Wizz Air Review [2024]: Why I'd Never Fly Wizz Again!

Budget airlines make a lot of sense when flying short distances. More and more people are turning to cheaper flights instead of normal carriers to save more cash for the actual experiences while traveling. 

Can't blame them cus I'm one of them.

But just because I'm flying on a budget airline, it doesn't mean you'll have to fly with the worst budget carrier. In fact, I actively avoid them and would gladly pay a little more if I've had a horrible experience.

Luckily for y'all, I've documented my journey and research, so nobody has to go through bad airlines that don't put customers first.

My fellow contributors and I have covered many airlines worldwide, such as Aegean Airlines, Iberia Airlines, and Volaris.

In my recent experience with Wizz Air, I've definitely got my take on whether you should fly with them.

Check out my Wizz Air review! 

I'll tackle all of your questions about this popular low-cost carrier, and hopefully, it'll help you decide if you should book your next vacation with Wizz Air. 

Feel free to scroll down to the end to see my experiences flying with Wizz Air. You'll want to see what happened with me before booking with Wizz Air. Trust me.

What Is Wizz Air?

Wizz Air is based out of Budapest and is known to be a leading low-cost budget airlines in Europe. Best yet? It's also known as Europe's greenest airline.

The company earned the "greenest airline" title through its relatively new and efficient fleet of airplanes, banning single-use plastics in the cabin, a carbon off-setting program, and paperless flight decks.

Even though this is a European-based company, you'd be happy to hear its comprehensive list of destinations. So where does Wizz Air fly?

Wizz Air operates over 600 routes in many countries in Europe and North Africa, such as Egypt and Morocco. The Middle Eastern Countries of Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Georgia, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Oman, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the UAE.

They also fly to Scandinavian countries and Sri Lanka.

What is Wizz Air Known For?

2021 Worst Airline for Flight Delays - Wizz Air

According to recent news and data published by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), Wizz Air was named the worst airline for punctuality in the UK in 2021. However, the delays Wizz Air recorded were different from what I first thought.

The recorded average delay of Wizz Air flights in 2021 was slightly over 14 minutes behind schedule, which according to the data published, was the least punctual airline in the United Kingdom. Wizz Air representatives even mentioned to journalists at The Independent that keeping delays under 15 minutes during an unprecedented major impact on the industry is "no small feat."

In fact, one of the recent airlines we've covered here, easyJet, had some of the best punctuality records in 2021.

Wizz Air Mystery Flights Program

In August of 2022, Wizz Air hosted a competition where they'd fly 100 people to secret destinations worldwide. The reward included flight tickets for 2 nights of accommodation and travel insurance.

The 100 chosen travelers departed in Abu Dhabi on August 26th and returned on August 28th, taking them on a short journey to one of Wizz Air's destinations. If you'd like to see more about what happened during that journey, check out the #GetLostwithWizz on Instagram!

This shows me that this airline is trying to appeal to those who make travel a part of their lifestyle.

Does Wizz Air Have Any Partnerships or Alliances?

Wizz Air proudly stands alone because they do not partner with other airlines. Spirit, Allegiant, Ryanair, and EasyJet also share this opinion.

Wizz Air App

The Wizz Air app is available for Android and iPhone. I've discovered it's a handy way to book Wizz Air flights, review your current bookings, check schedules, add services, or change bookings. You can also check-in and download your boarding pass.

The app allows you to change your booking, access a mobile boarding pass, and view your flight status information.

Unfortunately, many users report the app crashing or not loading at all. Most users who leave reviews give the Wizz Air app a low rating. Luckily, I didn't run into any of these issues, but they're worth noting since so many people have complained.

Wizz Air Baggage Allowance Policy

I always worry about baggage when flying, especially with low-cost airlines. If you're like me and sometimes pack too much, here's the info you need to know about baggage fees with Wizz Air.

On all Wizz Air flights, you are allowed to bring one small personal item, which the airline calls a carry-on, for free. That's it!

Wizz Air's official size for personal items is 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Basically, you can take it if it fits in your lap or under your seat.

If you have more than a purse, laptop bag, or a small backpack, you gotta pay extra.

Even though I try to travel as light as I can, I often have a carry-on. Wizz Air calls these "trolley bags." Trolley bags or any items to go in the overhead bins will cost extra. The max sizing for these carry-ons is 55 x 40 x 23 cm.

Any checked bags must be brought to the front desk when you check-in and will cost extra. If your bags are overweight, that'll also add to what you need to pay.

