So... I was supposed to fly to see my family in France yesterday on Swiss Air and they refused to check me in without proof of vaccination.
The person at the counter told me it was a very recent law in Switzerland and even though US/France only require a PCR test, because I was transiting via Zurich, she couldn't even check me in her computer.
After coming back home and researching Switzerland's requirements (I only checked US/France beforehand, thinking transit doesn't matter, since it never did before...), I couldn't find anything more than PCR test requirement. I'm thoroughly confused... Did they just lie to my face to arbitrarily stop me from going to see my parents? She seemed sorry and friendly... WTF?
Now I'm in "Indian Call Center Hell" to try and get a refund.
If anyone knows a decent lawyer, please DM me with their info… I want to see if I can sue them. Stopping someone from going to his own country has got to be a pretty serious offense.
This is messed up..
I would try calling them again and dispute the claims asking for the law, especially as you weren’t told of these terms beforehand.
Good luck!
On Sept 13, Switzerland put the US on its list of high risk countries. If you're originating any of from those countries then you need to have been fully vaccinated from an approved vaccine, PCR test isn't good enough for high risk countries.
That sucks that happened to you. Sounds like they made the change very close to your flight and not all websites weren't updated in time but here ya go
https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/usa/en/home/visa/entry-ch.html
in general, that's why it's best to check on that specific country's website directly rather than waiting for someone from the airline or other 3rd party to update their info.
FYI, list of approved vaccines: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/which-covid-19-vaccines-are-approved-for-travel-to-switzerland/
"especially as you weren’t told of these terms beforehand."
The covid related terms have been in place for over a year. Basically it's ultimately up to the traveller to keep up with the vaxx rules and regs. The airline will send out reminders if possible but ultimately it's up to the individual traveller since they know their status.
galaxygirl2035 wrote:
On Sept 13, Switzerland put the US on its list of high risk countries. If you're originating any of from those countries then you need to have been fully vaccinated from an approved vaccine, PCR test isn't good enough for high risk countries.That sucks that happened to you. Sounds like they made the change very close to your flight and not all websites weren't updated in time but here ya go
https://www.eda.admin.ch/countries/usa/en/home/visa/entry-ch.htmlin general, that's why it's best to check on that specific country's website directly rather than waiting for someone from the airline or other 3rd party to update their info.
I went straight to the Federal Office of Public Health website: https://travelcheck.admin.ch/check and filled out the form and after submitting it, I got a big green checkmark with the text "Entry to the country is currently possible without pandemic-related measures."
The link you provided (thanks!) clearly says:
Mandatory for all airline passengers travelling from the USA to Switzerland:
- Electronic form for all incoming travelers (no exceptions)
- Present one of the following medical documents (if older than 16 years):
- a COVID-19 vaccination certificate stating that you were fully vaccinated within the last 12 months with an approved vaccine
- a negative COVID-19 PCR test, taken no more than 72 hours (time of specimen collection) before departure
I don't see what more I could have done…
