Flight Compensation for Missed Connections due to Delays, Cancellations, and more

Missing a connecting flight can be a frustrating and stressful experience, especially on a long journey. Fortunately, for travelers in the UK and across Europe, there are legal protections in place.

Under UK and EU law, if you miss a connecting flight due to a delay, cancellation, or being denied boarding, you may be entitled to compensation of up to £520. This compensation aims to alleviate the inconvenience and ensure that airlines are held accountable for disruptions that cause significant delays in reaching your final destination.

What happens if I miss a connecting flight due to flight disruptions?

If you happen to miss a connecting flight, you may be entitled to claim compensation from the airline if the following conditions are met:

• Missed connecting flights: You may be eligible for compensation for missed connections if all flights were booked under a single reservation. In this case, the airline is obligated to rebook you on the next available flight at no extra cost.

• Compensation for delays: If you miss your connection and arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more later than originally scheduled, you may be eligible for compensation ranging from £220 to £520 per passenger, depending on the flight distance.

• Assistance at the airport: If your delay extends beyond 2 hours at the airport, the airline is required to provide food and refreshments. For delays that push your connecting flight to the following day, the airline must arrange and cover the cost of hotel accommodation and transportation to and from the airport.

What is missed flight connection compensation?

A missed flight connection can be a major disruption, but compensation may be available depending on the circumstances. A connecting flight refers to a journey that requires a stopover at one or more airports before reaching your final destination. Even though these flights are booked together as a single reservation, unexpected disruptions like delays or cancellations on earlier legs can cause you to miss your connection.

If you miss a connecting flight due to issues such as a flight delay, cancellation, or being denied boarding, your airline is responsible for arranging an alternative flight at no extra cost to you. Additionally, if you're flying in or out of the UK or Europe, you might be entitled to compensation under EU regulation EC 261 or its UK equivalent. Although there isn’t a specific category for missed connection compensation, you can still claim compensation if the airline’s actions caused the missed connection.

Compensation amounts can vary depending on the delay and the distance of your flight, but they can provide substantial financial relief if your journey is significantly disrupted. Always check your eligibility and be aware of your rights when faced with a missed connection.

The amount of compensation you can receive for missed connections under UK and EU law depends on the reason for the disruption and the total journey length.

The most common reason for a missed connection is flight delay. If that’s what happened in your case, you can use the following table to understand how much you are owed (in pounds sterling).

Airline compensation for missed connections based on length of delay:

You may be entitled to different amounts of compensation if you missed a connection for reasons other than flight delay. Check out how much you are entitled to for cancellation or denied boarding.

You can claim compensation for a missed flight connection if…

In the case of missed connections, we realize some of the criteria might not be as straightforward as they seem. The simplest way to find out if you are owed compensation is to use our eligibility checker.

How to tell if your connecting flights were part of the same reservation

Missed connections are only eligible where both flights were part of the same reservation. That means that you booked a single journey from your departure to your destination, and the airline issued you with a ticket for connecting flights. While connecting flights are often with the same airline, they can also be with different airlines, as long as they are part of the same booking.

This differs from situations where you made two (or more) separate bookings for different flights and plan to catch one after the other. In such cases, missed flight connections are generally not covered for compensation, although you may still be eligible for compensation for any disruptions to the original flight.

Be aware that some travel agents might book two separate flights as part of the same journey. They should clearly inform you if these flights are not part of the same reservation and highlight that you will need to make a "self-transfer" at the connecting airport. Always double-check this information to avoid unexpected issues during your trip.

UK compensation for connecting flights: When can you claim?

The legal regulations apply to all passengers on flights within the UK and Europe – regardless of where the passenger is from. The definition covers all flights that depart from a UK or a European airport, and those that land in those territories on a European or British airline.

Missed connection compensation may even apply to flights outside of Europe, if part of your journey includes a UK or European connection. This chart makes the coverage clear:

EC 261 and its UK equivalent are also applicable in Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the so-called “outermost regions” (French Guiana and Martinique, Mayotte, Guadeloupe and La Réunion, Saint-Martin, Madeira and the Azores, and the Canary Islands).

If your flights were purchased under a single booking, they are considered part of the same journey under the relevant law. This means that any disruptions, including missed connections, are covered regardless of where the disruption occurs or where you miss your connection. While this rule generally applies, it's important to note that some courts may interpret the regulation differently.

Which missed connections are covered?

Missed connections which are the fault of the airline

You may be eligible to claim compensation if you miss a connecting flight due to the following airline-related issues:

• Delayed flights: If your arrival at the final destination is delayed by 3 hours or more, you are entitled to claim compensation. It doesn’t matter how long the initial delay was; what counts is the total delay upon arrival at your final destination.

• Flight cancellations: If your flight is canceled and this leads to a missed connection, you are also entitled to claim compensation, regardless of the delay duration.

• Denied boarding: If you’re denied boarding due to overbooking or other reasons within the airline’s control, resulting in a missed connection, compensation can also applicable.

Therefore, if you miss a flight connection as a result of these flight incidents, you are eligible for missed connection compensation.

While airlines often rebook passengers on alternative flights in cases of cancellations or overbookings, if these situations lead to a missed connection, you are still eligible for compensation.

Delays over 3 hours at final destination

One important point in relation to missed connection compensation is the 3-hour (or more) delay principle.

If you miss a connection due to a delayed flight, it is immaterial how long the delay is that caused the missed connection. The focus is on the length of delay of your final destination – which has to be three hours or more to be eligible for compensation.

If you missed your connection due to a cancellation or denied boarding, the total delay to your final destination can be any length.

Missed connections which are not covered

Missed flight compensation for business travelers

Even if you are on a business trip when you miss a connecting flight, it is still you, the passenger, who is entitled to compensation.

The general legal principle is that the passenger who has suffered the inconvenience is owed compensation, not the person who paid for the ticket.

Compensation for connecting flights: EC 261 and its UK equivalent

If you missed your connection due to the fault of the airline, the airline should rebook you on the next available flight to your destination.

If the missed connection means that the flight is no longer serving the purpose of your original travel plan, you may also want to make use of your rights of reimbursement.

This right kicks in if your flight is delayed for five hours or more, if your flight is cancelled or if you are denied boarding for overbooking. Under this part of the regulation, you may ask the airline to provide you with a return flight to the first point of departure AND a refund for the journey not made.

EC 261, which was been carried over into UK law following Brexit, is clear that refunds must also include parts of the journey that have been made if the flight is no longer serving its original purpose. This is particularly relevant to passengers on connecting flights, who have already flown part of their itinerary before the disruption occurred.

Other entitlements you may be due

What should I do if I missed a connecting flight due to a delay?

If you arrive at your connecting airport to find your next flight left without you, you typically have 2 choices: ask to be rebooked on the next available flight free of charge, or ask for a refund and flight back to your point of departure.

Either way, here are the steps to take:

How to claim airline compensation for missed flights with AirHelp

AirHelp makes the claim process simple. Fill in a few details about your flights, tell us what happened, and our team of expert claim agents will handle the rest.

We’ll check the details of your flight and build a case for compensation. And we’ll handle all the negotiations with the airline on your behalf.

Why use AirHelp?

Know more about your rights

Air Passengers Rights

Flight Delay Compensation

Flight Cancellation Compensation

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