Wizz Air delay compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It is the arrival that counts, not the departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but makes up time and lands 2 hours 50 minutes late is not covered.
Which Wizz Air flights are covered
Wizz Air is registered in Hungary, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: covered by EU261, because Wizz Air is an EU carrier.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, which also protects arrivals on EU carriers.
Worked examples on Wizz Air routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Budapest (BUD) → Warsaw (WAW) | 540 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Budapest (BUD) → Bucharest (OTP) | 616 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Budapest (BUD) → London (LTN) | 1,491 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Budapest (BUD) → Paris (CDG) | 1,247 km | EU261 | €250 |
What Wizz Air is likely to say — and the answer
“Extraordinary circumstances” with no detail — ask which circumstance, and for the evidence.
“A technical problem” — not an extraordinary circumstance, and settled by the Court of Justice.
“The inbound aircraft arrived late” — a knock-on delay only counts if the original cause was itself extraordinary.
A disputed arrival time — ask for their recorded on-blocks time and compare it with yours.
Specific to Wizz Air
Wizz Air Hungary (W6) and Wizz Air UK (W9) are different companies. The flight number tells you which, and it decides whether you are claiming euros under EU261 or pounds under UK261.
The group has faced regulatory scrutiny in the UK over the handling of passenger claims. Keep a clean, dated paper trail from the first letter onwards.
Their network is dense across Central and Eastern Europe with routes typically in the 1,500–3,500 km band at €400.
They push claimants towards an online portal. Send the letter as well — a dated written demand is what an enforcement body will want to see.
Time limit: Wizz Air is based in Hungary, where claims run for 5 years from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your Wizz Air delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with Wizz Air’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
Wizz Air delay: common questions
How much can I claim from Wizz Air for a delay?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of Wizz Air’s routes.
My Wizz Air flight left more than three hours late but landed less than three hours late. Can I claim?
No. The test is how late you arrive at your final destination. If the flight made up time and landed under three hours late, the fixed compensation does not apply — though you may still have been owed meals and refreshments during the wait.
What reasons does Wizz Air give for refusing delay claims?
The most common are: Extraordinary circumstances with no detail; A technical problem; The inbound aircraft arrived late; A disputed arrival time. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a Wizz Air delay claim?
Where Wizz Air is based, the limit is 5 years. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other Wizz Air claims
- Wizz Air: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- Wizz Air: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- Wizz Air: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- Wizz Air: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.