Wizz Air to reopen passengers’ compensation claims they previously rejected

Wizz Air passengers who didn't get their compensation for delayed or cancelled flights could still get their money back, as the budget airline is revisiting passengers' claims – even if they were previously rejected.

The news comes after the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has told the airline it needs to "make changes to its policies and procedures", after the regulator received "high volumes of complaints about the airline not paying passengers what they are owed".

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Wizz Air was caught up in last summer's chaos which saw airlines across the UK and Europe hit by delays and cancellations – and earlier this year it was named the worst short-haul airline in Europe.

A high number of passengers have complained that Wizz Air did not meet their rights, including receiving compensation or being given alternative flights to help them get to their destination.

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As a result, the regulator has said the airline is engaging with them to make a series of changes, and committing to re-look at "claims it received for replacement flight costs, transfers when replacement flights were via different airports, and care and assistance (typically hotel costs) following flight disruptions".

This includes passengers who had their claims incorrectly rejected in the past, dating back to passengers who made claims for flights to or from a UK airport on or after March 18, 2022.

Passengers who made claims before this date can also request for these to be reopened – as long as their flight was no more than six years before. The CAA said it would monitor the airline's progress.

Wizz Air said earlier this year it would be making several commitments to improve customer service, such as a pledge to make 120% WIZZ credit refunds within 24 hours and process 100% ticket refunds within 7 working days. The airline is also aiming to resolve all customer claims within 45 days.

Other new changes include more aircraft to help during disruptions, increased staffing, launching a fully automated refund process, and increasing the number of customer service agents.

Paul Smith, Joint-Interim Chief Executive at the UK Civil Aviation Authority, said that the action sends a "clear message" to airlines when it comes to how they respond to passenger rights.

"This enforcement action sends a clear message that airlines must meet their obligations to passengers when they cancel or delay a flight. We will not hesitate to step in if we believe that airlines are not consistently doing this.

“Passengers have every right to expect their complaints and claims to be resolved quickly and efficiently and to be treated fairly by airlines, in line with regulations. We made it clear to Wizz Air last year that the way it was treating passengers was unacceptable.

“We will continue to watch the situation closely to check that passengers receive what they are owed and that Wizz Air’s policies have improved, so that consumers have a better experience if things go wrong.”

Marion Geoffroy, Managing Director at Wizz Air UK said that the airline has "learned from" last summer's challenges, admitting that "claims took too long to process and pay".

She added that the airline expects "this summer to be challenging for air traffic control, which will impact airlines" but that the company has invested over £90million to prepare.

She added: "We know that we need to rebuild trust, and we want to show our customers how serious we are about making improvements for the future. Helping our customers reach their destination is our number one priority and we will continue to invest in our service to ensure they get there on time."

You can find out more about the enforcement action on caa.co.uk.

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