Teenager left behind at Rome airport due to overbooking on Wizz Air flight to Keflavik

A 14-year-old boy was left behind at an airport in Rome due to overbooking on a Wizz Air flight to Keflavik. The airline offered to arrange accommodations in Rome for him to wait a week until the next flight.

The group of six teenagers from a Reykjavik fencing club was in Italy for training alongside their coach. When it was time for check-in, it was revealed that the flight was overbooked, and the boy, the son of a local woman, was informed he would not receive a seat. His mother noted that staff showed little understanding of his age and circumstances. They only offered him €250 in compensation and said they would cover his stay in Rome until the next flight to Iceland.

The flight departed without him, leaving the coach willing to stay behind, but Wizz Air did not offer any alternative compensation or accommodation for her absence. An Icelandic couple who were also booked on the same flight encountered the same issue and volunteered to look after the boy. The mother accepted their assistance, allowing the coach to leave with the group.

The family booked their own flight home the same day, spending 175,000 Icelandic krónur, as Wizz Air was unhelpful in resolving the situation promptly. Attempts to reach the airline have been futile.

The Icelandic Transport Authority stated that there have been no previous incidents of children being left behind due to overbooking. They emphasized the airline’s obligation to seek volunteers for compensation before denying boarding, unless there are not enough volunteers to accommodate all ticketed passengers.