastercard, which includes free checked bags and Elite Gold perks like free carry-ons and seat selection.