Review: Wizz Air - a Reliable Airline or a Purple Spark?
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Table of Contents
Things change. After writing this Wizz Air review, Wizz Air has made some changes to their policies and the overall quality has lowered. Check what kind of problems their new baggage policy generates.
Low-cost Business Model
More and more European flight routes are operated by low-cost airlines. One of them is Wizz Air, which may not be widely known airline for all travelers. The airline comes from Hungary and it concentrates on flying in East Europe. However, Wizz Air has also many routes elsewhere in Europe and in Middle East. If you are not yet familiar with this purple low-cost airline, you may be surprised how extensive route network it has. If you live in Europe, there is probably a city close to you where Wizz Air flies to.
The main hub of Wizz Air is in Budapest Airport. There are also many secondary hubs including but not limited to Gdansk, Warsaw and Kiev. Wizz Air's pricing model is based on the low-cost business strategy. Tickets are cheap but they include only flights. All other things must be paid separately. This is the classical low-cost business model.
Gdansk is a hub of Wizzair. The airport is close the the city center of this beautiful city.
Safety of flying is always important. Statistically Wizzair has a great safety record and that is a sign that they are operating professionally. We consider them to be a safe airline but flying always has its risks.
Pros Compared to Other Low-cost Airlines
Ryanair and Easyjet are probably Europe's most well-known low-cost airlines. What makes Wizzair better?
Extensive Route Network Especially in East Europe
One of Wizz Air's biggest advantage is the different route network. The airline flies to many East European cities where other low-cost airlines do not fly to. Wizz Air offers flights to East European cities which could be expensive to reach with traditional airlines. In addition, they have many destination in the whole Europe with top destinations including Paris, Budapest, Barcelona, Bucharest, Milan, Stockholm and a lot more.
Not all Wizzair's destinations are in the East Europe. This Airbus A321 is waiting for people to board at Oslo Torp Airport. Unfortunately, Torp Airport is quite far from Oslo.
Prices Are Low
Wizz Air offers really cheap flights. According to our Wizzair experiences, you can fly almost 2000 kms only with 20 euros. Of course, it is not common to get that cheap tickets but it is sometimes possible. Ryanair may have inexpensive flight ticket offers as cheap as Wizz Air's.
Moderate Charges for Extra Services
Low-cost airlines are cheap as long as you do not buy too many extra services. Luckily Wizz Air has priced its extra services moderately.
Cons to Wizzair's Low-cost model
Airports Are Sometimes Far from Cities
Many low-cost airlines, including Wizz Air, are flying to small airports. These airports are cosy and you can pass through them really fast. Unfortunately, they are often far from big cities so taking a bus or a train to the city may take much time and cost even more than your flight ticket. This is a common issue with many low-cost airlines. Wizz Air is not an exception.
Strict Baggage Rules
Wizz Air has really strict baggage rules. At the times of our flights, we were allowed to take only one cabin luggage. It could weight 10 kilograms and maximum size was 55 x 40 x 23 cm. Check-in luggage cost more. By buying priority boarding, we were allowed to take another small bag to the cabin.
Now, the rules are even stricter.
Wizz Discount Club
Low-fare airlines normally do not have have bonus programs. However, Wizz Air makes an exception with their discount club for their customers.
Wizz Air has WIZZ Discount Club that is meant for their frequent flyers. The club membership is not free. For basic membership, you must pay 29,99 euros annually. Premium membership costs more. The advantage of the club membership is that you will get exclusive offers and normally at least 10 euros discount for every one way flight and also discount for baggage fees. Your companion will also get the said discounts.
Our Wizz Air Experiences
We have flown many flights with Wizz Air. All our flights have been operated without any problems. No delay or flight cancellations have occurred. In short term, everything has went safely and smoothly.
Flights from Turku to Gdansk and Back
Once, we flow a short flight from Turku, Finland to Gdansk, Poland. The route took a little more than 1 hour.
Turku Airport is a small airport and our flight was the only one departing flight that time. We had made check-in online (at the airport it would cost) and everything at the airport went smoothly. We were offered a free check-in for our cabin luggage because the flight was almost fully booked. Unfortunately, a customer before us was not that lucky and he had to pay an expensive price for his overweight luggage. So be careful not to take too heavy luggage with.
December 2017, photo taken at Turku Airport. It was icy and peaceful. Our plane departed on time despite of winter conditions.
Our Wizz Air Rating
Fleet
Our flights were operated with Airbus A320 and A321 fleets. Planes seemed to be new and in really good condition. There was not much space inside the cabin but no-one expects low-cost airlines to have spacious cabins. Wizz Air's Airbus fleet is comfortable to fly with.
The cabin of an Airbus was simple but comfortable. It is not spacious but there was enough space even for tall people.
On-board Services
Low-cost airlines do not have free on-board service. Wizz Air has their in-flight cafe where you can buy snacks and drinks.
The selection was not that good but surely enough for short flights.
Price Level
All our tickets have been extremely cheap. Flying almost free has been great.
Overall Experience
Wizzair is not a luxury airline. If you keep in mind that you are flying with a low-fare airline with a really cheap ticket, you must be happy. You get what you have paid for.
