During the Austrian summer holidays, the Chamber of Labor received a particularly large number of consumer complaints about the behavior of the airlines Austrian Airlines and Wizz Air. The majority of cases involved canceled flights.
While AUA usually dealt with cancellations, lost or delayed luggage and significantly later departures, according to the Chamber of Labor, numerous Wizz Air passengers also had problems with check-in. In a statement, the consumer advocates emphasize that in many cases "the illegal check-in fee" is said to have been collected at the counter. Those who did not want to pay for this were not allowed to fly. A total of 46 percent of all holiday complaints received by the AK relate to the subject of flying. Austrian Airlines and Wizz Air are said to have had an excessive number of cases.
The Chamber of Labor advises affected passengers that they should claim their rights based on the Air Passenger Rights Ordinance and not allow themselves to be fobbed off with compulsory vouchers. For example, Wizz Air claims that in the event of a cancellation, only rebooking on another flight operated by the company or a refund of the ticket price as a credit would be entitled, but no further claims.
Due to the creative interpretation of EU-VO 261/2004, the Hungarian carrier got involved in investigations by the state consumer protection authority of Hungary. In Austria, the Chamber of Labor is taking legal action against disputed clauses in the General Conditions of Carriage. The consumer advocates prevailed in the first instance, but Wizz Air appealed, which is why the judgment is not final.