Wizz Air has launched a new ‘all you can fly’ annual subscription, offering customers unlimited flights for a yearly fee of €499 (£428).
This innovative deal, available until 16 August at a discounted price before rising to €599, allows travellers to book as many flights as they wish across Wizz Air’s extensive network, which includes destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.
Subscribers to the scheme can book flights up to three days before departure, paying a flat fee of €9.99 per booking. The budget airline is releasing 10,000 of these subscriptions, spread across the airports it operates from. However, availability is already proving to be a challenge, with some travellers reporting that their preferred airports have sold out of the subscription.
A message on Wizz Air’s website has informed customers: “In the case that you are unable to select your preferred airport, please note that the limit has been reached and Wizz Air is unfortunately unable to offer you a Wizz All You Can Fly membership at this time.” The airline’s terms and conditions also caution that seat availability for pass holders is not guaranteed and is subject to “several external and internal factors.”
While the concept of unlimited flying subscriptions is gaining traction globally, with similar offerings from Frontier Airlines in the US and AirAsia in Malaysia, Wizz Air’s new pass comes at a time when the airline is under scrutiny for its performance in the UK.
In June, Wizz Air was ranked the worst airline for flight delays in the UK for the third consecutive year, with an average delay of 31 minutes per flight, according to official data analysed by the PA news agency. Additionally, the airline has faced ongoing criticism for its customer service, with consumer group Which? naming it the worst performing airline in this area.
Further compounding its challenges, Hungary’s competition authority recently fined Wizz Air €770,000 for misleading communications, including how it promoted more expensive travel packages. Wizz Air has disputed the fine, stating it “questions the legality of the fine, disagrees with its reasoning and is taking legal action.”
This turbulent backdrop also includes a significant financial blow, with Wizz Air reporting a 44% drop in first-quarter operating profit and revising down its profit forecast for the year.