There are some reviews circulating on the web that Wizz Air is often delayed. At least all our flights were operated in schedule. Surely some routes may be more sensitive for delays.
Practical Advises for Flying with Wizzair
Flying with Wizzair and flying with other low-cost airlines is a good choice if you just remember to follow the rules. Basically rules do not differ much between low-fare airlines.
Be careful with your luggage size and weight. Avoid buying check-in luggage because it costs much unless you really need to bring such important stuffs with you. Basically one hand luggage must be enough for a short holiday. Only 1 piece of cabin luggage is allowed and Wizz Air is really strict about this policy. If you need another small bag inside the cabin, buy inexpensive Priority Boarding option because it includes an extra small cabin bag.
Do check-in online. Doing it at the airport will cost a lot more.
Join WIZZ Discount club if you plan to fly more than one Wizzair flight in a year. Remember that your companion also gets the discount. When a couple is flying a return flight, the discount is usually 40 euros but the annual membership fee is only 29 euros. So the club is worth the money.
It is important to compare flight prices because they vary a lot. Find the best flight deals on Momondo.
Is Wizz Air a Good Airline?
We would say YES. Wizz Air is a really competitive airline in its low-fare category. We feel that they are more relaxed than their Irish competitor Ryanair.
The view from Wizzair's plane during the descent to Warsaw was amazingly beautiful.
Have a look also at our other Airline Reviews.
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Read Also
Tips For Your Next Journey...
Book hotels from a reliable booking site
It is wise to book hotels on a reliable booking site. We recommend European booking.com that has good booking conditions, excellent customer service and offers the best prices.
Ensure your booking payments refundable
While there is always a risk that flights can be cancelled anytime by airlines, you should ensure your booking payments to be refundable in case of such cancellation. We use a reliable payment card which gives additional security and savings while travelling and so we recommend you getting your own Curve Card.
Don´t miss unforgettable activities and tours
Whether you are travelling near or far, make your trips more memorable by attending organized activities and tours. On GetYourGuide, you will easily find after sought sight seeings and tours at your destination.
Readers' Comments (42)
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While Wizzair may not have the most comfortable airplanes and their staff on ground can at times seem impertinent bordering on outright assholish, you can be sure that they will also always include a crazy amount of hidden fees, have most their flights delayed and in case they make you miss your connection will deny any responsibility. Seriously, if you have an alternative, any alternative, use it. If you don’t then just stay at home. It’s not worth it. These people should not be in business.
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Wizz Air made me miss my flight.
I booked London Luton to Gibraltar. On arrival at check-in, the lady told me that I needed a COVID test first. I queried this as I had read the rules a couple of days before but she replied "Those are my instructions; the regulations may have changed in the last couple of days". They hadn't. I was correct and she was wrong. However, whilst getting tested and awaiting the result, I missed the flight. Had to go to Gatwick, book new flight, stay in hotel and miss half a day of work. Wizz Air refuse to compensate me and now don't answer my emails at all. Don't trust them - they are rogues.-
Hi Francis,
Firstly, thanks for the comment. We're very sorry to hear this bad experience with your missed flight with WizzAir. It is just a real reflection how this airline don't care much of their customers. Please do keep your receipts from those extra expenses you incurred from missing your flight. We strongly advise you to try applying for compensation under the EU261 regulation. Contact consumer advisor of your resident country. We wish you the best in your claims!
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Very bad service. Very aggressive customer service and complaint officers and in my case I was denied boarding and no refund or compensation was issued and when I called customer service representative was very aggressive and said this is not our problem this is your problem. Honestly this is the worst airline company I have ever dealt with.
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Thank you for the comment.
Does not sound good customer service. Just keep asking for a refund, and they will finally pay you back.
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Customer services equal to 0 on Romanian flights , I am using wizz for all my life, a couple of time a year, holidays and trips back to home.. depands where you use them, you can't compare wizz like this, use all lines and speak after, what I can tell you for sure, is that on Romanian lines ar patetic from start to finnish. Was like this 10 years ago.,it's worse now. And about prices... 2.5 hours of flight for 350 euros nothing is low cost in that,and i bought the ticket with 10 days before... The flight crews ar more busy selling from that trolly then telling people not to let loose kids tru airplane or listen music or speaking loudly. Is more like a flying bar with peasant.... But this kind of moments I had just on trips to Romania or when I am going to ibiza from UK but that's another story... My advice is stay away as much as possible and use other company's for a couple bucks extra you can really enjoy your flight... Regards
A. I. G-
Thank you for the comment.
You are right, not all routes are equal. We have tested a few Wizz Air's routes and this review reflects our positive experiences. We know that not all people agree with this review.
We encourage readers' to share their own experiences too. It's nice to see discussion around this article. :)
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I travel few times a year to Georgia. Last year I realised if I purchase wizz air membership I could save few pound but after my first trip they cancelled their flights to Georgia for over 9 months and I don’t think there will be any changes . I have emailed them several times to know if they would return that route but no answer yet. It’s coming to the end of my membership and they told me they cannot do any thing about it. No compensation to the money that I lost.
