Low-cost airline Wizz Air launches annual “fly freely” promotion
Low-cost airline Wizz Air has launched a “fly as much as you want” subscription, offering customers unlimited flights for an annual fee of €499 (£428, $549).
While airlines have offered multi-leg packages for a while, unlimited flight packages are still a relatively new concept.
The program is similar to those offered by Frontier Airlines in the United States and Malaysia-based AirAsia.
Wizz Air has faced criticism in the UK for its customer service and flight delays.
The discounted price for the annual ticket will be valid until August 16 and then increase to 599 euros.
From September, subscribers will be able to travel to destinations in Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and Asia by booking an available flight at least three days in advance and paying a flat fee of €9.99.
Wizz Air says it is selling 10,000 subscriptions, distributed across the airports it operates.
However, when BBC News checked the company’s website, some ‘priority airport’ options were sold out.
A notice on the page reads: “In case you are unable to select your desired airport, please note that the limit has been reached and unfortunately Wizz Air is currently unable to offer you a Wizz All You Can Fly membership.”
The terms and conditions document on Wizz Air’s website also warns that seat availability is not guaranteed for membership holders and will depend on “a number of external and internal factors”.
In June, Wizz Air was named the worst airline for flight delays in the UK for the third year in a row.
According to analysis of official data by the PA news agencyWizz Air flights departing from UK airports last year were delayed by an average of 31 minutes.
Leading UK consumer group Which? also named the airline as having the worst customer service.
This month, Hungary’s competition authority fined Wizz Air 770,000 euros for misleading communications, including encouraging customers to buy more expensive travel packages.
Wizz Air told BBC News it “questioned the legality of the fine, disagreed with the reasoning given and was taking legal action”.
Also in August, Wizz Air reported a 44% drop in first-quarter operating profit and cut its full-year profit forecast.
