Wizz Air delayed flight compensation

The three-hour arrival rule

The trigger for compensation is not when the plane finally takes off, but how late you reach your final destination. The Court of Justice confirmed in Folkerts (C-11/11) that what matters is arrival delay at the last airport on your ticket. On a connecting itinerary booked as one reservation, a small departure delay that causes you to miss a connection and land three hours late still counts.

Arrival is normally measured from the moment the aircraft doors open, not when the wheels touch the runway. So a flight that lands two hours 50 minutes late but reaches the gate three hours 10 minutes late can still qualify.

A long delay is treated the same as a cancellation for compensation purposes. In Sturgeon (C-402/07) the Court held that passengers delayed by three hours or more suffer a loss comparable to those on a cancelled flight, so the same fixed sums apply. That is why "my flight was only delayed, not cancelled" does not remove your right to be paid.

How much: amounts by distance and regime

Which set of rules applies is decided by your departure airport, because Wizz Air operates under both regimes:

• EU or EEA departure — Regulation (EC) 261/2004 (EU261) applies, in euros, enforced by the national enforcement body of the departure country.
• UK departure — UK261 (the retained version of the regulation) applies, in pounds, enforced by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).

Because Wizz Air flies point-to-point across Europe, your outbound and return legs can fall under different regimes. A London Luton to Warsaw flight is UK261 (pounds); the Warsaw to London Luton return is EU261 (euros).

The fixed amounts under EU261 are:

• EUR 250 for flights of 1,500 km or less;
• EUR 400 for intra-EU flights over 1,500 km, and for other flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km;
• EUR 600 for flights over 3,500 km that are not within the EU.

Under UK261 the bands mirror this at GBP 220 / GBP 350 / GBP 520.

Most of Wizz Air's European network sits in the lower two bands. A short hop such as Luton to Katowice falls in the EUR 250 / GBP 220 band; a longer route such as Budapest to Tenerife or a flight to the Gulf can reach the higher bands. You can check your route on the flight compensation calculator.

One important caution about EUR 300. Under Article 7(2), the airline may reduce compensation by 50 percent if it re-routes you and you still arrive within a set window of your original schedule. That is the only situation in which EUR 300 (half of EUR 600) or a reduced GBP figure appears. There is no standalone EUR 300 or EUR 500 statutory band, and you should be wary of any offer presented that way.

Your right to care during the wait

Compensation is only one of your rights, and the right to care applies regardless of the delay's cause. Under Article 9, once the delay passes a threshold set by distance, Wizz Air must provide, free of charge:

• from 2 hours on short flights (up to 1,500 km): meals and refreshments proportionate to the wait, plus two phone calls or emails;
• from 3 hours on medium flights (1,500-3,500 km);
• from 4 hours on longer flights;
• overnight: hotel accommodation and transfers between airport and hotel where a stay becomes necessary.

If Wizz Air fails to provide these, keep your receipts. You can reclaim reasonable out-of-pocket costs afterwards. The Court underlined in McDonagh (C-12/11) that the duty of care is not capped by the fixed compensation figures and continues even during extraordinary events such as widespread airspace closures.

Care, refund, compensation and damages are four distinct things. Keep them separate: fixed compensation under Article 7; refund or re-routing under Article 8; care under Article 9; and damages for proven extra losses. For the refund side, see Wizz Air refund vs Wizz credit: an Article 8 refund must be paid in money to your original payment method within seven days unless you actively agree to a voucher. A Wizz credit, even at 120 percent, can never be forced on you in place of cash.

When extraordinary circumstances block compensation

Wizz Air does not have to pay the fixed sum if it proves the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances it could not have avoided even with all reasonable measures (Article 5(3)). The burden of proof is on the airline, not on you, and the bar is high.

What usually counts as extraordinary: genuine severe weather, and independent air-traffic-control restrictions or airport closures imposed from outside.

What does not count:

• Routine technical faults. In Wallentin-Hermann (C-549/07) and van der Lans (C-257/14) the Court held that ordinary technical problems that surface in normal operation are inherent to running an airline and are not extraordinary.
• A strike by the airline's own crew. In Airhelp v SAS (C-28/20) the Court found industrial action by an operator's own staff is part of normal business, so compensation is still due.

Note also which entity owes you. Under Wirth (C-532/17) the operating carrier is liable, and Wizz Air operates through several: Wizz Air Hungary, Wizz Air Malta, Wizz Air UK and Wizz Air Abu Dhabi. The operating carrier named on your specific flight is the one you claim from.

As background, in 2023 the UK CAA took enforcement action and Wizz Air gave undertakings to improve how it pays refunds and EU261 claims and to clear its backlog. Auto-rebooking you onto a less convenient flight does not extinguish your right to a refund or to compensation.

For related situations, see Wizz Air cancelled flight compensation, the overview at Wizz Air flight compensation, and UK261 vs EU261: which applies.

FAQ

Is a three-hour delay enough to be paid?

Yes, if the delay is measured on arrival at your final destination and reaches three hours or more, and no extraordinary circumstance applies. A shorter delay does not qualify for the fixed sum, though care rights may still start earlier.

Can Wizz Air pay me in Wizz credit instead of cash?

No, not without your agreement. Compensation and Article 8 refunds are money owed to your original payment method. A voucher is only valid if you freely choose it.

Does lost or damaged baggage use these amounts?

No. Baggage is governed by the Montreal Convention 1999, with liability up to roughly 1,519 SDR per passenger (about EUR 1,850 or GBP 1,600, moving with exchange rates). File a Property Irregularity Report at the airport and write to Wizz Air within seven days for damage or 21 days for delay. This is entirely separate from the delay figures above.

How long do I have to claim?

The deadline to go to court varies by country: roughly six years in England and Wales and in Ireland, five years in Scotland, and different periods across EU states. There is no single universal limit, so check your jurisdiction.

What about the 2026 EU261 reform I have read about?

Changes discussed in 2026, such as longer delay thresholds, a nine-month claim window and a 30-day airline response deadline, are a proposal and not yet law. The binding thresholds and amounts remain those set out above.

Sources

• EUR-Lex, Regulation (EC) No 261/2004: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32004R0261
• UK Civil Aviation Authority, delays and cancellations: https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-cancellations/
• European Commission, air passenger rights: https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights/air_en
• Court of Justice of the European Union case law (Sturgeon C-402/07; Folkerts C-11/11): https://curia.europa.eu

This guide reflects the legal position as at 2026; the EU261 reform mentioned above is a proposal not yet in force, and this is general information, not legal advice.