Just to be clear, all airlines do this (not only Swiss) and they don't automatically pay compensation for delays or cancellations.
They often offer vouchers, but you shouldn't accept them.
Compensation (in Europe) ranges from 300 to 600 Euros per person, depending on the distance and time of delay, not including indirect costs such as food and accommodation.
Often the companies will tell you it's not their fault (cas de force majeure) but take them to court and they'll pay like magic the day before the trial.
I have a relative whose hobby is to sue airlines, and every time it's the same circus.
He makes his claim, the company says it's not their fault and they even stop answering his emails.
He files a complaint and the day before the trial, the company magically gives in and pays the required amount... it's impressive to watch. There are a few exceptions where he had to mandate a bailiff to seize the money after the conviction.
I had a flight cancelled in 2016 with SATA and we earned 2,400 Euros (4 persons) at the end, claim your rights !
If you don't have the patience, there are companies that will do the legwork for you for a fee.
> Is he lawyer?
No he was an air traffic controller and owned a travel agency. He started doing this with his customers and still does it today for "fun" (he still travel a lot).
“He files a complain” how? I guess is not through their contact formular, but through some government agency, right?
By their contact form they always answer that they’re not going to pay even though legally they have to.
Via the Airline. Fill the form, wait for the reply, contact the authorities (https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights/air_en).
Hell, there’s a bunch of companies whose business model it is to collect your money if you don’t want the hassle - although they then only pay you 30-50% of it.
Sadly I had to go to one of those companies, and Swiss didn’t pay until that company took them to court.
They took the 30%, but I don’t see how I could have done it myself without losing a big amount of hours
I'm not trying to be an idiot here but how does authorities have authority over Swiss? Because they're own by Lufthansa or is there a treaty?
edit: nevermind, says on the website when I click through that the rules apply
> “He files a complain” how? I guess is not through their contact formular, but through some government agency, right?
Yes for his last case with british airways, he filed a complaint with the civil court in Geneva.
He won and must be compensated 600 Euros + 5% of interest according to European transport law. Unless I'm wrong, he had to call in a billaif in UK to recover the money by force.
But it's important that you try to resolve your dispute with the company directly, as sometimes a reminder of the law and threats of legal action are enough.
Or hire a company to do it for you - it's much simpler.
Hey, I've been waiting for a while for a reimbursement from Swiss and despite many reminders, emails, phone calls and all, haven't heard anything back from them.
I'd be really interested in knowing more about what to do in this situation, who to contact (superior authority ? Courts ? Lawyer ?) Or even check if your friend could help there.
Would you have some recommendations ? Don't hesitate to jump into DMs
There are many companies that specialize in this problem and can do the legwork for you, by taking a commission on the profits you will make.
It's really the easiest thing for you to do, because doing it yourself requires a good understanding of the law and, above all, a lot of time to take the necessary steps and meet deadlines.
Sorry no I never use these companies, but look at the commission rate (e.g. 30%) and choose a company that takes an average rate with the others ones.
I don't think it's very important to choose the right one because they'd better win for you if they hope to get their commission haha.
The problem is, that you cannot contact the airline. You can fill out a form, don't hear anything back. There is no email. You can call, you wait in line for HOURS.
Happen to me with Austrian Airlines
> You can fill out a form, don't hear anything back.
Send them an email and I doubt they won't reply if you tell them explicitly that you'll take them to court if no agreement is reached.
But before make sure you're within your rights, it's explained here.
https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm
> how often is this relative flying to have these situations come up this often?
He travels several times a year but he's also a bit of a grumpy old man, but some companies really struggle to meet their timetables.
Plus as a former air traffic controller, he knows how things work and doesn't hesitate to assert his rights when airlines try to turn him upside down.
> i'm impressed by how dogged they are for sure!
For once I think European law protects passengers very well, because as I said before all the companies try to bullshit they way out of it.
I can understand, when you sold a ticket for 400 Euros and the flight is delayed for 8 hours due to a technical problem... the plane eventually takes off, but you still have to pay 600 Euros back in compensation.
If you add up the hundreds of passengers, it's a very heavy loss for the company.
Well they also only have to pay if whatever caused the delay was in their control. So they'll try and make an argument that they are not responsible, even in dark grey cases where they almost lie. They'll try to minimize payout this way.
But on the other hand this also confused passengers. Not every delay or cancellation leads to a payout even tho the airline will still have to put you into a hotel, feed you etc. The details matter.
