Wizz Air changes flights due to new border control measures in Hungary

Photo: www.facebook.com/WizzAir

As a preparation for the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic, Hungary is closing its borders after the 1^st September for foreigners and will have strict measures in place for any Hungarian citizen who enters from a foreign country.

This decision greatly affects airlines as well, but in order to ensure that all Hungarian citizens could come back from their holidays, Wizz Air will only slightly reduce its number of flights from Budapest and Debrecen between the 1^st and 6^th September. Then, between the 7^th and 30^th September, a larger degree of reduction in the number of flights is expected. During this period, only the most popular destinations will have flights available to passengers, the company said.

The company highlighted that passengers who are unable to fly due to travel restrictions while their flight is still operating on a schedule may cancel their tickets and get a refund for a cancellation fee.

According to Világgazdaság, Wizz Air said on Saturday afternoon that affected passengers will be automatically notified of any schedule changes via the email address they used to purchase their tickets directly from the company. Those passengers who have booked a ticket for Wizz Air flights through a travel agency or other online travel platforms should contact the company from which they purchased their ticket.

According to Wizz Air’s announcement, if a flight is cancelled by the company, ticket holders can file for a refund of 120% of the price of the ticket in Wizz Air points, or they can claim the full price of the ticket according to the original method of payment, or choose another flight free of charge (price differences still have to be paid).

These changes are necessary, as the Hungarian government, in order to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, has announced that it would close the country’s borders from the 1^st September. Non-Hungarian citizens are not allowed to enter the country, while Hungarian citizens returning from abroad must self-quarantine for 14 days or until they can present two negative coronavirus tests. These regulations will be in effect for at least one month.

The airline encourages passengers to find out about their travel restrictions and whether they could enter the country they want to travel to before purchasing any tickets. They also pointed out that border control measures to individual countries may change between the time of purchase and the date of travel, the risk of which should be borne by passengers.