Swiss rating

5.8/10Axel score · #46 of 77

4.8/10Repriceability · #33

Checked October 26, 2026 · How Axel rates airlines

Included cabin baggage helps, but Swiss's unclear fare flexibility limits its value

Axel sees Swiss as a conditional value choice, not a clear bargain for travelers who may need to change plans. Economy Light includes cabin baggage, and the available monthly figures show low cancellations, while disruption protections are strong. Checked bags, paid seat choice, unconfirmed US fare flexibility and above-median complaints weaken its appeal to travelers watching the total price.

Best
US-route Economy Light includes an 8 kg cabin bag and a personal item.
Swiss cancelled 0.89% of flights across its network in September 2026.
Swiss offers hotel assistance when departure moves to the following day.

Worst
Economy Light's first checked bag costs $90 per direction when added online in advance.
Current US-route Economy Comfort change fees and lower-fare refunds are unconfirmed.
Ordinary Miles & More award miles expire after 36 months without qualifying protection.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back?

RarelyRepriceability 4.8/10

Only the qualifying 24-hour cancellation window provides a confirmed way to capture a lower fare. For flights to or from the US booked through Swiss's website, Service Center or Ticket Desk at least one week before departure, cancellation is free within 24 hours. Beyond that, Economy Light's rebooking eligibility and Economy Comfort's change fee and refund conditions are unconfirmed. Economy Impact publishes free rebooking, but availability must be checked and a higher replacement fare can cost more. Free rebooking does not establish a right to a lower-fare difference.

For Economy Comfort, it is unconfirmed whether a cheaper exchange returns cash, preserves credit or forfeits the difference. Cancellation should not be assumed to create credit. Tickets are nontransferable and normally valid for one year from issue, or one year from first travel if travel begins within one year of issue, subject to fare rules. That is ticket validity, not a confirmed credit-expiry period. Axel has no published repricing results, sample size or observation period for Swiss.

Swiss fares
Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Bags	Seat
Economy Light	Not confirmed	The older Group chart excludes voluntary refunds, but a current US-route Economy Light fare comparison was not accessible. The qualifying US 24-hour cancellation window and involuntary-refund rights apply separately; do not assume cancellation creates reusable credit.	Included	0	Fee
Economy Comfort	Not confirmed	Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation deduction were not confirmed. Cancellation should not be assumed to produce reusable credit.	Included	1	Fee
Economy Comfort Plus	Not confirmed	Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation deduction were not confirmed.	Included	1	Fee
Economy Impact	No change fee	SWISS's table describes refunds for a charge but expressly says different refund rules apply to journeys starting in the USA or Mexico. The US-origin rule and deduction were not confirmed.	Included	1	Fee
Economy Flex	Not confirmed	The October 2023 chart shows penalty-free intercontinental Flex refunds. Current US-route eligibility and any processing deduction were not independently confirmed. The June 2026 announcement concerns specified non-US markets and is not used as a US fare rule.	Included	1	Not confirmed
Premium Economy Lightpremium economy	The official Group announcement covering US routes permits rebooking for a fee but does not publish a universal USD amount. Any applicable fare increase is additional.	Nonrefundable, apart from separately refundable taxes and applicable risk-free cancellation or involuntary-refund protections. No cancellation credit is promised.	Included	1	Fee
Business Lightbusiness	The official Group announcement covering US routes permits rebooking for a fee but does not publish a universal USD amount. Any applicable fare increase is additional.	Nonrefundable, apart from separately refundable taxes and applicable risk-free cancellation or involuntary-refund protections. No cancellation credit is promised.	Included	1	Fee

