Wizz Air denied boarding compensation.
Wizz Air overbooking compensation in Europe?
Airlines often sell more tickets than there are seats on the plane. Wizz Air does this too. They do so because they know that some people won’t fly. It’s the airline’s chance to make extra money. However, there are situations when everyone shows up for the flight, and someone is denied boarding. Every time it happens, Wizz Air has to pay EU denied boarding compensation.
You can also call it overbooking compensation.
How to get flight overbooking compensation?
Does Wizz Air Overbook Flights?
Yes, Wizz Air does overbook flights.
In 2024, many of the world’s most popular airlines overbook flights. Because there are always people who decide not to fly at the very last minute.
1. Wizz Air Denied Boarding Compensation: EU Denied Boarding Regulation 261/2004
Are you denied boarding due to overbooking?
What are your rights in this situation? Are you entitled to Wizz Air denied boarding compensation? Are there situations when you can’t get compensation for denied boarding?
Denied boarding compensation rules are super simple.
If you’re flying to or from Europe with Wizz Air, and you are denied boarding due to overbooking — you can get compensation of up to 600 euros. It applies only to situations when you are denied boarding due to overbooking. You can’t get compensation if you are denied boarding due to problems with your passport or visa, or if you voluntarily give up your seat.
Conditions under which you can get compensation from Wizz Air:
- You are flying to or from Europe
- AND you are denied boarding due to overbooking
Another thing to remember — you have to make a complaint. You have to request this compensation. You have to fill in the Wizz Air compensation form. One of the options is to contact Wizz Air. Another option – work with a company specializing in air passenger rights.
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.
Read more:
2. How to Claim Wizz Air Overbooking Compensation?
There are two ways how you can get compensation.
You can claim compensation yourself. Contact Wizz Air. Claim compensation. Wait. Usually, that will mean calling Wizz Air customer support or contacting them using their official website or social media channels. Request compensation for denied boarding, which in no way was your fault. Refer to the EU Flight Compensation Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, and don’t accept coupons or vouchers.
If you have, attach Wizz Air denied boarding form to your complaint – it will help you get the compensation faster.
Keep in mind that it may take months until you receive involuntary denied boarding compensation. The most important thing is to start the process — to submit a Wizz Air compensation request. If you do nothing, most likely you will receive nothing.
You can also take the easiest path — legal representation.
In this case, everything is handled by legal professionals. Your Wizz Air compensation claim is submitted on your behalf as well. All you mostly need to do is to fill in a single form — the compensation claim form. Our partners offer such services.
When choosing this option, here is all you will have to do:
And that’s it — the rest is handled by professionals.
* Your boarding pass and passport or ID copy.
2.1 How Long Does It Take?
On average the process takes close to 3 months, sometimes more.
Usually, it’s 2 to 3 months from the moment you file a claim until your Wizz Air denied boarding compensation is transferred to your bank account. Every time there’s a need to take the case to the national enforcement body or court, it adds at least a couple of months, sometimes 6+ months to the whole process. That’s one of the reasons why many choose to work with flight compensation companies instead of claiming compensation themselves — because it may take a lot of time, and people tend to lose motivation during that time.
Remember! Wizz Air isn’t one company. There are several companies registerd in different countries. If you are flying with Wizz Air Hungary, you are protected by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 on all flights. With Wizz Air UK, you have the same rights like with Wizz Air Hungary. With Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, you have the same rights only on flights that are departing from Europe (EU, EEA, UK).
3. How Much Can You Claim?
In Europe, flight compensation amounts are fixed.
In most situations, they are from €250 to €600.
Here is how you can calculate your Wizz Air compensation:
When your destination is outside the EU:
€250
If the distance of your flight is
up to 1500 km
€400
If the distance of your flight is between 1500 – 3500 km
€600
If the distance of your flight is more than 3500 km
When your destination is within the EU:
€250
If the distance of your flight is
up to 1500 km
€400
If the distance of your flight is between 1500 – 3500 km
This is also the amount you should be demanding if you are requesting compensation for denied boarding yourself. You don’t have to agree to a smaller compensation. The compensation amounts are regulated by the European Union, and they are the same for all passengers.
There’s one exception. When the flight distance is 3500+ kilometres and you reach your destination 3 to 4 hours later than planned, you are entitled only to 50% of the compensation (€300, not €600).
3.1 Wizz Air Refund, Voucher or Cash?
Sometimes airlines avoid paying compensation/refunds.
Wizz Air, just like many other airlines, may initially offer you a voucher instead of cash or bank transfer. Many airlines were offering coupons during the COVID pandemic in 2020 and 2021, and many airlines still do it now. Remember, that you don’t have to accept any vouchers, coupons or miles.
Request a bank transfer instead. Because, if we look at the policies and regulations, airline compensations and refunds always have to be paid in cash or by bank transfer.
4. Voluntary vs Involuntary Boarding Denial
It’s very important to understand the difference.
4.1 Voluntary Denied Boarding
Here’s how it usually works.
You are on an overbooked flight. You are asked to give up your seat in exchange for a new flight a few hours later and compensation in the form of vouchers or cash. If you are offered compensation like this and you agree to it, it’s called voluntary boarding denial. In this case, you aren’t eligible for EU denied boarding compensation (up to €600).
It’s up to you if you agree to this or not.
You have a right to decline this offer.
If, however, you are denied boarding against your will, it’s called involuntary denied boarding. In this case, you can claim denied boarding compensation from Wizz Air – you have a right to Wizz Air overbooking compensation.
4.2 Involuntary Denied Boarding
Sometimes you aren’t given a choice.
