Hello dear travelers,
I usually don't post here, but I am trying to find what would be the best course of action in this situation. My wife and I are traveling to a conference and our return flight was booked with WizzAir from Budapest to Jeddah. We bought the tickets with plenty of time, as our return date sadly coincides with the Saudi F1 GP, so air fares are on the pricier side.
A few days ago I received a notification that the flight was cancelled, I though, no worries, I can re-book the same route on a later date. Unfortunately, all future flights for that route have been cancelled. Therefore, the only self-service option that appears to me is a refund.
I called an agent and they informed me the same thing I saw on the website, that since the route is cancelled they could only provide a refund, and they couldn't re-route me through other airlines as the cancellation had been made with more than 14 days of notice.
From what I understand EU regulations, the 14-day rule is what entitles you to additional compensation in case of cancellation. But isn't re-routing required? from the regulations I read:
- If the airline does not comply with its obligation to offer re-routing or return under comparable transport conditions at the earliest opportunity, it has to reimburse your flight costs.
- If the airline does not offer you the choice between reimbursement and re-routing but decides unilaterally to reimburse your original ticket, you are entitled to an additional reimbursement of the price difference with the new ticket (under comparable transport conditions).
- If you booked an outbound and a return flight separately with different airlines and the outbound flight is cancelled, reimbursement is only due for the cancelled flight.
So in this case the airline is not offering me the choice of re-routing, as no viable flights exist for them (because they cancelled the route). So in theory I am entitled to an additional reimbursement of the price difference with the new ticket?
If that's the case, how would I go about filing claims so that WizzAir actually complies with their responsibilities, or am I misunderstanding the regulation?
Thanks for any advice.
by CreeperPhysics
8 Comments
**Notice:** Are you asking about compensation, reimbursements, or refunds for delays and cancellations?
You **must follow Rule 4** and include the **cities, airports, flight numbers, airlines**, and **dates of travel**.
If your flight originated from the EU (any carrier) or your destination was within the EU (with an EU carrier), read into [EC261 Air Passenger Rights](https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm). Non-EU to Non-EU itineraries, even if operated by an EU carrier, is not eligible for EC261 per Case C-451/20 “Airhelp vs Austrian Airlines”. See [here for a summary of the legislation](https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=OJ:C_202405687).
If your flight originated in the UK (any carrier) or your destination was within the UK (with a UK or EU carrier), or within the EU (on a UK carrier), read into [UK261 by the UK CAA](https://www.caa.co.uk/passengers/resolving-travel-problems/delays-and-cancellations/making-a-claim/). **Note**: this includes connecting flights from a non-UK origin to non-UK destination if flown on a UK carrier (British Airways or Virgin Atlantic). For example JFK-LHR-DEL is likely eligible for UK261 coverage. Source [#1](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/british-airways-executive-club/2146208-2024-ba-compensation-thread-your-guide-regulation-ec261-uk261.html?ispreloading=1) [#2](https://www.flyertalk.com/forum/35743389-post2392.html) [#3](https://www.reddit.com/r/Flights/comments/1pj07v8/successful_nonuk_to_nonuk_flight_delay/)
If you are having trouble with EC261 or UK261 claims, file a complaint with the alternate dispute resolution (ADR) body covering your airline/country/route or with the relevant EU regulatory authorities (e.g. Portugal’s ANAC).
Turkey has passenger protections [known as SHY](https://web.shgm.gov.tr/doc4/shy-passenger.pdf)
Canada has passenger protections [known as APPR found here](https://rppa-appr.ca/eng)
Thailand has passenger protections [found here](https://www.nationthailand.com/news/tourism/40050206)
If you were flying within the US or on a US carrier – you are not entitled to any compensation except under the above schemes or if you were involuntarily denied boarding (IDB). Any questions about compensation within the US or on a US carrier will be removed unless it qualifies for EC261, UK261, or APPR. You are [possibly provided duty of care including hotels, meals, and transportation](https://www.transportation.gov/airconsumer/airline-cancellation-delay-dashboard) based on the DOT dashboard.
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More info about the flight to comply with the AutoMod comment.
City of origin: Budapest (BUD)
City of destination: Jeddah (JED)
Flight Number: **2301**
Airline: WizzAir
Date of travel: April 14, 2026
[deleted]
You are correct. They don’t have to compensate you because of the advance cancellation, but they have to provide re-routing if the passenger chooses that. I would set them a short deadline, then book a ticket on another carrier (the one which is the earliest alternative) and submit the cost for reimbursement.
Yes, the airline should refund you but compensation id not mandatory if cancelled more than 14 days ahead
wizzair doesn’t do re-routing (on the same route) because it costs them money, even if it’s your legal right. they know that 99,9% of people give up after not getting it easily and no one wants to go to court for such small amount of money
It happened to me once with Wizz a few years ago. The flight was canceled two months in advance, and I received just a refund.
Isnt the f1 gp in april ?