Swiss International Air Lines

In my experience, the product most airlines provides in terms of seating, wi-fi, meals, cabin service are all fairly comparable (especially in the First Class market) because they have to be in order for the airlines to remain competitive. I’ve now learned that an airlines quality can best be distinguished in how they treat you when something goes wrong. I recently flew on Swiss Airlines on a First Class revenue ticket from DXB to MCT (LX 242). When I missed my connection in DXB (because of my late arrival on another Star Alliance airline) I was told in order to fly on the next available flight I would have to be downgraded to Business Class. Not only did Swiss not offer any compensation for this but in fact they actually wanted to charge me a 220 AED change fee for the downgrade. Clearly I hadn’t paid enough for my First Class ticket! Somehow after the missed connection in DXB my baggage ended up in an inaccessible part of the airport and I did not get access to it until just before the downgraded LX flight was due to depart the next day. I checked my bag in with Swiss Airlines at DXB without any problem. The inflight service in Business Class from DXB to MCT was fine, however, when I arrived in MCT at around 04:30 AM my checked bag did not! I spent the next frustrating 1.5 hours trying to fill out a baggage claim request. This involved multiple people trying to fill out the online form and at least 3 or 4 attempts where I had to repeat all my information and details every time. I was assured by the LX baggage handlers that the bag would be placed on the “next available flight” and provided them with all my local contact details. Considering I had flown on a First Class revenue ticket, I assumed Swiss would make it a priority to reunite me with my luggage. Over the next day while in Muscat, I, and the hotel operator and hotel concierge repeatedly called multiple Swiss Airlines numbers both in Dubai and Muscat and could not get through to anyone. I called Swiss Airlines main number in Switzerland, informing them of the situation and was given other phone numbers which kept ringing but no one answered at the other end. At one point, I was told the most senior Swiss representative in Muscat was being e-mailed to call me immediately at my hotel and I am still waiting for that phone call. I e-mailed Swiss customer support online and have yet to hear back from anyone. My abbreviated stay in Muscat came to an end and I boarded my next flights that took me to the Seychelles, again with no access to my checked bag, toiletries and wearing the same clothes that I had when I started my trip in Toronto 4 days earlier. After arriving in the Seychelles (SEZ), I noticed on the Swiss online baggage tracker that my bag was due to be delivered from Dubai to MCT on a flight that evening. After multiple exasperating phone calls, including to Swiss headquarters in Europe, I was finally able to redirect my bag to the Seychelles, not on the first available but flight but to one 8 hours later. When the bag finally arrived at SEZ, it was eventually delivered to my hotel, however, in order to do so, I was asked to pay for the taxi charge from the airport. To summarize, Swiss Airlines “First Class” treatment is deplorable. They are happy to downgrade their customers with no offer of a refund and then have the gall to ask for a change fee. They lose your luggage and make no effort to reach out to you afterwards in a timely fashion. I am still waiting to hear back from their premium online support almost a week after I first contacted them. They try to placate you by providing you with phone numbers where no one answers on the other end and they leave you stranded to fend for yourself with only the clothes on your back. This has been the worst experience I have had with any airline and I fly over 100,000 miles a year! DO NOT FLY WITH SWISS!!!

Swiss is probably the worst airline I’ve ever flown with. Not only had I an awful experience but was also surprised by how terrible their customer service is. I usually have to fly every 2-3 weeks so I’ve had delays or cancellations several times in my life. I have never had problems reaching an agreement with airlines when claiming compensation according to what I’m entitled to until I flew with Swiss. I was supposed to fly from Geneva to Madrid (LX2048) on Sunday 12th October. My first (and last) flight with this company was cancelled when I was boarding the plane due to “technical reasons”. Not only didn’t I receive any apologies from Swiss but it also took them 2,5 hours to change my flight to the next day (even though I specifically told them that I wanted to reach Madrid as soon as possible because I had to work on Monday 13th) and book me a place in a hotel. During all that time I wasn’t offered any drinks nor meals as EU Regulation 261/04 states. My new flight was supposed to depart Geneva on Mon 13th at 17:55 hs but it was (again!) delayed 45 minutes. So after arriving to Madrid more than 24 hs later than what I was supposed to and missing one day of work, I wrote to the airline explaining to them the situation and asking them for a compensation (250€ according to EU Regulation 261/04). They refused because they said that the flight was cancelled due to “unexpected flight safety shortcoming”, which is the worst excuse an airline can put not to pay a passenger. If you’re thinking of flying with Swiss, don’t!

I’ve taken 2 rd trip, Boston to Zurich and one flight from Lyon to Zurich in the past 5 months. It helps that I’m only 5.5 ft ad 137 lbs, so I found the economy seats okay. They could use a bit more bottom padding, but getting up and stretching eliminated the impending numbness. Lumbar support was surprisingly good. On only one of 5 flights did the seat assignment go awry but the airport agent corrected that. The food is petty good for airplane food, and for economy. The ice cream was very good, as were the Swiss chocolate bars. The cabin crew were pleasant and efficient. On the last flight, Zurich to Boston, a number of connecting flights were late (as was mine), and hey held the flight till the last of the 50 delayed passengers made it aboard. Amazingly decent of Swiss Air! The Airbuses are fairly quiet, & the entertainment options will keep you amused if you neglected to bring a book/ebook. The one negative was Lyon to Zurich as at Lyon we boarded a bus to get to the plane and the bus did not have AC, had only little windows that opened and the bus was held at the gate with the sun beating down. It went from hot, to sauna, to roasting to broling to utter hell before we got moving. I will happily fly them again.

Clean a lot of good food good entertainement and a lot of legroom

I live in Switzerland, a friendly and efficient country, and am a frequent flyer. The airline is unfortunately Swiss in name only. I have a gold frequent flyer card from this airline but despite that the experience is still awful: unfriendly, uncaring and frankly dishonest – the seat you reserve is unlikely to be the one you actually get, and the staff really just don’t care. Previously I had an ‘Hon Circle’ frequent flyer card, the absolute top tier, from this airline, and the service was barely any better. I avoid this airline as far as possible, which is why I no longer have their top tier frequent flyer card. The stories are too many, and too frustrating to detail, but do yourself a favour, and avoid them too.