New Wizz Air flight announced to an exotic destination
Wizz Air, Hungary’s low-cost airline, announced a new direct flight from Budapest Airport to an exotic destination, one of Spain’s fabulous tourist hotspots.
New Wizz Air flight to Gran Canaria this autumn
According to the airline’s recently-shared statement, the new flight will start carrying passengers to Gran Canaria from 22 October. You may book your tickets on Wizz Air’s website and mobile app.
Gran Canaria offers natural wonders, hidden beaches, and beautiful valleys. There are multiple historical and cultural sights to visit, and places for entertainment, and you may also experience the island’s unique gastronomic offer.
Wizz Air continues to expand in Europe and the Middle East. We wrote about their new flights to Brussels’ Zaventem, Brassó (Brasov), Bucharest, Yerevan (Armenia), Stuttgart and Valencia. Moreover, the airline will begin to operate two new Airbus A321neo planes in its Budapest base. That means the number of aircraft serving passengers from the Hungarian capital will increase to 16.
You may travel there on Tuesdays and Saturdays
Zsuzsa Trubek, the airline’s communications manager, said they were happy to increase the number of their holiday flights from Budapest to the Canary Islands in autumn. She added that the new route was their eighth to Spain. She highlighted they would like to offer more exciting and affordable destinations to their passengers.
The new flight to Spain will commute twice a week, on Tuesday and on Saturday. Ticket prices will start from HUF 20,590 (EUR 52.3).
Orbán cabinet calls for boosting Hungary-Montenegro economic, tourism ties
Márton Nagy, the national economy minister, on Thursday held talks with Vladimir Martinovic, Montenegro’s minister for tourism, his ministry said. Nagy and Martinovic discussed the international trends impacting the region’s economy and tourism potential as well as the possible areas for deepening bilateral cooperation, the national economy ministry said in a statement.
Nagy said Montenegro was an important partner for Hungary, noting that bilateral trade turnover came close to 100 million euros in 2023. Hungarian investments in Montenegro reached 314 million euros in 2022, making the Western Balkan country the 21st destination for Hungarian capital that year, he added.
Meanwhile, he welcomed that more than 4,300 Montenegrin tourists spent over 11,000 guest nights in Hungary in the first half of this year, which is a 39 percent increase in the number of tourists and a 42 percent rise in the number of guest nights compared with last year. The two weekly flights between Budapest and Podgorica, he said, provided a solid basis for developing tourism relations. Nagy also underscored Hungary’s support for Montenegro’s European Union integration, saying the country was ready for EU membership, which would also be beneficial for the bloc.
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BREAKING: Wizz Air president resigns!
Wizz Air Holdings Plc. President Robert Carey left the company today. Bloomberg wrote the decision paved the way “for promotions of three executives across the Hungarian budget carrier”.
We shared an article about Mr Carey’s interview with AeroTelegraph, a German air travel media outlet, in which he talked about expansion plans, Ukraine operation, the problems with the Pratt & Whitney engines and Wizz Air’s new flights with their new A321 XLR planes. He did not talk about departing the airline.
Based on Bloomberg, “Chief Operations Officer Michael Delehant will become senior chief commercial and operations officer, while Diarmuid O’Conghaile, the managing director of Wizz Air Malta, will become chief operating officer, Wizz said in a statement. Head of Operations Control Mauro Peneda will be taking on O’Conghaile’s role at Wizz Air Malta.”
Wizz Air shares began to drop after the resignation
Mr Carey joined Wizz Air in June 2021. Before that, he worked for Delta Air Lines Inc., EasyJet Plc., and America West Airlines. Based on the current statement, he left Wizz Air to be able to handle his other interests.
Following the announcement, Wizz Air’s share value dropped by 1%. That makes a 7.5% share drop this year, index.hu wrote.
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Chaos: Wizz Air flights in brutal delays, many passengers missed Cyprus plane!
The waiting time for the Budapest-Catania flight from Budapest to Catania exceeded two days. In another case, the plane to Cyprus took off with a 6-hour-long delay. However, in the latter case, many passengers missed the flight due to lack of information.
Wizz Air flight to and from Catania in days-long delays
According to Utazómajom, a Hungarian travel news outlet, Wizz Air’s W6 2353 flight should have left Catania in Sicily at 6.25 PM on 1 July. First, the airline modified that to 10.00 PM and checked the passengers in. Later it became clear that the plane would not depart, so they got a HUF 10,000 (EUR 25.32) voucher.
