Chair Airlines
A Swiss leisure airline operating scheduled and charter flights from Zurich, with a compact Airbus fleet focused on Mediterranean, Balkan and North African destinations.
About Chair Airlines
Chair Airlines is a privately owned Swiss carrier headquartered in Glattbrugg near Zurich Airport. It was founded in 2014 as Germania Flug and began operations in March 2015, initially working with the Swiss tour operator Hotelplan under the HolidayJet brand. The airline later operated independently as Germania Flug before adopting the Chair Airlines name in June 2019. Albex Aviation and Polish airline group Enter Air are its principal shareholders; despite its earlier branding, it remained legally separate from Germany’s defunct Germania.
Zurich Airport is Chair Airlines’ main base and the starting point for most of its scheduled and charter services. Its network is designed primarily around leisure travel and visits to friends and relatives, linking Switzerland with destinations in the Balkans, the Mediterranean and North Africa. Regular or seasonal routes include Pristina, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, Tuzla, Palma de Mallorca, Larnaca, Hurghada and Marsa Alam. Selected flights also operate from Basel and Bern, and the timetable changes substantially between summer and winter.
The fleet consists of Airbus A319 and A320 narrow-body aircraft suited to short- and medium-haul flying. Cabins are generally configured with a single economy-style seating layout, although customers can choose among fare products with different flexibility, baggage and seat-selection conditions. Food, drinks, checked baggage and advance seat assignments may require payment or depend on the fare and package booked. Travellers should therefore review the inclusions shown during booking instead of assuming a traditional full-service package.
Chair Airlines is not a member of Star Alliance, SkyTeam or Oneworld and does not operate a conventional frequent-flyer programme of its own. Its commercial focus is on direct leisure services rather than alliance-based connecting traffic. The airline has an interline relationship with Hahn Air, which can make some itineraries available through travel agents and reservation systems, but this should not be confused with alliance membership or reciprocal loyalty benefits.
A notable strength is the availability of nonstop flights from Switzerland to several holiday and family-visit markets that may otherwise require a connection. Its small scale, however, means fewer daily alternatives than travellers would find with a large network airline. Frequencies can be limited, many routes are seasonal and disruption may leave fewer same-day rebooking choices. Passengers with fixed plans should allow adequate connection time, verify the operating period and consider appropriate travel insurance.
Good to know
Flying with Chair Airlines — what to expect
Seasonal Route Network
Many Chair Airlines services operate only during part of the year, and frequencies can vary by season. Confirm that the route operates on both of your intended travel dates before booking accommodation or onward transport.
Check Fare Inclusions
Baggage, seat selection, meals and ticket flexibility depend on the fare or holiday package purchased. Review the booking summary carefully, especially when buying through a tour operator or travel agency.
Compact Airbus Fleet
Flights use Airbus A319 or A320 aircraft with a relatively straightforward short-haul cabin. Extra-legroom or preferred seats may be available for advance purchase, subject to aircraft configuration.
Limited Rebooking Options
The airline’s small fleet and limited route frequencies can reduce same-day alternatives during disruption. Keep contact details current and allow generous margins around cruises, tours or separate-ticket connections.
Online Check-in Availability
Online check-in may depend on the departure airport and booking type. Consult the airline’s instructions before travel and arrive early enough for airport check-in when online service is unavailable.
Route network
Popular routes operated by Chair Airlines
Notable destinations on Chair Airlines's network.
GMZurichdirectGMPristinadirectGMSkopjedirectGMOhriddirectGMTiranadirectGMTuzladirectGMPalma de MallorcadirectGMLarnacadirectGMHurghadadirectGMMarsa AlamdirectGMHerakliondirectGMRhodesdirectDestination list is indicative of Chair Airlines's network; see the airline's official route map for its complete, current schedule.
Reviews of Chair Airlines
TripAdvisor · 2019–2023- 54
- 43
- 31
- 21
- 113
What travellers flew
Counted from the 22 reviews below — a tally of the flights reviewed, with each chip carrying the average score those reviewers gave. Nothing here reads their prose or summarises what they said.
✓ marks a group averaging 7/10 or better, − one averaging 4/10 or worse, across at least three reviews.
Worst Airline to ever exist
Do not book with this airline! They left all of their passengers waiting at the gate for 9HOURS without any information from the airline. No contact person, no one who knew what was happening or could help us. We all lost one entire day of our holidays. And… See more when the airplane finally arrived they pretended like it was nothing, 9h left at the airport, no food no drinks no one to help out. On the flight itself the staff ignored the fact that they just had 9h delay and didn’t even offer us food or a reimbursement. A pity that this airline still exists. Really shameful behavior on their side. I do not recommend anyone to fly with them and would honestly advise everyone to make sure to never fly with them again.
