Budget airline Wizz Air has introduced an ‘all you can fly’ subscription, allowing unlimited flights for an annual fee of €499 (£428, $549).
While airlines have long offered multi-flight packages, unlimited deals are a newer concept. This scheme is similar to ones from Frontier Airlines in the US and AirAsia in Malaysia.
Wizz Air has faced criticism in the UK for customer service issues and flight delays.
The discounted annual pass price of €499 is available until 16 August, after which it will increase to €599. Starting in September, subscribers can travel to destinations across Europe, North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia by booking a flight at least three days in advance for a flat fee of €9.99.
Wizz Air plans to sell 10,000 of these subscriptions, distributed among its operating airports. However, several ‘airport of preference’ options were shown as sold out on the company’s website. A message indicated that if your preferred airport isn’t available, the subscription limit has been reached, and Wizz Air can’t offer you a membership at this time.
The terms and conditions state that seat availability is not guaranteed and will depend on various factors.
Wizz Air was named the worst airline for UK flight delays for the third consecutive year, with an average delay of 31 minutes. The airline is also criticized for poor customer service by Which? and recently faced a €770,000 fine from Hungary’s competition authority for misleading communications about travel packages. Wizz Air disputes the fine and is taking legal action. Additionally, the airline reported a 44% drop in first-quarter operating profit and has lowered its profit forecast for the year.