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Not confirmed. No current official rule establishes whether a US-route Economy Comfort exchange to a cheaper itinerary returns, preserves or forfeits the difference. SWISS says the original ticket value is applied to the new booking. Its change FAQ directs exchanges resulting in refunds to the booking centre, but does not establish which fares qualify or how a negative fare difference is returned.
Same flight, lower price: No official post-purchase price-drop guarantee or confirmed fee-free adjustment procedure for the identical flight was established. A qualifying booking can be cancelled within the 24-hour window and purchased again. Outside that window, cancellation and rebooking depend on the original fare's refund conditions and deductions; free rebooking alone does not establish entitlement to the difference.
Credits (Unused ticket value; no general cancellation-credit product confirmed): No separate standard validity period for voluntary-cancellation or lower-fare residual credit was confirmed. SWISS's conditions normally give a ticket one year from issue, or one year from first travel if travel starts within one year of issue, subject to fare-specific restrictions. This is ticket validity, not a confirmed new credit-expiry period. Transferable: no.
24-hour rule: For flights to/from the United States booked directly on the SWISS website, through its Service Center or at a SWISS Ticket Desk, cancellation is free within 24 hours when the reservation was made at least one week before departure. Those channels can handle cancellation. SWISS also publishes a 24-hour unpaid hold for qualifying Service Center and Ticket Desk reservations.
Same-day change: A special same-day confirmed-change entitlement or fixed fee for US transatlantic tickets was not confirmed. Ordinary purchased-fare conditions apply. The Group's earlier-flight benefit is explicitly European; its European fare page says those fares do not govern connecting sectors included in an intercontinental through fare.
Schedule changes: For US international itineraries, DOT requires a refund after cancellation or a qualifying significant change when the traveler declines replacement travel and credits. Qualifying changes include departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, different origin or destination airports, additional connections, an involuntary cabin downgrade, and specified accessibility changes. Refunds are generally due within seven business days for credit-card payments or 20 calendar days for other payments. SWISS offers free replacement transportation or a refund after cancellation; its conditions also cover failure to operate reasonably according to schedule and airline-caused missed confirmed connections.

