Wizz Air compensation: how to claim for Wizz Air delays and cancellations

Does EU261 cover Wizz Air?

Yes for Wizz Air Hungary (W6), Wizz Air Malta (W4) and — under UK261 — Wizz Air UK (W9): as EU and UK carriers they are covered on every departure from an EU/EEA or UK airport and on flights into the EU/EEA or UK from elsewhere. Wizz Air Abu Dhabi (5W) is a non-EU carrier, so only its departures from EU/EEA or UK airports are covered.

Condiciones

• Departure from an EU/EEA, UK or Swiss airport on any Wizz Air entity
• Arrival into the EU/EEA or UK on W6, W4 or W9

Excepciones

• A 5W flight from Abu Dhabi into Europe (the return leg from Europe is covered)
• Extraordinary circumstances proven for the specific flight

Ejemplo

Abu Dhabi → Rome on Wizz Air Abu Dhabi, cancelled the day before: no EU261 claim; the Rome → Abu Dhabi return on the same airline, cancelled with the same notice, is covered because it departs the EU.

Potential amount

€250 or €400 per passenger on most Wizz Air routes (£220 or £350 under UK261); €600 / £520 only beyond 3,500 km outside the EU.

Siguiente paso

Check my Wizz Air flight

Official source

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights

How much does Wizz Air pay for a 3-hour delay?

The fixed amount for the route distance, per passenger: €250 up to 1,500 km (Vienna–Rome, Budapest–Milan), €400 between 1,500 and 3,500 km and on every intra-EU route (London Luton–Bucharest, Budapest–Tel Aviv, Warsaw–Lisbon). Under UK261 the same bands pay £220 and £350. It is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more late and Wizz Air cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance.

Condiciones

• Arrival delay of 3 hours or more at the final destination
• The cause was within Wizz Air's control — a late inbound aircraft, a crew problem or a technical fault counts

Excepciones

• A proven ATC restriction, weather or airport closure covering your flight
• WIZZ credit: you may decline it and insist on a bank transfer

Ejemplo

London Luton → Bucharest (2,108 km) on W6, arrived 3 h 25 late because the inbound aircraft was late: £350 per passenger (the flight departed the UK, so UK261 applies). Luton → Budapest is 1,492 km, so that route pays £220.

Potential amount

€250 or €400 (£220 or £350) per passenger, by distance; halved only between 3 and 4 hours on the rare Wizz Air routes over 3,500 km outside the EU.

Siguiente paso

Check my Wizz Air delay

Official source

Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor and Böck v Air France — passengers of flights delayed by three hours or more may claim compensation

Wizz Air rejected my claim citing extraordinary circumstances — what now?

Ask Wizz Air, in writing, for the specific cause and its evidence for your flight: the burden of proof is on the airline. A late inbound aircraft from an earlier rotation, a crew shortage or a technical fault is not extraordinary; an ATC restriction or weather is only where it actually covered your departure. If the reply stands, escalate: AviationADR for UK departures, otherwise the enforcement body of the departure country.

Condiciones

• You have Wizz Air's written reply and the date you claimed
• A first claim was made directly to Wizz Air

Excepciones

• Court is the route where no ADR body or enforcement decision binds Wizz Air

Ejemplo

Wizz Air answers “operational reasons” for a Warsaw → Lisbon delay of 4 hours: that is not an extraordinary circumstance; a reasoned reply quoting the Court’s case law on technical faults usually reopens the €400.

Potential amount

Unchanged by the refusal: €250 or €400 (£220 or £350) per passenger if the ground does not hold.

Siguiente paso

Review my rejected Wizz Air claim

Official source

Case C-257/14 van der Lans v KLM — spontaneous technical failure is inherent in the normal exercise of the activity

Can I claim compensation from Wizz Air?

Yes, if your Wizz Air flight arrived three hours or more late, was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you were denied boarding against your will — and the airline cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance. EU261 applies because of the airline's licence and where the flight departed.

Conditions

• Arrival at the final destination three hours or more after the scheduled time (delay).
• Cancellation announced less than 14 days before departure, and no re-routing inside the legal time windows.
• Confirmed booking, on-time check-in and boarding refused against your will.
• The airline cannot prove an extraordinary circumstance it could not have avoided with all reasonable measures.

Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights · Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04) · verified 12 de septiembre de 2026

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How much compensation does Wizz Air pay?

On the example routes for Wizz Air the fixed amount is 250 to 400 EUR per passenger, set by distance, regardless of the ticket price.

Conditions

• Up to 1,500 km · 1,500–3,500 km · over 3,500 km; intra-EU flights over 3,500 km take the middle amount.
• Over 3,500 km the airline may halve the amount if the arrival delay was under four hours.
• Per passenger, for every passenger on the booking.

Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights · Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor and Böck v Air France · verified 12 de septiembre de 2026

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Which law applies to a Wizz Air flight?

Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU261): Wizz Air is an EU/EEA-licensed carrier, so it applies to every flight departing the EU/EEA and to its flights into the EU/EEA from outside.

Conditions

• Any flight departing the regime's territory is covered whichever airline operates it.
• A flight into the territory from outside is covered only when a licensed carrier of that regime (or the EU) operates it.

Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights · verified 12 de septiembre de 2026

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How long do I have to claim against Wizz Air?

The time limit is set by the national law of the departure country and differs by country; no reviewed period is on file for HU. Claim promptly — the airline's form has no deadline, but the courts do.

Conditions

• Limitation is national law (CJEU C-139/11); escalation steps do not stop the clock.

Source: Case C-139/11 Cuadrench Moré v KLM · verified 14 de septiembre de 2026

See the time limits by country →

Where do I send a claim to Wizz Air?

Through the claim channel of Wizz Air: https://wizzair.com/en-gb/information-and-services/travel-information/compensation-and-refunds. Claim from the operating carrier, in writing, and keep proof of sending.

Conditions

• Claim from the airline that operated the flight (on the boarding pass), not necessarily the one that sold the ticket.
• In writing, with the booking reference, flight number, date and the passengers' names; keep proof of sending.

Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights · Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04) · verified 14 de septiembre de 2026

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What if Wizz Air refuses to pay?

Wizz Air is a member of AviationADR, whose decisions are binding on the airline. Refer the case there after a refusal or once the waiting period has passed; the enforcement body and the courts remain available.

Conditions

• The body accepts the case 56 days after the claim was sent without a substantive answer, or after a final refusal.
• The national enforcement body of the departure country can examine the airline's compliance.
• A court claim remains available within the national time limit, as a last resort.

Source: AviationADR · Alternative dispute resolution (ADR) for aviation complaints · How to complain: contact the airline first, then the National Enforcement Body of the country of departure (or arrival for inbound EU-carrier flights) · verified 14 de septiembre de 2026

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What if Wizz Air says the delay was due to weather?

Weather can be an extraordinary circumstance — but only on the facts. Wizz Air must prove the conditions were incompatible with operating this flight, that they affected this flight and not just the airport in general, and that no reasonable measure could have avoided the delay. A generic reference to weather does not discharge that burden.

Conditions

• The burden of proof is on the airline (Art. 5(3)).
• The weather must have affected this flight, not just the airport in general; other flights that operated are evidence.
• The airline must also show what it did to avoid the disruption — spare aircraft, crew, re-routing.
• A technical fault, by contrast, is inherent in normal operations and not extraordinary.

Source: Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights · Interpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04) · Case C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia · Case C-257/14 van der Lans v KLM · verified 12 de septiembre de 2026

Read about extraordinary circumstances →