In some situations, there aren’t any free seats left, and there aren’t enough volunteers willing to give up their seats. In such cases, people with confirmed tickets may also be denied boarding the plane against their will. If that’s what has happened to you, it is called involuntarily denied boarding, and you are eligible for overbooking compensation.
What happens if you are involuntarily denied boarding?
- They must give you a choice – a new flight or a full refund for the flight;
- You have a right to receive care from Wizz Air*;
- You have a right overbooking compensation up to €600.
* Wizz Air must offer you free meals and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time, two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes. If you have to wait overnight, free hotel accommodation (including a free transfer) must be offered too.
5. Right to Care from Wizz Air
If you have to wait at the airport, you have a right to care.
As Wizz Air is registered in the EU and UK, these rules apply to most of its flights to and from the European Union. For example, if your flight is cancelled or delayed, or you are denied boarding, and you have to wait at the airport, you have a right to receive care from the airline. It applies to all situations when you have to wait for 3 or more hours. What does it mean for you as a passenger?
Wizz Air must offer you free meals and drinks in a reasonable relation to the waiting time, two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes. Usually, all of that is offered in the form of coupons. Free accommodation, including transportation from and to the airport, must be offered if the flight is delayed overnight.
Remember this – if you agree to receive care from Wizz Air, it doesn’t affect your chances of getting compensation from Wizz Air. You have a right to both.
You may still receive compensation from the airline (when it’s due).
Wizz Air Denied Boarding Compensation: FAQ
My Wizz Air flight was very cheap. Can I get compensation?
Yes, absolutely! The price of your Wizz Air tickets doesn’t matter.
It also doesn’t affect the amount of compensation you are entitled to receive. You may receive compensation of 400 euros even if your flight costs 4 euros. All because the whole purpose of denied boarding compensation, flight delay compensation, and flight cancellation compensation, is to compensate for the inconveniences you have to go through.
Do I need to have insurance for this?
No, you don’t need to have insurance.
According to European Regulation EC 261/2004, every passenger who experiences a flight delay, last-minute flight cancellation, or boarding denial due to overbooking, can get compensation. As long as it’s due to the fault of the airline.
Can my child get compensation from Wizz Air?
Yes. All travellers in Europe are protected under the law, including children.
People of any age can get compensation if they are eligible for it. Even infants who have a special, infant ticket and don’t have a seat, are entitled to full compensation.
Can I claim compensation for another person?
Yes, you can claim compensation for another person.
You don’t even have to be on that flight yourself.
You can file a compensation claim for your family member, relative or friend, as long as they provide you with a boarding pass and passport copy. The only thing the person in question will have to do is to sign any documents Wizz Air may ask to sign. If you decide to work with flight compensation companies, mostly it’s only one document and signature.
How far back can I claim flight compensation?
You can claim compensation also for old flights. The exact deadline varies from country to country. You have to look at the laws and regulations in the country your flight departed from.
Mostly, you can claim compensation for flights that are up to 2-3 years old.
What to do if Wizz Air is refusing my claim?
Your Wizz Air compensation claim is refused. What’s next? The easiest way to get compensation Wizz Air owes you is to file a claim against Wizz Air with a flight compensation company.
Alternatively, you can try and contact the respective national enforcement body. There are national enforcement bodies in all the EU Member states. They will help you or point you in the right direction. These are government agencies, so be prepared for a likely lengthy process.
You Are Denied Boarding Due to Visa Problems
I was denied boarding due to visa/passport problems. Will I get compensation for that?
No, you won’t get compensation if you are denied boarding due to visa or passport problems.
If you are travelling with an expired passport (or it’s about to expire), or you don’t have a valid visa, you will highly likely be denied boarding. In this case, you will not be eligible for flight compensation from Wizz Air.
Be extra careful when booking connecting flights. Make sure it’s an airline-protected connection, not a self-connecting flight. Since Wizz Air doesn’t sell connecting flights, with this airline your only option is to book two or more consecutive flights separately. If your flights are booked separately, you may face extra obstacles in case the country you are transiting through requires you to have a visa. Make sure you find out if you need a visa for your self-transfer.
If it’s an airline-protected connecting flight, mostly you will not face such issues, as you will stay in the transit zone and won’t go through immigration control.
EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists
I’m flying to the EU from a country outside the EU. Can I get compensation?
If you’re flying with Wizz Air then yes, you can.
Wizz Air is registered in the EU and the UK, and in this case, EU regulations apply to all its flights to and from the EU. If you’re flying with an airline that is not registered in the EU, it applies only to its flights departing from Europe but not the other way around.
With Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, most of the information on this website applies only to flights from Europe. Because Wizz Air Abu Dhabi is not a European airline.
I’m flying from the EU to a country outside the EU. Can I get compensation?
Yes, with Wizz Air you can.
The same stands true also for all other airlines (including non-EU airlines).
The same applies to Wizz Air Abu Dhabi flights.
I am not a European. Can I apply for compensation?
Yes, you can.
Travellers of any nationality can claim Wizz Air flight delay compensation. In the EU, all travellers are protected under the same law — tourists from overseas and Europeans alike.
All passengers on the same flight have the same rights.
Other Situations
Wizz Air provided me with a free hotel room and took me to my destination. Can I still get compensated for the delay?
Yes, you may still receive flight compensation, if you are eligible for it.
In Europe, passengers have a right to care no matter the reason for delay. And if you’re eligible for compensation, you can get both – assistance and flight compensation. Just do not forget to file a compensation claim. Do it as soon after the flight as possible.
Wizz Air took me to my destination. Can I still get compensation?
If you arrived at least 3 hours later than planned, then, yes.
There are many situations in which you may get compensated. Depending on the distance of your flight, you may receive a compensation of up to €600 per passenger. Even if you were taken to your final destination.