Wizz Air rejected your claim: what to do next

After a Wizz Air rejection

Wizz Air’s rejections typically cite “extraordinary circumstances” in general terms — ATC restrictions, weather, or “operational reasons” — with little detail. Reply asking for the specific cause of your flight, the time and place of any restriction and, for a knock-on delay, the cause of the first delay in the rotation. Wizz Air’s schedule reductions and crew planning are within its control; a rejection that amounts to “we had to cancel flights” does not meet the airline’s burden of proof.

Escalation depends on which Wizz entity operated the flight and where it departed. Wizz Air UK is a member of AviationADR, whose decisions bind the airline, for flights departing from the UK. Wizz Air Hungary and Wizz Air Malta flights from EU airports go to the enforcement body of the departure country — for Hungary the consumer-protection authority, for Poland the Rzecznik Praw Pasażerów at the ULC, for Italy ENAC, for Spain AESA (binding). Complaints to enforcement bodies are free; attach the claim, the rejection and your reply.

Court is the final step: a small claim in the departure country, or in Hungary under Wizz Air Hungary’s contract. Limitation periods vary from country to country, so a rejection should not be left unanswered for long.

Read the rejection against the law

Wizz Air can lawfully refuse the €250, €400 or €600 compensation in only a few situations: the arrival delay was under 3 hours; the cancellation was announced 14 days or more ahead; a replacement flight met the legal time windows; the flight was outside the scope of EU261; or an extraordinary circumstance caused the disruption and reasonable measures could not have avoided it. Anything else — “operational reasons”, “we are not responsible”, a reference to Wizz Air’s own conditions — is not a defence.

Ask for the cause, in writing

Under Article 5(3) the burden of proof lies with Wizz Air. Reply to the rejection asking: what exactly caused this flight’s disruption; at what time and airport any restriction applied; whether other Wizz Air flights operated; and, for a knock-on delay, what caused the first delay in the rotation. An answer that cannot name a specific cause is an answer that fails the burden of proof.

Escalate to AviationADR (UK flights)

After Wizz Air’s final answer, or 8 weeks without one, escalate to AviationADR (UK flights). An approved ADR scheme issues decisions that bind the airline; a national enforcement body investigates and can fine the airline, though it does not always award your money. Either is free to you and needs only the claim, the rejection and your reply.

The court route and the deadline

A small claim in the country of departure (or of Wizz Air’s seat) is the final step and often the one that produces payment. The limitation period depends on that country — from one to six years — so a rejection should never be left to run the clock. Horvera’s country pages list the period for each departure country.

What to send when you go back to Wizz Air

• the booking reference, flight number and date;
• the scheduled and actual arrival times, or the cancellation notice with its timestamp;
• the distance band and the amount claimed per passenger (€250, €400 or €600);
• the case law on the cause Wizz Air named (technical: Wallentin-Hermann, van der Lans; own strike: Krüsemann, Airhelp v SAS; crew: TAP C-156/22);
• a deadline of 14 days before escalation.