Swiss International Air Lines Reviews 

25 years as a loyal SWISS customer, and this is where it's landed. Booked as I always have, only to find out at the airport that the fare no longer includes a carry-on — just a "personal item." My rucksack was smaller than a standard carry-on and fit perfectly under the seat, yet I was still charged CHF 70 at the gate, the fee for a full checked bag.

I understand airlines adjust fare structures. What I don't accept is a premium carrier charging premium prices while delivering the fee-hunting, gate-pressure experience of a low-cost airline. SWISS used to stand for something better than this.

⭐ NEVER AGAIN SWISS – Swiss cross on the plane, Swiss quality nowhere to be found

I deliberately booked my journey from Bali to Zurich with SWISS. Not through some questionable budget travel website, but with an airline that proudly associates its name and image with Swiss quality and reliability.

SWISS sold me a combination consisting of Scoot from Bali to Singapore, followed by SWISS to Zurich. The Scoot flight was cancelled – and naturally, my connection to Zurich was gone as well. Only afterwards did I take a closer look at Scoot and was shocked by the many terrible reviews. I find it remarkable – and certainly not in a positive way – that SWISS sells its customers such connections and then leaves them practically on their own when things go wrong.

In Singapore, I then had the opportunity to discover exactly how much the famous SWISS service is worth when you actually need it: in my case, absolutely nothing.

At around 11:30 p.m., I was stranded at the airport without an onward flight. For more than four hours, I was sent from one counter to another. At the same time, my girlfriend was calling SWISS from Switzerland, desperately trying to find a solution. The SWISS employee told her he could do nothing because, according to his computer, all flights had apparently operated on time.

We apparently had better and more up-to-date information using Google than the SWISS customer service department. Quite an achievement.

And now for the highlight of my SWISS customer-service experience: in the end, it was two China Airlines employees who took care of me and helped find a solution. Two people working for an airline that had absolutely nothing to do with my ticket cared more about my situation than the airline that had actually sold me the journey.

So a sincere thank you to China Airlines. Perhaps those two employees could occasionally give SWISS a short course in customer service.

But the story did not end there. I had paid for Premium Economy, yet on the replacement journey I had to fly Economy. My subsequent claim regarding this downgrade was not even rejected or answered with an explanation by SWISS – it was simply ignored. They did at least refund the separately paid seat reservation. One should appreciate the small victories.

SWISS likes to surround itself with the image of Swiss quality, Swiss reliability and “Swissness”. After my personal experience, the only thing genuinely Swiss that seems to remain is the white cross painted on the aircraft.

The result of this journey is therefore very simple: SWISS has not only lost me as a customer, but my entire family as well.

From now on, we would rather pay more – even twice as much – than voluntarily book another journey with SWISS.

Other airlines fly too. And apparently, some of them will even help you when you are not their customer.

Never again SWISS.

A333 Legacy business class experience:
No blankets !
No amenity kit !
No pre departure drink !
No hot towel !
No priority boarding !
Worst business class experience!!!!!!!!!! Very unexpected from such prestigious airlines!

My son, aged 17 travelled from London to Geneva for a basketball camp with BA with no issues. He should have returned to London with Swiss airlines today. They did everything they could to make him miss the flight because his UK immigration status was with his old passport and not the new. Asking then to pay for the next flight the same price. How could they treat a minor like that. I don't recommend making your children travel with this company. No consideration, no help for them, 17 years old.

Our flight WK171 from Tbilisi on 1 July 2026 was cancelled due to bad weather, which I understand was outside the airline’s control. However, what was extremely disappointing was the complete lack of assistance afterwards.

We were not provided with hotel accommodation, meals, transportation, or practical rebooking support. We had to spend hours trying to contact customer service ourselves and incurred more than €100 in roaming and telephone charges while arranging our own onward travel.

Even more concerning, a QR code displayed at the help desk at Tbilisi Airport appeared to direct passengers to official assistance. After scanning it, we were contacted on WhatsApp by what appeared to be a fraudulent support number. We were told to travel to a hotel where no reservation actually existed, causing additional transport costs, wasted time, and significant stress.

We had also paid €30 for seat reservations because this was supposed to be a special engagement trip. Since the flight was cancelled, we were unable to use the seats and had to request a refund separately.

