WOW Air Cancels Flights After Aircraft Repossession

Sad to see this, even though it comes as no surprise. I liked flying WOW and especially loved them driving down prices. At this point it's like a bad accident and I can't look away...curious to see how long it takes to unravel at this point.

Baltia to the rescue

Chicago and Pittsburgh are permanently closed; WOW simply hasn't updated their city flight status pages (could be for those who booked tickets a while ago but never actually checked their flights). You reported it back in January (I don't think I can post links but headline "WOW Air Cuts Chicago Flights")

@ Ben -- Good catch, thanks. Post updated to reflect that.

No surprise to me. I considered using Wow vs Icelandair for a trip several months ago. After adding in optional services (that we needed), which allowed an apples to apples comparison, Wow was not a bargain. The low fare may be great if you are traveling alone, don’t care where you sit, and are traveling with little more than a toothbrush. How much of the flying public are impecunious ultra light middle seat back of the plane travelers who don’t care if the sit next to their traveling companions??!

On the whole, I’m just not sure that the LCC model is really sustainable in the long-term when applied to a true long haul operation given issues like: aircraft utilization rates and down-up line connection traffic.

I can clearly see the economic work, viably so, for the short to medium haul market, but for long haul (like trans PAC/Atl) I’m just not sold that it can be done profitably and I’m the long term.

To me, I think you’d need massive scalability to make it work and the lack of true premium cabin volume (and RASM that comes with it) to me is another huge hurdle.

I am very sad to hear about WOW S collapse. I travelled numerous times SFO to Dub route. I found the staff so great and helpful in every way. I hope they can get work elsewhere. Flying with no frills really suited me and my family. I hope they can be rescued.

Is anyone looking at a possible takeover for this airline. Or is the balance sheet just too bad.

We have a flight booked in July. Trying to figure out if we cancel now what the fee is. If we wait until they officially go under is the risk that we get nothing back? Not sure how these things work. Does anyone know?

I think a big issue with trans-Atlantic LCCs is that a lot of Americans want to go to Europe -- it's kind of a dream vacation! -- but a lot of Europeans don't have the same travel dreams for visiting America, given they can travel almost anywhere in the world -- and many of these places will be cheaper to visit than the USA -- for under €500 RT. And since LCCs won't capture trans-Atlantic business travelers -- well, there you go!

Very sad!

if the flight *is canceled. - not if cancels; making it seem like the flight is going to cancel itself.

airline employees most at a loss.* - not the biggest losers; making it seem like WOW air employees are losers. although unintentional, really didn’t like this implication.

It's a shame. I enjoyed flying with them several times. The service was always remarkably good for the price, the equipment fresh and relatively comfortable. I knew the price was too good to be sustainable, so just took advantage of it while I could. I do fly business, but save it for trips to Asia or trans-Pacific. To get to/from Europe WOW was perfect.

Really, Andrew? That was the most unnecessary contribution I've ever seen in a comment.

There really is no way a country of 325,000 people can sustain more than one airline. Lots of people want to visit Iceland, but it's really not enough to support an ULCC.

Tickets from North America to Europe are cheap enough that few people would go for $99 fares on WOW, along with the hassles of bag fees, seat selection fees, and so on.

While many of you post about WOW! "driving down the prices" this fact just proves one thing. It is greed to save a few dollars that drove their business. Does anyone ever stop to wonder: Are they cutting back on needed maintenance and repairs so they can offer a low price? I like FAIR prices as well as the next person but HOW you get to your FAIR PRICE is as important as the price. I am not going 30,000+ feet up in the air on a plane that MAY have dubious maintenance performed. I will just pay more and arrive in one piece.

I flew WOW from NY to Iceland and Back to DFW when they had that service. Cost 40% less than the majors. I had great service and no problems. I'm sorry to see them in dire straights. That said, the pricing of flights is insane. I want to go to Scotland this summer and the AA price is $2550 per person economy. OR 120,000 miles and $1,450 fees. We needed something to compete with AA, Delta, United, etc, or there is no limit to the cost of an airline ticket.

“We need something to compete with AA, etc. or there is no limit to the cost of an airline ticket”. Where is WOW airlines NOW. I will never play airline roulette with my life or anyone in my families life. If they are way cheaper than their competitors there has to be a reason. Pilot experience? Maintenance? WHERE are they cutting expenses? No thank you I will take piece of mind every time.

Well, now maybe Mogensen can run for political office having run this airline into the ground.

I flew to Iceland with WOW and it was the worst flight ever. No room and no air conditioning. Cheap flying aside, no wonder they are folding.

Good riddance WOW. Norwegian Air is next to choke and die !