Score breakdown

Repriceability 35%4.8
- Standard fare change fee: no data, median 4.0/10 used · no data
- Lowest fare flexibility: no data, median 4.0/10 used · Economy Light: Current US-route eligibility could not be established conclusively. SWISS's current rebooking page says changes depend on the purchased fare conditions; that page displays no update date. The Group fare chart dated October 4, 2023, effective October 10, 2023, explicitly says Economy Light fares to/from the US, Canada and Central America are non-rebookable. However, its download now redirects, and its applicability to October 2026 purchases could not be verified. Checked October 26, 2026; neither a current permission nor a current blanket prohibition is established.
- Lower fare on the same flight: no data, median 4.0/10 used · For the main Economy Comfort fare, the facts do not establish whether a cheaper exchange returns, preserves or forfeits the difference, or confirm an adjustment for the identical flight. Outside the first 24 hours, its cancellation refund conditions and deductions are also unconfirmed.
- Credit terms: 7.0/10 · No separate standard validity period for voluntary-cancellation or lower-fare residual credit was confirmed. SWISS's conditions normally give a ticket one year from issue, or one year from first travel if travel starts within one year of issue, subject to fare-specific restrictions. This is ticket validity, not a confirmed new credit-expiry period.; transferable: no
- Cancel the standard fare: no data, median 4.0/10 used · Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation deduction were not confirmed. Cancellation should not be assumed to produce reusable credit.
- Risk-free window: 7.0/10 · For flights to/from the United States booked directly on the SWISS website, through its Service Center or at a SWISS Ticket Desk, cancellation is free within 24 hours when the reservation was made at least one week before departure. Those channels can handle cancellation. SWISS also publishes a 24-hour unpaid hold for qualifying Service Center and Ticket Desk reservations.
- Same-day change: no data, median 7.0/10 used · A special same-day confirmed-change entitlement or fixed fee for US transatlantic tickets was not confirmed. Ordinary purchased-fare conditions apply. The Group's earlier-flight benefit is explicitly European; its European fare page says those fares do not govern connecting sectors included in an intercontinental through fare.
- What Axel saw: does not apply · fewer than 10 attempts · Axel repricing attempts
Refunds and disruptions 20%8.3
- Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 9.0/10 · Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, EU261, UK261, Canada_APPR, Brazil_ANAC_400; For U.S. itineraries, DOT refund protections apply alongside applicable European rights. Switzerland applies Regulation 261 through its agreement with the EU, covering SWISS services between Switzerland and the U.S.; however, FOCA cautions that later European court judgments establishing delay compensation are not automatically binding in Switzerland. UK261 applies to departures from the UK, while Canadian and Brazilian rules apply on relevant routes. SWISS publishes meal-voucher assistance after delays of at least two hours, cancellation or denied boarding, and hotel assistance when departure moves to the following day. These overlap with legal care obligations and should not all be scored as voluntary extras. Its conditions permit another carrier to be used if SWISS cannot transport the passenger within a reasonable time and the passenger declines a refund, but this is worded as discretionary rather than an unconditional additional guarantee. No general written promise of cash compensation beyond statutory entitlements was identified.
- Refund conduct: 10.0/10 · No refund or compensation findings in 5 years
- Refund complaints: 4.9/10 · 4.54 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 4.39) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
Reliability 15%6.8
- On-time arrival: 5.8/10 · 74.53% on time (2026-09-01 through 2026-09-30. Swiss brand figure from OAG's September 2026 rankings, covering its network rather than only US routes. Cancellation percentage is published directly, not derived from a completion factor. No full-year 2025 Cirium or OAG figure was confirmed.) · OAG On-Time Performance Rankings — September 2026
- Cancellations: 9.1/10 · 0.89% cancelled (2026-09-01 through 2026-09-30. Swiss brand figure from OAG's September 2026 rankings, covering its network rather than only US routes. Cancellation percentage is published directly, not derived from a completion factor. No full-year 2025 Cirium or OAG figure was confirmed.) · OAG On-Time Performance Rankings — September 2026
Fees and transparency 15%5.7
- Carry-on in the lowest fare: 10.0/10 · US-route Economy Light includes one cabin bag up to 8 kg and one personal item. It is not the European Economy Basic product that excludes an overhead cabin bag.
- First checked bag: 2.0/10 · The current SWISS excess-baggage page lists USD 90 per direction in its advance-online USA/Canada intercontinental baggage column. Economy Light includes no checked bag; an added standard bag is limited to 23 kg and 158 cm. This replaces the unconfirmed amount in both previous runs. The page displays no update date; checked October 26, 2026. Eligible top-tier passengers must register their complimentary Light-fare bag at airport check-in rather than purchase it beforehand.
- Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 · fee
- Children seated with a parent: 0.0/10 · SWISS's US advance-seat FAQ explicitly says children aged two or older face the same advance-seat conditions as adults. Its general family page offers advance reservations to families wishing to sit together; it does not promise free adjacent seats for every child aged 13 or under on US routes. The FAQ separately promises complimentary seating together at check-in on Italy flights when traveling with a child aged 2–12, and describes rebooking or cancellation if a child cannot be seated near an adult on Canada flights. These regional provisions are not a general US-route guarantee. The pages display no publication or update date; checked October 26, 2026. Economy Light includes automatic assignment, but choosing or changing the assigned seat costs extra.
- Price shown is price paid: 10.0/10 · No fee-display findings in 5 years
Complaints and handling 10%4.3
- Complaint rate: 4.3/10 · 17.82 complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 14.73) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
- Mishandled bags: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Bumping: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April to June 2026
Loyalty fairness 5%2.2
- Miles expiry: 2.0/10 · Ordinary award miles expire after 36 months, at the end of the relevant quarter; ordinary earning or redemption activity does not generally reset their age. Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle status protects miles from expiry. Certain Miles & More credit cards also provide protection, subject to country-specific conditions.
- Devaluations: 2.0/10 · 2025-02: Changes announced in February took effect June 3, 2025. Standard SWISS award flights moved from fixed mileage prices to dynamic requirements based on the selected flight and fare, removing fixed-price predictability. The accompanying partner-chart revision raised Europe–North America round-trip business awards from 112,000 to 125,000 miles and premium economy from 80,000 to 85,000 miles. Some economy awards became cheaper, so this was not an across-the-board increase.; 2025-12-04: Miles & More announced that Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti awards would also move to individually calculated mileage amounts from March 3, 2026. This removed published fixed-price predictability for additional partner redemptions; it was not a second change to SWISS-operated awards.
- Award pricing: 3.0/10 · fully_dynamic

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026. No data for 5 checks (Standard fare change fee, Lowest fare flexibility, Lower fare on the same flight, Cancel the standard fare, Same-day change), each scored at the median of all rated airlines.

