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At check-in at Heathrow for a journey to

Cape Town via Zurich [with Swiss] I was advised I was on a long standby list (number 12 on a list of 26) for the second leg and could not be guaranteed a seat. The clerk said I could talk to the ticketing desk to request a refund, re-routing or compensation. The desk said I would have to be denied boarding in Zurich before they could assist. As I had no Schengen visa, I said I would rather get a refund or rebook than risk being stuck at Zurich.

They repeated that “this was not policy”, despite the initial clerk saying I should be eligible for a refund or re-routing at least. A supervisor said the flight was not oversold but that a large section of seats had been blocked out for a reason unknown to her. She said: “If you are denied boarding we will look after you.” I chose not to fly. Insisting a passenger risk denial of boarding in a transit airport for which they hold no visa is irresponsible. The flight was booked as a single trip and the passenger should be accommodated accordingly.

Later that day, I phoned Swiss. The agent couldn’t help as I had booked via a travel agent. When my travel agent phoned Swiss, they denied overselling or that I was on standby – an outright lie. I still have no clarity on whether my refund claim will be dealt with.

Name and address supplied

SWISS REPLIES:

We can imagine how disappointing this short-notice change of your plans must have been. We apologise and regret that our representatives failed to give you clear information. Based on Regulation EC261/2004, we can offer compensation of £512. If you incurred costs during your wait at Heathrow, please send us receipts so we can check what can be reimbursed. Moreover, you would be able to obtain a full refund of your tickets. It is impossible to erase what has happened but we hope you will give us the opportunity to regain your confidence.