The next departure time was 8 AM the next day, modified to 7.30 PM and then 11.20 PM. Utazómajom’s reader bought her ticket via a travel agency.
The delay of the twin from Catania was similar. Finally, the flight was cancelled. However, the situation of the passengers in Sicily was much worse than in Budapest. There were so many people that they could not get fresh air or find a seat.
The airline could find accommodation only at 3 AM. In the morning, they had to leave the hotel and continue to wait for their delayed flight on Tuesday. Based on the passengers, Wizz Air did not share any detailed information, only notifications of the delays. There were 200 passengers waiting for the flight, some of them spending the night at the airport, children and older people included.
Finally, the flight to Catania took off at 3.27 AM today and landed at 5.20 AM in Budapest. The delay was two days.
Air traffic controllers, engine problems
Wizz Air said the multiple delays were not their fault but the result of the labour shortage of the traffic controllers. We detailed that in THIS article. Utazómajom said the airline launched multiple new flights yesterday to Yerevan (Armenia), Bucharest and Brassó (Brasov), and they hope the delays will not become more frequent because of that.
Moreover, they must tackle the problems of the Pratt & Whitney engines because of which lots of their planes are grounded, and they must wet-lease aircraft. Even so, the President of the airline remained confident about future prospects. We wrote about that HERE.
Passengers missed the Larnaca flight after a huge delay
The take off-time of the flight was 4.15 PM on Monday, but the airline informed the passengers that their flight would depart with a one-hour delay. However, the check-in date did not change. As a result, passengers waited inside for the plane to depart but nothing happened.
Due to the weather conditions, the aircraft remained on the ground, but they got a HUF 3,000 (EUR 7.60) voucher only 13 minutes before the only place they could have used it closed, Utazómajom wrote based on the report of a passenger.
The airline communicated that the plane would depart at 11.10 PM, so the passengers went to buy some food and drinks while they waited. However, at 9.30 PM, the departure time was changed to 9.50 PM unexpectedly on the information board. At the information desk, they said there should be a mistake. However, that was no mistake. The plane left at 9.50 PM, and many passengers remained at Budapest Airport while eating the sandwiches they bought.
The plane took off at 10.10 PM, and since Wizz Air did not send emails or messages to the passengers, many missed it. They believed that their flight would only depart at 11.10 PM, as previously announced.
According to Wizz Air’s reply, nine passengers missed the plane and did not show up despite multiple warnings via the loudspeaker.
Airlines must fully reimburse passengers if a flight is cancelled or allow the possibility of a rebooking on the next available flight, the Metropolitan Government Office said in a statement on Tuesday.
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New Wizz Air flight connects Budapest with city close to Dracula’s castle
The launch of a Budapest-Brasov (Brassó) service by Wizz Air is an important step for both cities and countries, a government official said at Liszt Ferenc International airport on Tuesday. Dracula’s castle is not far from the Brasov-Vidombák international airport.
Ferenc Antal, a deputy state secretary at the national economy ministry and a member of the board of Liszt Ferenc International operator Budapest Airport, said the flight operating three times a week would contribute to the further strengthening of business and cultural ties between Hungary and Romania.
Wizz Air corporate and ESG officer Yvonne Moynihan said the flight is the sixth new route from Budapest announced by the airline this summer, adding that more services will be launched later.
Budapest Airport deputy chief executive Balazs Bogats noted that borders controls with Romania have been lifted as the country has joined the EU’s passport-free Schengen zone.
Brasov-Vidombák international airport is just 30 kilometres away from Bran (Törcsvár) and the mesmerizing “Dracula castle” located in the village. Read more about Elon Musk’s Halloween party in the castle in THIS article.
Read also:
- Béla Lugosi: The best Dracula of all time and the tragic end of his life – Read more HERE
- Was Dracula really a Hungarian Count? – photos, video and details in THIS article
Turmoil: 240 Wizz Air passengers left stranded in Italy
Recently, flight delays have surged dramatically at both domestic and international airports. Among low-cost airlines, Wizz Air frequently faces criticism, with weekly reports of passengers stranded at airports. Significant disruptions have recently affected flights from Italy to Budapest.
240 passengers stranded in Italy
An Index reader reported that on 27 June, Wizz Air’s flight from Bari to Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc International Airport was initially delayed by three hours. Eventually, the 240 passengers, including Hungarians, Italians, and Americans, were informed that the flight would depart the next evening, on June 28. Though the airline promised accommodations, passengers never received them.
