G-WUKE was re-registered to 9H-WDA which means that Wizz UK is down to 16 aircraft (2x A320, 6x A321, 8x A321neo).

I think this is the heart of the issue - if I was going back to my previous life I would have a go at this, not in the hope that it would be legally enforceable (indeed, in the hope it wouldn't be. You want cars, not the hassle of trying to work out what the devil to do with jet engines...) or get anywhere, but in the hope that I would be given the [relatively small amount of] money to go away in order avoid the disruption that this would cause. The engine has a prior claim? Are you sure? Head office will need to see it. Thank you. Oh, so you do still own that, and the prior claim is only for £xxx,xxx? I'm just going to need to get a valuation to check this isn't worth more than £xxx,xxx. Don't worry - I've said it's urgent and they'll come out in 24-48 hours, probably quicker. No, you can't take it anywhere just now.

However a truly sharky organisation that wised up to this would learn from experience and organise their admin so they could almost immediately provide details of why any seizure had to be abandoned.

There are plenty of Wizz assets at Luton starting with the crew rooms. I think there is a degree of collusion at Luton between Wizz and the airport operator. When it comes to hiding assets they know where the assets are kept but stay nothing when the bailiffs turn up, as they will need an escort.

Wizz announced expansion of existing bases for the next summer:

WAW: +1 to 10 a/c
TIA: +1 to 10 a/c
FCO: +2 to 9 a/c
VIE: +1 to 6 a/c
LCA: +2 to 4 a/c
BEG: +1 to 4 a/c
KUT: +1 to 3 a/c

In the last few weeks, I've noticed Wizz flights often not appearing on the Google Flights price calendar (ie show the cheapest price for all dates in a calendar month), unless you pick a single date and ask Google to resolve a price.

Is this an IT issue, or is Wizz deciding that it doesn't really want to be on price comparison sites and would prefer customers visit its own website when searching for a flight so it can do its utmost to sell more ancillaries and maybe persuade customers to pay for a more expensive ticket ?

I can see why Wizz might be against Google Flights - it turns Wizz into just a commodity provider of a service. That said, with a very low cost base and a strong emphasis on ancillaries, Wizz and other ULCCs should be the airlines who gain most from Google Flights searches, as opposed to large network airlines (BA, AF, LH, etc) who look expensive in comparison

https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...py-flyers.html

CAA need to start arresting a few aircraft or making a serious amount of trouble for Wizz... and show a bit of muscle
When the UK was part of the EU, there was at least a legal remedy to this - namely the pan-EU small claims procedure. Thus, somebody living in Bristol could make a claim to be heard in a court in Bristol, and then get it enforced in Hungary. Wizz are probably very much aware that UK residents are no longer able to choose this option... and act accordingly
https://europa.eu/youreurope/business/dealing-with-customers/solving-disputes/european-small-claims-procedure/index_en.htm

And no... this is not a request to turn the Wizz thread into a remain/leave debate ! :-)

The CAA are weak. Contrast that to Blue Air when Romanian authorities took action and effectively shut the airline down.

BRI and BCM bases will be closed in feb 2023.

FCO increse to 11 aircrafts in S23, MXP to 7 aircrafts.

Plus the complete closure of Cardiff (incl all routes).

Lots of talk that Cardiff last Wizz flights Romania & Italy are end of January all flights end, not sure what’s gone on, maybe RYR have frightened them away

Overexpansion, "trial and error" instead of proper route planning, lack of crew, people giving their money to more stable and dependable operators.

Closing Bacau / BCM makes sense.... Blue Air is dead, and Ryanair is cutting back in Romania, so no longer any need for Wizz to compete with itself at Iasi

Bacau is 130 km and more than 2 hours drive from Iasi. For that matter they could close Craiova for Bucharest, Sibiu for Cluj and Suceava for Iasi as well.

And it is just impossible to book them in advance - they do not value schedule stability at all. Many passengers are learning this the hard way and look away from them. If one books Ryanair for summer holiday now, they are almost sure to fly at the time booked. Wizz will still change the schedule ten times and you most certainly be offered to fly on different week days than booked if at all.
For example the newly announced Rome-Vilnius route is scheduled on Vilnius aircraft, which at the times are flying other routes so they won't be able to operate as they sell now, will cancel something.

MXP-AUH starting July 24th. Crew cannot operate both sectors as a there and back, surely….

