Missed connecting flight compensation: when you can claim

A first flight that's 40 minutes late doesn't sound like much. But if it makes you miss a connection and you reach your destination six hours later than planned, you may be owed the same compensation as if one flight had been delayed by six hours. Here's how it works.

Can I claim compensation for a missed connection?

Yes, if all of these are true:

• Both flights were on one booking. One reservation, one booking reference, sold to you as a single journey.
• You arrived at your final destination three hours or more late.
• The journey is covered. It started at a UK or EU airport, or (for journeys into the UK or EU) the delayed flight was run by a UK or EU airline.
• The delay was the airline's responsibility, not caused by extraordinary circumstances.

The EU Court of Justice settled the key point in Folkerts v Air France (2013): with connecting flights, what counts is the delay at the final destination, not the delay on each individual flight. The first flight doesn't have to be three hours late itself. It only has to make you miss the connection and arrive three hours or more late overall.

Why does it matter if I booked the flights separately?

Because the connection rule only applies to journeys on one booking.

If you booked two separate tickets, say a cheap flight to a hub and then a separate long-haul ticket, each flight is judged on its own. If the first flight was only an hour late, there's no compensation for it, even if you missed the second flight and had to buy a new ticket. The second airline owes you nothing either, because its flight left on time; you simply weren't on it.

This is one of the main risks of self-built connections. Some travel sites sell separate tickets together and offer their own guarantee. That guarantee is a contract with the travel site, not a right under the compensation rules.

How much compensation for a missed connection?

The amount depends on the distance from your first departure airport to your final destination, measured in a straight line. It is not the total of the two flights added together. The EU Court of Justice confirmed this in Bossen v Brussels Airlines (2017).

An example

You book Glasgow to New York via Heathrow on British Airways, on one booking. The Glasgow flight is 50 minutes late because of a crew shortage. You miss the New York flight, BA puts you on the next one, and you land in New York five hours later than planned.

• The delay at your final destination is five hours.
• Glasgow to New York is well over 3,500 km.
• The cause was within the airline's control.

That's £520 per passenger, even though the flight that went wrong was a one-hour domestic hop.

The half-rate rule on long journeys

If the journey is over 3,500 km and you arrived between three and four hours late, the airline can pay half. Four hours or more and the full sum is due.

Who do I claim from?

Normally, the airline that operated the flight that went wrong: the one whose delay made you miss the connection.

When both flights are on the same airline, that's straightforward. When a journey mixes airlines on one booking (a partner or codeshare), it can be less clear, especially if one of the airlines is from outside the UK and EU. We work out which airline is responsible from the booking and the flights before a claim goes out.

What if my connection was outside Europe?

A single booking that starts at a UK or EU airport is generally covered as a whole journey, even if you connect somewhere else. For example, Manchester to Bangkok via Dubai on one ticket started in the UK, so the UK rules can apply to the whole trip, including a delay on the second leg.

This area has more nuance than most, particularly when the connecting flight is run by a different airline from outside Europe. If your journey looks like this, send it to us and we'll check it.

Journeys that start outside the UK and EU are covered only for flights into the UK or EU run by UK or EU airlines.

What is the airline obliged to do when I miss a connection?

When you miss a connection on one booking, the airline has to get you to your destination. In practice it should:

• rebook you on the next reasonable flight, which may be on another airline if that's much sooner;
• provide meals and drinks while you wait;
• provide a hotel and transfers if you have to stay overnight;
• let you make two phone calls or send two emails.

This care applies even if the original delay was caused by something outside the airline's control. If you weren't given it, keep receipts for reasonable costs and claim them back. See what the airline owes you during a delay.

Which excuses do airlines use for missed connections?

"Your first flight was only slightly delayed." Irrelevant on one booking. The test is the arrival at the final destination.

"You didn't leave enough time to connect." If the airline sold you the connection on one booking, it accepted that the connection time was workable. Airlines set minimum connection times at their hubs and won't usually sell journeys below them.

"The cause was extraordinary." Possible: a thunderstorm closing your first airport, for instance. But a crew shortage, a technical fault, or a late incoming aircraft caused by the airline's own problems are not extraordinary. See extraordinary circumstances.

"You missed the connection because you were slow at transfer security." If the first flight was on time and you simply didn't make it, there's no claim. If the first flight was late and that's why you missed it, there is.

What should I keep?

• Both boarding passes, or the booking confirmation showing both flights on one reference.
• Any rebooking notice the airline gave you.
• Receipts for food, hotels or transport you paid for yourself.
• The time you actually arrived at your final destination.

Frequently asked questions

Do I get compensation if my first flight was only an hour late?

Yes, if both flights were on one booking, you arrived at your final destination three hours or more late, and the delay was the airline's fault.

Is compensation paid per flight or per journey?

Per journey. You get one payment per passenger, based on the straight-line distance from your first airport to your final destination.

I booked two separate tickets and missed the second flight. Can I claim?

Not under the connection rule. Each flight is judged separately, so you can only claim if a single flight was itself delayed three hours or more on arrival.

Who pays if two different airlines were involved?

Usually the airline that operated the delayed flight. With partner or codeshare bookings it can be more complicated, which is why we check each journey individually.

What if I was rebooked and arrived the next day?

That is a delay at the final destination of many hours, so if the other conditions are met, the full amount for the distance is due.