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I and my girlfriend were booked on the Wizz Air flight from BUD to MLA. At the gate, I was denied boarding due to overbooking.

My girlfriend refused to fly alone and we went to the airline counter where I received a new STBY boarding pass and the involuntarily denied boarding form. I was re-booked on the VIE-MLA flight next morning and we had to buy the new plane ticket for my girlfriend and two train tickets from Budapest to Vienna.

I guess I can apply for:

  • 250EUR denied boarding compensation according to EC261
  • Refund of my train and airport shuttle tickets

I have two questions:

  1. I and my girlfriend booked the flight from the different accounts, so each booking was having its own PNR. At the counter, we were told that her status was a "no-show", not "denied boarding" since she has a separate booking and she actually could fly alone. It makes sense, however, I am still wondering if there is a way to get a compensation for her flight reservation and the train ticket?

  2. Since the flight from VIE was scheduled only the next morning, we had to spend the night in the airport of Vienna instead of the hotel in Malta. Obviously, the hotel reservation at that moment was already non-refundable, so in the end, we had to pay ~150EUR for this night anyway. Is there a chance to claim a compensation for this night from the airline?

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You are entitled to the denied boarding compensation and the airline should have arranged for meals and accomodation for you in Budapest or Vienna and your transport from Budapest to Vienna. With 'you' I mean your own person, not your girlfriend.

  1. No, your girl friend is not entitled to any compensation. Even if you had booked together, the airline is not required to make sure that you can fly on the same plane. If your girl friend decided not to fly alone, she is rightly considered by the air line as a 'no show', which usually also cause further legs or a return trip on the same ticket to be cancelled.

  2. No, the airline is usually not responsible for any consequential loss due to the denied boarding.

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  • thanks a lot for your answer. One small clarification. The airline representative also told that they only can book a hotel in Budapest, but not in Vienna, since they do not have agreements with hotels there. Does this mean that I could book a hotel in Vienna myself and get a compensation for it later, but since I spent a night in the airport I am not entiteled to any compensation for this night?
    – Andrey
    Commented Aug 28, 2018 at 10:18
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    @Andrey It sounds a bit as if you believe that the denied boarding gives you a carte blanche for redemption of any halfway related expence you might have. The airline is obliged to arrange accomodation for you and if they did and you declined, you can of course not book another hotel yourself and expect the airline to pay.
    – Tor-Einar Jarnbjo
    Commented Aug 28, 2018 at 13:30
  • More like trying to figure out the max. amount I can get from them. Just to make it clear, they did offer to arrange a hotel in Budapest (and to rebook me on the flight departing 4 days later) or to rebook me on the flight next morning from Vienna. They refused to offer an accommodation in Vienna as they don't have any partner hotel there. This doesn't seem to be a valid reason, as according to EC/261 the airline must provide a hotel in cases "where a stay of one or more nights becomes necessary". I'm just curious if theoretically I could book one by myself and claim the compensation later.
    – Andrey
    Commented Sep 8, 2018 at 10:45
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    @Andrey And by offering you accomodation in Budapest and a flight four days later, the airline has fulfilled their obligation. I understand that it was more convenient for you to fly the next day from Vienna instead, but the airline already offered you more than they have to by allowing you to change the flight. If you need or expect more financial support if something goes wrong when travelling, you have to get a proper travel insurance.
    – Tor-Einar Jarnbjo
    Commented Sep 8, 2018 at 13:45

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