SWISS Flight Cancelled? Refund, Rebooking and Compensation Explained

Ski season is about to start, and thousands of UK passengers will fly SWISS to Zurich and Geneva over the next few months. If your SWISS flight is cancelled, the airline will usually offer you a rebooking or a refund. What it won't always tell you is that you may also be owed cash compensation on top.

Switzerland isn't in the EU, but it applies the same passenger rights rules through its agreement with the EU. So SWISS flights are covered both ways: under UK261 when you leave the UK, and under EU261 when you fly out of Switzerland.

Refund or new flight: your choice

When SWISS cancels a flight, you choose between:

• A full refund of the unused ticket, paid within 7 days, plus any used parts of the trip if it no longer serves a purpose
• A new flight at the earliest opportunity to your final destination, which can include flights on other airlines if SWISS can't get you there in reasonable time
• A new flight at a later date that suits you, subject to seats being available

A voucher is not the same as a refund. You don't have to accept one. Our guide to refunds versus compensation explains how the two work together.

When you're also owed compensation

On top of the refund or rebooking, you can claim compensation if SWISS told you about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the cause wasn't extraordinary circumstances. How much depends on the distance and how late the replacement flight gets you there:

• £220 per passenger for flights under 1,500km, which covers London, Manchester or Birmingham to Zurich or Geneva
• £350 per passenger for 1,500km to 3,500km, such as a UK to Athens journey connecting in Zurich
• £520 per passenger for over 3,500km, such as London to New York, Singapore or Bangkok via Zurich

On flights from Switzerland, the same bands are paid in euros: €250, €400 and €600. If the rebooked flight got you in close to your original time, the amount can be reduced by 50%. See our guide on cancellations with less than 14 days' notice.

Connecting through Zurich

Many UK passengers use Zurich as a hub for long-haul trips. If you booked the whole journey on one SWISS ticket and a cancellation made you arrive at your final destination 3 or more hours late, compensation is based on the total distance to your final destination, not just the leg that was cancelled. A cancelled Heathrow to Zurich flight on the way to Tokyo can be worth £520, not £220.

More on this in our missed connection guide.

Reasons SWISS may give

• Weather and snow at Zurich or Geneva. Genuinely severe weather can be extraordinary, but routine winter snow at an Alpine hub is something SWISS plans for every year
• Air traffic control restrictions. Often extraordinary, but worth checking whether other flights on the route still operated
• Technical problems. Normally not extraordinary, so you can usually claim
• Crew shortages or "operational reasons". Normally the airline's responsibility, so you can usually claim

Our explainer on extraordinary circumstances covers this in more detail.

Your rights while you wait

If you choose to be rebooked, SWISS has to provide meals and refreshments while you wait, and a hotel with transport if you're stuck overnight. If they don't, keep receipts for reasonable costs and claim them back.

Check your SWISS flight

If SWISS cancelled your flight, check it with Klaimly. We work out which rules apply, the right amount and whether the airline's reason stands up. We charge a flat 5% fee, only if we win, with nothing to pay upfront. SWISS pays your compensation directly to you. You can also read our main guide to SWISS delay compensation.