Passengers were later told the flight would proceed, and they were transported to the plane on crowded buses. However, the boarding never happened, and they were returned to the terminal. Following the final cancellation around 2 AM, passengers were left to wait in the terminal without accommodation or proper information. They were not informed about the reason for the cancellation or the next departure time, nor did they receive their luggage. With no flights to Budapest available until Sunday evening, passengers had to arrange their own way home.
One reader recounted taking a taxi to a Flixbus bound for Naples, then flying to Vienna, and finally travelling to Budapest by train or bus, all at their own expense.
A similar issue occurred with another flight from Italy: the 26 June flight from Milan to Budapest, scheduled for 9:30 PM, was delayed by over 24 hours, finally departing on the morning of 28 June, a reader of Utazómajom wrote. Initially, the departure time changed from 5:14 PM to midnight, then to 8:13 AM the next day. Passengers were accommodated at a hotel 25 kilometres from the airport, with promised transfers that never arrived. As a result, 30 passengers missed the flight the next morning and had to seek help from the consulate to reach the airport by taxi. The airline eventually rebooked them on a 9:50 PM flight, which again was delayed, finally departing Milan at 3:20 AM.
Wizz Air’s response
Responding to questions from Economx about the reasons for the Bari flight delay, the lack of accommodations, and any compensation for the passengers, Wizz Air explained that the rescheduling was due to stormy weather. They were unable to book accommodations because all hotels were fully booked. However, Wizz Air assured that they would reimburse all incurred expenses if passengers submit receipts to the airline.
In a statement issued on 28 June, Wizz Air detailed the reasons behind the problem. According to the statement, the weather has made it difficult for air traffic control authorities and Eurocontrol to manage air traffic across the industry, leading to significant delays and flight cancellations across Europe.
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New Wizz Air flight: another European capital now accessible from Budapest!
Wizz Air now offers flights twice a week, on Thursdays and Sundays, between the capitals of Budapest and Yerevan.
Armenia is now more accessible from Hungary this summer. Adventurers can fly directly to Yerevan and enjoy the city’s year-round sunshine. Don’t miss the terrace-like Cascade complex, the Opera House, the Matenadaran museum and the city’s vibrant squares. Yerevan, the Armenian capital, boasts a rich historical and cultural heritage. Among the city’s many attractions are one of the world’s richest medieval libraries and countless atmospheric squares, which offer an exciting place to explore, according to Budapest Airport.
50 million passengers from Hungary – Wizz Air celebrates with a prize competition
The Hungarian low-cost airline has reached a monumental milestone, flying 50 million passengers from Hungary. To celebrate, they are hosting a prize competition. “To celebrate this incredible journey and our Hungarian passengers, we’re giving you a chance to win. 5 lucky winners will each receive a 500 EUR voucher to use on their next Wizz Air adventure!
To enter the competition, you need to:
– Post a photo or video on Instagram showcasing your travel experience with Wizz Air from Hungary
– Use their hashtag #WIZZutazo in your caption
– Make sure your profile is public so they can see your entries!
The deadline is 2 July, so hurry up! You still have a chance to win!”
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Wizz Air: Delays are not the airline’s fault
According to Wizz Air, their flights from Hungary have seen a 25% reduction in delays this year and 72% fewer cancellations in two years. The budget airline is constantly introducing new destinations and more frequent flights to several European countries. However, delays cannot be eliminated and the airline has little to do with them – according to Wizz Air.
Wizz Air’s success story?
As Világgazdaság writes, the low-cost airline has a two-decade record of taking 420 million passengers to their destinations. Over 50 million people have flown with Wizz Air from Budapest in the last 20 years. The Hungarian airline is launching six new flights from the capital this summer. Wizz Air’s Head of Communications, András Radó, says that new flights will depart next week to Brasov and Bucharest. In addition, direct flights to Brussels, Yerevan, Stuttgart and Valencia will also be launched this year.
The low-cost airline is constantly looking to open up new routes to include areas that are still unimaginable today. 47 new XLR aircraft that will arrive next spring will have a range of more than 8,700 kilometres. While no decision has been made regarding the destinations for new long-haul flights, potential routes include London to Abu Dhabi and Singapore, as well as Budapest to Mumbai. However, it is confirmed that Wizz Air still has no plans to fly to America.
