Wizz Air has introduced an innovative option for travelers: the ability to purchase an annual pass or subscription, allowing you to fly for free for the next 365 days. While this offer sounds appealing, it’s important to carefully review the terms and conditions. Before making a decision, be sure to read the detailed rules outlined in the article below to determine if this option is a good fit for you.
A fee of EUR 9.99 per flight plus the subscription price
For each flight you book, you must pay a €9.99 fee. That may sound small at first, but these fees add up. Let’s say you paid 600 euros for a Wizz subscription, you flew 10 flights with that subscription, that’s an additional 99.99 euros, let’s round up to 100 euros (fee of 9.99 x 10 flights = 99.99 euros). In the end, it is now 700 euros, which if we divide by 10 flights, we arrive at the amount of 70 euros per flight, which is certainly not a small amount. If you fly 20 flights, you will spend 200 euros on fees, which is where we arrive at a figure of 800 euros altogether or 40 euros per flight, which is certainly quite an acceptable price. So roughly, this subscription is worth it if you plan to have at least 10 return flights that year, below that number of trips it is better to buy individual tickets. But if more seat reservations or additional baggage are purchased, then the price per flight increases considerably.
Important rule of 3 flights
You can book as many flights as you want, but you can only miss 3. If you miss more than that, Wizz Air can cancel your subscription without the possibility of returning the money paid for the subscription. In addition, it may charge you fines equal to the price of the subscription. This means the fine can amount to 499 euros or 599 at the standard price, in the end that subscription can cost you 1000 euros if you didn’t follow the rules. You have nicely planned your flights for the whole year and it is unlikely that you will be able to take all the flights, especially if you have “overdone” the amount of travel.
Reservation up to 3 days in advance
You must book your flights at least 72 hours before departure, so a minimum of 3 days in advance. This policy means that spontaneous trips, like deciding to spend a day in Stockholm just a few hours before departure, are not possible with Wizz Air. You’ll need to plan ahead, which also increases the risk of missing your flight and accumulating those notorious 3 no-shows.
There are no flight changes
Once you have selected and confirmed a flight, that’s it, you must go with that flight, as there are no subsequent changes. For example, you booked a flight for Tuesday and you still have to be at work on Tuesday, because something is very urgent and your boss won’t let you go, you can only go on Wednesday. Unfortunately, you collected another flight that you didn’t manage to get to (and you can only collect 3 of them). However, not everything is so black, if you have a justified case such as a health issue (of course a cold will not go away), you can call Wizz’s call center and you will solve the problem.
Small hand luggage only
The ticket price includes only small hand luggage with maximum dimensions of 40 x 30 x 20 cm, i.e. you can only take a backpack with you. This is quite enough to go somewhere for a few days, but if you plan a longer stay, you often need a little more luggage. This means that you will pay extra for each subsequent piece of luggage. But we are used to that rule, so it is not a challenge.
No refunds
You can only get a refund if you haven’t booked a single flight within 14 days after the purchase. After that, you can no longer get the paid money back. So if you have purchased a subscription and for some reason you will not be able to travel, unfortunately you do not have the option of a refund.
Subscription renewal
Important item! By purchasing this subscription, you have confirmed that it will be automatically renewed next year. If you do not want automatic renewal, you must confirm this before the end of this year’s subscription. It’s bound to happen to someone, so they’ll forget about it, and an additional year’s subscription will be charged.
And where is my partner?
This subscription is made for people who plan to travel mostly alone, because Wizz Air often mentions that you can only choose flights where there are seats, and Wizz Air will choose them according to various factors. So, if you buy this subscription together with your friend, wife, girlfriend, boyfriend, the question is how many flights will Wizz Air allow two passengers with this subscription. There will certainly be a lot of restrictions. However, we may be wrong, but it will definitely be much more difficult to choose travel dates if you plan to travel with someone compared to traveling solo.
Flights within the same country are not included
There are no problems with this rule, because the majority of Wizz Air flights are international flights, domestic flights can only be flown in some countries, for example in Italy.
