Wizz Air is elevating the low cost travel experience with the wider rollout of its new WIZZ Class service, promising more personal space and comfort without the price tag traditionally associated with business class. Following a successful trial, the Budapest based ultra low cost carrier is extending the product across its network in the coming months, targeting passengers who want extra room, speed and convenience while still paying budget friendly fares.
What WIZZ Class Actually Offers On Board
At the heart of WIZZ Class is a simple yet impactful configuration change in the first row of Wizz Air’s single class Airbus A320 family fleet. On selected flights, the middle seats 1B and 1E are deliberately left unsold, giving WIZZ Class customers a quasi business class experience with an empty seat beside them and extra legroom at the bulkhead. The rest of the cabin remains unchanged, preserving the airline’s dense, cost efficient layout.
In practice, this means travellers seated in row one benefit from a wider sense of personal space and greater privacy, particularly valued by business passengers who may be working on laptops, handling documents or simply looking to avoid shoulder to shoulder seating. The blocked middle seat setup mirrors the short haul business class model used by many European legacy airlines, but at a fraction of the cost.
Comfort upgrades are not limited to the seat map. WIZZ Class also includes a complimentary non alcoholic drink and snack, elevating the experience above the standard buy on board service that dominates the rest of the cabin. For time pressed travellers, being at the very front of the aircraft also translates into faster disembarkation on arrival, shaving vital minutes off connections or meetings.
How WIZZ Class Fits Into Wizz Air’s Fare Structure
Rather than creating an entirely new booking category, Wizz Air has integrated WIZZ Class as an optional add on that can be layered on top of its existing Smart and Plus fare bundles. These bundles already include benefits such as priority boarding and a 10 kilogram cabin suitcase, meaning WIZZ Class sits as a premium topping on a product designed for regular and frequent flyers.
During the trial phase, WIZZ Class was made available on selected flights to and from Budapest, Bucharest Otopeni, Warsaw, London Luton, London Gatwick and Rome Fiumicino. As the rollout accelerates, the airline is extending the option across more routes, with availability clearly displayed at the seat selection stage of the booking flow. Travellers booking Smart or Plus fares can simply choose WIZZ Class during seat selection, securing the blocked middle seat and enhanced comfort without altering the rest of their itinerary.
Pricing is positioned deliberately below traditional business class, with reports indicating that the WIZZ Class add on starts from around the cost of a modest seat upgrade on many mainstream airlines. By unbundling the extra comfort from the core fare and selling it as a clearly defined optional service, Wizz Air is staying true to its low cost DNA while opening a new revenue stream from travellers willing to pay a little more for better conditions.
A Response To Growing Business Travel Demand
The introduction and expansion of WIZZ Class reflects a notable trend in Wizz Air’s customer base. The airline’s commercial team has highlighted that business travel is rising across its network, particularly on routes linking major capitals and regional centers in Central and Eastern Europe with Western European hubs. These passengers typically prioritize punctuality, schedule choice and price, but many are increasingly asking for a bit more space and speed.
Silvia Mosquera, Wizz Air’s Chief Commercial Officer, has framed WIZZ Class as a direct response to this feedback. By preserving a single class cabin and avoiding the cost and complexity of a full business cabin, the airline can continue to compete on price with other ultra low cost carriers while simultaneously poaching value conscious business travellers from legacy airlines that charge significantly more for similar blocked middle seat products.
The move also underlines how blurred the line between low cost and full service airlines has become. Business passengers today are more willing to mix and match carriers based on schedule and total journey cost rather than flying exclusively with one alliance partner. A product like WIZZ Class gives corporate travellers a middle ground, enabling them to retain a low fare policy while justifying modest extras that improve productivity and comfort in the air.
Maintaining a Single Class Cabin While Adding Premium Touches
One of the key strategic elements of WIZZ Class is that it does not require Wizz Air to redesign its aircraft interiors. The airline’s all economy Airbus A320, A321 and A321neo fleet remains fundamentally unchanged. Instead, the premium feel is created by inventory management: two seats in the first row are kept unsold, with the associated lost seat revenue offset by the WIZZ Class surcharge.
This minimalist approach means the airline can retain the operational and cost advantages of a uniform cabin. There is no need for separate galleys, curtains or bespoke seats that would introduce weight and complexity. Cabin crew procedures also remain streamlined, since all passengers are formally part of the same class and receive the same core safety and service standards, with only the WIZZ Class snack and drink differentiating the experience.
For Wizz Air, the product also acts as a low risk testing ground for further service enhancements. If demand for extra comfort continues to grow, the model could be flexed in future by increasing the number of rows with blocked middle seats on certain high yielding routes, or by bundling additional perks such as flexible ticket changes or priority security for selected markets. For now, however, the airline is keen to stress its commitment to a single class structure, using WIZZ Class as a bolt on rather than a structural shift.