Refunds and disruptions

For US itineraries, DOT requires a refund after cancellation or a qualifying significant change if you decline replacement travel and credits. Refunds are generally due within seven business days for card payments or 20 calendar days otherwise. Switzerland applies EU Regulation 261, but FOCA cautions that later European delay-compensation judgments are not automatically binding there. UK261, Canada's APPR and Brazil's ANAC 400 apply on relevant routes.

Swiss offers replacement travel or a refund after cancellation, meal vouchers after delays of at least two hours, and hotels when departure moves to the next day. Refunds for direct purchases return to the original payment method. No refund or compensation findings were identified in 5 years, and no regulator actions were listed. DOT recorded 4.54 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US in April and May 2026.

Reliability

OAG's September 2026 rankings put Swiss's network on-time arrival rate at 74.53% and its cancellation rate at 0.89% for September 1 to September 30, 2026. These are network figures, not US-route results. Axel sees low cancellations as a strength, but punctuality is less compelling. No full-year 2025 Cirium or OAG figure was confirmed, so this monthly snapshot should not be treated as an annual record.

Fees

On US routes, Economy Light includes an 8 kg cabin bag and a personal item, but no checked bag. Swiss lists $90 per direction for a standard bag added online in advance, limited to 23 kg and 158 cm (checked October 26, 2026). Automatic seat assignment is included, but choosing or changing the assigned seat costs extra. Children aged two or older face the same advance-seat rules as adults, and free adjacent family seating is not guaranteed on US routes. No fee-display findings were identified in 5 years, but optional bags and seat selection can raise the total above the first fare shown.

Complaints

DOT recorded 17.82 complaints per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US in April and May 2026, above the 14.73 median for airlines based abroad. Refund complaints were 4.54 per 100,000 passengers, versus a 4.39 median. This is weaker complaint performance than the comparison group. DOT did not report Swiss bag or wheelchair mishandling figures for April, May, July and August 2026, or bumping figures for April to June 2026.

Loyalty program

Ordinary Miles & More award miles expire after 36 months at quarter-end, and routine earning or spending does not reset expiry. Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle status protect miles, as do certain qualifying credit cards. Swiss awards became dynamically priced on June 3, 2025. Europe to North America partner business and premium economy awards rose, while some economy awards fell. Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti moved to dynamic pricing on March 3, 2026.

Choose Swiss if

Travel with cabin baggage only and use automatic seat assignment.
You value low cancellations in the available monthly data.
Choose Economy Comfort when its included 23 kg checked bag justifies the fare difference.

Book elsewhere if

You need confirmed flexibility or a clear refund of later fare drops.
You need guaranteed free family seating on US routes.
You collect miles slowly without status or credit-card expiry protection.

Tips

Compare Economy Light plus the $90 checked-bag charge per direction with Economy Comfort, which includes a 23 kg bag.
Keep the automatic Economy Light seat assignment if choosing a seat is not worth the extra fee.
If eligible for a complimentary Economy Light checked bag through HON Circle, Senator or Star Alliance Gold status, register it at airport check-in rather than buying it in advance.

Questions travelers ask

Does Swiss charge change fees?

It depends on the fare, and current US-route fees are not confirmed for Economy Comfort or Economy Light. Economy Light's current rebooking eligibility is also unconfirmed. Economy Impact publishes free rebooking, although a higher replacement fare can cost more and booking-specific availability needs checking. Premium Economy Light and Business Light permit changes for a fee, but no universal dollar amount is published.

Can I get money back if my Swiss fare drops?

