Wizz Air compensation: when you can claim up to €600
We have already helped more than 9,000 Wizz Air passengers, many of them flying from London, Milan, Rome, Catania and Tirana. If your Wizz Air flight landed over 3 hours late, was cancelled shortly before departure or you were bumped because it was overbooked, you can claim €250 to €600 per person, however little you paid for the ticket.
Wizz Air is run from Budapest and most of its flights are operated by Wizz Air Hungary and Wizz Air Malta, both EU-licensed, so Regulation (EC) 261/2004 covers flights leaving the EU and flights arriving in the EU from outside it, such as from Tirana. Wizz Air UK is covered further down.
Delayed flight
The aircraft doors opened at your final destination at least 3 hours after the scheduled arrival time.
3 hours or more on arrivalCancelled flight
Wizz Air told you about the cancellation less than two weeks before you were due to fly.
Under 14 days' noticeDenied boarding
The flight was full and you were left behind, even though you had checked in and reached the gate on time.
Payable straight awayWhen it is not owed
Genuinely extraordinary events such as a severe storm. Wizz Air often cites them when rejecting claims, but it has to prove them.
Extraordinary circumstancesNot sure which applies to you? All we need is the date and the airports. Check your Wizz Air flight for free.
How much does Wizz Air pay? Compensation by route
Cheap fare or not, the amount depends only on the distance to your final destination.
| Flight distance | Example Wizz Air routes | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | Milan–Catania, Lamezia Terme–Milan, Barcelona–Rome, Milan–Tirana, Tirana–Bari | €250 |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | Rome–Tallinn, Rome–Sharm el-Sheikh | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | Very long routes, uncommon on the Wizz Air network | €600 |
Compensation is paid to every passenger on the booking. A family of four whose Rome–Sharm el-Sheikh flight was cancelled the day before could claim €1,600 between them, and children with their own seat receive the same as adults. For a group, one form covers everyone.
Wizz Air flight delayed? How to claim compensation
Seven in ten of the Wizz Air claims we handle are about delays, most often on Milan–Catania, Lamezia Terme–Milan and Barcelona–Rome. What counts is when the doors open, not touchdown, so a flight landing 2 hours 55 minutes late can still pass the 3-hour mark at the stand. At the airport:
- Save your boarding pass in the WIZZ app or take a screenshot: it proves you were on that flight.
- Keep emails and app notifications: they show revised times and sometimes the reason.
- Ask the gate staff why you are delayed and note the answer and time.
- Keep receipts for food, taxis and hotels: we claim them back too.
- Do not swap cash for credit: a voucher or account credit should only replace your compensation if that is genuinely what you want.
Meals, drinks and hotels: the care Wizz Air owes you
Wizz Air must provide food and drinks, two calls or emails and, for an overnight delay, a hotel with transport, even when no compensation is due.
| Flight distance | Care from |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | 2 hours |
| 1,500 to 3,500 km | 3 hours |
| Over 3,500 km | 4 hours |
| Delay of 5 hours or more | You can choose not to travel and get your fare back |
Missed connection with Wizz Air
Wizz Air mostly sells point-to-point flights, and many travellers combine two separate bookings: then only the delayed flight can be claimed. On a single booking, your arrival at the final destination counts and the amount is based on the total distance. More examples on our page about Wizz Air delay compensation.
Wizz Air flight cancelled: refund and compensation
Cancellations make up more than 2 in 10 of our Wizz Air claims. Wizz Air notifies you by email and in the app and offers another flight, alternative transport or a refund. Choosing one does not affect your compensation.
Always available when your flight is cancelled: you decide whether to get your money back or travel on another flight.
Paid on top when Wizz Air gave you less than 14 days' notice and there were no extraordinary circumstances.
| Notice given | Compensation |
|---|---|
| 14 days or more | Not due: you keep the right to a refund or another flight |
| 7 to 13 days | Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 2 hours earlier and lands less than 4 hours late |
| Less than 7 days | Due, unless the new flight leaves no more than 1 hour earlier and lands less than 2 hours late |
Schedule changes. When Wizz Air moves your departure by several hours just days before the flight, the EU Court of Justice can treat it as a cancellation. Already had your fare refunded? See whether compensation is owed too. Full details on our page about compensation for a cancelled Wizz Air flight.
Wizz Air overbooking: compensation for denied boarding
Around 7 in 100 of the Wizz Air claims we receive involve denied boarding. If the airline sold more seats than the aircraft holds and not enough volunteers came forward, it owes you compensation on the spot, plus another flight or a refund, and care while you wait.
