WOW Air Collapse Causes Travel Chaos
Friday, 29 Mar 2019
Chaos is mounting in the wake of WOW Air’s collapse, leaving tens of thousands of passengers stranded, agitated and anxiously searching for what do to next. Flights were already being delayed and cancelled at the beginning of the week because of the heavy debt that the airline was struggling with, but after failed attempts to save the airline, operations came to a halt today.
A cancelled acquisition bid by Indigo Partners led to further talks with Icelandair who had previously signed a purchase agreement for WOW Air before cancelling it only weeks after, in November 2018. The following statement has since been posted on the WOW Air website: “Icelandair Group has decided that its possible involvement in Wow Air’s operations, as announced on 20 March 2019, will not materialize. Therefore, all discussions between the parties have been cancelled.”
Passengers have been reportedly left stranded in Europe and the U.S. Cancelled routes include Detroit to Dublin and Dublin to Keflavík.
Rescue options are being offered to stranded passengers for the routes the airline covers, including “rescue fares” from the Irish airline Aer Lingus. These are available to customers whose flights were booked with WOW Air before and up to April 11. Eligibility for passenger refunds is said to depend on the booking method used; passengers should be eligible if they have booked by credit card, or through a European Travel Agent. Compensation from WOW Air may also be available in line with Air Passenger Rights.
It seems as though nothing is certain in the air travel industry at the moment. The travel confusion caused by the collapse of WOW Air comes on the heels of similar chaos brought about by Ryanair and Wizz Air’s changes to their hand luggage allowances in November. What is for certain, however, is that Send My Bag can take at least some of the hassle out of air travel by shipping your luggage to your destination, whether you are travelling to a hotel, moving abroad, or choosing to study at a university overseas. Get your quick quote now!
Our Most Popular Articles
Wizz Air New Hand Luggage Allowance
Wizz Air has announced changes to its hand luggage allowance that mirror those made by Ryanair at the end of August.
Ryanair and Wizz Air to Pay the Price for New Baggage Rules
Budget airlines Ryanair and Wizz Air have both been hit with fines following the introduction of their new hand luggage policies last year. Together they are being forced to pay €3 million.
UK Flights: How Much Hand Luggage Are You Actually Allowed?
Airlines are constantly making the headlines these days, due to their ever-changing hand luggage policies. New weight restrictions, size limitations, and the introduction of charges for cabin baggage have turned a simple matter into a confusing one.
Italian Watchdog Investigates Ryanair Hand Luggage Charges
Italy's competition watchdog, Antittrust, is looking into the new hand luggage charges announced by Ryanair in August.
Ryanair New Baggage Rules for Hand Luggage
Ryanair have again announced new baggage rules. This is the second change to their baggage allowance this year. The change means that the only item of hand luggage that can be brought as far as the gate is one small carry-on item. Currently, a larger 10 kg item can be brought as far as the gate, where it is checked into the hold free of charge.
Ryanair Changes Hand Luggage Fees Again
Ryanair has made changes to its luggage fees, once again!! This time, the changes have been introduced quietly and most passengers will only realise the changes once they are ready to pay for their flights.
Ryanair Earns Billions from Add-Ons
A new report has revealed that Ryanair has earned over £1.7 billion in just one year from ancillary revenue, placing the airline among the top 5 airlines for this type of income.
The Latest in Ryanair’s History of Add-On Charges
Today marks the introduction of Ryanair’s latest baggage fee policy. This is just the latest in a string of baggage policy changes over the years.