The most popular destinations
The most popular summer destinations include Greece, Turkey, Malta, Portugal, Egypt and Iceland. However, the Budapest–Eindhoven and Budapest–Lisbon routes accommodate the most passengers throughout the year. Last year, bookings were made 100 days before the trip on average. As it seems, people are planning a bit more ahead, as this number grew to 108 this year. Passengers typically travel with 20 kg checked baggage.
Due to rising demand, capacity has been expanded to Spain, Italy, and France. In preparation for the Paris Olympics, the number of flights between Budapest and Paris will be increased from 16 June to 30 September, featuring daily flights to Paris Orly Airport.
The delays carry on
Air traffic controllers face shortages due to retirements, redundancies, and lengthy training periods. András Radó emphasised the need for a unified European air traffic control system, as the current national systems complicate operations. Frequent strikes by air traffic controllers in Italy, France, Germany, and Spain disrupt traffic significantly. Therefore, the delays will carry on, but the problem is outside the scope of the budget airline’s powers.
Wizz Air’s head of communication assured that passengers are notified of delays, and the company’s information process is comparable to other airlines. The spokesperson did not comment on the Hungarian authorities’ investigation into delays.
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EasyJet launches new flight from Budapest to the City of Love, Wizz plane struck by lightning – VIDEO
British multinational low-cost airline group EasyJet will launch a new flight from Budapest to the City of Love, Paris this October.
New flight from Budapest to the French capital
According to airportal.hu, the flight will commute between Budapest’s Liszt Ferenc Airport (BUD) and Paris’s Charles de Gaulle International Airport (CDG). The planes will carry passengers four days weekly in the airline’s winter schedule.
The first flight will take off on 27 October from Budapest and will commute on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays between Paris and Budapest. The exact times of departure and arrival will change each week. The flight will not operate on 25 December and between 8 January and 5 February, based on the data from the airline’s booking system.
New flight to Lyon
Tickets are available until the end of the winter timetable, with the last flight available on 28 March. Before, EasyJet operated flights on the route until the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The British budget airline re-introduced its Budapest-Lyon flight in April. The first plane will take off on 21 August. Based on the plans, the new route will remain until October with two flights weekly. We detailed that and wrote about the moderate ticket prices for the flight in THIS article. Though EasyJet started to close their Budapest routes one after the other before, the new flights mean they do not plan to leave the Hungarian capital.
Wizz Air plane struck by lightning
A Wizz Air plane heading to London was struck by lightning, and a passenger made a video of the terrifying event and shared it in a PlaneSpotting Facebook group. Thankfully, nobody was injured, and they could continue their journey without a problem, hvg.hu wrote.
The lightning probably struck the nose cone of the aircraft while part of the electric charge left the plane through its wings.
Lightning does not endanger the planes since they are Faraday cages, so the hull made of metal diverts the electricity and protects all people travelling on board. Statistics say that an average plane gets struck by lightning once or twice yearly. Here is the video:
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VIDEO of Wizz Air’s Budapest flight being struck by lightning
One of the passengers filmed from inside the plane as lightning struck a Wizz Air flight from Budapest to London on Saturday morning.
Wizz Air plane struck by lightning
Wizz Air flight W62201 from Budapest to London was struck by lightning on the morning of 22 June, rtl.hu reports.
The incident was reported by a passenger in the public Facebook group “Légiközlekedés – Repülés – PlaneSpotting“. The Airbus A321-271NX on Wizz Air flight W62201 and its occupants were unharmed, the passenger wrote in a comment.
The interesting thing is that there was only light and a small sound effect, the plane continued its journey undisturbed. In front of us, a passenger was snorting the whole flight, not even alerted. So it was a little bump, nothing more!
The passenger was filming the dense thunderstorm cloud in which the plane was travelling and was lucky enough to catch the moment of the lightning strike. According to rtl.hu, footage showing what it’s like to be struck by lightning from inside the cabin of a passenger jet is rare.
@zsom3ditz1
The lightning is believed to have struck the nose of the plane, and some of the massive electrical charge was discharged on the wings. The slow-motion version of the video shows the lightning passing through several points on the right wing:
Is lightning dangerous for those travelling on the plane?
Zsolt Szüle, an instructor pilot, told Index that the body of the plane is protected by a layer of aluminium on the outside, which remains intact in the event of a lightning strike.
According to rtl.hu, the fuselage, made partly from aluminium and other similarly conductive metal alloys, acts as a lightning rod, conducting the electrical charge in such a way that the passengers remain unharmed.
