Wizz Air cancelled or delayed flight: your compensation
If your Wizz Air flight arrived 3 hours or more late, was cancelled at short notice, or you were denied boarding, EU Regulation 261/2004 may entitle you to €250 to €600 per passenger — whatever you paid for the ticket.
Last updated: October 2, 2026
Airkarma handles claims under EU Regulation 261/2004: flights departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland, and flights into those countries on a European airline. Flights departing from the United Kingdom fall under UK261, which we do not handle yet.
How much you can claim
- €250
- Flights up to 1,500 km
- €400
- Flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and every flight over 1,500 km within the EU
- €600
- Flights over 3,500 km, except flights within the EU
Per passenger, including children with their own seat. If the airline re-routed you and you arrived no more than 2, 3 or 4 hours late, depending on the distance, it may halve the amount (Article 7(2)).
No win, no fee: if we recover your compensation, we keep 25% incl. VAT. If we don't, you pay nothing.
When EU261 covers a Wizz Air flight
Whether EU261 covers a Wizz Air flight depends on which of Wizz Air's airlines operated it. Every Wizz Air flight departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland is covered. A flight into those countries is covered only if Wizz Air Hungary or Wizz Air Malta operated it; if Wizz Air UK operated it, EU261 does not apply to that flight, and the United Kingdom's own rules (UK261) do instead.
Your rights by situation
Delayed flight
If you reached your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time, you are entitled to compensation as if the flight had been cancelled, as the Court of Justice of the EU confirmed in 2009 (Sturgeon). What counts is when you arrive — when the aircraft doors open — not when you took off.
Cancelled flight
If Wizz Air cancelled your flight and told you less than 14 days before departure, compensation is due unless it offered you another flight leaving and arriving close to your original times (Article 5). Whatever the notice, you can choose between a refund and a replacement flight.
Denied boarding
If you were refused boarding against your will — usually because the flight was overbooked — although you had a confirmed booking and checked in on time, compensation is due straight away (Article 4).
Care while you wait
Whatever caused the disruption, while you wait Wizz Air must provide meals and refreshments and, if you have to stay overnight, a hotel and transport to it (Article 9).
What to know about claiming from Wizz Air
- Wizz Air flies as three airlines: Wizz Air Hungary, licensed in Hungary; Wizz Air Malta, licensed in Malta; and Wizz Air UK, licensed in the United Kingdom, which flies from London Luton and Gatwick. Your booking or boarding pass names the airline that operated your flight; a flight number starting with W9 is Wizz Air UK.
- Because Wizz Air Hungary and Wizz Air Malta are European airlines, EU261 also covers their flights into the EU from outside it, for example from Albania or North Macedonia. The same flight operated by an airline from outside the EU would not be covered.
- Most Wizz Air flights stay within Europe, where the compensation is €250 for flights up to 1,500 km and €400 for longer flights within the EU, or for flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km to or from outside it. €600 applies only to flights over 3,500 km, of which Wizz Air flies few.
- When a flight is cancelled, Wizz Air often offers to refund it as WIZZ credit, sometimes worth more than the fare, to spend on future Wizz Air flights. You can choose a refund in money to your original payment method instead. Compensation is a separate payment and is owed in money: the regulation allows travel vouchers only if you agree to them in writing.
- Since February 2026, Wizz Air sells connecting journeys through WIZZ Link, built with Dohop. These are self-transfer journeys: each flight is a separate booking, you collect your bags and check in again, and Wizz Air does not guarantee the connection. If a late first flight makes you miss the second, the second is not covered as a missed connection. Each flight is assessed on its own: the late flight can still give compensation if it arrived 3 hours or more late.
When compensation is unlikely
Compensation is usually not due when:
- the flight arrived less than 3 hours late;
- you were told about the cancellation at least 14 days before departure;
- the disruption was caused by extraordinary circumstances that could not have been avoided even if all reasonable measures had been taken — for example severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, a security risk, or a strike by staff who do not work for the airline;
- the flight is not covered by EU261 (see above).
A technical fault, or a strike by Wizz Air's own staff, is generally not an extraordinary circumstance, so compensation is usually still due.
If Wizz Air refuses to pay
If Wizz Air rejects your claim or does not reply, you can complain to the national enforcement body of the country your flight departed from.
Every EU country has one, as do Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.
Or let us handle it: we take your claim to Wizz Air, and to the enforcement body or to court if needed.
Frequently asked questions
Does EU261 cover my Wizz Air flight?
Whether EU261 covers a Wizz Air flight depends on which of Wizz Air's airlines operated it. Every Wizz Air flight departing from the EU, Iceland, Norway or Switzerland is covered. A flight into those countries is covered only if Wizz Air Hungary or Wizz Air Malta operated it; if Wizz Air UK operated it, EU261 does not apply to that flight, and the United Kingdom's own rules (UK261) do instead.
How much compensation can I get from Wizz Air?
€250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km and for every flight over 1,500 km within the EU, and €600 for longer flights — per passenger, whatever the ticket cost.
What does it cost to claim with Airkarma?
Nothing up front. If we recover your compensation, we keep 25% incl. VAT. If we don't, you pay nothing.
Wizz Air offered me WIZZ credit for my cancelled flight. Do I have to accept it?
No. You can choose a refund of your ticket in money instead, paid to the card or account you paid from. Accepting a refund, in money or in credit, does not cost you your compensation: if the cancellation was within Wizz Air's control and you were told less than 14 days before departure, compensation of €250 to €600 is owed on top, in money.
I missed my second flight, booked through WIZZ Link, because my first Wizz Air flight was late. Can I claim?
Not for the missed connection: WIZZ Link journeys are separate bookings, so EU261 looks at each flight on its own. You can claim for the first flight if it arrived 3 hours or more late for a reason within Wizz Air's control. If you added Dohop's ConnectSure protection, Dohop rebooks you onto a later flight.
My Wizz Air flight from London to the EU was delayed. Am I covered?
It depends on which Wizz Air airline operated it. If it was Wizz Air Hungary or Wizz Air Malta, EU261 applies. If it was Wizz Air UK, EU261 does not cover that flight: the UK's own rules (UK261) apply, which we do not handle yet. Your booking or boarding pass names the operating airline.
Airkarma is an independent claims service and is not affiliated with Wizz Air.