What your Wizz Air contract says

In short

Wizz Air UK's General Conditions of Carriage form your contract for each booking. For UK-departing flights they are read alongside UK Regulation 261/2004, the Montreal Convention 1999 for international journeys, and the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Wizz Air UK sells four fare bundles (Basic, Wizz Go, Wizz Plus, and Wizz Flex) plus a separate annual WIZZ Multipass and WIZZ Discount Club membership that lowers fares but never waives the carriage rules. Hand and hold baggage are tightly enforced: only a small personal bag fits the Basic fare, and a 10 kg cabin bag plus reserved seat require Wizz Go or Wizz Priority. Wizz Air's complaint-handling and on-time performance have been criticised by the CAA (in 2023 the regulator placed Wizz Air in 'enhanced enforcement' for its handling of disrupted passengers' rights) and many UK passengers have had to escalate via small-claims court. Wizz Air UK does NOT participate in a CAA-approved ADR scheme, so unresolved complaints go to the CAA's PACT service or to court.

What you agree to do

• You must check in online and have a printed or mobile boarding pass before reaching the airport; airport check-in fees apply if you fail to do so.
• On a Basic fare you may bring only one small personal bag (40x30x20 cm) that fits under the seat in front; a 10 kg overhead cabin bag requires Wizz Go, Wizz Plus, Wizz Flex, or a separately purchased WIZZ Priority add-on.
• Hold bags must be added at booking or in Manage My Booking; airport hold-bag fees are materially higher than the online price and charged per passenger per flight.
• Bags presented at the gate that exceed cabin allowances are gate-tagged and incur a non-negotiable fee.
• Name changes are permitted on most fares for a fee; only Wizz Flex includes a free name change up to 3 hours before departure.

What you can ask for

• If your flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a full refund within 7 days or rerouting at the earliest opportunity, including on another carrier where Wizz cannot fly you within a reasonable time (UK Reg. 261/2004).
• If cancelled with less than 14 days' notice (and not extraordinary circumstances), compensation is £220 for journeys up to 1,500 km, £350 for 1,500-3,500 km, and £520 for over 3,500 km.
• If you arrive more than 3 hours late at destination due to a cause within Wizz's control, the same £220/£350/£520 scale applies.
• You have the right to care during disruption: meals proportionate to the wait, two communications, and hotel plus airport transfers if an overnight stay is needed (at Wizz's cost). If Wizz fails to provide it, you can buy reasonable replacements and reclaim the cost.

Points worth knowing

• Documented poor disruption handlingIn 2023 the CAA opened enforcement action against Wizz Air over its handling of cancellations, rerouting, and care obligations (a public regulatory rebuke). Many disrupted passengers have had to escalate via small-claims to recover legally-owed reimbursements.
• No CAA-approved ADR schemeWizz Air UK does NOT subscribe to AviationADR or CEDR. Unresolved complaints must therefore be escalated to the CAA's PACT service (non-binding) or pursued in the small-claims court (both options are slower and more effortful than an ADR submission).
• Aggressive 'extraordinary circumstances' refusalsWizz routinely cites weather, ATC restrictions, Hungarian airspace issues, or third-party strikes to deny 261 compensation. UK and CJEU case law has narrowed this defence; many valid claims are paid only after CAA referral or court proceedings.
• Smaller cabin bag than competitors on BasicThe Basic 'free' bag dimensions (40x30x20 cm) are tighter than Ryanair's Basic small bag and easyJet's Standard underseat bag; many normal weekend bags do not fit. Test it in the sizer before flying or pay for Priority.
• WIZZ Multipass and WIZZ Discount Club commitmentsBoth products auto-renew annually; Multipass also commits you to monthly card debits for a year. These are non-refundable mid-term, and the value depends on Wizz Air not cancelling routes (which it does seasonally).
• Voucher-first refund flowWizz Air's cancellation flow has historically pushed a 120% travel credit instead of a cash refund. The statutory entitlement is a cash refund in the original payment method within 7 days; you must affirmatively reject the voucher to receive cash.
• Air Passenger Duty refundable only on requestAll UK departures include APD. On a no-show non-refundable ticket the APD portion is reclaimable, but Wizz charges an admin fee per passenger.

Dates and deadlines

Online check-in window

Opens 30 days before departure (with paid seat); 48 hours before for free random seat. Closes 3 hours before departure

Refund deadline after cancellation

Wizz must refund within 7 days of your refund election (UK Reg. 261/2004)

Damaged or delayed baggage notice

7 days for damage, 21 days for delayed delivery (Montreal Convention)