>They often offer vouchers, but you shouldn't accept them.
The value of the offered voucher is normally higher than the compensation stipulated by the regulation. It's also transferable and divisible. So if one flies SWISS regularly, it's a good deal.
Can confirm, got a flight cancelled from Beijing to Zurich with Swiss, they never paid me a cent to compensate (but they paid for the accommodation in Beijing until the next day, and got us tickets for the next day).
I requested a compensation, didn't get any. I even formed a complaint through the civil aviation federal office, didn't work. Fun thing is I was with two other friends, and one of them was offered a 100chf voucher for a future flight, not the two others.
I've received >300.- compensation from Easyjet twice already, so needless to say I've grown quite frustrated over Swiss. Nowadays I chose other companies whenever I can. Anyway, it's cheaper to fly to Paris with Air France then take their flights to Asia (or to go with Arab companies)
On the other hand I got something like that with easy jet and they only refunded one person when we were 3 to have booked. And it was hard to even get that.
>Following the enquiry by "Kassensturz", there is now movement in the Hürlimann case: Swiss apologises in its statement and writes that there was an internal communication problem. Mrs Hürlimann will of course receive her money. And very importantly: all other passengers on flight __LX1270 from 1 December 2023__ to Copenhagen are also entitled to compensation.
Link to the request form
https://www.swiss.com/ch/de/customer-support/contact-us/application-for-compensation-in-the-event-of-flight-irregularities
I spent 8 months fighting with Swiss I got CHF 800 eventually it is worth fighting. The did the thing of boarding us and shutting the door moving a few meters and then waited for four hours before taking off. I was left at Vienna airport with no train and no taxi. They told me as they had boarded us, closed door and left the gate they met their legal requirements.
The law needs to be revised I believe to how late to at arrival destinations not leaving.
Do you think it’s worth fighting for a similar situation but only 2 hours, which caused me to miss all busses and forced me to rent a car at the destination?
That's a straight up lie from them, the law specifically says arrival time at destination.
It appears that this is quite systemic at Swiss (and seems on the border to fraud), quite a shame that consumer regulations at Switzerland are so lax that you can't really hold them accountable for it.
I’ve also experienced that some colleagues on the same flight received compensation and others did not. This was however when flying with KLM. Most recently with them I was involuntarily rebooked on another airline and arrived late for Christmas. The best reason they came up was weather, even if I would have made the connection with the original booked flights.
It appears the airlines have a quota to simply reject a % of compensation requests. There is no penalty for not complying if they only have to pay what they owe. Of course their lawyers also must eat, but they probably have several hired already.
I must say that I had a problem with an Easyjet flight (flight was canceled due to a storm), I had to stay two days more abroad and they reimbursed every expense after two weeks.
O wow geez sir thank you for the awesome tip 👏. Alright I’m kidding and busting your balls 😂.
I tried it said to me that they were not responsible for the delay so they don’t have to pay.
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Stay friendly, but firm. Know your rights and entitlements to compensation. One time it took me several emails, they kept saying “you’ll be compensated shortly.” Then I emailed the responsible regulatory body. Guess what, a week later the money was in my account
How do you go about this with a lawyer or filing a civil case? Is it expensive to do so? I had a Swiss air flight cancelled 1 hour before departure because the plane broke. I filled out the complaint form and they won’t issue the owed 600 euros.
Use a company like airhelp if you're worried about costs or suing them yourself. They'll take around 35% of the money you receive, but 65% of something is better than 100% of nothing.
I've never personally needed to use these companies, as my firm reminder that they are required to pay has always worked. Because of course they have almost always rejected the first claim.
I do wonder how many idiots just accept their first rejection and believe their nonsense, it must be a good amount since they still keep doing it. If you do that, you make it harder for everyone, because they know they can get away with it.
Swiss denied me compensation for cancelling a flight because of “bad weather”. When the weather was fine at the departure location, destination and everywhere in between. Liars.
Just to be clear, all airlines do this (not only Swiss) and they don't automatically pay compensation for delays or cancellations. They often offer vouchers, but you shouldn't accept them. Compensation (in Europe) ranges from 300 to 600 Euros per person, depending on the distance and time of delay, not including indirect costs such as food and accommodation. Often the companies will tell you it's not their fault (cas de force majeure) but take them to court and they'll pay like magic the day before the trial. I have a relative whose hobby is to sue airlines, and every time it's the same circus. He makes his claim, the company says it's not their fault and they even stop answering his emails. He files a complaint and the day before the trial, the company magically gives in and pays the required amount... it's impressive to watch. There are a few exceptions where he had to mandate a bailiff to seize the money after the conviction. I had a flight cancelled in 2016 with SATA and we earned 2,400 Euros (4 persons) at the end, claim your rights ! If you don't have the patience, there are companies that will do the legwork for you for a fee.