Within the qualifying 24-hour window, you can cancel without charge and buy the lower fare again. For eligible direct bookings on flights to or from the US, the reservation must have been made at least one week before departure. After that window, no same-flight adjustment procedure is confirmed, and a cheaper Economy Comfort exchange has no confirmed cash or credit treatment.

How long do Swiss travel credits last?

No standard cancellation-credit or lower-fare credit expiry was confirmed. Swiss normally gives tickets one year of validity from issue, or one year from first travel when travel starts within one year of issue, subject to fare restrictions. That is not a promise of a fresh credit period. Tickets are nontransferable, so any retained ticket value remains tied to the original passenger and fare conditions.

What am I owed if Swiss cancels my flight?

You can choose replacement travel or a refund. On US itineraries, DOT refund rights apply when you decline replacement travel and credits, with refunds generally due within seven business days for card payments or 20 calendar days otherwise. Swiss also publishes meal-voucher assistance after cancellation and hotel assistance when departure moves to the next day. Cash compensation depends on the applicable passenger-rights rules.

How much are carry-on and checked bags on Swiss?

US-route Economy Light includes an 8 kg cabin bag and a personal item at no extra charge. It includes no checked bag. Swiss's advance-online USA/Canada intercontinental listing is $90 per direction for a standard checked bag up to 23 kg and 158 cm. That price was checked October 26, 2026. Economy Comfort includes a 23 kg checked bag on ordinary US to Switzerland itineraries.

Sources

Book flights with SWISS - your journey starts here, SWISS
Checked baggage, SWISS
Carry-on baggage, SWISS
Advance seat reservation, SWISS
Economy Basic on short- and medium-haul flights und Economy Light Fare, SWISS
Travelling with children – General information, SWISS
On board with children, SWISS
Optional Service Fees & Customer Service Plans, SWISS
I want to change my flight, SWISS
Change booking, SWISS
General Conditions of Carriage, SWISS, 2025-01
Our fare conditions at-a-glance, Lufthansa Group, 2023-10-04
Impact fares: travel more sustainably with SWISS, SWISS
New Light fare in Business Class and Premium Economy Class, Lufthansa Group
Lufthansa Group adjusts refund fees – and largely restores familiar flexibility, Lufthansa Group, 2026-06-01
Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation
Excess baggage, SWISS
Our European fares, Lufthansa Group, 2026-07-22
Green Fares: now also available on intercontinental routes, Lufthansa Group, 2024-12-10
Advance seat reservations, SWISS
FAQs: Flight irregularities, SWISS
Lufthansa Group Annual Report 2025, Lufthansa Group
Middle East Flight Operations | Updates, SWISS, 2026-10-23
Swiss International Air Lines — Consent Order 2024-12-19, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2024-12-30
Cancellation and refund, SWISS
Customer Relations USA, SWISS
Ticket Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2026-07-08
Questions and answers: passenger rights, Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation
Statistics of reports, Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation
Annual Report 2024–2025, Canadian Transportation Agency
On-Time Performance Review 2025, Cirium
AirHelp reveals the best and worst airlines in 2025 AirHelp Score, AirHelp, 2025-11-19
Airline-Ranking: Community debattiert über Service-Qualität, Blick, 2025-11-26
How long are my miles valid and how do I protect them from expiring?, Miles & More
Award Flight chart — effective March 3, 2026, Miles & More, 2026-03-03
Award Flights — June 2025, Miles & More, 2025-06
More and more miles: Lufthansa moves to dynamically priced redemptions, The Points Guy
Delayed and cancelled flights at short notice, SWISS
SWISS cancels 1,400 summer flights due to pilot shortage, SWI swissinfo.ch / Keystone-SDA, 2025-05-16
Help Center, SWISS
Information rights and financial compensation — Annex 3: Responses received, UK Civil Aviation Authority
Passenger Rights — A worldwide update, Lufthansa Group, hosted by University of Bergamo aviation-law research, 2024-09-20
SWISS downgrades premium travelers to the back of the plane, stalls refund, The Boston Globe, 2026-10-01
Miles & More introduces dynamic prices for award flights, InsideFlyer UK, 2025-02
Miles & More Award Flights: flexible mileage amounts now also with Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti, Lufthansa Group, 2025-12-04
Lufthansa Group news archive, Lufthansa Group