I understand that weather can cause cancellations, but passengers should still receive proper care, clear information, and reliable assistance. Unfortunately, our experience with SWISS fell far short of what we expected.

Overall: very disappointing experience, particularly regarding the lack of assistance and communication after the cancellation.

My experience here was Absoloutley horrible. If I ever have to take Swiss airlines again I WILL be dreading it, 13 hour flight Singapore to swiss I was in econemy and it was the most uncomfortable chair ever, I honestslly started crying because of how overstimulated I was I was like I can’t sit in this seat for 13 hours it was so claustrophobic and I was also very dehydrated we asked one of the cabin crew members if we could have some water and they refused to give it to us, we decided to ask a different one and she did give us water but then the other member that refused to give it to us said to her “why would you give it to them” and I was so confused and mad on why she said that. Most of the crew also very non welcoming to us. We also went to the back to grab a few snack and one of the members gave us such a dirty look and also they came over to our seats asking the person next to me if they wanted water then skipped me and asked the other person on my left if they wanted any drinks then when I was about to say something they just looked at me and walked away. Absoloutley horrible airlines.

Shocking treatment of a family: Unannounced restricted seats, child struck, and flight attendant arrogance
​Texto da Avaliação (Inglês):
​I purchased three round-trip tickets (Bologna – São Paulo via Zurich) six months in advance with SWISS, including pre-paid pet transport in the cabin. What should have been a standard family journey turned into an absolute nightmare due to SWISS's severe service failures, lack of empathy, and hostile crew behavior.
​1. Cash Extortion & Flight Risk at Check-in
Despite paying in advance, we were told at check-in that our pet was not registered for the return leg. Staff demanded an immediate payment exclusively in physical cash, causing severe delay and stress that nearly made us miss our flight.
​2. Family Separation & Defective Seating
Despite booking months ahead, the crew attempted to separate our 8-year-old daughter from us. After refusing, we were placed in the very last rows. The assigned seats had zero recline capability, direct exposure to the lavatories, and severely restricted legroom.
​3. Safety Hazard: Child Injured by Reduced Space
Because the space was so cramped, when the passenger in front reclined, our 8-year-old daughter’s open tray table struck her near the nose. When I politely brought this issue and the lack of space to a flight attendant, I was met with sarcasm and indifference, being told to simply "try to adapt."
​4. Condescending and Hostile Crew Response
When I walked to the front to seek help from senior staff, five crew members surrounded me. Instead of resolving the issue, they mocked us with condescending comments, suggesting I "must not be used to flying" or making sarcastic remarks about service standards in Brazil.
​5. Total Lack of Sensitivity for Pets & Harassment upon Landing
Due to the restricted foot space, our pet became distressed. When we briefly checked on the animal, crew members began shouting at us. Upon arrival in Zurich, they demanded my passport under the guise of an "internal report," which later resulted in an administrative fine from Switzerland.
​SWISS displayed complete operational incompetence, zero respect for families traveling with young children, and a deeply arrogant crew attitude. Save yourself the stress and avoid flying with SWISS.

I was flying from ny to zrh in jfk airpod we waited by check in over an hour and they only had 3 counters opend for like 200 people there service is crap rude people anti semits they threatend to kick me off the flight beckuse i told them the truth and they dindt like it so screw swiss that was the last time i fly whith them 10 -12 years ago they were a great airline now it just got so bat its not normal dont fly whits swiss

Extremely disappointing customer service from Swiss Airlines.
Swiss cancelled my original flight and rebooked me onto a flight the day before, requiring an overnight stay in Zurich. I never accepted this change, yet my booking was somehow marked as accepted, meaning I'm now being refused the refund I'm entitled to.
I've spent hours on the phone, completed the online forms exactly as instructed, sent follow-up emails, and still have no resolution. I've even been told my complaint may not be looked at until after my travel dates, despite needing a refund now to book alternative flights.
I'm travelling with my two children to visit family, and because of these delays I've now lost the opportunity to book the replacement flights I had found.
This has been one of the worst customer service experiences I've had. I simply want Swiss Airlines to correct their mistake and process my refund without any further delay.

I paid for a seat upgrade on a flight booked through United but operated by SWISS. Not only was the paid seat not provided, but I was assigned one of the worst seats on the aircraft, directly beside the toilets. A United employee even described it as: “They downgraded you to the toilet.”

