Strike at SWISS
If your SWISS flight has been delayed or cancelled due to the ongoing strike, you may be entitled to compensation. Discover your rights or determine your eligibility for compensation by reading this article.
In the event of a strike by SWISS staff, your flight may be affected, and you are entitled to specific rights, such as compensation. This article describes your entitlements and provides guidance on appropriate actions during a SWISS strike.
Many flights have been cancelled because of the ongoing strike at SWISS
The SWISS staff strike has resulted in the cancellation of numerous flights, impacting a large number of travelers. Many passengers are facing the difficult situation of not being able to continue their journey.
Has your flight been disrupted by an airline strike? Find out if you’re entitled to compensation by using our free flight check today!
Right to care with delays longer than 2 hours
If you’re facing an unplanned strike, it can take you by surprise. If you’re at the airport and your SWISS flight is delayed for more than 2 hours, you have the right to food, drink, and even a hotel stay if needed. In some cases, the airline will provide vouchers for food and drink, but it’s important to keep receipts if they’re not provided.
Accepting an alternative flight from SWISS is not obligatory
The airline has to provide you with a free alternative flight. They are supposed to offer you the first available flight, but if all the upcoming flights are overbooked, you may receive an alternative option that makes your travel pointless. If you reject the proposed flight, the airline must refund the ticket price, and if they don’t provide an alternative, they need to reimburse the price difference if you book a better option yourself.
Advice: It’s recommended that you wait for an official update from SWISS before taking any action
Although you may want to secure a new flight as soon as possible, it’s important to avoid booking an alternative flight until you receive confirmation from SWISS that your flight has been cancelled, as there may be few other flights available from other airlines. If the strike is called off, you will lose your money.
If you’ve been impacted by SWISS’s strike, you could be eligible for a refund
If the airline’s own employees, such as pilots, cabin crew, or ground staff, go on strike, SWISS may be held responsible. Under Regulation 261/2004, this is not considered a case of force majeure, and you are entitled to compensation if you arrive more than 3 hours late or 1 hour early.
The amount of compensation you receive depends on the distance you traveled and whether your flight was canceled less than 2 weeks before your scheduled departure.
The amount of compensation is not dependent on your ticket price. It is possible that the compensation you receive is higher than the cost of your ticket. The amount of compensation is determined based on the distance of the journey.
Flight destinations within the EU:
- €250 compensation for flights up to 1500 km
- €400 compensation for flights over 1500 km
Flight destinations outside the EU:
- €250 compensation for flights up to 1500 km
- €400 compensation for flights between 1500 km and 3500 km
- €600 compensation for flights over 3500 km
Check if you are entitled to compensation
You can easily check if you are entitled to compensation as a result of the strike at SWISS in our database. Enter your flight number and we will indicate whether you qualify for compensation. Then you can submit a claim in just a few minutes. EUclaim will take care of the rest.