Please don’t fall for the advertisements of saving any kind of money with these flights. I would not recommend it to anyone and would never fly with them ever again.
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Hi Z,
Firstly, thanks for your comment. This sounds really ridiculous. It would have been nice from Wizz Air to at least show a nice gesture by even giving you a decent reply. Every airline company like almost all business companies have been experiencing economic turbulence due to the recent corona situation. However, this doesn't give them the right to ignore the rights of their customers. We recommend you seeking help from proper authorities, still you might have the right for compensation. We wish you well. Greetings from Finland - From us in Finnoy Travel.
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Low-cost price for tickets but they will rip you off if you need to change details or add features. Very expensive price for adding baggage, 4-5 times the price of the ticket. Good company to get from A to B as the price per ticket are generally cheap, rubbish company in customers service (calls are charged like if you call erotic line), you fell a bit robbed when you buy/modify any other features.
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Hi Dimitri,
Low-cost airlines are indeed offering really cheap flight tickets, Very'low-prices' compared to flight cost when booking with traditional airlines. We really recommend to just avoid purchasing 'unnecessary' extras marketed by the airline. With this, you'll simply prevent them robbing you off. We fully understood your point. Its hilarious that the value of their penalties for even a little over-weight hand luggage and payment of extras are too way expensive than the flight ticket itself. To summarize, most low-cost airlines will try to sell as much extras in that way to compensate for their cheap flights. However, the decision is still up to the passenger to purchase such extras or no. Also, by reading carefully their own guidelines and complying with them i.e. luggage weight, size requirements, etc. You'll end up happy to your destination with a cheap flight. Hope these tips help next time you'll book flight a any low-cost airline. Cheers!
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Tickets price 68£, cancelled due to changing Covid 19 restrictions, cancellation fee 80£.
Clever scam.-
Hi Andrei,
This is indeed an unbelievable 'scam'. Who would ever accept this kind of very unfair treatment by this airline! Its wise now to keep in mind to avoid flights with them in the future for such a ridiculous customer service.
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Unbelievable.... flying to Heraklion on the 2nd July... I knew this was not going to happen on the 28th July due to Greeks not opening an Air Bridge... at 13.57 on 29th email saying “you need to go online and receive your boarding pass - 16.38 email advising “flight cancelled” - 17.42 email advising me to “Complete government coronavirus entry form for Greece ... have never used Wizzair and never ever will.....luckily I hadn’t booked accommodation or a hire car, those unfortunate passengers who had , would have lost all their money as the cancellation time was so near to departure.
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Hi Paula,
We are very sorry to hear about this unfortunate incident. We understand that situation has been a really stressful one. Still, great that you haven't book accommodation and place a car rental to minimize damage due to cancelled Wizz Air flight. We got same experience this summer and its really frustrating to get slow and negative responses from concerned companies.
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The worst company ever, staff are extremely useless, customer service double useless, bunch of incompetent people working for wizz air, total rubbish company, avoid using if you can. I bought return tickets for 2 passengers for 250£, want it to cancel the tickets to get refund 1 month before travel and wizz air asked me for 240£ cancellation fees, how stupid. no point at all, never use their service please. I wish Wizz air to bankrupt soon as possible. Companies like this should not operate at all. And also if you want to take your money they dont refund them to you they keep them in your wizz account to purchase another ticket which i find so stupid, if you ask for refund money should be transferred back to your card to use not in silly wizz air account. Never fly with this company.
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Thank you for the comment.
Sounds quite an annoying situation. Cancellation without a real refund.
Unfortunately, this is how almost all airlines work. Cancelling economy tickets is really expensive. Quite often, not any money back. This is how they make business when fares are low.
A travel insurance may help if there has been a good reason for cancelling the tickets.
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Unfortunately, I see myself forced to write a negative review for my first and only experience with Wizz Air. If you are a traveller or enjoy visiting new cities please take 2 mins to read this:
I had a flight from Berlin to Budapest on 6.12.2019, it was overbooked so I was denied boarding.
I contacted the airlines in the next day and until today I didn’t receive the compensation as per the EU regulations. I was accused of not showing up at the counter to take the denied boarding form.
This is not true because I showed up in the counter and was given back the check-in money in cash. In addition, I was granted a one night stay at the airport’s hotel and the officers clarified to me to claim the compensation online. So how can I not show up in the counter and take these?
I understand that an overbooked flight can just happen but what is not accepted is to spend 40+ days sending several emails to get the compensation.
At the moment I am not sure if this review will move something yet I think that when someone reads this will definitely think twice before booking with #Wizzair.
#complain
#over_booking
#EU_regulations
#berlin_sxf-
Thanks for the well formulated comment.
Clearly, you are entitled to EU261 fixed compensation. You should contact European Consumer Centre for assistance. Sad that Wizz Air has treated you this badly.
Hopefully you get the case solved in a good way.
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Hi Tomáš,
We can relate deeply to where your comments are comming from. Have you had such experience with WizzAir lately? Thanks for your comment, it's a valuable information for other readers.