Wizz is a ULCC by definition (Ultra Low Cost Carrier). And the portfolio of airports served by a carrier of this sort is substantial. Now it is entirely understandable that you may consider the airport closest to you to be a special case deserving of bespoke attention. But from the perspective of a major airline, that notion is a nonsense. Do you really suppose that they would be minded to throw money (ULCC, remember) at local awareness campaigns in around 100 different cities (each of which thinks they are the deserving one). No, these days the big spend goes on generic brand awareness across all markets via the usual familiar channels. If your area is getting afew radio ads then you're very fortunate ... though perhaps you may be entitled to wonder whether it is the airline or airport / local government interests who is actually footing the bill for this? If the airline has agreed a marketing support package with the host airport as part of the terms to establish the operation, I can make an educated guess as to who it won't be! :)

Some significant increase on frequencies for TUI from summer 2022.
Faro added and and Hurghada year round rather than just winter.

62 departures per week, looks like 4, maybe even 5 based aircraft.

Wizz to Jersey
 

Don't know if I missed this but DSA-Jersey Now bookable Fri/Mon starting 09/07/21

JER ought to work, it was always popular when BE operated the route. The Wizz offering does seem to be at the expense of PMI though and only for a couple of months..?

Formal announcement made by airport ref Tui summer 2022, stating another based aircraft which would make 5.

Free Press Link

Its not an exhaustive list but what is currently on sale includes.

Alicante 2 x weekly
Antalya 3 x weekly
Bourgas 2 x weekly
Corfu 3 x weekly
Crete 2 x weekly
Dalaman 4 x weekly
Dubrovnik 1 x weekly
Enfidha 1 x weekly
Faro 2 x weekly
Gran Canaria 1 x weekly
Girona 1 x weekly
Hurghada 2 x weekly
Ibiza 2 x weekly
Kefalonia 2 x weekly
Kos 2 x weekly
Lanzarote 3 x weekly
Malaga 3 x weekly
Menorca 2 x weekly
Palma 6 x weekly
Paphos 2 x weekly
Pula 2 x weekly
Reus 2 x weekly
Rhodes 3 x weekly
Tenerife 3 x weekly
Zante 3 x weekly

Wizz flights to the Canaries pushed back to September.
Alicante starts in August now.

More chopping and changing from Wizz - and with the Cardiff news today, you have to expect more changes to come.

How can anyone book a Wizz flight with any confidence at the moment? It's ridiculous.

Its the same for most carriers. BA is constantly chopping and changing schedules. EasyJet cancelled loads then rescheduled some. Not really fair to lay the plane at a single airline when Governments are also constantly chopping and changing rules and requirements.

Trying to run a passenger airline, and keeping your financial head above water whilst fending off irritated customers must be an almost impossible juggling act at the moment. I really don't envy anyone involved, they have my admiration for keeping their sanity intact!

A lot is the poor communication. Wizz play up a load of media fan fare, then quietly cancel routes and bases, with stock answers to customers on Twitter, rather than the UK MD coming out and saying whats happening and the reasons behind what is happening.

I wonder if the DSA push back to September has been done to coincide with furlough ending, which would make sense if their UK crew is on furlough.

The whole business model of the low cost industry is minimal staffing, overwhelmingly web based customer service and no time for proper "human" communication. It makes for cr@p customer service at the best of times. The MD probably feels he has better things to do with his time than, say, going on the breakfast TV and getting a handbagging from some consumer journalist or another. And, in these times, he's probably right.

All airlines, even most companies do that. You don’t want media attention for negatives. BA doesn’t send out the CEO to justify why they have dropped LHR-HEL or GOT. It’s just quietly dropped. What airline does issue press releases and makes a song and dance about cutting routes?

Most companies are not going to give all the reasons behind business decisions to the general public. Wizz Air are not behaving differently to any other carrier.

Most of the the new Wizz based flights now pushed back again to October.

Guessing the demand isn't there yet to operate the flights.

Wizz have taken a number of routes off sale until next summer.

You have to wonder whether this base will ever get fully operational.

same could also be said with Cardiff

I know someone who's had their flight to Faro cancelled five times with Wizz from DSA. Wouldn't it be better just to cancel them all together, rather than messing around.
How many potential customers have been lost as a result I wonder?

That looks like sound common sense to me, write this year off and start afresh in 2022.

TimmyW looks like Faro is gone until end of March 22, it’s a light route between Oct -Mar with the exception of Christmas but even then look at the frequency at Man with EZY this year. Some steady routes look to be reinstated in next couple of weeks ALC, LCA, ACE, TFS, FUE so all doesn’t look lost.

Regarding Wizz, it's disappointing.

I was hopeful to try them out of DSA on a few routes this winter but the constant delays, strange fare structure, and employment practices (other threads) makes them look like an inept poundshop Ryanair.

I think they've damaged their presence with the local market as they could be deemed seriously unreliable whilst every other airline in similar markets (FR, EZY, LS) is operating a sustained schedule.

I could book with Wizz out of DSA and risk having my flights pushed back ad nauseum (which would cost me substantially more money having to rebook with other airlines) or book initially with a reliable competitor out of LBA/MAN/EMA.

Speaking to someone who used the Alicante route a week or two ago, he said there were about 30 people on the flight. Clearly, they will cut routes if they perform like this. Again - you have to question whether the demand at DSA is there. Other than TUI, it has never been able to keep other carriers. Personally, I don't see the Wizz base being a success, they wouldn't be constantly messing with the schedule, alienating customers if they were serious about it, especially now when restrictions are easing and people are looking to travel again.

