[maplefanta]

On July 7th 2008 I headed to Budapest after some times to the Balkans to catch what was seemingly the most appropriate for me to get back to London. After having arrived early at the airport, I spent the day wandering and waiting for the ability to check-in for my flight.

The above named flight was due to depart on time 6:25pm. All passengers checked in and went through customs/security and into departure lounge awaiting at the gate. Eventually, the flight was announced to have a 1 hour delay around a quarter past 6. It got to 7:15pm without any progress nor information until all of a sudden, the employees showed and we were ushered onto the buses awaiting on the Tarmac which would lead us on to the plane. The bus stood still and passengers started to ask whatever staff they could see what was happening, none of the Airport staff nor Wizzair staffs gave any information whatsoever or finally simply ignored the wondering passengers. Every passengers finally got put into the bus without knowing what was going about awaiting for a long time thinking we would finally make it to the plane. The irrespective and 'cattle' way of dealing with the passengers who were quite simply willing to be informed about the current and potential situation was awfully appalling. Finally, we were driven around the airport to arrive back to the arrival terminal with no explanation of what was happening or what we were to do there and we were given a transit pass with no explanation as to what we were to do with it. At this right moment, approaching 8pm, a storm came over Budapest airport bringing rain over the city for no longer than the following 2h as the sky cleared totally around 10pm. This however would reveal a flaw excuse for the company to not have to reimbursed anybody.

We had no idea where to go and everyone were simply awaiting by the baggage handling. Their was absolutely no representation from WizzAir at the airport and neither the airport info desk nor ticket sales desk were able to help us. Requesting information about the current situation along those employees only lead to the reception of a paper with a phone number to call, a pretty useless mean as it is important to notice that the whole world and different nations are not all automatically connected by mobile phone. I found this system being a big joke. After much uproar from Hungarian and British passengers we were told that our flight would leave at about 9:30pm. 9:15pm came and still nothing, I personally had to ask the custom officer if that meant that I should actually run to a specific gate to catch my flight, neither they knew what to answer me. We were told 10pm, followed by 2am and then conveniently after 11pm when all the desk staff went home and we were literally left with nobody to turn to for assistance an announcement came on the speakers that due to a technical fault on the plane which could not be repaired, the flight had been cancelled. Passengers were still at a loss and by borrowing one another's phones and/or laptops we found out that WizzAir would not be able to get us back before Wednesday morning!

After having been pushed out back into the airport lobby and around 11pm, the airlines ground staff suddenly brought everyones luggage and dropped then in a corner of the airport before leaving then there without any handling nor announcement. Our bags could have been grabbed by any visitors of the airport and I managed to find mine later lying on a corner of the airport.

I personally had a connection to catch at Heathrow airport departing on Wednesday morning in destination of Detroit, USA and further into Canada for business training. I was finding myself in an overstressful situation where I had to be back in England and hopefully had left myself a day buffer to resolve some administrative things in England. I therefore had to get back and was forced to cancel my return flights with Wizz Air and to book via British Airways/Malev on the following morning to rush back to the UK. With other passengers doing the same move, I had to get taxis to the other terminal and spend the night in the airport as the flight left at 7:25am on Tuesday morning. This return flights cost me an additional 73,000 HUF in addition to my Wizzair flight. Although we were eventually given refreshment vouchers (way later than the mandatory and acceptable timeframe) to the value of 2000 HUF each, this wasn't enough to even cover a meal and 1 drink in the airport canteen. I had to make several distress phone to my family in England and in Canada trying to receive advice or alternative travel plans, as well as attempting to contact your Calling Centre, which I successfully managed earlier in the evening to be told that the plane was having technical difficulties and that engineers were working on it. This made me request (as it was already nearing a 3hours delay) to receive meal & refreshment vouchers as stated on the 1999 International Air Carriage Montreal Convention (within article 19 - we did not receive all possible measure and support from any Wizzair agent in matter of delay) which is ratified by the European Union countries.

To add-up to this awful evening:
- The Ground Staff were acting rude with the passengers queries even refusing at a certain point to answer questions and turning their back at them; or to simply refuse to deal with english speaking passengers by only making conversation with hungarians;
- The treatment given to our luggage is obviously an appalling element;
- My complaints to the airlines remained silent and it took me 5 months before receiving a single answer to my emails, in which I am denied any compensation and even answered like if the blame is on me for not having tried to re-book my ticket at a later date. This despite the fact that there was no representent willing to deal with the passengers, that they didn't not provide us with information on how to book, when and what we should be doing. And that no phone were available to contact their call-centre (or that this call-centre was not answering their phone);
- Simply receiving my money back for a service that has never existed has been a long and ardu task to which I had to make several justification and ultimately will have to wait until December 2008 before I even see the money I paid for that ticket (with no further compensation);

I definitely despise that airlines, for their service and the tone they spoke to their customer, both at the airport itself and to through their administration.

Flying with Wizzair is definitely not worth the hassle, especially if other airlines offers you the same destination for a similar price.

[Leatherboy2006]

Check out this link and their policy about cancallations you should be entitled to quite a bit http://wizzair.com/useful_informatio..._conditions/#4
I was nosey and clicked on enforment agencies at bottom of page and that should direct you on government level.

[maplefanta]

I know, I wish I was receiving such compensation and I was expecting that. But after 5 months of wasting my time I am just happy to receive my money back.

Also they pretty much used the cheap excuse on the sudden rainfall (despite their last delay departure was put at 2am which time the rain had long time gone).

As for the government protection body, and the EU Air Passenger rights, these are really pointless. I wrote in July to all of them (UK and Hungary) to only receive all these normal acknowledgement of receipt without much more support. And even then, their reply rhythm is about 6 weeks, so you can't end up expecting anything from them.

So the airlines will always have the last words anyway. I don't believe in the EU Rights anymore.