The aircraft’s sensitive instruments and equipment are protected against surges, so they are not damaged in the tenth of a second it takes for lightning to pass through the fuselage. This is why, despite statistics showing that the average passenger or cargo plane is struck by lightning once or twice a year, there are no reports of any air incidents because of it.
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BREAKING: Hungarian authorities launch investigations against Wizz Air, Ryanair, SunExpress, Eurowings!
The Government Office of Budapest has launched investigations against budget airlines Wizz Air, Ryanair, SunExpress and Eurowings due to their considerable delays in recent days.
According to Telex, the government office’s statement did not specify which delays were under investigation.
On Sunday, we reported that dozens of fans could not travel to the Scotland-Hungary EURO 2024 group stage match with the German airline Eurowings because its plane departed significantly late. On 15 June, Wizz Air’s aircraft to Dortmund also experienced a delay, causing many fans to miss the Hungarian national team’s first match against Switzerland.
Hungarian authorities may fine budget airlines
The government office will assess whether the airlines complied with the EU’s regulations regarding providing information and assistance to their passengers. If they find any infringements during the investigation, they will initiate criminal proceedings against the budget airlines concerned.
Most delays affected Hungarian fans travelling to see the national team’s matches at EURO 2024. Our team has a chance to advance from the group stage. Based on Eurosport, the prerequisite is a Czech and Georgian defeat or draw against Türkiye and Portugal today.
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Will Wizz Air fly to US, Canada destinations in 2025? – the President answered
President Robert Carey gave an interview to AeroTelegraph, a German air travel media outlet. He talked about the expansion plans of the Hungarian low-cost airline, their operation in Ukraine, the problems with the Pratt & Whitney engines and where Wizz Air would like to fly with its new A321 XLR planes.
50 Wizz Air planes on the ground due to engine problems
Mr Carey said that they were able to solve the problems arising after the breakout of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, 2024 will be a year without further growth because of the problems of the Pratt & Whitney engines.
He said 50 of their planes are currently on the ground due to the reparation process, so they must be super efficient to maintain their flight programme. He added that it took almost six months to identify the real problems.
He said they ordered 330 aircraft from Airbus and they would get them with minor delays.
New destinations with the new, long-haul aircraft
Carey highlighted that the first A321 XLR was scheduled to fly in March 2025. The budget airline has not yet announced its destinations. Carey said they had large bases in the West, but the markets were in the East. Therefore, they would turn to North Africa and Asia. As an example, he mentioned that the new plane could fly from Abu Dhabi to Singapore.
He cleared they had many goals in the East, but Transatlantic destinations were not on the agenda.
Concerning their expansion in Eastern Europe, Carey said the expansion potential is greater in the East than in the West of the continent. That is because 50% fewer people fly in Eastern Europe than in Western Europe.
They want to be market leaders again in Ukraine
Concerning Ukraine, he expressed their will to return the moment the war ends. He said they were the leading airline in the country before the Russian invasion and planned to hold that title after the end of the violence. He added they had four planes stationed at the moment of the Russian attack. One from Lviv could leave the country, but three remained in Kyiv. They removed their engines and used them in other aircraft.
Concerning staff problems, Carey said they struggled with difficulties before. However, their cadet programs helped a lot. That is why they opened a new school in Rome.
Robert Carey has been working as President of Wizz Air since 2021.
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Is Wizz Air distracting passengers with false baggage information?
According to a Hungarian travel news media outlet, the Hungarian low-cost airline operates with multiple errors. For example, Wizz Air may encourage passengers to buy baggage places with false information.
Wizz Air errors corrected
Utazómajom said that the Hungarian budget airline abolished an extra fee thanks to their previous articles and complaining emails. We detailed that HERE. Moreover, they corrected the wrong check-in times during their booking process after the news outlet wrote about it. However, there is one more error they should pay attention to.
The news outlet asked the Hungarian low-cost airline not to share false baggage information. One of the advantages of WIZZ Priority is that “you are entitled to bring with you a free Carry-on Bag (max. size 40 x 30 x 20 cm*) and an extra “Trolley Bag” (max. 55 x 40 x 23 cm*; with or without wheels, but must remain within size, weight limits). It is guaranteed you can bring both bags with you into the cabin area, unless it is impossible due to operational restrictions.”
Does Wizz Air distract passengers?
However, passengers obtaining WIZZ Priority receive “purchase encouraging” information via email before their travel that does not contain the “trolley bag”.