New routes to Turkey and Armenia announced:

IST - BUD/Iasi/LGW/LTN
AYT - LGW/OTP/CLJ/BUD/Debrecen/AUH
DLM - LGW
Yerevan - DTM/KTW/SOF/PRG

A case of too many aircraft chasing too few passengers?

Can't slag them off for trying, Ryanair been doing the same for years. It is the speed of canx flights which upsets peoples summer plans.

May also be a backlash from the many reports of their 'appalling' customer service. People have a choice and maybe booking with more reliable airlines?

With over 400 county court judgements against them that they have refused to pay and the CAA warning the company about its behaviour they are not exactly customer focused.

What's the point of a CCJ against Wizz if they just carry on regardless? CAA needs to be much firmer.

The trouble is, CCJs have to be enforced by the claimant. I suspect Wizzair are aware of this.

https://dailynewshungary.com/hungari...-be-cancelled/

Wizzair need to fix the reliability issues and then (and not beforehand) do a major marketing campaign in the UK, particularly in south east England to boost their brand image and recognition. A few years ago, Ryanair were being continually slagged off in the press for being cr*ppy - a solid bit of advertising and marketing along with some brief words of contrition from MOL, and all was forgiven. It is unfortunate that the Gemma Collins campaign came when Covid was far from over

Share price does not seem to be effected which is important.
OK Sun routes has proved difficult but there is better money to be made elsewhere. Note the comment on the Luton thread about the new Jordan route.
I have been to my Turkish Barber today and he is booked for Turkey, he says Turkish Airlines & BA charge too much.
I believe Israel & Egypt do well so expect more in that area. Saudi next from UK?
Not nice in a A321 but if the price is right.....

£10 fares and a full flight doesn’t mean a successful profitable route.

And as you should know, its all about yield. Wizzair costs will be significantly lower than any Lacacy. Nobody is offering £10. I take it you have not done a test booking on the Jordan route. Not using fat cow LHR saves you a fortune.
BA & Royal Jordian will be making their big money on First & Business yet their economy is still what I could get to the Far East or US for. Legacy will be probably taking Cargo as well which makes their Economy fare more shameful.

Wizz is offering Luton to Amman one way for £54 on 3 different dates in August (admittedly luggage costs extra) - which is impressive given that UK APD is £84. If you want to go in late July when school holidays start, Wizz wants £300 one way (again, luggage costs extra)

London to either Cairo or (if the Egyptian Govt decides to be protectionist) Alexandria / Giza-Sphinx might also be interesting, given the prices BA and Egyptair charge. London - Tel Aviv has over the double the number of flights per day of London - Cairo

Correct as they are priced in Euros. Wizz flights starting from €4.99 from Italy and €10 from Luton

Just tried a booking mid March, 7 day return London to Milan, RYR £18, WZZ £40, EZY £40, ITA £99, BA £138. OK google price so there maybe extras.
So on your calculations RYR must be loosing loads of money, but they are not.

Wizz cancelled Budapest-Aquaba last week with the "usual" 14 days notice (last flight 7th February). Other leisure routes (like Debrecen-Mallorca) went down the drain too. They re-planned their Budapest summer schedule (from the end of March) completely again last night according to passenger reports. Reliability issues are real on their core markets as well where the brand image and recognition are supposed to be the strongest. As for the said campaign: it created the opposite effect just about everywhere other than the UK (to put it mildly), it was best to abandon it quickly.

Wizzair makes Ryanair look customer focused. One is losing money while the other one is not.

Yet RYR are the first to complain about fare dumping.

I can understand why this route can’t be booked after 25th March with prices like this. All very well buying a new fleet of A321 Neo but maybe they need a fleet of A220?

https://i.imgur.com/auwpK5J.jpg

I love the island of Madeira and I've been there more time's than I can remember. I'd be tempted to visit the island again with prices starting from £12.99 but nothing would tempt me to fly with Wizz and even more so fly from Luton.

I'll get my coat :-)

https://dailynewshungary.com/wizz-ai...-investigates/

Wizz may need to repay money received from Timisoara airport - EU court says the European Commission was wrong to sign the aid off in the first place. Case dates back to a complaint by Carpatair in 2010
https://boardingpass.ro/decizia-ce-d...soara-anulata/

Hungray is hardly a shining light of a country following EU rules and picks and choices who to aline with a who to pi** off. I wouldn't believe alot of what is written in some of their very bias press. There is usually a different motive in play which is not always apparent.
As Ryanair used to say, any press is good, whether good or bad. To get the public to remember the brand.