Frequently asked questions about travelling with SWISS and Air Canada

Air Canada cabin crew speak English and French.

Like SWISS, Air Canada has an extensive range of food and drink available on board its domestic and international flights.

On flights within North America or to the Caribbean, in Economy Class you can purchase snacks and meals from the Air Canada Bistro.

Like SWISS, Air Canada offers a variety of entertainment options.

On board many of its aircraft, Air Canada offers an entertainment system at the passenger seat or Personal Device Entertainment. The latter is when you connect to the Wi-Fi on board and can watch films and TV or play games on your phone, tablet or laptop.

The audios and subtitles are available in various languages.

Air Canada offers extensive services to its passengers that require support on their trip.

To ensure you trip goes as smoothly as possible, we strongly advise you to contact the medical department of Air Canada at least 48 hours before departure, even when prior notification is not strictly necessary.

Air Canada offers a selection of special meals to meet your personal dietary needs.

Please note that the provision of preferred special meals cannot be guaranteed if you request them less than 24 hours before departure.

It is possible, subject to compliance with certain requirements, to bring animals on board Air Canada, either in the cabin or in the hold. Please familiarise yourself with the conditions for transporting pets and service animals and the options and deadlines for registration.

Animals will only be accepted at the airport if they are registered beforehand. Please also note: you must arrive at the airport and report to the check-in desk early. If you are travelling with a pet, you cannot check in online or at one of the check-in machines at the airport.

Children aged 12 years or above may also travel alone on Air Canada. Children aged under 8 years must be accompanied by a passenger aged at least 16 years under all circumstances. The special assistance service for minors travelling alone is compulsory for children aged between 8 and 11 years and cannot be purchased for transfers flight with connections. Due to the possibility of flight interruptions, it is not possible to cover all of the responsibilities associated with the flight transfer of an underage child at a connecting airport. It can also be complicated for children travelling alone to cope with connections, especially if flight disruptions occur at the stopover.

If you would like to request an upgrade for your flight with Air Canada, please bear in mind the following tips about upgrades on Star Alliance partner airlines:

• Please note that upgrades via miles or eVouchers can only be done if your flight booking was made on an Air Canada flight number. Upgrades cannot be booked on codeshare flights (SWISS flight numbers).
• For technical reasons, it is currently not possible to book upgrades on Air Canada flights online via milesandmore.com. However, you can make your request by telephone to your local Miles & More Service Team. When doing this, please have your Miles & More service card number and your Miles & More PIN to hand.
• An upgrade booking can only be confirmed if there is availability for flight awards in the next travel class up (Premium Economy, Business Class) in the designated booking class.

You can always use the check-in options of the airline operating your first flight.
This means, for example, that on a transfer with SWISS onto Air Canada, you use the check-in options of SWISS. You will usually then also receive a boarding pass for your connecting flight with Air Canada.

If your first flight is operated by Air Canada, you use the check-in options of our partner airline. With Air Canada, you can check in online or in the Air Canada app from 24 hours before departure. To do this, please use your Air Canada booking details that you also received upon booking.

If mobile or online check-in is not possible for your trip, of course you do also have the option to check in at a machine or at the counter at the airport.

Air Canada gives specific times for check-in and baggage drop. Specific time windows apply, depending on the airport and the flight.

Please familiarise yourself with the current check-in times and other information about the procedure at the airport.

Remember to bring the required travel documents, such as your passport or visa, when travelling internationally.

When transferring between flights from the USA or Canada to Europe or from Europe to the USA or Canada, you can usually check in for the entire route and receive a boarding pass for your connecting flight.

Checked baggage is automatically reloaded if you have a transfer flight. Exceptions are firearms and animals. Passengers who have booked a connecting flight with Air Canada can proceed directly to the transfer area for domestic flights on arrival.

If you are travelling from Canada to Europe, your baggage will generally be reloaded directly when transferring and you can collect it at the final destination airport.

If you use the Air Canada app for your Air Canada flight, that is where you will receive information the earliest about your connecting flight with Air Canada. Simply check in the app upon arrival at the airport where you are transferring and make sure your device has an internet connection. For SWISS flights, the SWISS app will allow you to reliably receive information about your connecting flight with SWISS. Alternatively, please check the departures screens in the airports. These are often located in the immediate vicinity of your connection gate.

The terminals used by the airlines for arrival and departure may be different depending on the airport and also international and domestic flights. We therefore recommend you always check your departure and/or transfer airport’s websites to find out which terminals are used by the airlines that you are flying with on your trip.

If you miss your connecting flight due to a delay, for example, you will usually be automatically rebooked by the airline responsible. Once you have been rebooked, you will be notified by Air Canada or SWISS via the contact details you provided (e. g. by e-mail). If you have not received any notifications or need additional support, you can speak to our Service team at the airport at any time.

The rules for hand baggage and checked baggage may vary depending on the airline. Therefore, find out about the baggage regulations ahead of time.

Please note that Air Canada’s regulations for sports and bulky baggage differ from those of SWISS. If you have not yet reported or added your sports and bulky baggage with Air Canada, you can find all the information and deadlines at aircanada.com.

Please note that the regulations for the transport of dangerous goods on board can vary locally and between airlines. Please check the information from Air Canada about the transport of dangerous goods on board.

Find out about taking firearms: Every airline has its own regulations of taking firearms. Please therefore make sure to check with the airline operating your flights in good time. With Air Canada, firearms may be checked in subject to certain conditions and in strict compliance with the requirements.

The regulations on transporting weapons on board SWISS flights can be found here.

If you wish to rebook or cancel your flight booked via SWISS because your plans have changed, you can either change your booking yourself on swiss.com or contact our Service Centre. For flights booked with Air Canada, please use the rebooking options of Air Canada. To request or book special services (e.g. special meals, special baggage, bringing pets etc.) on a flight, always directly contact the operating airline.

In the event of flight delays or cancellations, you will be automatically be rebooked by Air Canada and SWISS and notified via the contact details you provided. If you are already on your journey and do not receive any notification service, you can contact the airport staff at any time.

If you have any questions or need help before your trip, first contact the airline you booked your flight with. For example, if you booked your flight on swiss.com, it is SWISS. Please note: To request or book special services (e.g. special meals, special baggage, bringing pets) on a flight, it is always best to directly contact the airline operating your flight.

In the event that your flight is disrupted, you will find information about your passenger rights in the apps of your operating airlines and on the websites of Air Canada and SWISS.

If you start a trip in Canada or travel within Canada with Air Canada, please consult aircanada.com to check the applicable passenger rights.

You can also contact the airport staff at any time.

If you miss your connecting flight due to a delay, for example, you will usually be automatically rebooked by the airline responsible. Once you have been rebooked, you will be notified by Air Canada or SWISS via the contact details you provided (e. g. by e-mail). If you have not received any notifications or need additional support, you can speak to our Service team at the airport at any time.

You should report the baggage damage to the airline operating the flight once you have noticed the damage. If you travelled with more than one airline without reclaiming your baggage between connecting flights and checking it in again, please report your damaged baggage to the airline that operated your last flight.

The airline with which you arrive at your destination is always responsible for your baggage. If it was not SWISS, please report your delayed baggage to Air Canada.