Wow airlines ceases all travel and operations

[jeaniebueller]

...apparently some travelers are stranded :/


www.clickondetroit.com/travel/iceland-airline-wow-air-has-ceased-operations-all-flights-canceled?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=snd&utm_content=wdiv4&fbclid=IwAR0Npi3sNZZnl_-Pljww6T5-jzHr5_t0XK_hSZZIw4CcyiAnj2weHlc2-Fs

wowair.com/travel-alert/

[erbear]

This is something. The airline business needs some regulation - you should not be allowed to simply cancel a flight as it's boarding for a non-emergency, nor should you be allowed to strand passengers abroad with just a "too bad, good luck". Ugh. We flew WOW to Iceland 2 summers ago and really liked it. I'm bummed to hear how this is all going down.

[msmerymac]

Fuck Reagan.

[ECB]

I saw this. Literally- WOW!!! As of last night, they were still booking flights and taking $$. At BWI, one guys luggage was put on a plane at 9 last night and today, he still has no idea where the luggage is. (And I'm sure he's not the only one- he's just the one they talked to) I guess when they officially ceased operating, everyone just left?

Insane.

[Velar Fricative]

I'm going to miss the big purple planes as I drive by Newark Airport. We figured when we finally could make our way to Iceland for a vacation, this airline would be a good option. Not anymore. But holy shit at all the poor people stranded, WTF. Why not say, "hey we are shutting down effective [insert date that isn't RIGHT NOW here]?"

[goldengirlz]

That is awful for those travelers.

We flew Wow to Iceland because they had direct flights from San Francisco at ridiculously low prices. Our experience was fine, though I was bracing myself for the worst (the reviews were ... not promising).

We’ve had good and bad experiences on European discount airlines. The worst was on Vueling where they left us stranded in Portugal and we had to pay $$$ to book same-day tickets on another airline. And yet we keep trying new ones ...

[ESF]

Jesus. I literally just looked at their website two days ago as I’m contemplating an Iceland trip and was able to look at flights far in advance. This is insane.

[badgergrl]

I feel bad for the stranded travelers but any minimal amount of research would have told you it was coming. We are going to Iceland this summer and 6 months ago they were advising not to book on wow because it was looking uncertain and likely to go under . So we booked on Iceland air for over double the ticket price.

[aurora]

I'm sorry for the stranded travelers.

Even if it should have been obvious recently, people often book international travel many months in advance. The warning signs get more clear in hindsight.

[lagom]

Mar 28, 2019 12:14:25 GMT -5 aurora said:

I'm sorry for the stranded travelers.

Even if it should have been obvious recently, people often book international travel many months in advance. The warning signs get more clear in hindsight.

I'm just going to like this because it's much nicer than what I was going to say about the post above that is bordering on victim blaming.  

[mrshandy]

That's awful!! We flew them less than a year ago to go to Iceland. The flight was nothing special, but we left and arrived on time for both flights.

I was looking at them to go to Ireland this summer. But we ended up booking with Iceland Air. Thank god!

I'm not sure I would ever expect an international airline to stop running completely. That's crazy.

[ESF]

Mar 28, 2019 11:29:52 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

I feel bad for the stranded travelers but any minimal amount of research would have told you it was coming. We are going to Iceland this summer and 6 months ago they were advising not to book on wow because it was looking uncertain and likely to go under . So we booked on Iceland air for over double the ticket price.

This is obnoxious.  I was researching Iceland this week.  Many sites recommend WOW. I saw zero indication anywhere that it was going under, especially when I saw on Monday evening that I could book flights on WOW as far out as a year in advance.

[osulori]

My friend and her family are current stranded in Iceland because of this...they're currently trying to get info on best options for getting back home.

[just]

Mar 28, 2019 12:50:02 GMT -5 osulori said:

My friend and her family are current stranded in Iceland because of this...they're currently trying to get info on best options for getting back home.

I'm sure they're way ahead of this, but in the off chance that they're not ....

www.icelandair.com/support/contact-us/getmehome/

ETA: More (european centric) rescue options: thepointsguy.com/news/these-airlines-are-offering-rescue-fares-to-stranded-wow-air-passengers (osulori,)

[UMaineTeach]

Other than to take people’s money and run, I don’t know why companies do the close without notice thing. It always hurts innocent employees and customers.