See lessPosted May 2023 by Noa H
Horrible experience
Terrible, never again with this company. Narrow seats, cleanliness on board deplorable, there is not even a storage pocket on the front seat. But above all, on a flight of more than 5 hours not even a glass of water is given. You have to buy it for 4 CHF,… See more despite the fact that the flight costs like that of Edelweiss, where you are treated in a very different way. Ah, sure, the CEO of Chair presents it to us as a way to avoid waste. But please...
See lessPosted April 2023 by chge731
No words - worst flight ever
- 9 hours delayed - 10 FR Voucher for Drinks but nothing for food even nothing on the flight - no information about anything - Seats are very small and uncomfortable - You have to pay for anything on this airline (nothing is for free..) We will never fly with… See more this airline again and don‘t recommend it to anybody.
See lessPosted September 2022 by Alex
Flight cancelled and no alternative proposed
Chair airlines cancels it flights and does not propose alternative flights to reach back the destination even if the outbound flight has been done . Chair Airlines does not even care about calling their customers to inform them of the flight cancellation. You… See more just discover it when you try to register to your flight (Mykonos-Zurich) 1 day before. This is not compliant with EU regulation and I will suit CHAIR Airlines with Airhelpsupport.
See lessPosted June 2022 by Julie L
Chair Airlines is a great company to fly with
Flight was on time and really comfortable, great landing and fine snack. It is a great company to fly with
Posted March 2020 by Martina B, Meilen
Still Fine, Even After the Rebranding
We flew to Beirut from Zurich in October 2019, and the flight was fine on the way in and back. The seats are pretty cramped but anyway it's not a long-haul carrier. The carry-on luggage is a comically disgustingly bad 6 kg limit, but actually we did not have… See more to weigh bags in either direction. If they had cared about the bag weight, I would have probably given them 2* and never flown Chair again, because 6kg is an absurdly low carryon weight limit. One comment about the previous rating just below mine: there were major protests in Lebanon (including small riots) on the day of his flight, so the delay of the flight by 8 hours is.... not really Chair Airlines' fault, although I guess they could have been nice and issued a refund, but some other airlines completely cancelled their flights to Beirut that day, and many travellers cancelled their plans last-minute. Anyway I'd definitely fly Chair again if it was a direct flight to where I wanted to go. The planes are much more crowded than Swiss, but it sure beats having to take a connecting flight.
See lessPosted October 2019 by egw, Paris
Traveller reviews originally published on TripAdvisor, shown for reference — service standards may have changed since. Originfacts does not edit or verify individual reviews, and the sample reflects who chose to leave one.
More from Switzerland
Other airlines based in Switzerland
FAQ
Chair Airlines — frequently asked questions
Quick answers to the details travellers usually check first, from codes and locations to the practical basics that help with planning.
8 common questions
- Chair Airlines is based primarily at Zurich Airport, which handles most of its scheduled and charter departures. It also operates selected seasonal services from other Swiss airports, including Basel and Bern.
- Originfacts compares live fares from hundreds of airlines and travel agencies via its partner Travelpayouts. Originfacts never adds a fee to the prices it displays.
- Cabin-baggage entitlements can vary by fare and booking channel. Check the allowance displayed on your ticket or booking confirmation before departure, including any separate rules for a small personal item.
- The total changes with the summer and winter schedules because much of the network is seasonal and new routes may be added or suspended. Check Chair Airlines’ current timetable for the destination count applicable to your travel dates.
- Services from Switzerland to Egypt, including Marsa Alam, are among the airline’s longest scheduled sectors. The precise longest route can change as Chair Airlines adjusts its seasonal network.
- Zurich Airport is by far the airline’s principal departure point. Chair Airlines also schedules selected flights from EuroAirport Basel Mulhouse Freiburg and Bern Airport.
- Chair Airlines connects Switzerland with leisure and family-visit destinations across the Balkans, the Mediterranean and North Africa. Its network includes cities and resorts such as Pristina, Skopje, Ohrid, Tirana, Tuzla, Palma de Mallorca, Larnaca, Hurghada and Marsa Alam, with many routes operating seasonally.
- Lower fares are generally easier to find outside school holidays and peak summer travel periods, particularly when booked in advance. Compare nearby dates and check whether the lowest fare includes the baggage and flexibility you need.