DOT Compliance
Edelweiss Air is committed to providing each of its passengers with the highest level of customer service. In accordance with DOT’s Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections rule, we will provide the following services to our customers on all of our scheduled and charter flights to and from the United States:
Notification of the Lowest Fares
When a customer inquires about a fare or makes a reservation by calling our reservation center, visiting our website, or speaking to a representative at one of our ticket counters, we will inform them that the lowest fare offered by us on a particular ticket may be available elsewhere if that is in fact the case.
Notification of Flight Delays, Cancellations, and Diversions
We will notify ticketed passengers and the public if the status of a flight changes. A change in the flight’s status is a cancellation, diversion, or a delay of more than 30 minutes. We will notify passengers and the public of any flight status changes within 30 minutes of learning of the change. If we become aware of additional changes to a flight’s status, we will notify passengers and the public within 30 minutes of learning of the additional change. We will also provide flight status information to passengers in the flight’s boarding gate area at a U.S. airport, on our website, through our telephone reservation system, and also upon inquiry from any person.
To the extent that flight status displays or other informational displays at the U.S. airport where the flight has been delayed, cancelled, or diverted, are controlled by Edelweiss Air, we will use those displays to notify customers of the flight’s status change within 30 minutes of learning of the change. If the display system is airport-controlled, we will provide airport authorities with the necessary information within 30 minutes of learning of the change.
On-Time Delivery of Baggage
Edelweiss Air will make every possible effort to ensure that your bags travel on the same flight as you. If your baggage does not arrive with you, you should file a missing baggage claim prior to leaving the airport, as this will help us locate your baggage and also allow us to explain the baggage recovery process to you.
Edelweiss Air will make every effort to return your baggage within 24 hours. When your missing baggage is located we will return it to you at your local address. If you have expenses because of such delays and are eligible to receive compensation under applicable treaties, we will compensate you for reasonable and necessary expenses as required by such treaties.
If you paid a fee to transport baggage and the baggage is subsequently lost, we will refund the fee you paid.
Allow Customers to Keep And/or Cancel Reservations for 24 Hours
When you make a reservation with us, we will either hold your reservation at the quoted fare without payment for 24 hours or allow you to cancel your reservation without penalty for 24 hours, so long as you make the reservation at least one week prior to the flight’s departure. If you have questions regarding these polices, please speak to a Customer Service Representative.
Prompt Ticket Refunds
We will do our best to process eligible refunds in the time frames listed below, although refunds cannot be processed until we receive all necessary information from the passenger and some tickets are not refundable. In certain circumstances such as flight cancellations and oversale situations, Edelweiss Air will refund fees charged to a passenger for optional services that the passenger was unable to use.
For all eligible tickets purchased within the U.S. by a passenger using a credit card, Edelweiss Air will provide refunds within 7 business days of its receipt of all required refund information from the passenger. (It may take credit card refunds multiple billing cycles to appear on your credit card statement. Please contact your credit card company to ensure the refund was properly processed.) Tickets purchased with a check or cash will be refunded within 20 business days of our receipt of all required information from the passenger.
Refunds for electronic tickets can be obtained by contacting our Reservations department or through our website All other refund requests should be sent to Edelweiss Air at:
Edelweiss Air AG Customer Relations
Operations Center
P.O. Box
CH-8058 Zurich-Airport / Switzerland
In some situations (e.g. lost ticket refunds, adjustment refunds, and refunds for tickets purchased outside the United States), refund requests cannot be accommodated within the time frames listed above.
Proper Accommodation of Customers with Disabilities and Special Needs
On covered flights, we will comply with all requirements of the DOT disability rules contained in Part 382. Interested customers can obtain a copy of Part 382 from the DOT by any of the following means:
- For calls made from within the United States, by telephone via the Toll-Free Hotline for Air Travelers with Disabilities at 1 (800) 778–4838 (voice) or 1 (800) 455–9880 (TTY).
- By telephone to the Aviation Consumer Protection Division at 1 (202) 366–2220 (voice) or 1 (202) 366–0511 (TTY).
- By mail to:
Air Consumer Protection Division, C–75,
U.S. Department of Transportation,
1200 New Jersey
Ave., SE., West Building,
Room W96–432,
Washington, DC 20590 - On the Aviation Consumer Protection Division's Web site:
(http://airconsumer.ost.dot.gov)
Proper Accommodation of Customers’ Needs During Extraordinary Delays
When an Edelweiss Air flight experiences a lengthy tarmac delay, our “Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays” will be activated to ensure our customers’ needs are met during the delay.
You can view our Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays at:
www.flyedelweiss.com
Oversales
If a flight is overbooked and more passengers with confirmed reservations are present at the gate for departure than can fit on the aircraft, our representatives will request volunteers to give up their seat. Volunteers will be compensated and booked on an upcoming flight. If enough passengers do not volunteer, we will be forced to deny boarding involuntarily in accordance with our boarding priority rules. We will treat passengers who are involuntarily “bumped” with fairness and consistency. In most cases, passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding on covered flights are entitled to compensation under U.S. law. If you have questions or would like additional information on our overbooking policies and the compensation due to passengers who are involuntarily denied boarding, please review our Conditions of Carriage or speak to one of our Representatives.
