An overbooked Wizz Air flight W4 3216 from Oslo Torp Sandefjord (TRF) to Bucharest Otopeni (OTP) faced a tense situation when three passengers were left without seats after boarding was completed. Two passengers voluntarily left the Wizz Air Malta plane (Airbus A320 registered 9H-WBJ) upon police arrival, but one man in his 60s refused to leave, stating he had a ticket with a seat reservation.
The police eventually removed him, causing loud boos from fellow passengers. Some Romanian passengers on board offered to wait for the next departure if compensated, but Wizz Air did not provide any offers. The flight departed three and a half hours late.
The two passengers who left the flight were offered accommodation in a hotel and were scheduled to travel on the next flight two days later. Wizz Air has not responded to media inquiries.
Consumer Council’s legal adviser suggests that airlines, especially low-cost companies, deliberately overbook flights, expecting some passengers not to show up. Passengers denied boarding due to overbooking are entitled to compensation, which includes a new flight and possible food and hotel accommodations.
How do low-cost airlines benefit from deliberately overbooking flights, and what compensation are passengers entitled to if they are denied boarding due to overbooking?