Network Expansion and the Role of WIZZ Class
The wider expansion of WIZZ Class sits against a backdrop of rapid network growth. Wizz Air has been steadily adding new routes, opening bases and taking delivery of additional Airbus A321neo aircraft as it cements its position as one of Europe’s fastest growing ultra low cost carriers. A stronger presence in markets such as Poland, Romania, Italy and the United Kingdom provides a broad canvas on which to deploy the new service.
On trunk routes connecting major cities, WIZZ Class is likely to be particularly attractive. These flights often carry a higher proportion of corporate travellers, consultants, small business owners and government officials who value early morning and late evening frequencies and are willing to pay a modest supplement for a more comfortable seat. As the product is extended across the network, Wizz Air can monitor booking patterns closely and allocate WIZZ Class inventory where willingness to pay is highest.
The airline’s expanding fleet and route portfolio also allow it to package WIZZ Class within broader initiatives aimed at higher value customers. Enhancements to the WIZZ Discount Club, large scale sales and targeted promotions are already designed to stimulate loyalty and repeat travel. Offering a recognisable, network wide comfort product gives Wizz Air an additional lever when negotiating with corporate travel buyers or promoting its services to small and medium enterprises.
How WIZZ Class Compares With Traditional Business Class
In terms of hard product, WIZZ Class is closer to intra European business class on full service carriers than many might expect. On most short haul routes in Europe, business class consists of the same economy seat with the middle seat blocked and enhanced service elements such as complimentary food, drinks and flexible tickets. Wizz Air’s version mirrors the blocked middle seat and snack, but strips away some of the higher cost components to keep pricing down.
Where it differs most sharply from legacy business class is in the ground experience. WIZZ Class does not currently include airport lounge access, business class check in desks or additional checked baggage allowances. The focus is instead on the onboard space, extra legroom and priority boarding already baked into Smart and Plus bundles. For travellers whose main pain point is the prospect of a cramped, full row on a busy two or three hour flight, that trade off may be acceptable, especially when company travel policies favour the cheapest logical fare.
Another distinction is the level of flexibility. Traditional business class fares often include last minute changes or cancellations without penalty, something that remains outside the scope of Wizz Air’s ultra low cost model for now. However, by decoupling comfort from flexibility, the airline can appeal to leisure travellers as well, such as couples or solo holidaymakers who simply want to start their trip in a quieter, more spacious environment without paying for changeable tickets they are unlikely to use.
What Travellers Should Know Before Booking
For potential customers considering WIZZ Class, there are a few practical details to bear in mind. The service is only available on flights and routes where the first row layout supports the blocked middle seat configuration, and availability may be limited on peak departures. Because it is sold as an add on to Smart and Plus bundles, passengers will need to select one of these fare types first before adding WIZZ Class during seat selection.
Prices for the upgrade can vary depending on route, demand and season, so travellers are encouraged to compare the total trip cost with and without WIZZ Class at the booking stage. On some off peak flights, the incremental cost may be relatively small compared to the overall fare, making it an attractive way to secure a significantly more comfortable seat. On heavily booked services, however, the premium may rise in line with higher demand for the limited front row seats.
It is also important to note that, despite the marketing language around business style comfort, WIZZ Class remains firmly rooted in the low cost paradigm. Passengers should expect the same cabin environment as the rest of the aircraft, without separate sectioning or elaborate inflight catering. For those entering with realistic expectations, the value proposition is strong: more room to relax or work, a drink and snack included, and a faster exit on arrival, all while staying well below the fares typically charged in traditional business cabins.
A Strategic Step In the Evolving Low Cost Landscape
The expansion of WIZZ Class across Wizz Air’s network is more than a minor service tweak. It signals how ultra low cost carriers are maturing and becoming more sophisticated in their approach to product segmentation and ancillary revenue. By carefully layering comfort and convenience options onto a low base fare, airlines like Wizz Air can tap into new pockets of demand without diluting the core promise of affordable travel.
For passengers, the growing availability of WIZZ Class is a welcome development, offering a viable middle ground between bare bones low cost seating and traditionally priced business class. As Wizz Air continues to refine the product and roll it out on more routes, it is likely to become a familiar feature of its booking journey, particularly for travellers in Central and Eastern Europe who regularly shuttle between key cities.
Ultimately, the success of WIZZ Class will depend on how well it balances price and perceived value. If travellers continue to see it as a smart, budget friendly way to secure extra space rather than an overpriced upsell, the product could become a template for other ultra low cost airlines eyeing the same comfort minded, cost conscious segment of the market.