Flights outside Europe
This is where the subscription becomes particularly valuable. Wizz Air operates flights to destinations outside of Europe, including the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Georgia, and Azerbaijan. If you’re planning to visit any of these locations, the subscription can be a great deal. Ticket prices to these destinations with Wizz Air aren’t always the cheapest, so having a subscription can make your travel much more affordable in the long run.
Factors related to the selection of flights
Wizz Air outlines specific conditions that determine whether you can book a flight using the subscription. These factors include the number of available seats on a particular flight, the number of paid reservations, and the number of subscription members at that airport. However, Wizz Air also notes that even if you successfully book a one-way flight, there’s no guarantee that you’ll find a return flight. For example, you might book a flight to Abu Dhabi, only to discover that you can’t return for three weeks because all other flights are full or unavailable for booking due to various factors. In such cases, Wizz Air advises that you’ll need to purchase a regular ticket through their website. This brings up a key point: during peak travel periods, like holidays, you may struggle to book flights with the subscription. Outside of these periods, or for specific flights with fewer reservations, availability might be better.
10,000 subscribers
Wizz has limited the number of subscriptions to 10,000, but even there there is a caveat that each airport and each country can only have a certain number of subscribers. Therefore, all 10,000 subscribers cannot be in Budapest or Belgrade.
Preferred airport
When purchasing a subscription, you must indicate your preferred airport. Although this is unusual, because you can fly on any route within Wizz’s network, they obviously want to limit the number of subscribers for a particular market.
3 flights a day
There’s also a limit of three one-way flights within a 24-hour period. While this may seem generous, it’s unlikely that most passengers would need or want to take more than three flights in a single day. This restriction seems more relevant for those who simply enjoy being in the air rather than for typical travelers. For most people, it’s rare to even take more than two flights within 24 hours.
One-way or return
You can make a reservation for a return ticket or with two one-way tickets, there are no restrictions on that.
Changing the passenger’s name
Let’s be clear: name changes are not allowed with this subscription. Once you purchase it under your name, it’s non-transferable, and you cannot change the name associated with the subscription.
Is it worth it for travelers from Croatia?
Generally, no, because Wizz Air has a limited presence in Croatia. They only operate flights to Split and Dubrovnik during the summer season. This means that even for passengers living near these cities, the subscription would be of little use for half the year when there are no flights available. For travelers from inland Croatia, the nearest major Wizz Air bases are in Budapest, Vienna, and Belgrade. Reaching these airports would require additional expenses and several hours of travel. If they opted for public transport, they could easily spend an entire day just getting to the airport. Moreover, with Ryanair now offering year-round flights to many key destinations from Zagreb, taking out a Wizz Air subscription might not be practical. The additional costs and time involved in traveling to a Wizz Air base would likely outweigh any savings from the subscription.
Conclusion
This subscription is indeed quite appealing, though the text might have suggested otherwise. It’s ideally suited for someone with a highly flexible lifestyle who wishes to travel frequently and explore many destinations within a year. Such a lifestyle typically requires a flexible job and a good salary to support frequent travel.
The subscription is perfect for students wanting to travel before entering the workforce, or for retirees with the means to enjoy extensive travel. It’s also beneficial for business travelers who frequently visit various destinations, or workers stationed abroad who want to return home regularly. For these travelers, the subscription offers a valuable opportunity to visit home more often.
However, it’s crucial to note that traveling with just a backpack is advisable to avoid additional costs and complications. Careful planning and efficient use of each flight are essential to make the most of the subscription.
All in all, if you live in a city where Wizz has its base and covers a lot of destinations, I would definitely recommend buying this subscription. Especially for those travelers who can’t wait to travel somewhere. With this subscription, it is only important to travel as much as possible, because with each additional flight you lower the price of the flight itself.
To illustrate the potential value of the subscription, consider this extreme scenario: if you manage to take 100 flights in a year, you would spend €599 on the subscription itself and an additional €1,000 on fees (at €9.99 per flight), totaling €1,600. This breaks down to just €16 per flight. However, achieving 100 flights requires traveling almost every 3 days, which is quite demanding.
Before committing, thoroughly review the subscription rules, assess your budget for the next 365 days, and evaluate your available free time. If everything aligns well with your travel plans and financial situation, the subscription could be a worthwhile investment.