Passengers having enough experience may not be distracted but all others will be. As a result, they may buy additional baggage even though they will not need it. Utazómajom sent the complaint to Wizz Air, but they have not answered yet. They only hope that the Hungarian airline will solve the problem soon.
Ryanair passengers wait more than a day to get home to Budapest
It is not easy to travel these days. We wrote HERE that passengers missed the Hungarian team’s group match against Scotland in Stuttgart because their plane did not take off in time. Moreover, another flight did not take off to Rome because the pilot fell ill.
A Ryanair flight should have taken off in Barcelona at Sunday 9.20 PM but remained in the Catalonian capital. The takeoff was postponed several times, resulting in chaotic scenes at the airport. Finally, passengers were taken to a hotel 40 kilometres away, where they arrived at 2 AM on Monday. They were to travel back at 8 AM, but the bus did not show up.
Instead of a bus, they got an SMS that Ryanair cancelled their new flight as well. Thus, they could depart Spain only at 11.30 PM.
Some passengers did not believe what the Irish budget airline said and came home with a Wizz Air flight, delayed by only one hour. Utazómajom’s last update concerning the issue said that the rest of Ryanair’s passengers were due to leave Barcelona at 2.30 AM today.
Read also:
- Wizz Air launches flights to ‘the heart of Europe’ from Budapest – Read more HERE
- Ryanair announces winter timetable: New routes and key changes from Budapest
A tough Sunday for air passengers in Hungary: Hungarian football fans left behind, plane crash and cancelled flight
It appears that Sunday, 23rd June was a challenging day for air passengers in Hungary. Football fans were left behind due to overbooking, a small plane crashed near Budapest and a flight from Rome was cancelled due to the pilot falling ill. What a tragically eventful day. Here are the details of these three unfortunate incidents.
Football fans left in Budapest
Telex reports that about 200 Hungarian football fans were left stranded on Sunday before Hungary’s match against Scotland. The Eurowings flight to Stuttgart, scheduled to depart at 4.15 pm, was still in Budapest at 7.45 p.m. Some fans, fearing they would miss the kick-off, decided to head home and watch the match from the comfort of their own homes. A reader wrote to Telex:
“When all passengers had boarded by 6.40 p.m., it was announced that there were further problems due to overbooking, causing some to get into heated arguments with the crew and pilots. When this seemed to have been resolved, we were told that we would be further delayed as six bags had been put on the plane that were originally destined for another city, so everyone with checked luggage would have to get off the plane and find their own.”
Plane crash near Budapest
On the same day, Index reported that a 17-year-old girl crashed her glider at Dunakeszi Airport in Hungary and was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The glider’s wing was severely damaged, and she suffered multiple skull fractures and severe leg injuries. A family member called the ambulance when the glider was no longer visible. Turbulence is believed to have caused the accident. An ambulance helicopter and firefighters attended the scene, and the girl was taken to hospital on ventilator support.
Rome–Budapest flight cancelled
Telex writes that on Saturday, Wizz Air had to cancel an evening flight from Rome to Budapest because the pilot fell ill. One of their readers shared the unfortunate story. At 11.35 p.m., passengers were notified via text that their Wizz Air flight from Rome to Budapest had been cancelled and rescheduled for 4.00 p.m. the next day. The waiting area was full of distressed passengers, including small children, elderly people and pregnant women.
After a 30-minute wait, they were informed that the cancellation was due to the pilot falling ill. Around 200-220 passengers collected their baggage at 12.56 a.m. and were taken to the check-in section without any drinks or food. They were misled for hours about receiving accommodation, which ultimately did not materialise. Only about 20 passengers, including vulnerable individuals, were eventually accommodated. The rest remained at the airport, awake for 24 hours with only a half-litre bottle of water each and no food, as everything was closed.
Wizz Air was also questioned about the situation. The company has apologised for the inconvenience. In addition, they said that they had helped book accommodation for passengers stranded in Rome. “However, it took longer than usual as nearby hotels were full. There were also some passengers who chose to stay at the airport”. Passengers were given redeemable coupons that they could use to “rebook their ticket for another flight free of charge or the airline would refund them 100 percent of the ticket price or 120 percent of the ticket price in Wizz credits”.
Bad luck with planes in Hungary
It seems people had bad luck with planes in Hungary on Sunday. Some were stuck in Budapest, while others were stuck in Rome wanting to return to Hungary. We can only imagine the frustration of the football fans left behind, missing the victorious match of the national team of Hungary against Scotland. If you missed the match as well, you can read the details HERE.
