Wizz Air admitted twice in writing that my Alicante gate bag fee was charged in error, then said it was justified after all

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Wizz Air Oversized Cabin Bag Fee: A Customer’s Four-Month Challenge with Mixed Messages and No Refund

In April 2026 I was unexpectedly charged 73 EUR at the boarding gate in Alicante (ALC) for an “oversized cabin bag” on a Wizz Air flight to Budapest. The bag was a soft travel bag that clearly fit within the sizer, yet the fee was applied. After public reports in the news that similar charges were occurring to other passengers at Alicante, Wizz Air stated that soft bags could be pushed into the sizer and that incorrect charges would be refunded. I filed a formal complaint based on that information.

Here is the sequence of written updates I received, in order:

  • June 25: Wizz Air confirms I am entitled to a refund and requests my bank details. I provide them the same day.
  • September 3: Instead of processing the refund, I receive a new email indicating my contact details do not match the booking because my travel companion had booked the tickets. They request the booking email and phone number, the full names of all passengers, flight dates and routes, and a passport or ID for every passenger—despite having previously reviewed and accepted my complaint two months earlier.
  • September 10: A reminder is sent.
  • September 17: The case is closed with the reason that I “did not respond,” even though I had to obtain my companion’s personal ID documents, which is not a quick task.
  • September 21: I resubmit all data and documents and request the case be reopened.
  • September 24: They again confirm the fee was “charged in error” and express the intent to “initiate the refund,” requesting my bank details a second time. I respond the same evening.
  • October 18: They claim most of the fee was already refunded on June 25.
  • October 21: They state the fee was justified under their cabin bag rules, and this is their final position.

Despite these interactions, no refund ever appeared on either my card or my travel companion’s card used for the booking. When I asked for the transaction details or the reference for the supposed June 25 refund, they did not provide an answer.

In four months, I received two written admissions, two requests for bank details, requests for personal IDs from two people, a case closure for “no response,” and, ultimately, a justification of the fee. There was no resolution in the form of a refund. To me, this reads as a prolonged effort to wear customers down rather than supportive, transparent service.

Has anyone else experienced a similar situation with Wizz Air or encountered a comparable pattern of responses from an airline when attempting to resolve an incorrect fee? If you have advice or guidance on practical next steps, I’d appreciate hearing it.