Originally Posted by
Ditto
Pretty much any airline anywhere where border controls are being done will check first that you are allowed in before your boarding, but this will usually be done at the gate. (Unless you are going through the checkin counter anyway)
Also OP flight is within Schengen, and therefore there is no border control, so Wizz (along with Ryanair) are very much the exception here.
I think that reply is rather unfair - it is almost selective misquoting in nature.
Plenty of airlines (worldwide) do NOT want more advanced passport checks done at the gate. This can be for reasons of gate staff not having the time, or training / authority, to do the checks.
Plus not allowing time for further enquiry if things need to be checked.
As I said, that is true worldwide. If you have a passport from a major country, where things are pretty automated you might not have seen it, but loads of airlines have systems blocking online checkin etc, for people with certain passports to stop them doing online checkin.
This acceptability of documents check is not happening at gates. It is happening long in advance by the passenger saying which document they have.
Now, in terms of flights within Schengen, Ryanair and Wizz are not the only ones. I've seen various other airlines do the same.
However, when I said (and you quoted) "in general for european airlines I'm familiar with who follow these practices" - I'm talking about such airlines doing this.
As a result I do think the quoting then giving a more general reply is very unfair practice.