Neither airline took responsibility. After trying every available channel, I spent around 30 minutes on the phone with SWISS. The hotline employee was dismissive, did not believe what had happened, and became unfriendly when I complained. Extremely disappointing service.

I was forced to pay €75 for my hand luggage because the agent at the check-in counter claimed that my backpack was "too big". The most shocking part is that she did not even bother to measure it or check whether it complied with your baggage dimensions. She simply looked at it, decided it was too large, and demanded payment. It felt completely arbitrary.

At that point, the flight was already 45 minutes delayed (without any explanation), it was around 11 p.m., and everyone was exhausted. I was put in a position where I had no realistic choice but to pay if I wanted to board. That did not feel like the fair application of a baggage policy—it felt like being pressured into paying a fee without any objective justification.

I genuinely did not expect this from SWISS. I have always regarded your airline as a premium carrier. Instead, I was treated in a way that reminded me of the worst practices of low-cost airlines, except that SWISS charges premium prices. If your staff can simply decide, without even measuring a bag, who has to pay an extra €75, then your baggage policy is being enforced arbitrarily rather than fairly.

This experience has fundamentally changed my perception of SWISS. I paid the fee because I had no practical alternative, but I consider the charge unjustified and the way it was imposed completely unacceptable. Unless this matter is properly addressed, I will not choose SWISS again.

Absolutely hopeless customer service in the scenario of a cancelled flight. Communication non existent, customer service personnel not available. They don't deserve any customers' money.

My husband and I were travelling from Dubrovnik to Naples with a layover in Zurich. On reaching Naples we got to know none of our 4 bags have reached. This apparently is a very common thing for Swiss airlines domestic flights. We were asked to wait at the airport for 5 hours and was told we cant step outside. The Naples airport didnt have any food or drinking water available and mind you by this time it was already 8-9 hours that we were travelling. The staff at the checkin counter were not at all helpful and somewhat racist. You will not be able to reach any staff for raising your concern, in the app
It will just AI generated chat bots.

In short if you are travelling on any domestic flights with Swiss airlines do not carry check in luggage even if its offered for free. They will definitely lose it and show attitude as if its your fault.

My wife, Elena was unable to fly for medical reasons. We promptly provided an official medical report, and SWISS accepted our request.
The problem isn't with the refund itself, but with the customer service. Over several days, I received repeated promises: "in 48 hours," "in 30 minutes," "this evening," "a supervisor will contact you." None of these promises were fulfilled. The last employee even said the request was still under review.
Every new call brings a new version of events. No one can provide the true status of the request. Instead of transparent information, there are only contradictory answers and empty promises.
You expect professionalism, honesty, and respect for customers from an international airline like SWISS. Unfortunately, my experience was completely different.

I spent an hour on the Swiss chatline and failed to meke any progress whatsoever with my problem. There seems to be no other way to obtain customer support. Non-existent customer care.

Swiss is becoming new Ryanair. I paid 130chf for my ticket to London. Easyjet was for half the price but I like to pay more for good service. I traveled with Swiss airlines more than 30 times, and I enjoyed it. I also have the same backpack every time I travel with them. Apparently, this backpack is not good anymore and you have to pay 70chf to carry it on board. They measure and weigh it, and if it’s any bigger than a laptop bag, you will be charged. This is sad. I lost all respect and trust. Never again paying extra to fly with Swiss Airlines!

Were once my go to airline.. And once onboard it's fine

But "personal item" baggage rules, sneaky pricing which makes Swiss rank higher on sites like skyscanner and costs at the gate, mean I will never choose to fly Swiss again

Worse than easyjet

Let's hope EU carry on baggage laws are bought in

Cost cutting exercises are ridiculous for the premium you already pay to fly Swiss over more budget airlines. Forcing people to weigh and/or check their hand luggage is outrageous- even Ryanair and Easyjet don’t ask you to do that. The staff on this flight in particular went so hard with this rule that the overhead cabin storage is practically empty. There is genuinely no benefit in flying Swiss anymore.

They become a very bad airline! Now hand luggage is not including anymore, had to pay 70 CHF at the gate. I‘ve never gotten a free upgrade or a good seat. I travel alot but always get the seats in the very back. Also no food anymore, just a very small bottle of water and some swiss chocolate. Short haul flights better with KLM or Air France. Lufthansa Groups become a terrible airline group, so sad!