Wizz Air launches annual ‘all you can fly’ deal

Budget airline Wizz Air has launched an ‘all you can fly’ subscription, giving customers unlimited flights for an annual fee of 499 euros (£428, $549).

While airlines have been offering various multi-flight packages for a while now, unlimited deals are a relatively new concept.

The arrangement is similar to that of US-based Frontier Airlines and Malaysia-based AirAsia.

Wizz Air has been criticised in the UK for its customer service and flight delays.

The discounted price for the annual pass is valid until August 16 and will then be 599 euros.

From September, subscribers can 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 across the airports where the airline operates.

However, when BBC News checked the company’s website, several of the ‘preferred airports’ were found to be sold out.

There was a message on the page: “If 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 terms and conditions document on Wizz Air’s website also warns that seat availability is not guaranteed for membership holders and is dependent on “multiple external and internal factors.”

In June, Wizz Air was named the airline with the worst flight delays in the UK for the third year in a row.

Wizz Air planes took off from UK airports last year with an average delay of 31 minutes, according to an analysis of official data by the PA news agency.

Leading UK consumer organisation Which? has also named the airline the worst airline for customer service.

This month, the Hungarian Competition Authority fined Wizz Air €770,000 for misleading communications, including the way the company encouraged customers to buy more expensive travel packages.

The story continues

Wizz Air did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BBC News.

Wizz Air also reported a 44% drop in first-quarter operating profit in August and cut its full-year profit forecast.