You have your tickets in hand (or on your mobile phone) and are ready to fly from Switzerland to your holiday destination abroad. But what happens if the airline cancels the flight at the last minute?
Unfortunately, flights do get cancelled sometimes for a variety of reasons, which can be a major headache for travellers.
In 2024, for instance, Zurich and Geneva airports have had to deal with various glitches, forcing them to cancel or delay a number of flights, and impacting thousands of passengers in the process.
Obviously, when something like that happens you expect to be compensated.
But will you be?
What are the rules for compensations in Switzerland?
When flights are cancelled, European law, which also applies to Switzerland, sets conditions for passenger compensation.
It applies to all flights that:
Leave from Switzerland or an EU country, Iceland, or Norway.
- Arrive in Switzerland from an EU country, Iceland, or Norway, or from another Swiss airport (that is, from Geneva or Zurich)
- Arrive in Switzerland, an EU country, Iceland, or Norway from all other countries, if the airline is based in the EU, Iceland, Norway, or Switzerland.
According to Moneyland consumer platform, “if your flight does not meet the above criteria, then Swiss airline passenger rights do not apply. In that case, the legal passenger rights which apply may be those of the country you fly from or land in, or that the airline is based in.”
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What can you expect to get?
According to the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA), the airline must offer you the choice between reimbursement of the ticket price or re-booking you on another flight to your destination.
You are also entitled to be compensated for your inconvenience to the tune of:
- 250 euros for flights with a distance of up to 1,500 kilometres
- 400 euros for flights with a distance of between 1,500 and 3,500 kilometres
- 600 euros for flights with a distance of more than 3,500 kilometres
Additionally, the airline must offer you meals and beverages “in reasonable relation to the waiting time”, FOCA says.
“If your onward flight is delayed until the next day, the airline is required to offer hotel accommodation (including transport) if necessary. It also has to offer you telecommunication facilities”.
In the event the airline has not fulfilled the obligations listed above, you can file a complaint with FOCA by filling out this form and emailing it to passengerrights@bazl.admin.ch.
Again, this only concerns departures from one of the Swiss airports — Zurich, Geneva, or Basel.
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What if you are denied boarding?
The answer depends on the reason why this has happened.
If the flight is overbooked — that is, the airline sold more tickets than there are seats — then you are entitled to be compensated, in addition to being put on the next available flight.
But the airline may have legitimate grounds for refusing to let you fly, in which case you are not entitled to any compensation from them.
For instance, if you arrive late at the airport check-in or at the departure gate, or if you don’t have all the required travel documents, you can be denied boarding. In such cases you can’t claim any settlement, because the fault is yours, not the airline’s.
Also, if you get aggressive with the airport or airline staff and security services are called in, you will not fly and may even be fined for your misconduct.
