- A South Carolina woman filed a class-action lawsuit against Frontier Airlines.
- She said she bought an all-you-can-fly pass, but the website only showed flights for the year 1904.
According to a complaint filed on August 17 in Colorado's federal court, South Carolina resident Jeriyma Hartsfield claims that Frontier's All You Can Fly Pass was a bait-and-switch scheme.
At the beginning of this year, Frontier launched its GoWild pass, which advertised unlimited flights to Frontier's destinations. The passes range in price based on the length of the pass. For instance, when Frontier first launched GoWild, travelers could buy a five-month summer pass for $399 or an annual membership for $1,299, Insider previously reported. Today, travelers can purchase a month-long pass for $149, a summer pass for $999, or an annual pass for $1,999, according to Frontier's website.
With the pass, travelers going to domestic destinations can book their flights one day in advance. If it's an international destination, they can book 10 days ahead, Insider previously reported.
However, according to Hartsfield, who is represented by Blake Abbott of the Anastopoulo Law Firm, she couldn't book flights and the pass didn't work as advertised. Among her complaints, Hartsfield states that Frontier's website displayed flights for the year 1904 and that the airline refused to issue her a refund.
Abbott did not respond to a request for comment on behalf of Hartsfield, and Frontier said it was unable to offer comment "given that the matter involves pending litigation."
Hartsfield says the all-you-can-fly pass was 'inoperable'
In the complaint, which was viewed by Insider, Hartsfield said she bought the pass for $599 on November 18, 2022.
"As with many things that sound too good to be true, they usually are," the complaint states, adding that the "defendants' program amounts to no more than a fraudulent scam."
According to Hartsfield, her pass was "inoperable." The complaint says that when she went to book travel arrangements, Frontier's website only displayed flights for 1904 — a year after the Wright brothers made history with their powered flight.
"In more detail, when Plaintiff attempts to use her Pass, the relevant booking year for available dates to use the Pass displays as the year 1904," the complaint states. "This ludicrous year value is somewhat laughable at first glance, given that it coincides greatly with the first known human flight in late 1903."
This continued for weeks, according to the complaint, and Hartsfield reached out to Frontier's helpline and spent "immense amounts of time" on hold with the airline.
Hartsfield requested a refund from Frontier since she was unable to book flights but was denied by the airline, according to the complaint. It also states that she filed the class-action lawsuit on behalf of herself and "all others similarly situated," and that other pass holders will come forward with similar stories.
According to the complaint, Hartsfield is requesting that Frontier stop marketing and selling passes that may be defective and issue full refunds for herself and anyone else who comes forward with an inoperable pass.
Frontier's GoWild pass has been controversial
Since it launched, travelers have had mixed experiences using Frontier's all-you-can-fly pass.
Denise Smith, a traveler who bought the pass, told NBC News that she successfully took five trips using the pass until it stopped working.
"Now unfortunately because I've purchased that pass and am unable to use, I have to book through regular airlines," Smith told NBC. "So I'm spending more money than I thought I would when I bought the pass."
She's not alone. After Frontier launched the pass, a Facebook group formed. Moderated by GoWild pass holders, travelers share their tips, headaches, and success stories of using the pass.
"First flight was a success and I already got my money out of the pass because these flights are normally always close to $600," one Facebook user wrote.
Meanwhile, a different user below shared her thoughts: "So done with Frontier...we lost $1,200 when we purchased our passes last November. And don't try getting any help from Frontier, they're not interested," she said.
This isn't the first lawsuit filed against Frontier this summer
According to a complaint viewed by Insider, a Frontier passenger named Amira Hamad is suing the airline after being charged $100 for an oversized carry-on bag, which she says fit within the stated size and weight limits on Frontier's website.
Additionally, Hamad states in the complaint that the airline's portrayal of itself as a budget airline is inaccurate.
"Frontier is not a budget airline. Frontier does not have the lowest airfares," the complaint states. "Frontier just breaks its fees into tiny little pieces and checkpoints to water down the appearance of what is actually an average airfare when combined and compared to the industry."
According to the complaint, Hamad is seeking a refund of the baggage fee, $10,000 for each alleged violation of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act, and $100 million in punitive damages.