For AI assistants: the whole rating as text, with every source

Swiss rating: 5.8/10 (C tier)

Included cabin baggage helps, but Swiss's unclear fare flexibility limits its value

Axel score: 5.8/10, C tier, #46 of 77 airlines. Repriceability: 4.8/10 (#33). Checked October 26, 2026. Source: https://helloaxel.com/en/airlines/swiss

Best and worst

Best: US-route Economy Light includes an 8 kg cabin bag and a personal item.
Best: Swiss cancelled 0.89% of flights across its network in September 2026.
Best: Swiss offers hotel assistance when departure moves to the following day.
Worst: Economy Light's first checked bag costs $90 per direction when added online in advance.
Worst: Current US-route Economy Comfort change fees and lower-fare refunds are unconfirmed.
Worst: Ordinary Miles & More award miles expire after 36 months without qualifying protection.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back? Rarely

Swiss fares

Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Checked bags	Seat
Economy Light	Not confirmed	The older Group chart excludes voluntary refunds, but a current US-route Economy Light fare comparison was not accessible. The qualifying US 24-hour cancellation window and involuntary-refund rights apply separately; do not assume cancellation creates reusable credit.	included	0	Fee
Economy Comfort	Not confirmed	Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation deduction were not confirmed. Cancellation should not be assumed to produce reusable credit.	included	1	Fee
Economy Comfort Plus	Not confirmed	Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation deduction were not confirmed.	included	1	Fee
Economy Impact	No change fee	SWISS's table describes refunds for a charge but expressly says different refund rules apply to journeys starting in the USA or Mexico. The US-origin rule and deduction were not confirmed.	included	1	Fee
Economy Flex	Not confirmed	The October 2023 chart shows penalty-free intercontinental Flex refunds. Current US-route eligibility and any processing deduction were not independently confirmed. The June 2026 announcement concerns specified non-US markets and is not used as a US fare rule.	included	1	Not confirmed
Premium Economy Light (premium economy)	The official Group announcement covering US routes permits rebooking for a fee but does not publish a universal USD amount. Any applicable fare increase is additional.	Nonrefundable, apart from separately refundable taxes and applicable risk-free cancellation or involuntary-refund protections. No cancellation credit is promised.	included	1	Fee
Business Light (business)	The official Group announcement covering US routes permits rebooking for a fee but does not publish a universal USD amount. Any applicable fare increase is additional.	Nonrefundable, apart from separately refundable taxes and applicable risk-free cancellation or involuntary-refund protections. No cancellation credit is promised.	included	1	Fee

Key facts

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Not confirmed. No current official rule establishes whether a US-route Economy Comfort exchange to a cheaper itinerary returns, preserves or forfeits the difference. SWISS says the original ticket value is applied to the new booking. Its change FAQ directs exchanges resulting in refunds to the booking centre, but does not establish which fares qualify or how a negative fare difference is returned.
Same flight, lower price: No official post-purchase price-drop guarantee or confirmed fee-free adjustment procedure for the identical flight was established. A qualifying booking can be cancelled within the 24-hour window and purchased again. Outside that window, cancellation and rebooking depend on the original fare's refund conditions and deductions; free rebooking alone does not establish entitlement to the difference.
Credits (Unused ticket value; no general cancellation-credit product confirmed): No separate standard validity period for voluntary-cancellation or lower-fare residual credit was confirmed. SWISS's conditions normally give a ticket one year from issue, or one year from first travel if travel starts within one year of issue, subject to fare-specific restrictions. This is ticket validity, not a confirmed new credit-expiry period. Transferable: no.
24-hour rule: For flights to/from the United States booked directly on the SWISS website, through its Service Center or at a SWISS Ticket Desk, cancellation is free within 24 hours when the reservation was made at least one week before departure. Those channels can handle cancellation. SWISS also publishes a 24-hour unpaid hold for qualifying Service Center and Ticket Desk reservations.
Same-day change: A special same-day confirmed-change entitlement or fixed fee for US transatlantic tickets was not confirmed. Ordinary purchased-fare conditions apply. The Group's earlier-flight benefit is explicitly European; its European fare page says those fares do not govern connecting sectors included in an intercontinental through fare.
Schedule changes: For US international itineraries, DOT requires a refund after cancellation or a qualifying significant change when the traveler declines replacement travel and credits. Qualifying changes include departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, different origin or destination airports, additional connections, an involuntary cabin downgrade, and specified accessibility changes. Refunds are generally due within seven business days for credit-card payments or 20 calendar days for other payments. SWISS offers free replacement transportation or a refund after cancellation; its conditions also cover failure to operate reasonably according to schedule and airline-caused missed confirmed connections.