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BREAKING: Wizz Air abolishes extra ticket fee – you can travel cheaper!
The Hungarian low-cost airline introduced the so-called system surcharge fee applicable to bookings made by automated systems in the second half of 2022. However, they were unable to create a billing system operating without errors. Therefore, many passengers had to pay the extra fee even though they booked their tickets on the company’s website.
Wizz Air knew about the problem
Utazómajom, a Hungarian travel news media outlet, reported the errors several times to Wizz Air and received a standard answer that the company was working on the solution every time.
Many passengers did not even realise they had paid more than they should have because the system added the so-called system surcharge fee only during the last step of the booking process. According to the company’s website, the cost is EUR 10 per flight and passenger. Utazómajom writes about HUF 8,700 per flight and passenger, which is almost EUR 22.
Anyway, Wizz Air was aware of the problem, and they said they had been working on a solution in the last two years. Passenger comments showed that not everybody got their money back. Some complaints were not satisfied even in months.
Radical solution
According to Utazómajom, the number of readers of their relevant article reaches 100 even nowadays, even though they published it in September 2022. The media outlet said that this can be the number of people facing the problem daily.
Utazómajom said they received an utterly different answer from the Hungarian budget airline today. Wizz Air said they switched off the program that added the extra fee even for passengers buying their tickets on their website. Wizz Air apologised for the inconvenience and promised they would refund the money for everybody reporting it to their customer service.
Utazómajom highlighted that the Administration Cost is not the System Surcharge Fee.
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Wizz Air launches flights to ‘the heart of Europe’ from Budapest
On Monday 17 June 2024, Hungarian low-cost airline Wizz Air is launching direct flights to Brussels Airport in Zaventem. Passengers can fly with the airline to the main airport of Brussels from Monday to Friday. Charleroi airport will also remain available.
Wizz Air launches flight to Brussels
Wizz Air’s using the Zaventem airport will make travelling to Brussels much easier. Until now, passengers have only been able to reach the Belgian capital via Charleroi Airport, 46 kilometres from Brussels. Brussels Airport is much closer, just 12 kilometres from the heart of the city, the airline said in a statement sent to Daily News Hungary.
Tickets are available on Wizz Air’s website and its mobile application.
“We are confident that even after Hungary’s EU presidency, we will continue to offer a wide range of services, providing passengers travelling between the two capitals with more travel options, competitive ticket prices and a boost to tourism between the two countries,” said Máté Ritter, Head of Flight Development at Budapest Airport.
“This summer, we have six new routes from Budapest to offer our passengers, two of which were launched at the beginning of June. Brussels is a popular destination, which will be much easier to reach using the new airport,” added Zsuzsa Trubek, Wizz Air’s Communications Manager.
Wizz Air is constantly striving to expand its route network, as evidenced by the launch of a new direct flight. The airline will also add two new modern Airbus A321neo aircraft to its Budapest base in June 2024 and will add five new flights connecting Budapest with Europe and beyond this summer. Travellers will be able to fly to Stuttgart and Valencia this summer, and will soon be able to fly direct to Brasov, Bucharest and Yerevan.
Read also:
- Amazing news: Spanish low-cost airline returns to Budapest!
- Wizz Air once again topped the delay list last year
Featured image: depositphotos.com
Huge delay at Budapest Airport: Many could miss the Hungary-Switzerland match
Today is the second day of the European Championship, and Hungary and Switzerland are playing this afternoon. For the time being, it looks like a huge delay at Budapest Airport may cause many people to miss the game.
Huge delay at Budapest Airport
Wizz Air flight W62291 Budapest-Dortmund is expected to depart from Budapest on Saturday with a two-hour delay, Index reports. Several Hungarian fans have also booked tickets for the flight. They are on their way to Cologne, about 100 kilometres from the landing point, for the Hungary-Switzerland match which starts at 3 PM.
Máté Szabó of Sport TV reported about this on his X-site (formerly Twitter), Nemzeti Sport noticed. Szabó later learned that a flight arriving from London to Budapest was going on to Dortmund.
“Organising a “fan flight” to a Hungarian match like this is a bad decision, to say the least,” he added.
2 órát késik a ma reggeli,magyar szurkolókkal teli Dortmund-Budapest @wizzair járat… Én tudom,mit tennék ilyen helyzetben a kiváló PR-ért a cég helyében:Buszokat küldenék a reptérre,ami elvinné a meccsjeggyel rendelkezőket Kölnbe….
