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WIZZ AIR · DENIED BOARDING · W6 · UK 261 AND EC 261

What is denied boarding on Wizz Air worth?

Being denied boarding against your will on a Wizz Air flight carries immediate fixed compensation under Art. 4(3) of EC 261 and UK 261, €250, €400 or €600 or £220, £350 or £520 by distance, plus the refund-or-rerouting choice and care. The Court of Justice held in Finnair (C-22/11) that this is not limited to overbooking: operational rescheduling counts too.

REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026

What counts as denied boarding?

Art. 2(j): a refusal to carry you although you presented yourself for boarding on time with a confirmed reservation, unless there are reasonable grounds such as health, safety, security or inadequate travel documents. Volunteering to give up your seat in exchange for benefits is different: compensation under Art. 4(3) attaches to involuntary denial.

COMPENSATION BY DISTANCE BAND, ART. 7(1)
DISTANCE BANDEC 261UK 261
Up to 1,500 km€250£220
1,500 to 3,500 km€400£350
Over 3,500 km€600£520
Bands and amounts read from rule set v5. Extraordinary circumstances do not excuse denied boarding: the Court held in Finnair (C-22/11) that rescheduling after a strike cannot justify bumping a passenger from a later flight.

Common questions

Wizz Air rebooked me. Can I still claim compensation?

Rerouting satisfies one duty; compensation is a separate one. On a cancellation with under 14 days notice, compensation can still be due where the replacement flight fell outside the departure and arrival windows in Art. 5(1)(c). The free check applies those windows to your times.

I accepted a refund. Is compensation gone?

No. The Art. 8 refund covers the unused ticket; Art. 7 compensation is a separate claim for the disruption itself. Accepting one does not waive the other.

Can Wizz Air pay the compensation as a voucher?

Art. 7(3) requires payment in money (cash, transfer or cheque) unless the passenger signs an agreement to accept travel vouchers or other services. You can decline a voucher and ask for the cash amount.

What about meals and hotels while I waited?

Care under Art. 9 (meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait, plus accommodation and transfers where an overnight stay becomes necessary) is a separate duty, and it applies even where the cause was outside the airline's control. Keep receipts.

SOURCES

  1. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 7(1) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  2. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 5(3) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 4(3) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
  4. Joined Cases C-402/07 and C-432/07 Sturgeon v Condor, judgment of 19 November 2009 (ECLI:EU:C:2009:716) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026

OTHER WIZZ AIR DISRUPTIONS

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The free check applies these rules to your Wizz Air flight and shows the amount before any personal details.

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