Score breakdown

Pillar	Weight	Score
Repriceability	35%	4.8/10
Refunds and disruptions	20%	8.3/10
Reliability	15%	6.8/10
Fees and transparency	15%	5.7/10
Complaints and handling	10%	4.3/10
Loyalty fairness	5%	2.2/10

Repriceability: 4.8/10

Standard fare change fee: no data, median 4.0/10 used (no data)
Lowest fare flexibility: no data, median 4.0/10 used (Economy Light: Current US-route eligibility could not be established conclusively. SWISS's current rebooking page says changes depend on the purchased fare conditions; that page displays no update date. The Group fare chart dated October 4, 2023, effective October 10, 2023, explicitly says Economy Light fares to/from the US, Canada and Central America are non-rebookable. However, its download now redirects, and its applicability to October 2026 purchases could not be verified. Checked October 26, 2026; neither a current permission nor a current blanket prohibition is established.)
Lower fare on the same flight: no data, median 4.0/10 used (For the main Economy Comfort fare, the facts do not establish whether a cheaper exchange returns, preserves or forfeits the difference, or confirm an adjustment for the identical flight. Outside the first 24 hours, its cancellation refund conditions and deductions are also unconfirmed.)
Credit terms: 7.0/10 (No separate standard validity period for voluntary-cancellation or lower-fare residual credit was confirmed. SWISS's conditions normally give a ticket one year from issue, or one year from first travel if travel starts within one year of issue, subject to fare-specific restrictions. This is ticket validity, not a confirmed new credit-expiry period.; transferable: no)
Cancel the standard fare: no data, median 4.0/10 used (Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation deduction were not confirmed. Cancellation should not be assumed to produce reusable credit.)
Risk-free window: 7.0/10 (For flights to/from the United States booked directly on the SWISS website, through its Service Center or at a SWISS Ticket Desk, cancellation is free within 24 hours when the reservation was made at least one week before departure. Those channels can handle cancellation. SWISS also publishes a 24-hour unpaid hold for qualifying Service Center and Ticket Desk reservations.)
Same-day change: no data, median 7.0/10 used (A special same-day confirmed-change entitlement or fixed fee for US transatlantic tickets was not confirmed. Ordinary purchased-fare conditions apply. The Group's earlier-flight benefit is explicitly European; its European fare page says those fares do not govern connecting sectors included in an intercontinental through fare.)
What Axel saw: does not apply (fewer than 10 attempts). Source: Axel repricing attempts

Refunds and disruptions: 8.3/10

Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 9.0/10 (Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, EU261, UK261, Canada_APPR, Brazil_ANAC_400; For U.S. itineraries, DOT refund protections apply alongside applicable European rights. Switzerland applies Regulation 261 through its agreement with the EU, covering SWISS services between Switzerland and the U.S.; however, FOCA cautions that later European court judgments establishing delay compensation are not automatically binding in Switzerland. UK261 applies to departures from the UK, while Canadian and Brazilian rules apply on relevant routes. SWISS publishes meal-voucher assistance after delays of at least two hours, cancellation or denied boarding, and hotel assistance when departure moves to the following day. These overlap with legal care obligations and should not all be scored as voluntary extras. Its conditions permit another carrier to be used if SWISS cannot transport the passenger within a reasonable time and the passenger declines a refund, but this is worded as discretionary rather than an unconditional additional guarantee. No general written promise of cash compensation beyond statutory entitlements was identified.)
Refund conduct: 10.0/10 (No refund or compensation findings in 5 years)
Refund complaints: 4.9/10 (4.54 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 4.39)). Source: DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2

