For one day only, Wizz Air has put on sale 10,000 tickets for just €1.99 (US$2.25) each way, including taxes. It exclusively involves routes to, from, and within Italy, now the ultra-low-cost carrier's leading country. Based on the author's search, €1.99 is available on many routes.

€1.99 one-way including taxes?

Wizz Air always has discounts and sales like all low-cost and ultra-low-cost carriers. That's the nature of the game to drive awareness, demand, load factor, and sector revenue. However, its average one-way fare revenue in 2019 was only €39.5 ($46.6) per passenger, its annual report shows, for an average sector length of 1,005 miles (1,618km). (Including ancillaries, it was €67.1; $79.2).

Available to book only on December 10th, Wizz Air's 10,000 Italy tickets for just €1.99 including taxes is equivalent to 42 239-seat A321neos full to the brim. Of course, various airlines have offered extraordinarily low-priced tickets in the past. The author fondly recalls Ryanair's 1p deals and took trips from London as far as Seville, southern Spain, for a mere 2p all-in.

Wizz Air Amman
When writing, you could get over nine hours of block time for a mere €3.98 ($4.48) return with only a carry-on). For US readers, it is equivalent, distance-wise, to Boston-Denver-Boston. Image: Wizz Air's website.

Stay awareSign up for my weekly new routes newsletter.

Yes, but it is naturally limited

Wizz Air's deal is limited, as any sale is. It's for the less demanded period until February 28th and it's during a period when coronavirus restrictions are coming back. It's also very 'inventory controlled', meaning few seats are available per flight.

As you'd expect, it tends to be on less demanded days of the week (rarely higher-yielding Fridays and Sundays) and times of the day. As always, very low fares require compromise and flexibility, which applies to what you take too. For while it may be available for €1.99 (at least in one direction), that obviously only includes the seat and an included small carry-on bag.

Milan Malpensa is one of seven Italian bases created by Wizz Air since the pandemic started. A quick search shows that Luton has many €1.99 flights available, while the long route to Lanzarote, 1,674 miles (2,694km) away, has only one (December 12th when writing). New routes tend to have many available, likewise domestic services, most of which compete fiercely with Ryanair and easyJet.

Wizz Air Italy
Wizz Air presently has 285 routes to, from, and within Italy next summer involving 24 Italian airports. The longest route will be Catania to Abu Dhabi (2,494 miles, 4,014km); the shortest, Bari to Tirana (155 miles, 250km). Image: OAG Mapper.

Wizz Air has grown Italy capacity fourfold

Wizz Air has more seats to, from, and within Italy than any other country. Looking ahead to next summer, some 7.8 million round-trip seats are for sale, OAG data indicates. That's 77% (!) more than number-two, the UK, and about double that of Poland in third place.

In summer 2019, Italy was Wizz Air's fifth-largest country with a mere 1.9 million seats. It has grown its share of the country's international market from 3.7% to 9.4% (behind Ryanair and easyJet) and domestic from zero to 11.7% (behind Ryanair and the 'new' Alitalia).

What do you make of it all? Let us know in the comments.