Airline Compensation for Missed Connecting Flights

Missing a connecting flight is a nightmare setback on a long journey. But if you were traveling to or from Europe you might be protected by regulation EC 261. If you miss a connecting flight due to flight delay, cancellation, or being denied boarding you could be entitled to up to €600 ($650) compensation.

If you miss your connection on a domestic flight in the U.S. because of a delay for which the airline is responsible, you are not entitled to compensation. However, you do have certain rights: for example, you will be rebooked on the first available flight, you may be entitled to meal or meal vouchers, and you may get your ticket refunded. Read on to find out what happens when you miss a connecting flight, your rights, and what you can do to get compensation.

What is missed connection compensation?

A connecting flight is a flight that requires passengers to change planes at an intermediate stop before reaching their final destination. Though these flights are bought as one booking, they involve flying into or ‘connecting’ via other airports on the way.

If something disrupts one of your flights, it may cause you to miss your connection. This sounds like a nightmare but don’t worry – your airline should arrange a new flight for you. Plus if you are flying in or out of Europe you may be entitled to additional compensation.

That’s because of an EU regulation, EC 261.

You can claim EC 261 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.

Read on if you’d like to understand more about your right to compensation for missed connecting flights:

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

• Where EC 261 applies

• Which missed connections are covered?

• Missed connections that are not covered

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

Missed connections are only eligible if both flights were part of the same reservation. This means that you booked a single journey from your departure to your destination, and the airline issued you a ticket for connecting flights. Most often, the connecting flights are with the same airline, but that isn’t always the case.

This is different from making two (or more) separate bookings for flights and planning to catch one after another. This situation would not be covered for missed flight connections – although you may be able to claim compensation for the original disruption.

EU Flight Compensation Connecting Flights: Where EC 261 applies

The EC 261 regulations apply to all passengers on flights within Europe – regardless of where the passenger is from. The definition covers all flights that depart from a European airport, and those that land in Europe on a European airline.

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

* If flights were purchased under one booking, EC 261 considers them part of the same journey. Consequently, journeys departing the EU are covered by EC 261 regardless of where disruption occurs or where you miss your connection. This rule generally holds true, though some EU courts interpret the regulation differently.

EC 261 also applies 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).

Which Missed Connections Are Eligible for Compensation?

Delays which are the fault of the airline

Under EC 261, passengers are eligible to claim compensation when an airline fault causes one of these three flight disruptions to occur:

• A 3-hour (or more) delayed flight at your final destination

• Flight cancellation

• Denied boarding

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

Delays over 3 hours at final destination

One important point concerning 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

• Compensation amounts under EC 261

• How distance is calculated for missed flight connection claims

Missed connection compensation amounts under EC 261

Compensation depends on the reason for your missed connection. If it was due to a flight delay, refer to the table below to see how much you are owed (in Euros):

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.

How distance is calculated for missed flight compensation claims

When you are claiming compensation for a missed connection, the total length of the journey is what matters, not just the leg of the journey that you missed.

That means any legs of the journey that came before the disruption might be included as well, if they were operated by the carrier responsible for the delay (and there were no intervening flights operated by a different carrier).

To put it another way, if an airline causes a missed connection, they are usually responsible for all their flights, even those before the disruption. They are also responsible for any later flights that are affected, even if they are with a different airline.

• Rebooking

• Right to Reimbursement

• Refunds for Disrupted Journeys

• Right to Care

• Right to Reimbursement or Re-routing

• Upgrading and Downgrading

• Further Compensation

So far, we have discussed compensation. In the case of a missed connecting flight due to the airline's fault, you have other rights as well.

1. Rebooking

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.

2. Right to Reimbursement

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 right to reimbursement. This right kicks in if your flight is delayed for five hours or more, if your flight is canceled, or if you are denied boarding due to overbooking.

3. Refunds for Disrupted Journeys

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 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.

4. Right to Care

If you’re waiting for the airline to get you back on track toward your destination, EC 261 says you’re entitled to some essentials, depending on your flight details.

After several hours of delay, your airline must provide meals, refreshments, and access to communications (two telephone calls, fax messages, or emails).

If overnight accommodation becomes necessary, they must provide you with a hotel room, and transportation to and from the airport.

5. Right to Reimbursement or Re-routing

If your delay exceeds five hours, you are entitled to a full or partial refund of your original ticket and a return flight to your point of departure, if needed. That’s in addition to your compensation.

6. Upgrading and Downgrading

EC 261 says your new flight should be of a similar standard to your missed connection.

However, if you are offered an upgrade, the airline isn’t allowed to charge you anything extra. On the other hand, if the class of the alternative flight is lower, you can get a reimbursement of between 30-75% of the price you originally paid.

7. Further Compensation

Even if you are compensated under EC 261, this doesn’t affect your right to request further compensation. But bear in mind that the amount you are entitled to under EC 261 may be deducted from whatever additional compensation you receive.

Unfortunately, in the case of a missed connection on domestic flights in the United States, passengers are not entitled to monetary compensation, even if the airline is responsible for the flight delay. However, the Department of Transportation (DOT) recognizes a series of rights for air passengers.

If you missed your connecting flight due to a delay for which the airline is responsible, you will be rebooked on the next available flight. In case of an extended wait, you will be provided with meals or meal vouchers. According to the DOT, this is guaranteed by the ten major US airlines: Alaska, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, and United.

There are additional forms of compensation and assistance guaranteed by most airlines. They include hotel accommodations for overnight cancellations, ground transportation to the hotel, and rebooking on partner airlines, as shown in the table below:

Right to a Refund

If a flight has experienced a significant delay, passengers are entitled to a ticket refund if they choose not to fly. This applies regardless of the cause of the delay—whether it is controllable or uncontrollable. Unfortunately, the DOT has not clearly defined what constitutes a "significant delay," which is instead evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

• What should I do if I miss my connection?

• How to claim airline compensation for missed flights with AirHelp

• Why use AirHelp?

What should I do if I miss my connection?

If you miss a connecting flight through no fault of your own, in most cases you have the right to be rebooked for free on the next available flight. In the EU you also have the right to ask for a refund and flight back to your point of departure if you no longer want to travel.

Here’s what to do:

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 compensation case. 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

Overbooking Compensation