You can't seriously be suggesting that loads a couple of weeks ago are any sort of barometer for demand in normal times. I suspect the PCR tests required by UK government on return would have cost considerably more than the ticket price most people paid.

Perhaps not, but with the constantly cancellations and schedule changes, will the route perform any better next summer? Take a look on social media. Many vowing they'll never use the airport or Wizz again.

It's a common mistake to think social media is real life. You constantly see comments about people never using Ryanair and last time I looked they were still one of Europ'es largest airlines.

Anybody get a list of airlines or airports which haven't taken stick for cancellations and schedule changes?

ATNotts

100%. Returned from a sun destination last week. Busiest flight seemed to be a TUI to Newcastle which filled a couple of buses so guessing 120ish. Mine was circa 45% full and schedule dropped from 4 to 3 weekly quite late notice. A TUI to MAN was in the air 35 mins early so while I didn’t see it board I’m assuming to achieve that it was fairly lightly loaded. Outbound the other Jet2 flight heading to Spain looked fairly light on numbers considering it was a weekend. My outbound had just over 100.

Timmy has been campaigning for Doncaster to close for years. His posts are full of doom and gloom which often does not happen. He is the opposite of mystic meg. I would not get excited about anything he says.

For anyone doubting Wizz - read the below link!

Wizz Expansion

1.5M seats between April and October 2022 is staggering growth for them at the airport - and also the airport.

Should push the airport towards 3M passengers in 2022 with TUI growth.

I'll eat my words!

Surely that many seats would need a couple of extra based aircraft? Great news either way

Not for the first time! :rolleyes:

Just remind us when Wizz are leaving DSA to start their Leeds base? This news really underlines just how little factual information Timmy has about DSA and it’s operations.

Why will Wizz need to base any more aircraft than they are planning to?

An increase of a million seats compared to summer 2019 would need more than 2 based aircraft.

Do not have to be based aircraft to operate the routes !

I know that, but there has been no increase to the non based services looking at the timeable for next summer, alas, you'd need some increases compared to the existing schedule to achieve anywhere near 1.5 million seats over a 7 month period.

I'm waging that we will hear news of at least one more based aircraft soon.

Why only one? Surely you could ask your contact who works in Peel, or that one that works in Swissport, or that one that works for Doncaster Free Press, they’ll be able to provide you with that accurate, up to the minute information you’ve so frequently provided in the past.
Just remind us when Wizz are leaving DSA to swap all their operations to Leeds?

Who says they’re only basing two aircraft?

Read the press release

I have done have you? I appreciate accuracy isn’t your (or your mates at DFP), strong point regarding DSA, but please show us where it says two based aircraft.

egcntristar

The two based aircraft were to bring 560,000 seats per annum but an A321 has 230 seats so with six rotation per day would bring 503,700 available seats each.

A bit of analysis from previous press releases shows 736,000 seats in 2019 from non based routes - an average of nearly 9 rotations per day over 365 days,

1.5M seats between April and October (214 days) would need 30 rotations per day average to reach that number.

So with 12 based rotations and nearly 9 non based rotations, it leaves quite a gap to fill if the figures are not spin.

1.5M will be one way seats, so 15 rotations, 30 sectors will deliver the number. 6 rotations based and 9 non based will deliver that

On 28 July I booked DSA-ALC for Tues 14 Sept & ALC-DSA for Thurs 7 Oct. and booked local car hire to match.
On 6 Aug I was notified that ALC-DSA would now be re-scheduled to Tues 5 Oct. & requested change to car hire.
On 25 Aug I was notified that ALC-DSA would be re-scheduled to Wed 6 Oct & requested another change to car hire, fortunately with small family company who, although having a very busy period were able to accommodate the changes.
Again, fortunately, we have our own property so didnt have to amend rental dates.
Whilst we were away, met with friends who had travelled from DSA with Wizz. They had originally booked DSA-ALC-DSA with Wizz last year & had 3 return journeys cancelled so this their 1st trip with Wizz. A few days before departing DSA they had booked another DSA-ALC-DSA with Wizz for 30 Oct - 20 Nov. During our meeting they looked angry & frustrated. Just been notified that the ALC-DSA return leg had been re-scheduled to 30 Oct. THE SAME DAY, PLANE & CREW that they arrived with.
We also heard by phone from other friends still in UK who the previous week had booked with Wizz DSA-ALC-DSA for 20 Oct - 10 Nov. They had just been notified that ALC-DSA return leg had been rescheduled to 23 Oct. 3 DAYS after they arrive. They had just re-booked for similar dates from LBA with LS. A lot more cost plus £100 to park car.
We are all typical of many regular travellers on this route from DSA, some who we know personally.

So you are very correct in describing the unreliability & lack of passenger confidence with Wizz in the future.
Incidentally, our outbound on 14 Sept had approx 80 to 90 passengers & return 2 days ago was almost full, presumably from consolidating the 2 originally scheduled flights.
I have already been looking at flights to ALC for several trips next year from either LBA or EMA whether Wizz operates it or not. We live 5 minutes from DSA & I think we are representative of a great number of potential passenger.

AirLCY

This doesn't stack up.

EGCN points out what would be needed to deliver the seats they are advertising.

Personally I think this is just a marketing ploy to make up for all the cancelled flights etc.

The 1.5M is arriving and departing seats