Disclosure of Travel Policies That May Affect Our Customers’ Travel
Information on Edelweiss Air’s cancellation policies, aircraft seating configuration, and lavatory availability is available on our website. This information is also available by contacting a member of Edelweiss Air’s telephone reservation staff United States at our number in Switzerland +41848333593
Notification of Itinerary Changes
We will do our best to notify you as quickly as possible of any changes in your travel itinerary. If you have a question about an upcoming flight, please call us in the United States at our number in Switzerland +41848333593
Responsiveness to Customers’ Complaints
If a passenger has an unsatisfactory experience on one of our flights or with one of our employees, they may file a complaint with our Customer Relations Department. Every customer complaint will be read by a member of our staff and acknowledged in writing within 30 days of the complaint’s receipt. If our initial acknowledgement does not fully address the concerns raised by the customer, we will send a substantive written response to the customer within 60 days.
Customer Relations can be reached immediately by clicking on the following link:
Or by writing through the U.S. Mail, and should be sent to:
Edelweiss Air AG Customer Relations
Operations Center
P.O. Box
CH-8058 Zurich-Airport / Switzerland
We have also developed and staffed a position solely responsible for monitoring flight delays, cancellations, and lengthy tarmac delays and determining how these events impact our passengers on an individual basis.
Mitigation of Inconveniences That Result From Flight Cancellations and Diversions
When one of our flights is cancelled and you miss a connection, Edelweiss Air offer various services to mitigate any inconvenience you may experience.
In the event of a cancellation or significant delay, we will do our best to reroute you on our next flight with available seats. If one of our flights is forced to divert, we will try to inform you before departure if a diversion is possible and if the decision to divert is made after takeoff, a member of the Edelweiss Air flight crew will inform you. If your diverted flight is diverted and then cancelled, we will try to reroute you on another flight as soon as possible.
Legal Notice
This Customer Service Plan does not create contractual or legal rights, nor legally bind Edelweiss Aid for actions taken in conformance with this plan. Edelweiss Air’s contractual rights and obligations are listed in the company’s conditions of carriage and applicable tariffs. These resources provide customers with additional information on the matters discussed herein, and should be carefully reviewed to ensure that customers fully understand their rights and our obligations.
Edelweiss Air is committed to providing the highest possible customer experience to each of its passengers. This Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays (Plan) complies with U.S. DOT regulations and applies only to flights departing from or arriving at U.S. airports.
- Edelweiss Air assures its customers that, for flights covered by this Plan:
- Edelweiss Air will not permit an aircraft to remain on the tarmac at a U.S. airport for more than four (4) hours before allowing passengers to deplane, unless: (i) The pilot-in-command determines there is a safety-related or security-related reason why the aircraft cannot leave its position on the tarmac to deplane passengers; or (ii) Air traffic control advises the pilot-in-command that returning to the gate or another disembarkation point elsewhere in order to deplane passengers would significantly disrupt airport operations.
- Edelweiss Air will provide adequate food and potable water no later than two (2) hours after the aircraft leaves the gate (in the case of departure) or touches down (in the case of arrival) if the aircraft remains on the tarmac, unless the pilot-in-command determines that safety or security considerations preclude such service.
- Edelweiss Air will provide operable lavatory facilities while the aircraft remains on the tarmac.
- Edelweiss Air will provide adequate medical attention if needed while the aircraft remains on the tarmac.
- Edelweiss Air will notify passengers aboard the delayed flight of the delay’s status every 30 minutes while the aircraft is delayed, including the reasons for the delay if they are known.
- Edelweiss Air will notify passengers beginning 30 minutes after scheduled departure time (including any revised departure time that passengers were notified about before boarding) and every 30 minutes thereafter that they have the opportunity to deplane from an aircraft if the opportunity to deplane actually exists. Passengers who choose to deplane may not be permitted to re-board and will be notified of this possibility if it exists.
- Edelweiss Air has sufficient resources to implement this Plan.
- Edelweiss Air has coordinated this Plan with airport authorities (including terminal facility operators where applicable) at each large, medium, small, and non- hub U.S. airport that it serves, including its regular U.S. diversion airports.
- Edelweiss Air has coordinated this Plan with U.S. Customs and Border Protection at each large, medium, small, and non- hub U.S. airports that it regularly uses for international flights, including its diversion airports.
- Edelweiss Air has coordinated this Plan with the Transportation Security Administration at each large, medium, small, and non- hub U.S. airports that it serves, including diversion airports.
If you have any questions on our Contingency Plan for Lengthy Tarmac Delays, please contact a customer service representative.