By the winter season of 2020, the Hungarian airline company Wizz Air received permits to operate regular flights from Ukraine to 13 countries and thus formed the largest network of routes among foreign air carriers operating in our country. Airliners of this airline fly to the sky from the airports of Kiev, Odessa, Lviv and Kharkov. And from April, the low-cost airline will receive another air gate in Zaporozhye. It is logical that there will be even more passengers googling “wizzair carry-on baggage”.
Heated interest in the airline and forecasts of our Ministry of Infrastructure. In February, the head of the department, Vladislav Krikliy, said that following a meeting with the leadership of Wizzair, the Hungarians may again open a full-fledged Ukrainian representative office and launch internal routes between Ukrainian cities. However, experts in the field of air transport are very doubtful that these bright plans will be realized in the near future.
Firstly, due to outbreaks of coronavirus in the world in general, they can temporarily stop passenger flights with certain countries. While it is problematic to predict the development of the situation and it is possible questions of potential customers such as “wizzair hand luggage that cannot be taken” will generally be irrelevant for months. But even with the favorable development of events with the coronavirus, it would be too optimistic to expect that the Wizzeirs will again begin to work in our country in the regime of air minibuses. Recall that the Hungarian airline was the first foreign low-cost airline that entered Ukraine 12 years ago. The Hungarians immediately opened with us a subsidiary company Wizz Air Ukraine, which was engaged in both domestic and international air travel. True, things did not go so well with time, the number of routes gradually decreased, by 2013, at the height of the season, the last domestic direction Kiev-Simferopol was canceled, and in 2015, the representative office with the Ukraine prefix completely rested in Bose. Only the international flights of the parent company Viseire remained. And although now the airline market in Ukraine is growing steadily (+ 20% only in 2019), this is unlikely to tempt Wizz Air to enter the same river a second time. If only because of the 60 countries where the Hungarian low-cost airline is present, none of them have domestic flights.
However, let's get back to more practical information for potential Wizz passengers. Wizzair's carry-on baggage policy in 2020 did not change from the previous year. When buying a ticket for the basic fare package, it is allowed to take on board only one small bag or backpack with dimensions of not more than 40x30x20 cm. Moreover, the weight of the luggage should not exceed 10 kg and it should fit freely under the seat in front. Having paid for the WIZZ Priority service additionally (from 135 UAH when buying online or from 545 UAH when buying at the airport), you can, in addition to a small bag, take a small suitcase or backpack with a maximum size of 55 x 40 x 23 cm to the salon. The same privileges for hand luggage give tariff packages WIZZ Privilege Pass, WIZZ GO or WIZZ Plus. In any of the tariff packages of Wizz Air, which you can take in hand luggage in addition, these are: - outerwear or a plaid; - crutches; - magazine or book; - a package of duty free. But you won’t carry the laptop separately into the cabin, it should be packed in on-board luggage that fits into the limits for your tariff. We add that equipment, jewelry and fragile things are generally not recommended to be taken to the luggage compartment, because if they are lost or damaged, the airline does not compensate for their cost. That is why, firstly, in Wizzair hand luggage is better to take a Mark Ryden backpack, which has a compartment for a laptop, tablet and hidden pockets for valuables and documents. They are reliably protected from bumps and squeezing; moreover, it will be more convenient for you to get equipment from the backpack for inspection at checkpoints, on board or while waiting at the airport.
And, secondly, it is better to buy WIZZ Priority service online in advance (if you have a basic tariff, and the backpack is larger in size than 40x30x20 cm). Since when paying at the airport (and this, recall, it costs from 25 euros), it will only be allowed to take it to the salon if there is free space on the luggage rack. Otherwise, he will be sent to the luggage compartment, and no one guarantees what will happen to your gadgets there.
Another frequently asked question: how is wizzair carry-on baggage measured? In most cases, no way, that is, you just hang a security admission tag. More precisely, Wizz Air employees, like SKY Up or Ryanair, already have such an eye for it that they visually determine whether the luggage complies with the carrier’s standards and does not waste time on additional procedures. But if they have doubts, your luggage, firstly, will be weighed and, secondly, they will be asked to put it in a special frame. Fit? Perfectly. And if not, and you cannot manage to “crush” it to the edges of the frame, then, alas, an overpayment awaits you. By the way, here one more advantage of backpacks is shown before suitcases. Backpacks are usually softer and can be squeezed if necessary.