When you're checking bags, you can pick the following weight options:

• 10 kgs
• 20 kgs
• 26 kgs
• 32 kgs

And the maximum size for a checked bag with Wizz Air is 149 x 119 x 171 cm. If required, you can purchase up to 6 checked bags per person.

I think Wizz Air's baggage policy is one of the worst among all budget carriers. Super confusing but also extremely strict and designed for you to pay extra.

Wizz Air Fees

Wizz Air is a budget airline, so naturally, these flights have no frills.

All extras, such as food and drinks, printing your ticket, exclusive lounges, seat choices, and baggage, will cost an extra fee. This is common with most budget airlines, and travelers should thoroughly research before booking flights and beware of hidden fees.

So don't get tempted by the cheap base fares because it's almost always never the true cost.

Refunds and Cancellation

It is possible to cancel your Wizz Air flight and receive a refund.

Still, applicable cancellation fees increase slightly depending on when you cancel. If you cancel 14 days or more before your flight, the fee is 67 $USD; if it is less than 14 days, it is 86$ USD.

If your flight is canceled by the airline, you can rebook the next available flight for the same or a similar route.

Suppose a flight is unavailable on the same or the next day. In that case, you can arrange your own transport to your destination through a similar carrier, save your receipts and submit them to Wizz Air.

In my opinion, don't waste your time with their process. If you have a decent travel credit card, cancel your flight through them.

The In-Flight Experience

The in-flight experience on Wizz Air is exactly what you would expect from a budget airline. The check-in process is made easier with online tickets, but if you are traveling with a checked bag, you'll need to go to the counter to have it weighed.

For a budget carrier like Wizz Air, you can expect to be boarding using the tarmac from many airports in Europe.

There is no in-flight entertainment, and seats could use a little more space and legroom, but it does have more space than other budget airlines like EasyJet and Sky Airlines.

Most Wizz Air flights fly into airports further away from the main city, so passengers should be well informed of this before booking. 

Upgrades With Wizz Air

There are multiple additional ways to enhance your flying experience with Wizz Air. Here are some of the most popular options that you should know about...

Priority Status

You can add this option to your ticket when you check out. But what's so great about it?

Purchasing Wizz Air Priority Status, you will get priority check-in if you are traveling with larger bags, priority boarding, and a carry-on bag free of charge.

Priority passengers also board a separate bus which arrives first on the plane as well.

The fee for this is anywhere between US$5.50 and US$50. You can buy this perk online, through the Wizz Air call center, or at the airport. Just remember that it'll be more expensive if you buy in person!

Wiz Air does offer a priority status for an extra fee that allows you some perks when traveling. I usually wouldn't pay for this, but after going through such a horrible experience, I find it more convenient to pay for this than not.
More to that later.

Wizz Air Discount Club

The Wizz Air membership is also an excellent option for frequent travelers and only costs ~US$44 for a standard membership and ~US$77 for a group membership per year.

The standard membership covers you and one companion. Whereas group membership allows the main individual and up to 5 companions to use the benefits.

What benefits, you ask? This membership gets you ~US$10 off all tickets and ~US$5 off the checked bag cost.

Is Wizz Air Safe?

Wizz Air has a clean record with no recorded fatalities. Their new fleet of airplanes has an average age of 4.5 years, making them super safe to fly.

How is Wizz Air's Customer Service?

Most Wizz Air customers find their customer service to be minimal at best. If there are any issues with your ticket or flight, tracking down customer service to find a resolution can be tricky.

For me, this is something that makes me the most nervous when traveling with budget airlines. I like to have the confidence that someone would help me should my travel plans go awry.

My Experiences Flying Wizz Air

In short, they're terrible. I'm probably never flying with them again. Here's why.

It all started with the online check-in. Here's a small tip for you if this is your first few times flying budget airlines.

Tip: It's almost always better to check in online as there are usually long waits at the airport, and they'll charge you for extra bags.

Wizz Air's online check-in process is one of the worst I've experienced, and I've flown many budget airlines before. First, they ask you to create an account with them, which is an unnecessary step, in my opinion. 

Afterward, the app walks you through a 5-7 step process involving priority boarding, baggage, seats, and a printed boarding pass. Remember that anything you select here is optional and absolutely not required. 

If you're going through the in-person route, ensure that you give yourself minimum 2 hours for international flights.

Wizz Air check-in counters do not open 2-3 hours until the flight; they're usually a huge line.

Do you think that's bad? Here's where it gets worse.

A Disaster of a First Impression of Wizz Air

It all started when I headed to the airport at the scheduled time of departure, which I double-confirmed with the confirmation they sent me at the time of booking with my Google Calendar's time, which they automatically set up. 

