The Italian Competition Authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato – AGCM) has imposed a €500,000 sanction on the low-cost airline Wizz Air Hungary Ltd, following findings of unfair commercial practices and the use of abusive contractual clauses in connection with the company’s annual subscription service, “Wizz All You Can Fly.”
The investigation examined the airline’s promotional activities for the subscription, which allows customers to travel at a fixed fare on all international routes operated by the carrier in exchange for an annual fee of €599, reduced to €499 during the initial promotional phase. The AGCM found that Wizz Air presented the product as an unlimited flight subscription while failing to provide clear, complete, and timely information about the restrictions governing its use. In particular, the pre-contractual information supplied to consumers was deemed insufficient and ambiguous, especially with regard to the time windows for booking individual flights, the number and type of seats made available to subscribers on each flight, and other limitations affecting the ability to take advantage of the service.
The Authority also established the unfair nature of several clauses included in the original version of Wizz Air’s general terms and conditions. These clauses granted the airline broad discretion to modify the terms of the service or even discontinue it entirely, without identifying justified reasons or ensuring adequate safeguards for consumers. As a result, subscribers’ rights to a pro-rated refund were hindered, and their right to withdraw from the contract in the event of suspension or termination of the service was restricted, even when the affected airport was the one the consumer had designated as their preferred hub. According to the AGCM, these provisions created a significant imbalance in the rights and obligations of the parties, to the detriment of consumers.
Alongside the fine, the Antitrust Authority has ordered that an extract of its decision be published on Wizz Air’s website to inform the public of the violations identified and the corrective measures imposed.