Wizz Air hopes customers will 'sacrifice comfort' for cheap long-haul flights

Wizz Air is hoping customers will "sacrifice some level of comfort" and sit up right on an overnight flight to Saudi Arabia in order to pay budget prices.

The carrier announced it will begin flying between Gatwick Airport, West Sussex, and Jeddah from March 31 next year using a new Airbus A321XLR plane.

Wizz Air chief executive Jozsef Varadi said: "We are excited to offer unbeatable fares to our customers on the new route from London Gatwick to Jeddah."

Flights from Gatwick to Jeddah will be Wizz Air’s longest UK route.

The airline said single fares will start from £134.99.

British Airways is to launch flights between London’s Heathrow airport and Jeddah on November 4.

Asked how Wizz Air’s fares to Saudi Arabia will compare with those offered by British Airways, Mr Varadi said: “BA decides on how they price themselves, and we decide how we price ourselves.

“But one thing I know is my cost is a third of British Airways’ cost.”

Wizz Air has 47 of the A321XLR planes on order and will base the first it receives at Gatwick.

The enhanced fuel capacity of the jets means they will have a maximum range of up to 11 hours of flying time and burn up to 30% less fuel per seat than previous-generation aircraft, according to Airbus.

Flights will last around seven hours and will operate overnight on the outbound route from Gatwick, with seats that do not recline.

Mr Varadi said 15 years ago he thought three-hour flights on an ultra-low-cost airline would “test passengers’ tolerance” but found that people “vote with their wallets”.

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He added that people who travel in economy class “sacrifice some level of comfort” for “economic benefits”, and Wizz Air’s flights to Saudi Arabia are “a hell of a deal”.

Wizz Air said the A321XLR’s “carbon intensity” is estimated to be “at least 30% less” than that of other aircraft.

Wizz Air has been trying to salvage its reputation recently after being voted the worst airline in the UK for two years in a row by Which?.

Almost half of Wizz Air passengers surveyed by Which? reported some sort of problem with their trip.

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