What is Wizz Air required to pay you for a delayed or cancelled flight?
EU261 covers every Wizz Air departure from an EU or EEA airport, and flights into the EU operated by its Hungarian and Maltese entities. UK261 covers Wizz Air UK flights touching a UK airport. Tel Aviv routes also sit under Israel’s Aviation Services Law, but its 8-hour trigger makes the EU261 3-hour rule the stronger claim on most Wizz routes. Regulation text: EC 261/2004. UK enforcement: UK Civil Aviation Authority.
Compensation and a refund are separate claims. Compensation is a fixed payment triggered by a 3+ hour arrival delay, a cancellation with under 14 days’ notice, or denied boarding. A refund is your fare back when you choose not to fly.
Wizz Air’s own policy gives you three options when it cancels: 120% in WIZZ credit, 100% cash to your original payment method, or free rebooking. Credit posts within days, cash typically in 7-14 business days. Standard fares are otherwise non-refundable, and WIZZ Flex refunds in credit only. Source: Wizz Air refund policy and eligibility.
Important
Taking the 120% WIZZ credit does not settle your EU261 or UK261 compensation. They are two separate claims and you can hold both. If you already accepted credit, the statutory payment is still owed to you in cash.
Am I Eligible for Wizz Air Compensation?
Likely eligible:
- You arrived 3+ hours late for a reason within Wizz Air’s control
- Wizz Air cancelled with under 14 days’ notice and did not reroute you close to your original times
- You were denied boarding on an overbooked flight after checking in on time
- Your flight departed an EU, EEA or UK airport, which covers most of the network
- You missed a connection on a single Wizz Air booking because the first leg ran late
- Wizz Air still owes you a fare refund, or parked it as credit you never agreed to take
Unlikely to be eligible:
- Your final arrival delay was under 3 hours
- The cause was genuinely extraordinary: severe weather, an ATC strike, or a closed airspace corridor
- Wizz Air told you 14 or more days before departure
- You cancelled the booking yourself, or you did not show up
- You want hotels, meals, ground transport or lost earnings paid as "compensation"
How Much Can You Claim?
Scenario
Distance band
Amount per person
Fixed cash per passenger for delays, short-notice cancellations and denied boarding. Paid on top of any refund. File against the Wizz Air entity that actually operated the flight.
Wizz Air owes the fare back within seven days when it cancels and you decline rerouting. Choose cash at the refund screen, or convert credits you already hold.
If Wizz Air never delivered the flight or the promised refund, your card scheme window runs roughly 120 days. UK cards add Section 75 protection above £100.
Travel Insurance
Key Rules & Distinctions
Statutory Compensation (EU261 / UK261)
Extraordinary circumstances, and what is not
Distance sets the amount, not the fare
Refund or rerouting is your choice, not Wizz Air’s
WIZZ credit is not a settlement
Which regulation covers your route
Wizz Air Compensation & Refunds: Delayed & Cancelled Flights
Claim type
Time Limit
Note:
What Documentation Do You Need?
- Booking confirmation or PNR
- Boarding pass or check-in proof
- Dated cancellation or delay notice
- Proof of actual arrival time
- Card statement showing the fare
- Receipts for meals, hotel, transport
- Written reason given by Wizz Air
- WIZZ credit balance, no stated reason
- Undated app screenshots
- OTA confirmation missing the PNR
- Chat transcripts without dates
Tip:
pull emails and statements now
- Lost wages
- Missed weddings or events
- Separately booked non-refundable hotels
- Replacement tickets on other airlines
- Emotional-distress claims
Note:
insurance may cover some
Why Use Gyro Instead of Claiming Yourself
Factor
Claiming Yourself
Claiming Through Gyro
Key insight:
Common Wizz Air Claim Mistakes
"I took the 120% credit, so I’m sorted"
Credit is a refund method. Statutory compensation is a separate claim and is still owed in cash.
"They said it was weather, so there’s no payout"
Airlines cite weather freely. The burden of proof sits with Wizz Air, and many refusals fail once challenged.
"We were only an hour late leaving"
Departure time is irrelevant. What counts is arrival at your final destination, three hours or more behind schedule.
"I booked through a travel site, so Wizz won’t deal with me"
Statutory compensation is owed by the operating airline regardless of where you bought the ticket. Only the fare refund routes through the agent.
"It was months ago, too late now"
Limits run from two to six years depending on the entity and the court. Most claims from the past two years are still live.
"My ticket was €19, so the payout is tiny"
Compensation is set by distance. A €19 seat on a 1,600 km route still pays €400.
"The flight was cancelled because of the war, so I’m owed €600"
Closed airspace is extraordinary, which removes cash compensation. Your full refund and duty of care survive.
"I only checked the one bad flight"
Most travellers have more than one eligible flight in three years and never notice the older ones.