[wawa]

Mar 28, 2019 11:29:52 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

I feel bad for the stranded travelers but any minimal amount of research would have told you it was coming. We are going to Iceland this summer and 6 months ago they were advising not to book on wow because it was looking uncertain and likely to go under . So we booked on Iceland air for over double the ticket price.

Who's "they"? I don't typically Google for financial health of the company when I'm researching vacation pricing...

[badgergrl]

Mar 28, 2019 13:06:07 GMT -5 wawa said:

Mar 28, 2019 11:29:52 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

I feel bad for the stranded travelers but any minimal amount of research would have told you it was coming. We are going to Iceland this summer and 6 months ago they were advising not to book on wow because it was looking uncertain and likely to go under . So we booked on Iceland air for over double the ticket price.

Who's "they"? I don't typically Google for financial health of the company when I'm researching vacation pricing...

Really? You wouldn’t do a quick google search on an airline if all the flights were 500+ and the other was $99? It would not be a question? You get what you pay for.

[gt7301b]

Mar 28, 2019 13:09:53 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

Mar 28, 2019 13:06:07 GMT -5 wawa said:

Who's "they"? I don't typically Google for financial health of the company when I'm researching vacation pricing...

Really? You wouldn’t do a quick google search on an airline if all the flights were 500+ and the other was $99? It would not be a question? You get what you pay for.

But wow has been booking $99 flights for years, the rates are not new at all. I could have very well booked a flight with them and thought nothing of it cause I have seen dozens of deals in the past.

[badgergrl]

Mar 28, 2019 13:16:38 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

Mar 28, 2019 13:09:53 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

Really? You wouldn’t do a quick google search on an airline if all the flights were 500+ and the other was $99? It would not be a question? You get what you pay for.

But wow has been booking $99 flights for years, the rates are not new at all. I could have very well booked a flight with them and thought nothing of it cause I have seen dozens of deals in the past.

They have. But in the off season. And Iceland air was not as cheap but at least competitive. But once it came out the wow was going to go under the other carriers prices jumped a ton. We paid over 900 a person for our July flights on Iceland air. Because they knew they could because people stopped booking wow. I’m not saying it doesn’t suck...

[cattledogkisses]

I mean, even if a company is going out of business you wouldn't typically expect them to just abruptly cancel all flights with no notice whatsoever like this.

[Vespasia]

Mar 28, 2019 13:09:53 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

Mar 28, 2019 13:06:07 GMT -5 wawa said:

Who's "they"? I don't typically Google for financial health of the company when I'm researching vacation pricing...

Really? You wouldn’t do a quick google search on an airline if all the flights were 500+ and the other was $99? It would not be a question? You get what you pay for.

I knew they were failing because I'm a obsessed with travel planning and follow a variety of websites. To expect everyone to automatically assume that an airline that has offered these fares for years is about to go belly up is absolutely ridiculous. 

Also, interesting choice of words when the people in question are literally not getting the flights they paid for.

[wawa]

Mar 28, 2019 13:09:53 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

Mar 28, 2019 13:06:07 GMT -5 wawa said:

Who's "they"? I don't typically Google for financial health of the company when I'm researching vacation pricing...

Really? You wouldn’t do a quick google search on an airline if all the flights were 500+ and the other was $99? It would not be a question? You get what you pay for.

You're gonna dig in on this? K.

No I wouldn't.
I live near a major SW hub and have seen their flights at half the price of other airlines if they're on sale or a major route. Should I be worried about them folding too? Id just assume that bargain basement airline is bargain basement. And you can give a caveat emptor for things like getting mad they didn't have good snacks on your $99 flight, but fuck that applying to the company literally folding overnight.

I wouldn't fly spirit for example, but that's because I want to actually get there something like on time. Not because I think their cheap asses are going to cut and run halfway through my trip.

[jlt19]

Mar 28, 2019 12:58:11 GMT -5 UMaineTeach said:

Other than to take people’s money and run, I don’t know why companies do the close without notice thing. It always hurts innocent employees and customers.

