Wizz Air denied boarding compensation
Compensation 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. It does not depend on how late you eventually arrived. If you volunteered your seat in exchange for benefits, the fixed compensation does not apply.
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
“You arrived at the gate late” — ask for the recorded gate-closure time.
“You volunteered” — only if you actually agreed to give up the seat in exchange for benefits.
“Operational reasons” or a “change of aircraft” to a smaller one — still denied boarding against your will.
Documentation or safety grounds — legitimate if genuine, but the airline must justify them.
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 denied boarding 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 denied boarding: common questions
How much can I claim from Wizz Air for a denied boarding?
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.
Wizz Air offered me vouchers to give up my seat. Should I take them?
That is your choice, but know what you are trading. If you volunteer, you get whatever you agree with the airline instead of the fixed compensation. If you are refused boarding without volunteering, you are entitled to the full fixed amount immediately, plus re-routing or a refund.
What reasons does Wizz Air give for refusing denied boarding claims?
The most common are: You arrived at the gate late; You volunteered; Operational reasons or a change of aircraft to a smaller one; Documentation or safety grounds. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a Wizz Air denied boarding 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.