Budget carrier Wizz Air is launching an “All You Can Fly” membership programme allowing customers to buy last-minute flights for a flat booking fee of £9 per segment.
The Hungary-based airline said annual membership would be priced at £534 with the first flight included for free before the flat fee is applied for subsequent bookings.
Wizz explained that members would only be able to make bookings within three days (72 hours) of the flight's departure. Passengers will be able to book flights within the All You Can Fly programme from 25 September.
But members will have to pay for ancillaries such as baggage and seat selection, which are not included in the membership fee. Bookings can also not be modified through the scheme.
Silvia Mosquera, commercial officer at Wizz Air, said: “The Wizz All You Can Fly membership will give customers hundreds of spontaneous travel options for a fixed price, giving them freedom to fly whenever is convenient without paying extra.
“From the adventurous travellers to the digital nomads, this membership will make travel easier for frequent flyers and connect people with new people and places.”
The airline already runs a MultiPass subscription service with members paying a monthly fee, which allows them to book a Wizz Air flight once per month for a fixed fare covering both the ticket and baggage.
Subscription-based models are becoming more popular across the wider global travel industry, particularly within the B2C leisure market. They have also been introduced by travel management companies (TMCs) – although they have mostly had very limited success so far, with the transaction fee model continuing to dominate.
South American carrier Avianca also launched a subscription service last year catering specifically for SMEs clients based in Colombia.