Missed international flight due to train delay

gaylarp0

Hi, my daughter missed an international flight due the an SBB train delay on 20 January 2024. I am trying to claim compensation (hotel cost) but it is now more than 30 days since the event, so I cannot register a claim online. The reason for the delayed claim is that I first tried to claim from the airline Swiss, since the train journey (EC98) was part of the Rail & Fly scheme operated by Swiss/Lufthansa. Swiss referred the claim to Lufthansa. Lufthansa says we must claim from SBB. All this has taken many weeks as the service from both Swiss and Lufthansa has been very slow. Please advise how I can register a claim with SBB. Thank you.

RolandP

Hello gaylarp0

Please kindly note, this platform is a customer-to-customer help forum, we are not the SBB Customer Service. You would have to contact SBB using this form:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/help-and-contact/customer-service/praise-comments/claims-complaints.html?stepId=1.1

Here is my personal advice as an aviation professional, having worked in the aviation industry for 15+ years, and now being a train professional. As a general rule, SBB (and any other Swiss public transit company) is not liable for missed flights resulting from train delays, as explicitly stated in the public transport code. SBB is responsible for ensuring a safe trip from A to B on the same day, thus rendering the timetable non-binding. A delay compensation must be paid for delays exceeding one hour:

https://www.sbb.ch/en/help-and-contact/refunds-compensation/refunds-compensation/compensation-for-delays.html#anchor2

It concerns EC98, Munich-Zurich. From what I read in your message, I believe your daughter has reached the end destination of her train journey in Switzerland (I guess Zurich Airport) still on the same day, although she ultimately has missed the flight. Therefore, SBB fulfilled the transportation contract. As her train journey was a component of a flight booking, it is the airline that is responsible for providing the hotel accommodation, and possibly rebooking the flight. It is no different from if she had been supposed to change flights while the previous flight was delayed, and she missed the connection.

Best regards,
Roland