AIRLINE · DELAYED FLIGHT
SWISSDelay compensation — are you owed money?
You are generally owed fixed compensation if you arrived at your final destination 3 hours or more late and the airline was responsible.
In June 2026, 0.2% of SWISS departures from UK airports arrived 3 or more hours late — the UK261 compensation threshold — and 1.4% were cancelled, per official CAA data. That ranks SWISS 9th of 24 tracked airlines for fewest compensation-relevant disruptions. See the full league table →
Non-UK/EU airline · rights on departure only
This doesn’t mean no rights. UK261 still covers SWISS flights departing the UK. Flights into the UK on a non-UK/EU carrier are not covered.
When SWISS has to pay
UK261 · ARTICLE 6 · ARTICLE 7- ARTICLE 7
Compensation is a fixed sum set by distance band, not a share of your ticket price: £220 for flights of 1,500 km or less, £350 for 1,500–3,500 km, and £520 for flights over 3,500 km.
- RETAINED CASE LAW
The 3-hour threshold for delay compensation is not written into the Regulation. It comes from retained EU case law (Sturgeon, confirmed in Nelson) reading Article 7 together with Article 5, and it is how the CAA applies the rules in practice.
- ARTICLE 7(1)
The delay that counts is measured at your final destination — not at the airport where the delay happened.
- ARTICLE 5(3)
No compensation is due if the airline can show the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances it could not have avoided, such as extreme weather, air-traffic-control strikes or security risks.
What you are owed besides the cash
- ARTICLE 9
Food, drink and communications once the delay passes 2 hours (short-haul), 3 hours (medium-haul) or 4 hours (long-haul), plus accommodation and transfers if you are kept overnight.
- ARTICLE 8
If the delay reaches 5 hours you can abandon the trip and claim a full refund of the unused part of your ticket instead.
Rules quoted from Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as retained in UK law. Article links go to the text on legislation.gov.uk so you can read them yourself. This is information, not legal advice — the airline decides on the facts of your specific flight.
SWISS · performance
CAA DATA · JUNE 2026- 3+ hours late
- 0.2%The compensation threshold — these flights may be owed.
- Cancelled
- 1.4%of scheduled flights
- Average delay
- 25minacross all flights
- Routes flown
- 6in June 2026 CAA data · 3 with delay stats here
Delay statistics derived from UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) punctuality data. UK CAA flight punctuality statistics · June 2026. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the CAA. How we calculate these figures →
SWISS · month by month
6 MONTHS OF CAA DATA · UK DEPARTURES| Month | Flights | 3h+ late | Cancelled | Avg delay |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January 2026 | 571 | 0.2% | 1.6% | 18 min |
| February 2026 | 553 | 0.0% | 0.7% | 11 min |
| March 2026 | 616 | 0.2% | 2.4% | 12 min |
| April 2026 | 653 | 0.0% | 0.5% | 14 min |
| May 2026 | 654 | 0.2% | 1.8% | 18 min |
| June 2026(latest) | 637 | 0.2% | 1.4% | 25 min |
Aggregated across every route SWISS flew from UK reporting airports that month — see how these figures are calculated.
How to claim from SWISS
Gather your details
Flight number, date, and scheduled vs actual arrival times. You don't need these to check with Owedly — only to claim from SWISS.
Submit to SWISS
Send a written claim citing UK261, stating the delay length and that you’re seeking the fixed compensation for your distance band.
Escalate if needed
No adequate response within 8 weeks? Take it to the airline’s ADR scheme or the Civil Aviation Authority.
How much UK261 pays
| Band | Distance | Compensation |
|---|---|---|
| A | Under 1,500 kme.g. London–Paris, Manchester–Dublin | £220 |
| B | 1,500–3,500 kme.g. London–Athens, Edinburgh–Lisbon | £350 |
| C | Over 3,500 kme.g. London–New York · £260 if 3–4h late, £520 if 4h+ | £260–£520 |
The amount depends only on distance — not your ticket price or the airline. SWISS’s average delay is 25 minutes, but averages hide the flights that cross the 3-hour line.
Check your SWISS delayed flight
Check · SWISS delayed flight
6 FIELDSIt depends
It depends — you may be owed ~£350 if it was the airline’s fault
- Your flight is covered by UK261 and the delay is long enough to qualify — but whether you’re actually owed money depends on the cause.
- If the delay was the airline’s fault (for example a technical or crew problem), you could be owed around £350. If it was caused by extraordinary circumstances like extreme weather or an air-traffic-control strike, no compensation would be due.
- Ask the airline for the specific reason in writing, then check your claim.
You usually have up to 6 years to claim in England, Wales & Northern Ireland (5 years in Scotland). This is for information — it does not affect the estimate above.
Partner hand-off (AirHelp). Claim services typically charge a success fee — you can also claim directly with the airline for free.
ESTIMATE ONLY · NOT LEGAL ADVICE · OFFICIAL CAA GUIDANCE
Think you’re owed for a SWISS flight?
Run the six-question check and, if you’re eligible, hand off to a claims partner.
Partner hand-off (AirHelp). Claim services typically charge a success fee — you can also claim directly with the airline for free.
SWISS routes with delay stats
All routes →SHOWING 3 OF THE 6 ROUTES SWISS FLEW IN JUNE 2026 CAA DATA
SWISS — your questions
How often is SWISS delayed?
In June 2026, 0.2% of SWISS flights arrived 3 hours or more late (the UK261 threshold) and 1.4% were cancelled, with an average delay of 25 minutes across the 6 route(s) SWISS flew in UK CAA data.
Can I claim compensation from SWISS?
SWISS is not a UK or EU/EEA airline, so UK261 mainly applies to its flights departing from a UK airport. For those, a 3+ hour airline-caused delay can be claimed; other SWISS flights may fall under different rules.
How do I claim delay compensation from SWISS?
Contact SWISS in writing with your flight details and ask for UK261 compensation, or use a claims service to handle it for a success fee. Keep boarding passes and any delay notices. You usually have up to 6 years to claim (5 in Scotland).
Other airlines
Delay statistics derived from UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) punctuality data. UK CAA flight punctuality statistics · June 2026. Not affiliated with or endorsed by the CAA. How we calculate these figures →
UK261 amounts & eligibility rules last verified 8 July 2026 against gov.uk and CAA guidance by Mohammed Arafat Khot · about this site