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Flight delay or cancellation compensation claim (Switzerland)
Switzerland · in English · for consumers
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For a passenger whose flight arrived three hours or more late, was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or who was denied boarding, on a flight covered by Regulation (EC) No 261/2004: every flight from an airport in Switzerland, the EU, Iceland or Norway, and flights into them on an airline from one of those countries. The letter claims the fixed compensation — €250, €400 or €600 per passenger, by distance — from the airline that operated the flight. The airline's own claim form and the EU complaint form are free and do the same job. Send it by registered post (Einschreiben); Swiss authorities work in their official language, not English.
- Made for use in Switzerland
- Last updated November 4, 2026
- Document in English
Published byDocMuse
When to use this document
- Your flight from Zurich arrived hours late and you want compensation from the airline.
- The airline cancelled your flight from Geneva a few days before you were due to leave Switzerland.
- You were refused boarding on a full flight from Switzerland although you had a confirmed seat.
- The airline ignored your request for compensation after a long delay on a flight to Switzerland.
What you fill in
The details the document asks for.
- Sender
- Sender's address
- Airline
- Airline's postal address (customer service)
- City
- Date
- Booking reference
- Flight number
- Date of the flight
- Departure airport
- Destination airport
- Passenger
- Other passengers on the same booking
- What happened to the flight
- Compensation per passenger, by flight distance
- Bank account
Common questions
- How much compensation can I claim for a delayed or cancelled flight in Switzerland?
- Per passenger: €250 for flights of 1,500 km or less; €400 for longer flights within the EU and for other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km; €600 for other flights over 3,500 km. The airline may halve the sum if it rerouted you and you arrived within two, three or four hours of the original time, by distance, and for a delay of three to four hours on a flight over 3,500 km. Nothing is owed for extraordinary circumstances the airline could not have avoided, such as bad weather or air traffic control restrictions.
- Which flights does Regulation 261/2004 cover for a passenger in Switzerland?
- Every flight departing from an airport in Switzerland, the EU, Iceland or Norway, on any airline, and flights into them from elsewhere on an airline from one of those countries; in Switzerland the Regulation applies through the air transport agreement with the EU. You claim from the airline that operated the flight, even if you booked with another. Whatever the compensation, the airline must also give you meals, refreshments and, where needed, a hotel while you wait; keep receipts for what you had to pay yourself.
- Where can I complain in Switzerland if the airline refuses to pay?
- Complain to the airline first. If it refuses, or does not answer, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (BAZL) handles complaints about flights departing Switzerland and flights from third countries whose first landing is in Switzerland (its online form ‘Anzeige Fluggastrechte’ on bazl.admin.ch; the BAZL does not enforce payment). For a money claim you can go to the conciliation authority at the competent place of jurisdiction (Art. 197 CPC). Up to a value in dispute of CHF 30'000.00, the simplified procedure then applies (Art. 243 para. 1 CPC). A court claim must be brought within the time the law allows, so do not leave it long after the airline's answer.
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