Delay with overbooking

[yonasl]

Testing your thoughts on this one. Friend travelling with Wizz tonight. Flight is delayed a few hours and she has been told she is overbooked.

Instead of simply being able to go rest for tomorrows’ flight she has to wait for the delayed boarding to complete in case there was a place (yet check-in aha already taken place as they scanned all tickets).

Any recourse to this abuse in addition to hotel, food and compensation?

Thanks

[Lady London]

Nasty.
So they’re denying boarding, but they want to keep her on a string in case they change their mind?

Sounds like they think they might need her seat for someone who is not a passenger ie staff. Perhaps staff who may go out of hours depending on the length of the delay and needing to be flown home dead-heading, with a replacement crew actually working the flight.

Is it just her? If not she should get together with other passengers and complain.

Is she stuck landside or airside? I would hope landside, but sounds like Wizz are sleazy enough to have trapped her airside at their mercy.

If landside obvs have a very proper meal. She could also work on finding out what is the reason for the delay.

She ahould also start phoning hotels now – ask for distressed passenger rate and mention Wizz in case there is such a rate. I will be stunned if Wizz lift a finger to book her a hotel but make sure she asks th
e airline for one if anybody is around just to show she gave them the chance.

Also don’t let them put her on a flight at crack of dawn – if she’s denied boarding tell them the earliest she is leaving is whatever will get her a good night’s sleep and breakfast. Tell staff that now and ensure they act on it before they all disappear.

Let us know more?

[yonasl]

Thank you @LadyLondon. She finally made it into the plane and left with just 1-2hrs delay. She was stuck airside (so you basically make it all the way to the boarding gate at which point you are told to wait for all the plane to board before they check if there is an empty seat).

I have seen cases like this with Wizz in the past. People that check in (with the app/web) late are told they may be denied boarding but still to go to the airport and queue. Many times it is all good and they make it through (I cna only imagine that some that may have booked a cheap ticket do check-in but never show up?)