My guess is because they don't think the employees will stick around if they have a head's up that they aren't going to have a job in a week or a month. They'll start looking for new ones and leave the second they find one. Not that it's ok, but this is my thought when restaurants close unexpectedly. 

Re: WOW and knowing this was coming. They just stopped serving our area a few months ago and I heard it was b/c they just couldn't fill the flights. Didn't even cross my mind that they would be closing. Just that St. Louis isn't a good city to have a direct flight to Iceland from. Direct international flights have been leaving us for years, so this was honestly, nothing new. 

[just]

Mar 28, 2019 13:40:11 GMT -5 jlt19 said:

Re: WOW and knowing this was coming. They just stopped serving our area a few months ago and I heard it was b/c they just couldn't fill the flights. Didn't even cross my mind that they would be closing. Just that St. Louis isn't a good city to have a direct flight to Iceland from. Direct international flights have been leaving us for years, so this was honestly, nothing new. 

For sure - closing routes means nothing! Lots of very established airlines close and open routes all the time as they try to refine their offerings and negotiate with airports. 

[mrsukyankee]

It's not unusual over here to have really cheap flights. In fact, it's kinda a norm. So it wouldn't surprise me if people were surprised by it shutting. This is also why I will always, always, always get travel insurance (as well as for medical coverage).

[cattledogkisses]

Mar 28, 2019 14:01:16 GMT -5 mrsukyankee said:

It's not unusual over here to have really cheap flights. In fact, it's kinda a norm. So it wouldn't surprise me if people were surprised by it shutting. This is also why I will always, always, always get travel insurance (as well as for medical coverage).

This is true too.  When I lived in Europe there were at least a dozen major cities that I could fly to for under 50 euros at any given time, from our tiny little 8-gate airport. 

[VillainV]

Mar 28, 2019 13:20:19 GMT -5 cattledogkisses said:

I mean, even if a company is going out of business you wouldn't typically expect them to just abruptly cancel all flights with no notice whatsoever like this.

Actually, back in the late 90s TWA shut down with very little notice. I don’t recall if people were stranded or not, but it was extremely abrupt. My sister and I had tickets to fly on them to Puerto Rico about a week after they shut down, and of course weren’t able to go. It sucked because I was in HS and she was in college so the ticket cost was a lot for us, and we lost the money.

[osulori]

Local news sources are already running with my friend's family's story, holy crap! Her husband is a somewhat well known bar owner here and is friends with a lot of local business owners etc so once he posted on FB about the closure it makes sense that the news stations would hear about a local family being affected. Thankfully they weren't set to leave until Sunday anyway so while they're working to get other flights they're not feeling super rushed yet, and are trying to make the most of their vacation. The kids are probably hoping it delays going back to school a bit longer (they're on spring break this week).

[gt7301b]

Mar 28, 2019 13:19:35 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

Mar 28, 2019 13:16:38 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

But wow has been booking $99 flights for years, the rates are not new at all. I could have very well booked a flight with them and thought nothing of it cause I have seen dozens of deals in the past.

They have. But in the off season. And Iceland air was not as cheap but at least competitive. But once it came out the wow was going to go under the other carriers prices jumped a ton. We paid over 900 a person for our July flights on Iceland air. Because they knew they could because people stopped booking wow. I’m not saying it doesn’t suck...

You are expecting a lot from the average flyer. I‘ve booked cheap tickets in July before and never once have I been stranded anywhere. If I had bought tickets on wow for the summer I would have just thought I got a good deal.

[redheadbaker]

Mar 28, 2019 13:19:35 GMT -5 badgergrl said:

Mar 28, 2019 13:16:38 GMT -5 gt7301b said:

But wow has been booking $99 flights for years, the rates are not new at all. I could have very well booked a flight with them and thought nothing of it cause I have seen dozens of deals in the past.

They have. But in the off season. And Iceland air was not as cheap but at least competitive. But once it came out the wow was going to go under the other carriers prices jumped a ton. We paid over 900 a person for our July flights on Iceland air. Because they knew they could because people stopped booking wow. I’m not saying it doesn’t suck...

I don't fly frequently. I wouldn't even know if I was booking during on- or off-season.