How to claim Wizz Air delay compensation: amounts, steps and excuses that don’t hold up
Reviewed by José Romero Lara
EU261 aviation lawyer — 5+ years as in-house legal counsel at international airlines
If your Wizz Air flight reached its final destination 3 or more hours late, Regulation (EC) 261/2004 entitles you to €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. This guide covers when the Regulation applies to Wizz Air, what you’re owed and how to file the claim.
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Check my flight1When EU261 applies to a Wizz Air flight
Wizz Air is a Hungarian airline, so an EU carrier, and the group also flies with Wizz Air Malta, likewise an EU carrier, and with the British Wizz Air UK. What decides whether the European Regulation applies is not which of them operates your flight, but which airport it leaves from:
Any flight departing an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, whether the Hungarian, the Maltese or the British company operates it.
Flights arriving in the EU from outside it when Wizz Air Hungary or Wizz Air Malta operates them, as both are EU carriers; for example from Albania, Serbia or the United Kingdom.
Connections on a single booking: what counts is the delay on arrival at your final destination (CJEU, C-11/11).
Wizz Air UK flights leaving the United Kingdom for a destination outside the EU: those follow the UK’s own version of the rules, handled by the CAA rather than AESA.
Delays caused by extraordinary circumstances Wizz Air can prove, such as a storm or an air traffic control decision that affected your flight.
2How much Wizz Air pays for a delay
EU261 compensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
Flights between Spain and Italy, or short hops within central Europe
Over 1,500 km within the EU, or 1,500–3,500 km
Madrid–Bucharest, Barcelona–Warsaw and most of its routes between Spain and eastern Europe
Over 3,500 km outside the EU
Wizz Air operates few routes this long
The amounts are set by the Regulation and are the same for every airline: they do not depend on what you paid for the ticket or on the extras you bought. Distance is measured in a straight line between the departure airport and your final destination.
Check how much I’m owed3How to claim from Wizz Air, step by step
- 1
Keep your documents
Booking with its confirmation code, boarding pass and Wizz Air’s notices about the delay. Keep receipts for food or transport you paid for too.
- 2
Check the actual arrival time
What counts is when the aircraft door opened at your destination, not the landing time (CJEU, C-452/13). You can look it up on tracking services such as FlightAware.
- 3
File your claim on Wizz Air’s form
It sits in the customer service section of wizzair.com. Give your booking code, the flight number and date, the hours of delay on arrival, Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and the amount you’re claiming. Keep the case number.
- 4
Give it a month
If it doesn’t reply or rejects the claim, you can complain free of charge to AESA when the flight departed Spain or arrived in Spain from outside the EU.
- 5
Escalate: AESA, court or AviFly
You can pursue it with AESA, sue yourself (no lawyer up to €2,000) or let AviFly handle the claim with nothing to pay upfront.
4Common excuses and what the law says
To avoid paying, Wizz Air has to prove an extraordinary circumstance that affected your flight and that it couldn’t have avoided with reasonable measures.
"It was due to extraordinary circumstances"
Ask in writing for the specific cause and its evidence (weather report, air traffic control notice). A generic phrase isn’t enough.
"There was a technical problem"
A fault from maintenance or normal use of the aircraft doesn’t exempt the airline (CJEU, Wallentin-Hermann C-549/07 and van der Lans C-257/14).
"There was a strike"
A strike by Wizz Air’s own staff is not an extraordinary circumstance (CJEU, C-28/20). One by controllers or airport staff can be, if it proves the strike affected your flight.
"The aircraft arrived late from its previous flight"
That only exempts the airline if the previous flight was hit by an extraordinary circumstance, there’s a direct link to your delay and Wizz Air took reasonable measures (CJEU, C-74/19).
"Your fare didn’t include WIZZ Flex"
WIZZ Flex and the other extras are commercial services for changing your flight and have nothing to do with compensation: the right comes from the Regulation and is the same on the cheapest fare.
5What to do if Wizz Air doesn’t reply or rejects your claim
A rejection doesn’t close the case. You have three options:
AESA
A free online complaint. Attach your claim to Wizz Air and its reply, or proof that a month passed with no answer. For flights from 2 June 2023, an AESA ruling is binding: if Wizz Air doesn’t pay within a month, you can enforce it in court. It takes AESA 90 to 180 days to decide.
Going to court
No lawyer or court agent up to €2,000. Even though Wizz Air is based in Budapest, you can sue in the courts of the flight’s departure or arrival airport (CJEU, Rehder C-204/08). In Spain the generally accepted time limit is 5 years from the flight (Art. 1964 of the Spanish Civil Code).
AviFly
We handle the claim, the negotiation and, if needed, the lawsuit. We only charge if you get your money: 15% + VAT out of court and 30% + VAT in court.
AviFly claims from Wizz Air for you
Nothing upfront. We only charge if you recover your compensation.
Claim from Wizz AirFrequently asked questions about claiming from Wizz Air
How long a delay before Wizz Air pays compensation?
From 3 hours’ delay on arrival at your final destination. Below that there’s no cash compensation, though you’re entitled to food and drink from 2 hours on flights up to 1,500 km.
How long does Wizz Air take to reply?
There is no fixed legal deadline. If it hasn’t answered your claim within a month, you can go to AESA or to court.
Do I need to have bought WIZZ Flex to claim?
No. WIZZ Flex is an optional service for changing your flight. Delay compensation is set by Regulation (EC) 261/2004 and does not depend on your fare or on any extras you bought.
Wizz Air is based in Budapest — can I claim from Spain?
Yes. If the flight left a Spanish airport or arrived at one, the Spanish courts have jurisdiction (CJEU, Rehder C-204/08), and AESA accepts the complaint when the flight departed Spain.
Does EU261 cover a flight operated by Wizz Air UK?
Yes when it departs an airport in the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland. If it leaves the United Kingdom, the UK’s own version of the rules applies, with the same amounts in pounds.
Do I have to accept Wizz Air credit instead of money?
No. Compensation is paid in money; it can only be paid in vouchers or credit if you agree in writing (Art. 7(3) of the Regulation).