WIZZ Air is known as one of the cheapest airlines to fly with, but there are ways that their flights can end up costing quite a bit more than first quoted.
Passengers are regularly caught out at airports and end up having to pay extra fees to get on their flights, including some big charges for small services.
AlamyWizz Air passengers have to pay a fee to check-in at the airport, if they they don’t check in online before their flight[/caption]
One man found this out the hard way when he was forced to pay a £40 fee at the airport to check in to his flight.
Anyone who doesn’t check in for their Wizz Air flight online has to pay the fee, as set out in the terms and conditions on the airline’s website.
The fee is listed as an “airport check-in fee” and will be handed out to anyone who doesn’t turn up with their boarding pass either printed or downloaded.
The only time an airport check-in fee can be avoided, is if online check-in services aren’t available at the departure airport.
While TikTok user, Baz Gregson, attempted to check in online, he was told that the online check-in would cost him £12.
Not wanting to pay the £12 charge, he headed to the airport where he thought he would be able to check in for free at the desk.
Despite the confusion over the online charge, Baz was met with a £41 check-in fee at the airport.
He described his experience in a TikTok video, where he said: “Just to make anybody aware who is flying with Wizz Air, should you choose to use the check-in at airport function, and not the online function, due to it giving you a charge for the website, you’ll be charged.
“There is check-in online for £12 or check-in at the airport, and it doesn’t tell you about the fee, so when you get to the airport, they will charge you £41 for the privilege of getting your ticket.”
The TikTok user blasted the charge as an “absolute con”.
While it may seem confusing, holidaymakers who are flying with Wizz Air can check in for free online.
Instead, holidaymakers can opt to pay for Wizz Air’s automatic check-in feature, which incurs the fee.
The feature, which can be purchased by all Wizz Air passengers, automatically checks holidaymakers into their flight 50 hours before their scheduled departure time.
A statement on their website says: “Auto Check-in is available for all bookings. Just make sure to add the service for each person and each leg of their journey.”
The feature was introduced to aid holidaymakers who want their check-in to be handled without having to lift a finger.
Despite the recent confusion, other passengers have praised the feature, with one person writing on Facebook: “The Wizz Air hack you might not know yet, there’s an auto Check In add-on that costs £12.”
The passenger saw the feature as a money-saving fee, especially for those holidaymakers who might forget to check in online while on holiday.
A spokesperson from Wizz Air said: “We aim to make our check-in process simple for passengers and we provide clear instructions via email on how to check-in to avoid charges.
“There are 3 options for check-in that passengers can choose from – free online check-in, auto check-in, or airport check-in.
“Online check-in is available from 30 days up to 3 hours before the scheduled departure time if you have purchased a seat during your booking. In case you have not purchased any seats with your booking, check-in will become available 24 hours before departure via the Wizz Air app or online.
“Passengers can pay a small fee for auto check-in which will automatically check them in online. Passengers who want to check in at the airport can pre-book this service online for £11.50 or €13 per flight. Airport check-in without pre-booking costs £35.50 or €40.00.”
An absolute con
Ryanair also has features that often confuse passengers, which end up costing holidaymakers money.
For example, anyone who doesn’t check in for their flight online two hours before their scheduled takeoff time has to pay a £55 fee for boarding pass printing, as set out in the terms and conditions on the airline’s website.
It is up to passengers to remember to check-in online and bring either a downloaded or printed version of their boarding pass in order to avoid the fine.
One couple found this out the hard way recently when they printed out the wrong boarding passes.
Anyone who loses their card at the airport will have to pay a £20 reissue fee.
However, Flexi plus or Plus passengers do not have to pay for this service.
Meanwhile, flight attendant Essence Griffin recently explained why she would never fly without having downloaded the airline’s app first.
She told CNN: “If you don’t have the app, you are definitely flying blind. I would never travel without downloading the app for the airline I’m flying on.
“It’ll tell you when you’re boarding, if you’re running late you’ll know if the flight’s still there, if it got delayed. You’ll see seat changes, gate changes, information about your boarding passes and upgrades.”
Meanwhile, a money expert revealed how the day you book and the day you fly can impact how expensive your flights are.
And this dad revealed how he keeps costs down on his family holidays.
Hand luggage rules for UK airlines
We’ve rounded up how much hand luggage you can take on UK airlines when booking their most basic fare.
Ryanair
One personal bag measuring no more than 40cm x 20cm x 25cm
EasyJet
One personal bag measuring no larger than 45cm x 36cm x 20cm
Jet2
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm x 25cm weighing up to 10kg
TUI
One personal item that its underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm weighing up to 10kg
British Airways
One personal bag no larger than 40cm x 30cm x 15cm and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 45cm 25cm weighing up to 23kg
Virgin Atlantic
One personal item that fits underneath the seat in front and one cabin bag no larger than 56cm x 36cm x 23cm weighing up to 10kg
GettyWizz Air’s automatic check-in feature costs £12[/caption]