— Mate Szabo (@mszabo10) June 15, 2024
He wrote “This morning’s Dortmund-Budapest Wizz Air flight full of Hungarian fans was delayed by 2 hours… I know what I would do in such a situation for excellent PR if I were the company: I would send buses to the airport to take people with tickets to the match to Cologne…”
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Wizz Air once again topped the delay list last year
Despite efforts to improve punctuality, the Hungarian-based Wizz Air emerged as the airline with the most delays in the UK last year. Although no complete European list is available, the UK’s aviation authority ensures transparency by regularly publishing detailed data on flight performance to and from the country, highlighting the significance of punctuality in the aviation industry.
Post-COVID rebound
Okosutas writes that two summers ago, Wizz Air was operating with minimal reserves, leaving it particularly vulnerable during the post-COVID rebound. The airline was hit hardest by external factors, mainly staff shortages at airports, resulting in severe delays and cancellations in 2022. In response, the budget airline revamped its schedules, increased buffer times and pledged significant investments to enhance operations. Despite these efforts, recent data reveals that these measures were insufficient, and the airline still topped the delay list last year.
List of shame
On a positive note, the percentage of completed flights has returned to normal, with relatively few cancellations. However, the average Wizz Air flight was delayed by over half an hour last year, a concerning figure. Following Wizz Air, the airlines with the worst delay records were Turkish Airlines, TUI, Air India and the low-cost carrier Pegasus.
Wizz Air vs Ryanair
Wizz Air has increased its turn-around time to 40 minutes, compared to Ryanair’s 25 minutes. While Wizz Air operates larger aircraft, making a comparison of the two budget airlines almost impossible, the difference is noticeable to passengers. Ryanair’s planes often seem to turn around almost immediately, with new passengers boarding just five minutes after the previous ones disembark. In contrast, Wizz Air’s boarding process is significantly slower. Although this results in cleaner cabins, it does not improve their delay statistics.
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Wizz Air MultiPass: Now available in Hungary and Romania!
Wizz Air is pleased to announce the availability in Hungary of its subscription-based service, WIZZ MultiPass, which allows travellers to travel at a fixed ticket and baggage price for a whole year.
Wizz MultiPass now available in Hungary
Wizz Air is making its MultiPass service available in Hungary and Romania, allowing passengers to travel at a fixed ticket and baggage price for a year, AIRportal.hu reports. The routes included in the service are available to subscribers on a monthly basis, who can access tickets at a fixed price and check in their luggage for a fixed amount, the airline said in a statement.
They add that, in return for the monthly fee, passengers can plan their spending more consciously, as
the cost of their flights is not dependent on seasonality and price dynamics.
Hungarian passengers can choose between one-way or return flights and decide whether to take advantage of the Wizz Priority service and the baggage discount. As with regular Wizz Air tickets, additional services can be purchased and added to your booking on the airline’s official website before the flight.
Packages and prices
Monthly cost of Wizz MultiPass packages for flights to and from Hungary:
| Package name | One-way | Return |
| Ticket only | HUF 24,490 (EUR 62) | HUF 48,890 (EUR 124) |
| Ticket + WIZZ Priority | HUF 40,285 (EUR 102) | HUF 80,570 (EUR 204) |
| Ticket + 20 kg checked-in baggage | HUF 41,500 (EUR 105) | HUF 83,300 (EUR 211) |
| Ticket + WIZZ Priority + 20 kg checked-in baggage | HUF 57,295 (EUR 145) | HUF 114,590 (EUR 290) |
Who could benefit from the Wizz MultiPass?
With the MultiPass fare scheme, passengers can save up to 30-40% off the ticket price for the most popular summer destinations this year, the statement said. The offer could be particularly useful during the peak summer season, and could also help those who fly regularly from Hungary, even for work.
Passengers will be able to book their flights as soon as they start their subscription and start their first journey just five days later. If they choose the following month as the starting month of their subscription, passengers can fly for 30 or 31 days from the sixth day of the month. The subscription renews on the first day of each month.
Wizz MultiPasses can also be purchased in the middle of the month if there are more than 5 days left until the end of the month. After 5 days of purchase, you can board the flight of your choice.
Read also:
- Wizz Air in India: Here is when the airline plans to launch its direct flights
- Long-awaited Wizz Air innovation: you can now pay on board with this popular credit card!
Featured image: depositphotos.com