Wow Air surprised its passengers by abruptly saying it's going out of business Thursday, in a move that left travelers scrambling to book other tickets — and wondering whether they would be able to secure a refund.
"WOW AIR has ceased operation. All WOW AIR flights have been cancelled," the low-cost Iceland-based airline announced Thursday morning,
The Icelandic Transport Authority posted information for Wow customers in the wake of the sudden news that their airline had shut down. But the advice offers little solace, telling passengers to check with other airlines to find a new ticket.
"Some airlines may offer flights at a reduced rate, so-called rescue fares, in light of the circumstances," the agency said.
Anyone wondering about a refund was told to take that up with their credit card companies.
Wow Air was founded in late 2011, with the goal of offering cheap flights and competing with Icelandair. People were drawn by the low prices — a flight from Washington, D.C., to London was priced at $139, for instance, with a Boston to Reykjavik trip listed at $99.
With its fleet of purple-painted Airbus jets, Wow expanded rapidly, drawing customers from Europe and North America. The airline served 3.5 million passengers in 2018.
On its website, the airline says it has around 1,000 employees.
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