Your Wizz Air compensation claim is denied?
This is extremely frustrating, especially if you aren’t 100% sure whether you are entitled to compensation from Wizz Air, or not. What should you do next? Is it even worth the trouble? Yes, it’s worth trying again. One of the options is to hand over the case to a flight compensation company working with Wizz Air claims. They will continue the process on your behalf.
Continue reading to learn more.
Wizz Air Compensation Claim Is Denied. Now What?
There are other ways you can get the money from Wizz Air.
But before taking things further, double-check the law. Are you even entitled to compensation? You can get compensation, if:
- Your flight is delayed for 3+hours
- Your flight is cancelled less than 14 days before the departure
- You are denied boarding because there are not enough seats
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 almost identical rights as 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).
Read more: Wizz Air — Ryanair Self Transfer Flight: Who Is Going to Pay Compensation?
Option 1 – Working With Flight Compensation Companies
Your Wizz Air flight compensation claim is denied?
Whenever that happens, the easiest way to proceed is to work with a flight compensation company. In our opinion, it’s also the best option when the situation is complicated, and you aren’t sure about your eligibility for compensation from Wizz Air.
Experts work with all types of claims EVERY DAY.
All you have to do is fill in a form online and provide a copy of your boarding pass and your passport. Then you sign the claim online, and that’s it. You don’t have to worry about anything else as the company takes care of the rest. You don’t need to communicate with Wizz Air either. This also is done by the flight compensation company you are working with. If there are any additional questions the flight compensation company will contact you.
The only drawback of this option is the fees. The majority of flight compensation companies charge a fee of around 25-45% of the compensation amount.
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.
How much does such a service cost?
With most flight compensation companies, there are no upfront fees, and you pay nothing if it turns out that you aren’t entitled to compensation. If the company are successful, however, you’ll be charged something like 25 – 45% of the amount of your Wizz Air flight compensation. The rest of the amount is transferred to you.
It takes around 2-3 months until you receive Wizz Air flight compensation. The compensation is transferred to a bank account of your choice.
Option 2 – Contacting a Government Agency Working With Such Cases
Another more time-consuming option is to work with a government agency.
If you have tried contacting the airline yourself and received a refusal or no answer at all, try contacting the NEB (National Enforcement Bodies). Every country in the EU has such an institution working with air passenger claims. Contact the one in the country your flight was departing from.
It’s free, but it is not as easy as working with a compensation company. And it can be time-consuming, too. Usually, it takes at least 2 months for the agency to process your request for compensation.
The biggest drawback of this option — uncertainty.
A positive answer to your claim doesn’t guarantee compensation. Because Wizz Air still can turn you down, or even ignore your request.
You can see the list of these agencies here.
The National Enforcement Bodies assist passengers in the event of denied boarding, flight delay or cancellation, as well as enforce the regulation Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and make sure passengers are treated according to these rules.
Option 3 – You Can Take Wizz Air to Court
The next step is to take your case to court.
However, we would highly recommend you contact a government agency first.
Then, when you have a positive ruling from them, you can contact Wizz Air to request compensation. And, if they aren’t cooperative, your last option is to take the case to court. A positive ruling will help you greatly in your case against Wizz Air.
This is the most complex option, yet also very efficient.
However, before taking your complaint to court, make sure your claim is valid (meaning — you are entitled to compensation, but your claim is still denied). See the regulations relating to compensations, double-check your rights, and, based on your research, prepare your argument. Only then you can be sure that you can take your case to court and win. If you have a positive answer from the government agency saying that you are entitled to compensation, attach it to the court documents too.
Remember, unlike the second option, this option is not for free.
Extraordinary Circumstances
Very often airlines give no explanations at all.
They deny your request without providing sufficient proof. Or, they give very vague explanations. Very often airlines tend to blame “extraordinary circumstances” for flight delays and cancellations. The reason why they do that is very simple — if it’s extraordinary circumstances then the airline doesn’t have to pay any compensation to its passengers. And if an airline is paying out compensations, it’s losing the money. It’s not profitable. The only way to avoid losing money because of this is to decline compensation requests by giving false reasons.
Airlines know that most passengers aren’t informed about their rights. And they tend to use it in their favour. So, when you see that your compensation claim is denied and the reason is “extraordinary circumstances,” do not back off! Ask for a more detailed explanation.
According to the EU Regulation 261/2004, extraordinary circumstances include but aren’t limited to extreme weather, political and civil unrest, and hidden manufacturing defects. At the same time, most technical problems aren’t considered extraordinary circumstances. If the airline says otherwise, most likely it’s not true.
Also, bad weather isn’t always considered an extraordinary circumstance, because quite often it is predictable. Here’s an example — snow during the winter months (unless snow is not normal there). In such cases, the airline is expected to take the appropriate measures to operate the flight on time.
That’s why it’s so important to know the reason behind disruption.
And, when in doubt, to double-check it. It matters.
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.
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