Flight cancellations can throw a wrench in even the best-laid travel plans.
It’s not just about the inconvenience; it’s about the uncertainty of what comes next.
Will Wizz Air provide alternative travel options if they cancel a flight? They should offer the next available flight. However, it may take some time for them to find a solution, you may end up waiting at the airport the whole day or fly only a few days later. In this article, we’ll talk about both – how it should be working and what to do if the reality is different.
You Have a Right to Alternative Travel Options From Wizz Air
Wizz Air is a European airline.
If Wizz Air cancels a flight, they have to offer two options for passengers to choose from.
The first option is to accept a full refund of the ticket price, while the second option is to change the flight date free of charge. If it’s a very last-minute flight cancellation it’s just normal to want a flight leaving as soon as possible (next available flight).
This is also what according to the law Wizz Air has to offer. It’s the same in all situations. You have a right to ask for a flight that leaves as close to the original time as possible.
This new flight must be for free.
As long as it’s not Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, or any other non-European airline, and the flight isn’t from a third country (a country outside Europe). Because with non-European airlines these rules apply only to flights departing from Europe. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is a non-European airline.
By Europe and EU here on this page we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.
Partner Airlines
In some cases, Wizz Air may rebook you on a partner airline if no suitable Wizz Air flights are available. Or, it may also be just another airline.
This can be a convenient option, but it may not always be offered.
If you see that there are other, better flight options for you to get to your destination, it’s worth mentioning that in the talks with the Wizz Air staff – when agreeing on what to do now when your Wizz Air flight is cancelled. It’s especially worth a try when it’s a last-minute flight cancellation and you are already at the airport.
How it should be working?
You should be on the next flight to your destination.
With Wizz Air or another airline.
It’s Taking Longer Than Expected
Here are a few of the most likely scenarios:
- You can’t reach Wizz Air.
- The new flight is many hours later.
- Wizz Air is offering a new flight a few days later which doesn’t work for you.
The first option is tricky. You could purchase a new flight and then file a claim with Wizz Air later, but this might complicate matters, as you haven’t yet considered what the airline was providing for all passengers affected by the flight cancellation. Proving that the airline was unreachable and that you made the best decision may be challenging.
In the second case, you have the right to request a different flight. According to EC261, you have a right to be taken to your destination “under comparable transport conditions at the earliest opportunity”. It may also be a different airline and it can be a connecting flight instead of a direct flight if that’s the other best option.
Be prepared that Wizz Air may not agree to this and try to make you take their flight.
In the third scenario, you have the same rights as in the second. You can ask for a better flight at a better and more convenient time. Plus, you can always buy a new flight yourself if nothing else seems to be working and then make a claim to the airline.
Try to Negotiate With Wizz Air
Yes, in all situations, it’s easier to “just buy a new flight”.
But – getting any money back from Wizz Air later may turn out to be ten times harder than negotiating a better flight at the time of the problem.
Always, try to negotiate with the airline at the time of the problem. If your Wizz Air flight is cancelled, speak with Wizz Air staff at the airport or on the phone, talk about solutions that suit you the best, and find the best alternative to your original flight. Don’t be rude or harsh, be constructive.
Do You Have a Travel Insurance?
If your flight is cancelled, and the airline is offering only flights that don’t work for you, it can be very helpful to have travel insurance that covers flight cancellations.
Because then, you can “just buy a new flight”, and get money back from the travel insurance company. Plus, you can get a refund for flight cancellation from Wizz Air and sometimes also a flight cancellation compensation (if it’s due to the airline’s fault and it happened less than 2 weeks before the day of departure).
No matter the reason behind the flight cancellation, with most Wizz Air flights you have a right to be offered a choice between a new flight and a refund.
Read more: What to Do If Wizz Air Does Not Provide Alternative Travel Options?
Wizz Air Flight Cancellation Compensation
If your flight is cancelled less than 2 weeks before the time of departure, and it’s due to the airline’s fault, very often you have a right to flight cancellation compensation.
You may also choose to take both – full refund and flight compensation.
- With European airlines, you have these rights on all their flights.
- With non-European airlines, you have these rights on their flights departing from Europe.
Wizz Air Flight Cancellation Refund
First of all, a refund is not the same as compensation.
Refund refers to money you can get back (money you paid for the plane ticket).
If for example, Wizz Air cancels a flight, often you have a right to have a choice between a full refund and a new flight. You can choose a full refund to your bank account and not take the alternative flight offered by Wizz Air.
As already discussed, you may choose to take a full refund if the alternative flight doesn’t work for you, you don’t want to try and negotiate anything else and you are planning to “just buy a new flight”. Or, maybe you have decided not to fly at all.
You don’t have to agree to coupons in this case.
Do you have questions about your rights for a new flight in case of flight cancellation or Wizz Air flight cancellation compensation? Feel free to ask in the comments.