From Monday, the refund system will be automated, at least for tickets bought from travel agencies.
Keystone / Laurent Gillieron
Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) plans to speed up the refund process for airline tickets purchased via travel agencies affected by the coronavirus pandemic.
The company announced on ThursdayExternal link that it was aiming to process all refund requests made before the end of June by the end of August.
“On July 27, 2020, SWISS will reactivate the refund functionalities in all reservation systems (GDS) for travel agencies,” it said.
The automatic online refund function had been adapted in order to prevent possible fraud, it added. It stressed that many of the earlier airfare refunds had been paid out.
SWISS had come in for criticism from travel agencies for failing to promptly refund tickets for flights that were cancelled or could not be taken by passengers due to the pandemic.
In the event of cancellations such as those prompted by the Covid-19 pandemic, Swiss package tour operators are legally obliged to provide refunds. But Thomas Stirnimann, the chief executive officer of the Hotelplan travel agency group, complained in May that SWISS was not repaying the travel agents fast enough.
SWISS told swissinfo.ch at the time that it was indeed refunding individual customers as well as agencies, but that these payments were taking longer than usual due to the high demand.
In May, the Swiss parliament approved a credit of CHF1.875 billion ($1.92 billion) to support SWISS and other aviation companies that ensure vital transport infrastructure for the Swiss economy.
More
More
Face masks now compulsory on SWISS flights
This content was published on
The airline had until now highly recommended wearing masks throughout the duration of flights – passengers had only been obliged to wear them when boarding and disembarking from planes. However, practically all passengers have been wearing masks for the whole flying time so the new directive should have little impact, the airline said. With more…
This content was published on
The head of a major Swiss travel agency has complained that Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) is not helping to reimburse clients fast enough.
Train vs plane: would you take a direct train between London and Geneva?
Eurostar is planning to run direct trains from Britain to Germany and Switzerland from the early 2030s. Would you favour the train over the plane? If not, why not?
Man charged with flying drone at women’s Euro 2025
This content was published on
A man flew a drone around the venue on Wednesday evening during the first match of the Women's EURO 2025 in St. Gallen. The 30-year-old violated the absolute ban on flying during match days. He was reported to the police.
More than 250 Swiss companies sign CO2 reduction initiative
This content was published on
A total of 257 companies from Switzerland have signed up to the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi). In doing so, they are committing to CO2 reduction targets that are compatible with the Paris Climate Agreement.
Swiss accident prevention group sees federal targets at risk
This content was published on
The Swiss government's target for accident figures is at risk, reckons Mario Cavegn, member of the executive board of the Swiss Council for Accident Prevention.
Feminicide: Swiss justice minister calls for electronic monitoring
This content was published on
Swiss Justice Minister Beat Jans has called for electronic monitoring and an ankle bracelet warning system for perpetrators of violence against women.
This content was published on
American artist Chaka Khan ‘and friends’ opened the 59th Montreux Jazz Festival on Friday. For over three hours, their show, dedicated to their friend and mentor Quincy Jones, thrilled the audience,
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.