No compensation is due for reasons on your side, such as an expired passport or reaching the gate after it closed. Unsure why you were left behind? tell us what happened. You can also read our guide to Wizz Air overbooking and denied boarding.
Wizz Air strikes: when compensation is due
If Wizz Air's own pilots or cabin crew walk out, the EU Court of Justice has ruled that this is part of the airline's normal business risk, so compensation is generally payable (case C-28/20). Strikes by air traffic controllers, including in countries your flight passes over, or by airport staff count as extraordinary circumstances: no compensation, but Wizz Air must still look after you and offer a refund or another flight.
Wizz Air rejected your claim? The excuses worth challenging
A first refusal is not the end of the story. In 2023 the UK Civil Aviation Authority took enforcement action against Wizz Air over rejected claims; the airline went on to review thousands of cases and paid passengers more than £1.2 million. These are the reasons we see most often in Wizz Air's replies.
Faults found during maintenance or before take-off are part of running an airline. The exception is a hidden manufacturing defect flagged by the manufacturer or the authorities.
EU Court of Justice, case C-549/07ATC slots only excuse the airline if they actually caused your delay. We compare the slot with the time your flight really left.
A morning delay often rolls on through Wizz Air's busy daily rotations. That alone does not rule out compensation unless an extraordinary event started it.
Thick fog, snow or violent storms do excuse the airline, but only if they affected your flight. We check the airport's weather data for the hour you were due to leave.
Wizz Air Hungary, Wizz Air Malta and Wizz Air UK: who flew you?
Wizz Air Hungary and Wizz Air Malta are EU carriers, so the EU Regulation covers their flights in both directions, including to and from non-EU countries. Wizz Air UK is a British airline. On its flights from the EU to the UK the EU Regulation applies; on its flights from the UK, such as London to Milan, the UK's own version of the rules (often called UK261) applies, with similar amounts in pounds: £220, £350 or £520. In our form, just choose Wizz Air.
Wizz Air flights to and from Albania and other non-EU countries
Milan–Tirana and Tirana–Bari are among the Wizz Air routes our customers claim for most. When they are operated by one of the group's EU airlines, compensation is due in both directions, even though Albania is outside the EU. The same goes for flights to Egypt, Israel, Georgia and the Western Balkans.
Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, the group's UAE-licensed airline, stopped flying on 1 September 2025. For its past flights only the departure airport matters: flights that left the EU are covered, flights from Abu Dhabi into the EU are not.
How to claim from Wizz Air: on your own or with DelayFlight24
You can claim directly through the online complaints form in the Wizz Air Help Centre at wizzair.com, giving your booking reference, flight number and passenger details. Wizz Air says it replies to claims within 30 days. Here is what changes if you hand the claim to us.
It is free, but you handle all the correspondence with Wizz Air. If it says no, your options are the national enforcement body of the country where the flight departed (the CAA for UK departures), an ADR scheme or the courts, at your own cost.
Two minutes to fill in the form and an e-signature. We deal with the claim, the letter before action and any court case with our own lawyers. No win, no fee: we keep 25% + VAT. Legal costs are ours, even if the case is lost.
If Wizz Air has already rejected you
Forward us the rejection email. We check the stated cause against the flight data and, if it does not stand up, reopen the claim with a formal demand.
Documents to have ready
- Wizz Air booking confirmationOr your boarding pass, a screenshot is fine.
- Passport or ID cardFor each passenger, children included.
- Emails, notifications and receiptsDelay or cancellation notices and what you spent at the airport.
How long do you have to claim from Wizz Air?
The Regulation sets no deadline of its own. The EU Court of Justice has confirmed that national limitation periods apply (case C-139/11), so the time limit depends on the country. A Wizz Air flight from a while ago may well still be claimable: enter the date and we will tell you.
How long does Wizz Air take to pay?
After the form, you have nothing else to do. If Wizz Air accepts the claim, payment usually takes a few weeks. If it refuses or ignores us, we move to a formal demand and sometimes court, which can add a few months. We update you by email and transfer your share once paid.
Lost, delayed or damaged luggage with Wizz Air
Baggage problems fall under the Montreal Convention, not Regulation 261/2004. Before leaving the airport, fill in a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) at the baggage desk, then write to Wizz Air within 7 days for damage, or within 21 days of getting your bag back if it arrived late.
Wizz Air contact details and flight status
- Head office
- Wizz Air Hungary Ltd., Kőér utca 2/A, 1103 Budapest, Hungary
- Complaints
- Online complaints form in the Help Centre at wizzair.com
- Flight status
- WIZZ app or the official Wizz Air website
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