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Wizz Air has engaged in commercial communication in breach of the professional diligence requirement on the essential features of its automatic check-in service, and failed to disclose that consumers could buy separately the “extra services” included in some of its service packages, thereby steering consumers towards more expensive packages, the Competition Authority has found. The authority imposed a fine of over HUF 300 million (EUR 753,326) on the company, reports Magyar Nemzet.
The Hungarian Competition Authority (GVH) has fined the airline HUF 307 million (EUR 770,903), according to its website. The authority launched competition proceedings against Wizz Air Hungary in early 2023 on suspicion that it had concealed significant information on its online platforms to influence ticket buyers towards more expensive options.
In the course of the proceedings, the authority found that between November 2018 and May 2024,
the airline concealed – or failed to communicate in a timely manner – that consumers could choose to purchase certain additional services (for example: Wizz Priority) separately, even if they opted for the basic service.
In effect, the company was steering consumers towards more expensive packages that included these services as standard.
The GVH also found that, since December 2019, the airline had engaged in commercial practices that breached the duty of care regarding the content and limits of the automatic check-in service. Taking into account the above practices, the GVH Competition Council imposed a fine on the airline for violation of the prohibition of unfair commercial practices.
Wizz Air offered several commitments to the Hungarian Competition Authority during the proceedings.
The commitments would have included, among other things, consumer compensation and an IT improvement concerning the booking process. In its assessment of the commitments, the GVH’s Competition Council primarily took into account the overriding public interest in the legal qualification of the infringed conduct and also found it highly doubtful that the commitments would have achieved the original purpose of the procedure and that they could have been implemented effectively and efficiently without risking other failures. In addition, Wizz Air has already been fined by the GVH for its unlawful commercial practices and there are proceedings pending for allegedly withholding important information from passengers. On this basis, the GVH’s Competition Council could not accept the airline’s commitments.
The Competition Authority has been closely monitoring the domestic air transport market in recent years. In October 2022, the authority carried out a sweep of airline websites in Hungary and of popular Hungarian ticket price comparison websites. In order to protect passengers, the GVH’s President, Mr Csaba Balázs Rigó, sent a warning to the managers of several low-cost airlines operating in Hungary, including Wizz Air, about the ongoing disruptions in air transport.
In the context of the case that has just been closed,
the GVH is once again strongly urging airlines to publish their ticketing information transparently and in an easily understandable way.
The Competition Authority also recommends that consumers should always exercise caution when planning their travel and when booking their tickets, and that they should be informed about the exact details of each service and the advantages and disadvantages of each package.
Via Magyar Nemzet; Featured image via Pexels