Reliability: 6.8/10

On-time arrival: 5.8/10 (74.53% on time (2026-09-01 through 2026-09-30. Swiss brand figure from OAG's September 2026 rankings, covering its network rather than only US routes. Cancellation percentage is published directly, not derived from a completion factor. No full-year 2025 Cirium or OAG figure was confirmed.)). Source: OAG On-Time Performance Rankings — September 2026
Cancellations: 9.1/10 (0.89% cancelled (2026-09-01 through 2026-09-30. Swiss brand figure from OAG's September 2026 rankings, covering its network rather than only US routes. Cancellation percentage is published directly, not derived from a completion factor. No full-year 2025 Cirium or OAG figure was confirmed.)). Source: OAG On-Time Performance Rankings — September 2026

Fees and transparency: 5.7/10

Carry-on in the lowest fare: 10.0/10 (US-route Economy Light includes one cabin bag up to 8 kg and one personal item. It is not the European Economy Basic product that excludes an overhead cabin bag.)
First checked bag: 2.0/10 (The current SWISS excess-baggage page lists USD 90 per direction in its advance-online USA/Canada intercontinental baggage column. Economy Light includes no checked bag; an added standard bag is limited to 23 kg and 158 cm. This replaces the unconfirmed amount in both previous runs. The page displays no update date; checked October 26, 2026. Eligible top-tier passengers must register their complimentary Light-fare bag at airport check-in rather than purchase it beforehand.)
Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 (fee)
Children seated with a parent: 0.0/10 (SWISS's US advance-seat FAQ explicitly says children aged two or older face the same advance-seat conditions as adults. Its general family page offers advance reservations to families wishing to sit together; it does not promise free adjacent seats for every child aged 13 or under on US routes. The FAQ separately promises complimentary seating together at check-in on Italy flights when traveling with a child aged 2–12, and describes rebooking or cancellation if a child cannot be seated near an adult on Canada flights. These regional provisions are not a general US-route guarantee. The pages display no publication or update date; checked October 26, 2026. Economy Light includes automatic assignment, but choosing or changing the assigned seat costs extra.)
Price shown is price paid: 10.0/10 (No fee-display findings in 5 years)

Complaints and handling: 4.3/10

Complaint rate: 4.3/10 (17.82 complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 14.73)). Source: DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
Mishandled bags: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
Bumping: does not apply (not reported to DOT). Source: U.S. DOT, April to June 2026

Loyalty fairness: 2.2/10

Miles expiry: 2.0/10 (Ordinary award miles expire after 36 months, at the end of the relevant quarter; ordinary earning or redemption activity does not generally reset their age. Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle status protects miles from expiry. Certain Miles & More credit cards also provide protection, subject to country-specific conditions.)
Devaluations: 2.0/10 (2025-02: Changes announced in February took effect June 3, 2025. Standard SWISS award flights moved from fixed mileage prices to dynamic requirements based on the selected flight and fare, removing fixed-price predictability. The accompanying partner-chart revision raised Europe–North America round-trip business awards from 112,000 to 125,000 miles and premium economy from 80,000 to 85,000 miles. Some economy awards became cheaper, so this was not an across-the-board increase.; 2025-12-04: Miles & More announced that Discover Airlines and Air Dolomiti awards would also move to individually calculated mileage amounts from March 3, 2026. This removed published fixed-price predictability for additional partner redemptions; it was not a second change to SWISS-operated awards.)
Award pricing: 3.0/10 (fully_dynamic)