16 votes

I had the worst experience with Wizz Air

My evening flight from Gatwick to Milan was delayed, resulting with my arrival at 2:45am when there was no public transportation available (apart from taxis).

According to EU rules any delayed flights over 3 hours can be reimbursed (partially) as can any inconveniences.
This is the email I received from Wizzair's claims Dept:

Thank you for contacting Wizz Air Customer Service Department.

We would like to extend our sincerest apologies regarding the inconvenience caused by the delay of your flight. After thoroughly investigating your case we can confirm that the delay of flight W4 5786 MXP-LGW on the 3d of July 2023 was 02:57 h, based on the arrival at your destination airport.

Please be kindly informed that passengers are entitled to the compensation specified in Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 of the European Parliament and of the Council when there is an arrival delay of minimum 3 hours.

Therefore, unfortunately we regret to inform you that no compensation is due in this specific situation.

Should you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us by replying to this email.

Have a pleasant day!

Kind regards,

I am at a loss for words (and taxi fare!)

7 comments

  1. ignorabimus
    (edited )
    Link
    Having unfortunately been in this position several times before, I think that the airline model is to hope that you are not very persistent or a "dangerous professional" (see this post by Patrick...
    • Exemplary

    Having unfortunately been in this position several times before, I think that the airline model is to hope that you are not very persistent or a "dangerous professional" (see this post by Patrick McKenzie) – if you show signs of either of these things they are much more likely to take you seriously.

    Some unasked for advice specific to your case:

    • The taxi fare and compensation are separate matters – if there is a delay greater than three hours (this is not in the EC261 legislation proper, but the ECJ has confirmed it) then the airline must pay you compensation for your inconvenience. However, the refund of your taxi fare (which clearly is an additional expense you have incurred only because of the delay) is not compensation (or at least I think there is a strong argument for this).
    • Wizz are required to explain in detail how they determined the arrival time – specifically, you can also request copies of the aircraft flight logs and other evidence that Wizz may have (a good way to waste their time, and you don't even have to intend to look at them).
    • Note that the arrival time does not refer to the time when the plane landed! Rather, it refers to the time when at least one door of the aircraft has been opened (see this ECJ ruling – note: ECJ rulings on EC261 have been retained as UK case law, so still apply even after Brexit)
    • You can certainly claim for a meal that you have purchased (refreshments only – e.g. alcohol is not counted as a refreshment) as Wizz do not dispute that you were delayed by more than two hours (in which case Article 6 Article 9 of EC261 applies), assuming that Wizz did not provide any refreshments/hospitality (having flown with Wizz before this seems exceedingly unlikely)

    If you are persistent, in my experience, eventually the airline will find it more expensive to deal with you than to pay compensation. Wizz are worse than most, however, so if they are not responsive then you may need to contact the CAA (or their Italian counterpart).

    19 votes
  2. [5]
    bugsmith
    Link
    Amazingly, I had a similar experience recently in the other direction. I flew from Milan Malpensa to Gatwick and was delayed by several hours and missed my booked coach. Luckily I bought a...

    Amazingly, I had a similar experience recently in the other direction. I flew from Milan Malpensa to Gatwick and was delayed by several hours and missed my booked coach. Luckily I bought a flexible ticket, but it meant either waiting another two hours at the airport or paying some extra to get the very next coach.

    Wizz Air. Only for when Ryan Air appears too luxurious...

    10 votes
    1. [4]
      online_persona
      Link Parent
      Ridiculous! Yeah, I'll never fly with them again!

      Ridiculous! Yeah, I'll never fly with them again!

      3 votes
      1. [3]
        bugsmith
        Link Parent
        I'd like to say the same but... I almost certainly will. Often other carrier don't cover the same route at such a good price. Usually, I try to go with BA from Heathrow to Milan normally as they...

        I'd like to say the same but... I almost certainly will. Often other carrier don't cover the same route at such a good price. Usually, I try to go with BA from Heathrow to Milan normally as they also do a good price - but it's not always an option or affordable.

        4 votes
        1. arqalite
          Link Parent
          Same here for me. I hate Wizz Air with a passion, but I love traveling and seeing the world even more. I can't really afford anything but low-cost options, and sadly wherever I plan on going, Wizz...

          Same here for me. I hate Wizz Air with a passion, but I love traveling and seeing the world even more. I can't really afford anything but low-cost options, and sadly wherever I plan on going, Wizz is either the cheapest, or the 2nd cheapest option.

          So I have to suck it up, fly Wizz Air, and deal with, for example, a 8+ hour-long delay from Bucharest to Malta.

          Lost one day of vacation, but I still enjoyed the rest.
          Return flight was only delayed 10 minutes, so that was nice.

          3 votes
        2. ignorabimus
          Link Parent
          Honestly since moving to mainland Europe one of the great quality-of-life improvements is that I don't have to fly as much (or at all really) and can just hop on a train. Sadly Eurostar have...

          Honestly since moving to mainland Europe one of the great quality-of-life improvements is that I don't have to fly as much (or at all really) and can just hop on a train. Sadly Eurostar have really inflated their fees recently which makes it prohibitive to travel from the UK to mainland Europe by train.

          1 vote
  3. Gemsbok
    Link
    Can you tell me which email address contacted you. I'm trying to find an email on the site from wizz but wasn't successful yet. Was the delay actually 2h57min? You could try reporting them to the...

    Can you tell me which email address contacted you. I'm trying to find an email on the site from wizz but wasn't successful yet.

    Was the delay actually 2h57min? You could try reporting them to the national aviation agency which investigates the case for free.

    Pm me if you need help.

    2 votes