Flight delays and cancellations can be frustrating, especially when you have a connecting flight to catch or a specific arrival time. Swiss Air is no exception, and while they are known to be often on time, with a low cancellation rate, the chances of it happening are still high.
Should your travel plans be disrupted, it does not mean that you have to stand there and be disrespected. As an air passenger, you have rights, and Swiss Air needs to respect them. In this article, you will find out what to do if Swiss Air denies your right to arrive on time.
01Your Rights when Traveling with Swiss Air
As an air passenger, you are protected under EU Regulation 261/2004 (also referred to as EC261) in case of a delay or a cancellation. This means that if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours (based on the distance), you are entitled to Swiss flight delay compensation. The same applies to denied boarding due to overbooking or canceled flights.
Compensation aside, passengers are also entitled to receive alternative arrangements to arrive on time. Indeed, circumstances can depend, and cancellations announced 14 days before your departure are within the company’s law. However, if you arrived at the airport expecting to take the plane, only to look at the board and find out it was canceled, you can get extra compensation.
The amount you receive will depend on the distance that you have to travel over. If you have a short-haul flight of less than 1,500 km, then you can receive 250 EUR in compensation for your troubles. However, if the flight is long-haul, you can get up to 600 EUR, along with necessary assistance if the delay is long and involuntary.
02Tips to Get Swiss Flight Cancelation Compensation
Whether you are dealing with a delay or a cancellation, there are certain steps you are required to go through. Below are some tips you should keep in mind to make the most out of your efforts:
Learn of the Deadlines
Like every legal matter, you must respect a statute of limitations when filing your claim. The earlier you do so, the better it will be for you, especially as all the information is fresh by then. That said, each airline and country will have their own timeframes to adhere to.
With Swiss Air, you have up to two years to claim your compensation. With that in mind, you should not let more than a year and a half pass between the flight disruption and your claim. While a simple case could take 4-8 weeks to complete, a complex one can take several months to get through.
Gather All Documents
Airlines are required to offer you compensation for flight delays, but they also know where to find loopholes. Swiss Air can also do that because otherwise, they would lose profit to disgruntled passengers. If they notice that you lack certain documents, such as your boarding pass or messages from the airline, they might try to refute your claim.
Get a Representative
Like with any aspect of the law, you can choose to represent yourself when you are filing for compensation. However, just as you wouldn’t choose to go without a lawyer in a legal matter, you should not try to file on your own here.
To receive maximum compensation, it is recommended to do the filing through the best company for flight compensation. They already know every loophole Swiss Air will try to exploit and can help simplify the process.
Ask for Reimbursement or Rerouting
Your flight with Swiss Air may have gotten canceled, but this doesn’t mean you don’t have places to get to. Many passengers book different tickets on different days out of fear that the request could cause them to lose compensation rights. That said, you have the right to a full cancel flight refund alongside the compensation or a rerouting if you choose to go with another flight.
If you manage to reach the final destination on time, then there is a good chance you might not even need compensation. However, if they rerouted you on a different plane that was still late, you can’t be charged extra, and you should even be paid for all of your troubles.
Learn About Extraordinary Circumstances
Very often, extraordinary circumstances are used by the airline to refuse your claim for Swiss flight cancellation compensation. To put it plainly, if the flight cancellation or delay was caused by something beyond the airline’s control, they can get away from paying compensation. It does not matter if everything is last-minute – since it was not their fault, they technically do not have to pay.
Some Extraordinary Circumstances Include the Following Situations:
- Civil or political unrest
- Unforeseen aircraft manufacturer defects or technical difficulties
- Security risks such as sabotage or terrorism
- Extreme weather conditions
- Airport strikes or similar limitations that prevent proper operations
One thing to remember is that not every extraordinary circumstance is as “extraordinary” as they might make it seem. For instance, if a “technical difficulty” could have been prevented through maintenance, it is not extreme.
Similarly, aircraft were made to handle thunderstorms, which means that the average storm should not cause the cancellation of a flight. This is why it’s recommended to employ professional help here through a company like StopDelay, as they know how to determine truths in these “grey” situations.
03The Bottom Line
When your Swiss flight is delayed or canceled, the first thing you should do is take a deep breath. Once you have gathered your cool, it is time to do the same with your documents and file for Swiss flight delay compensation. Since you are protected by the law, you should be able to obtain justice for your troubles. To increase your chances of success, you can use the services of a flight cancelation compensation company.