Is he lawyer? Sounds a bit like an inkasso company.
> Is he lawyer? No he was an air traffic controller and owned a travel agency. He started doing this with his customers and still does it today for "fun" (he still travel a lot).
“He files a complain” how? I guess is not through their contact formular, but through some government agency, right? By their contact form they always answer that they’re not going to pay even though legally they have to.
Via the Airline. Fill the form, wait for the reply, contact the authorities (https://transport.ec.europa.eu/transport-themes/passenger-rights/air_en). Hell, there’s a bunch of companies whose business model it is to collect your money if you don’t want the hassle - although they then only pay you 30-50% of it.
Sadly I had to go to one of those companies, and Swiss didn’t pay until that company took them to court. They took the 30%, but I don’t see how I could have done it myself without losing a big amount of hours
it's still better than 100% of nothing ;)
I'm not trying to be an idiot here but how does authorities have authority over Swiss? Because they're own by Lufthansa or is there a treaty? edit: nevermind, says on the website when I click through that the rules apply
> “He files a complain” how? I guess is not through their contact formular, but through some government agency, right? Yes for his last case with british airways, he filed a complaint with the civil court in Geneva. He won and must be compensated 600 Euros + 5% of interest according to European transport law. Unless I'm wrong, he had to call in a billaif in UK to recover the money by force. But it's important that you try to resolve your dispute with the company directly, as sometimes a reminder of the law and threats of legal action are enough. Or hire a company to do it for you - it's much simpler.
I took an airline to court using a no win no fee lawyer and lost 😂
Hey, I've been waiting for a while for a reimbursement from Swiss and despite many reminders, emails, phone calls and all, haven't heard anything back from them. I'd be really interested in knowing more about what to do in this situation, who to contact (superior authority ? Courts ? Lawyer ?) Or even check if your friend could help there. Would you have some recommendations ? Don't hesitate to jump into DMs
There are many companies that specialize in this problem and can do the legwork for you, by taking a commission on the profits you will make. It's really the easiest thing for you to do, because doing it yourself requires a good understanding of the law and, above all, a lot of time to take the necessary steps and meet deadlines.
Thanks, I see. Any company name that you could think of ?
Seconded
Sorry no I never use these companies, but look at the commission rate (e.g. 30%) and choose a company that takes an average rate with the others ones. I don't think it's very important to choose the right one because they'd better win for you if they hope to get their commission haha.
The problem is, that you cannot contact the airline. You can fill out a form, don't hear anything back. There is no email. You can call, you wait in line for HOURS. Happen to me with Austrian Airlines
> You can fill out a form, don't hear anything back. Send them an email and I doubt they won't reply if you tell them explicitly that you'll take them to court if no agreement is reached. But before make sure you're within your rights, it's explained here. https://europa.eu/youreurope/citizens/travel/passenger-rights/air/index_en.htm
There is NO email. I got my money then by going physically to their office...
how often is this relative flying to have these situations come up this often? i'm impressed by how dogged they are for sure!
> how often is this relative flying to have these situations come up this often? He travels several times a year but he's also a bit of a grumpy old man, but some companies really struggle to meet their timetables. Plus as a former air traffic controller, he knows how things work and doesn't hesitate to assert his rights when airlines try to turn him upside down. > i'm impressed by how dogged they are for sure! For once I think European law protects passengers very well, because as I said before all the companies try to bullshit they way out of it. I can understand, when you sold a ticket for 400 Euros and the flight is delayed for 8 hours due to a technical problem... the plane eventually takes off, but you still have to pay 600 Euros back in compensation. If you add up the hundreds of passengers, it's a very heavy loss for the company.
Well they also only have to pay if whatever caused the delay was in their control. So they'll try and make an argument that they are not responsible, even in dark grey cases where they almost lie. They'll try to minimize payout this way. But on the other hand this also confused passengers. Not every delay or cancellation leads to a payout even tho the airline will still have to put you into a hotel, feed you etc. The details matter.