It was a direct flight from Barcelona to Belgrade.

After arriving at the airport, I tried checking in online to Wizz Air at the 3-hour mark of departure, which should be free given the timeframe mentioned in their official policy.

The online check-in didn't seem to work, so I checked the airport's information to see whether it's been delayed. After confirming that the flight was still on time through the airport's screens, I proceeded to the check-in counter to inquire about my issue.

They pointed out that their flight was delayed (shocker) and that the Wizz Air app correctly shows the updated delayed schedule. On top of that, they made me pay ~$70 for in-person check-in because the flight schedule was outside of the timeframe of the online check-in.

Keep in mind that no official email was sent out by Wizz Air, nor did they update the delayed times at the airport. This made me feel like they almost wanted you to come into the check-in counter and pay the extra fees...

That's not all.

Once I got to the boarding gate, Wizz attendants handed out forms on their official policy for cancellation and delays and required all passengers to sign a form that made sure they knew their rights.

To top off everything, both ground and on-flight attendants seem like they're more concerned with abusing their constructed authority of power and control and not at all concerned with customer service whatsoever.

This meant that they were more concerned with how you lined up than with how fast or efficient they were boarding customers. This also meant that they're more concerned with you following their every command rather than treating you like a customer or just a human being.

Upon reading stories and reviews of other Wizz Air passengers, I'm not alone either. With people getting kicked off of flights because of a slight disagreement with airlines sending outdated information to passengers, the overall experience was a disaster.

I'll leave my experience with Wizz Air for you to decide whether you'd still want to fly with them. As for me, I'd much rather pay more money to avoid this disaster of an airline company.

Is Wizz Air Worth It?

In my opinion, nope, absolutely not.

Wizz Air has been known to be the better of the budget European airlines, but I gotta say, I'm gonna stay away from them as far as possible. That's why I would fly it if absolutely necessary, but it wouldn't be my first choice... even then, I'd consider my options over and over again.

They were named the worst UK airline for flight delays for a reason; plus, the actual average time of delay and the PR efforts made by Wizz Air to address the issue now seems kinda fake.

If you're looking for a comfortable flight that goes off without a hitch guaranteed, it might be best to look elsewhere. If you're looking for airlines that treat you like a decent human being, no less a customer of theirs, definitely avoid Wizz Air.

It should be noted with things like banning single-use plastics in the cabin, a carbon off-setting program, and paperless flight decks, I think they may be trending in the right direction, but I personally would wait to see if there's a massive change in their customer feedback online before flying with them again.

Wizz Air is an option for minimalist travelers looking to save money and don't mind dealing with the hiccups and sacrifices that come with budget airlines. While it's an option, it's nowhere close to being a good one.

However, It's still a relatively safe and reliable way to hop around Europe and the surrounding countries on a budget. Wizz Air is sometimes on time, and they have canceled very few flights overall. I'll give credit where credit's due, but it's still a very low bar to surpass.

My Rating: 2.3/5

Pros:

• Comfortable seating
• Affordable prices
• Sustainable efforts
• Many destinations

Cons:

• Horrible ground & air staff
• Experience constructed for you to pay more
• Frequent delays & cancellations
• Only fly out of smaller airports
• Hidden fees

General FAQs About Wizz Air

Let's do a quick fire round of any questions you still have lingering about Wizz Air.

How much baggage can I take on a Wizz Air flight?

The allowance varies depending on the type of ticket purchased. Although most of its more average tickets allow for you to only bring one small cabin bag. You often need to pay for trolley bags, as the company calls them, and checked bags.

Can I check in online for Wizz Air flights?

Yes, online check-in is available from 48 hours to 3 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Can I get a refund for my Wizz Air flight?

Refunds are generally not given for low-cost carriers like Wizz Air unless the flight is cancelled or significantly delayed by the airline.

How can I change my Wizz Air flight?

Flights can be changed online through the "My Bookings" section on the Wizz Air website or app. Change fees may apply.

Does Wizz Air provide meals on its flights?

Wizz Air does not include complimentary meals in its ticket price, but food and drinks can be purchased onboard.

What is Wizz Air's policy on traveling with pets?

Wizz Air allows small pets, like dogs, cats, and birds, in the cabin for certain flights. Pets are still subject to restrictions and additional fees.

Plan the Rest of Your Trip With Pilot!

If you decide to book your flights around Europe with Wizz Air or another budget airline, you still need a good plan to ensure everything runs smoothly.

Let Pilot help you plan the best travel experience possible!