Does SWISS cancel flights often?

No. SWISS has a cancellation rate of about 0.8%, below the industry average of around 1.6%. Cancellations are rare; the weak spot is punctuality, with only 59% of flights on time and an average delay of 27 minutes.

Is SWISS an EU airline for EU261 purposes?

No, SWISS is Swiss, so non-EU. However EU261 still applies to all SWISS flights departing an EU airport, and equivalent rules apply to departures from Switzerland thanks to the EU-Switzerland bilateral agreement.

How much is compensation for a cancelled SWISS flight?

When EU261 applies: 250 EUR up to 1,500 km, 400 EUR between 1,500 and 3,500 km, 600 EUR over 3,500 km, if the cancellation was notified less than 14 days ahead and was not caused by extraordinary circumstances.

What is the difference between a refund and compensation?

A refund returns your ticket price; compensation is a fixed amount for the disruption. They are independent and you can often get both.

SWISS cancelled flight refund: your rights and compensation

SWISS has a curious profile: it cancels very little but often arrives late. Its cancellation rate is about 0.8%, below the industry average (1.6%) - so on cancellations it is reliable. The real weak spot is punctuality: only 59% of flights arrive on time, with an average delay of 27 minutes. If your SWISS flight has actually been cancelled, here is what you can claim.

Refund and compensation: two separate rights

Refund = your ticket price back, if the flight is cancelled and you do not accept the alternative.
EU261 compensation = a fixed amount for the disruption: 250 EUR (up to 1,500 km), 400 EUR (1,500-3,500 km), 600 EUR (over 3,500 km).

Compensation is only due if the cancellation came less than 14 days in advance and was not caused by extraordinary circumstances (severe weather, airspace closure, controller strikes).

When EU261 applies to SWISS (the important nuance)

SWISS is a Swiss airline, so non-EU. That changes the coverage:

Flight departing an EU airport (e.g. Rome-Zurich) -> EU261 applies, even though the carrier is not from the EU.
Flight departing Switzerland (e.g. Zurich-Rome) -> rules equivalent to EU261 apply, written into Swiss law through the EU-Switzerland bilateral air transport agreement.
Flight arriving in the EU from a non-EU country operated by SWISS -> here EU261 does not apply, because the carrier is not from the Union.

In practice, departures from the EU and from Switzerland are covered; always check where the flight departs.

How to get a refund from SWISS

Use the “My Bookings” portal on the SWISS website or the cancelled-flight claim form.
If the proposed rebooking does not suit you, decline it and request a cash refund within 7 days.
For compensation, file a separate claim with the flight number, date and amount due.
Keep the cancellation email, boarding pass and receipts for meals, hotel and transport.

What FlightGuard does

Since with SWISS the more concrete risk is delay, checking ahead helps. With FlightGuard you assess your flight’s risk based on weather, carrier punctuality, ATC delays and other factors. The data sources are at /en/sources/.

In short

SWISS rarely cancels but is not very punctual. If the flight is cancelled, you are entitled to a ticket refund and, on departures from the EU or Switzerland, to compensation too (250/400/600 EUR) if you were notified less than 14 days ahead. Always check the departure airport.