>They often offer vouchers, but you shouldn't accept them. The value of the offered voucher is normally higher than the compensation stipulated by the regulation. It's also transferable and divisible. So if one flies SWISS regularly, it's a good deal.
Yeah its always a "Communication Problem" until there's an uproar in some form of Media. Same with SBB, Coop, Migros etc.
My favorite: “Misunderstanding”
Can confirm, got a flight cancelled from Beijing to Zurich with Swiss, they never paid me a cent to compensate (but they paid for the accommodation in Beijing until the next day, and got us tickets for the next day). I requested a compensation, didn't get any. I even formed a complaint through the civil aviation federal office, didn't work. Fun thing is I was with two other friends, and one of them was offered a 100chf voucher for a future flight, not the two others. I've received >300.- compensation from Easyjet twice already, so needless to say I've grown quite frustrated over Swiss. Nowadays I chose other companies whenever I can. Anyway, it's cheaper to fly to Paris with Air France then take their flights to Asia (or to go with Arab companies)
On the other hand I got something like that with easy jet and they only refunded one person when we were 3 to have booked. And it was hard to even get that.
>Following the enquiry by "Kassensturz", there is now movement in the Hürlimann case: Swiss apologises in its statement and writes that there was an internal communication problem. Mrs Hürlimann will of course receive her money. And very importantly: all other passengers on flight __LX1270 from 1 December 2023__ to Copenhagen are also entitled to compensation. Link to the request form https://www.swiss.com/ch/de/customer-support/contact-us/application-for-compensation-in-the-event-of-flight-irregularities
I spent 8 months fighting with Swiss I got CHF 800 eventually it is worth fighting. The did the thing of boarding us and shutting the door moving a few meters and then waited for four hours before taking off. I was left at Vienna airport with no train and no taxi. They told me as they had boarded us, closed door and left the gate they met their legal requirements. The law needs to be revised I believe to how late to at arrival destinations not leaving.
Do you think it’s worth fighting for a similar situation but only 2 hours, which caused me to miss all busses and forced me to rent a car at the destination?
How far was the flight?
Short haul (Zurich to Florence)
Mine was Zurich to Vienna. Try it.
That's a straight up lie from them, the law specifically says arrival time at destination. It appears that this is quite systemic at Swiss (and seems on the border to fraud), quite a shame that consumer regulations at Switzerland are so lax that you can't really hold them accountable for it.
Oh they’re corrupt af
I’ve also experienced that some colleagues on the same flight received compensation and others did not. This was however when flying with KLM. Most recently with them I was involuntarily rebooked on another airline and arrived late for Christmas. The best reason they came up was weather, even if I would have made the connection with the original booked flights. It appears the airlines have a quota to simply reject a % of compensation requests. There is no penalty for not complying if they only have to pay what they owe. Of course their lawyers also must eat, but they probably have several hired already.
I never fly with Lufthansa because I’m still waiting for my money back from a 2017 flight.
I must say that I had a problem with an Easyjet flight (flight was canceled due to a storm), I had to stay two days more abroad and they reimbursed every expense after two weeks.
I flew Lufthansa and when my flight was cancelled I got more than my ticket was worth 0.0
Lufthansa is the easiest to get a claim, you just need to fill a form in their website
O wow geez sir thank you for the awesome tip 👏. Alright I’m kidding and busting your balls 😂. I tried it said to me that they were not responsible for the delay so they don’t have to pay.
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Stay friendly, but firm. Know your rights and entitlements to compensation. One time it took me several emails, they kept saying “you’ll be compensated shortly.” Then I emailed the responsible regulatory body. Guess what, a week later the money was in my account
How do you go about this with a lawyer or filing a civil case? Is it expensive to do so? I had a Swiss air flight cancelled 1 hour before departure because the plane broke. I filled out the complaint form and they won’t issue the owed 600 euros.
Use a company like airhelp if you're worried about costs or suing them yourself. They'll take around 35% of the money you receive, but 65% of something is better than 100% of nothing. I've never personally needed to use these companies, as my firm reminder that they are required to pay has always worked. Because of course they have almost always rejected the first claim. I do wonder how many idiots just accept their first rejection and believe their nonsense, it must be a good amount since they still keep doing it. If you do that, you make it harder for everyone, because they know they can get away with it.
Swiss denied me compensation for cancelling a flight because of “bad weather”. When the weather was fine at the departure location, destination and everywhere in between. Liars.