Travel Question: Can we claim difference on Wizz Air tickets now they’re offering cheaper deal?

Q My wife and l are some of the unfortunate people who travelled to Larnaca on Cobalt, only for the airline to collapse once we arrived in Cyprus. We are due to return on 31 October, and circumstances mean we must come back on that date.

I tried hard to find tickets and eventually I found some on Wizz Air. They cost us a total of £847. You can imagine my surprise when I read your article stating that this airline is offering tickets for stranded Cobalt passengers for €89 each. Is this a publicity stunt on their part? If not, is there any way we can claim the difference?

Chris P

A Cobalt, based in Cyprus, was the second small airline to go out of business this month, and I fear it will not be the last this winter.

But as I have tried to point out whenever possible, when an airline collapses it is traditional for rival carriers to offer “rescue fares” to stranded passengers. These are priced very reasonably, to help out distressed travellers who find themselves with worthless tickets on a defunct airline. It is a good PR move for the airlines, depicting them as willing to help without profiteering from the failure of a rival.

After the collapse of Cobalt, Wizz Air was first to offer a special fare: within 12 hours of the news from Cyprus, it set a one-way rate of €89 (£79) for passengers who flew from Larnaca or Athens to Luton up to 9 December.

It sounds to me as though you just went on to the Wizz Air website and booked as a “normal” passenger, paying a fare that reflects the heavy demand since the airline collapsed. You should certainly call Wizz Air and explain the situation. The flights you paid for are so expensive that they may be “Flex” tickets, which are refundable. If Wizz Air can assure you that the cheap option is available, you can immediately claim a refund and rebook.

Failing that, if you have a good insurance policy which covers scheduled airline failure, then you should be able to recoup the cost of the new flights.

Every day our travel correspondent Simon Calder tackles a reader’s question. Just email yours to s@hols.tv or tweet @simoncalder