In short: You can claim for a missed connection when (1) all the flights were on a single booking; (2) you missed the connection because of a delay, cancellation or denied boarding that was the airline's responsibility, not because of your own lateness or airport queues; (3) you reached your final destination at least 3 hours late; and (4) the journey was covered – it started in the EU, Iceland, Norway, Switzerland or the UK, or the disrupted airline was an EU or UK carrier flying you into Europe. The amount is based on the great-circle distance from the first airport to the final destination: €250 / €400 / €600 (EU261) or £220 / £350 / £520 (UK261). Separate tickets are not protected.
When can you claim for a missed connection?
The regulation does not use the words "missed connection". The rule comes from the Court of Justice in Folkerts (C-11/11, 26 February 2013): on a journey made of directly connecting flights, compensation depends on the delay at the final destination, not on how late the first flight left. UK law now says the same thing in Article 3(1A) of UK261: a flight with more than one leg, booked as one unit, is treated as a single flight departing from the first leg's departure point.
Your claim is strong if:
- you had one booking – one contract, usually one booking reference – covering every leg;
- you checked in on time for the first flight;
- a flight in your itinerary was delayed, cancelled or overbooked, and that made you miss the next one;
- you arrived at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled time, measured when the doors opened;
- UK261 or EU261 covered the journey (see below); and
- the disruption was not caused by extraordinary circumstances the airline could not avoid with all reasonable measures.
If you reach the connecting gate in time but the airline refuses to let you board because it assumed you would not make it, that is denied boarding. In Rodríguez Cachafeiro (C-321/11, 2012) the Court held that a refusal caused by the airline's own earlier delay is denied boarding. See denied boarding compensation.
One booking vs separate tickets
A single booking means you bought the whole journey under one contract – from an airline, a travel agent or a booking site – usually with one booking reference and through-checked bags. It does not matter whether the legs are flown by one airline or by partners. The Court treats the journey as a unit even when the connection is outside Europe (Wegener, C-537/17, 2018).
Protected: London–Frankfurt–Singapore on Lufthansa and Singapore Airlines, bought together on one booking. A late first leg that strands you in Frankfurt gives a right to re-routing, care, and compensation if you land in Singapore 3+ hours late. The same applies to Warsaw–Frankfurt–Lisbon on one booking: measured Warsaw to Lisbon (about 2,750 km), that is €400 if you arrive 3+ hours late.
Not protected: easyJet Gatwick–Geneva and a separately bought flight Geneva–Nice, or a low-cost Dublin–Milan flight and a separate ticket on to Athens. If the easyJet flight is late and you miss the second flight, the second airline owes you nothing. You can only claim for the first flight on its own, if it arrived 3+ hours late.
The UK CAA is explicit that self-transfer journeys on separate bookings carry no statutory right to care, compensation or onward transport. Some booking sites combine separate tickets into one itinerary and offer their own "guarantee". Any rebooking then comes from that guarantee, not from EU261 or UK261, so read its terms before you buy. With separate tickets, leave plenty of time between flights, and consider travel insurance that covers missed departures.
Which connecting journeys are covered?
Apply the scope rules to the journey as a whole: where it started and, for journeys from outside Europe, which airline operated the disrupted flight.
| Journey (one booking) | Covered? | Amount if 3+ h late |
|---|---|---|
| Warsaw – Frankfurt – Lisbon, LOT and Lufthansa on one booking | Yes, EU261: departs the EU (distance Warsaw–Lisbon, about 2,750 km) | €400 |
| Dublin – Amsterdam – Rome, KLM | Yes, EU261 (distance Dublin–Rome, about 1,890 km) | €400 |
| Stockholm – Copenhagen – Athens, SAS | Yes, EU261 (distance Stockholm–Athens, about 2,450 km) | €400 |
| Manchester – Dubai – Bangkok, Emirates; first leg late, connection missed | Yes, UK261: departs the UK (Gahan v Emirates, [2017] EWCA Civ 1530) | £520 |
| Madrid – Istanbul – Bangkok, Turkish Airlines | Yes, EU261: departs the EU, so a non-EU airline is covered too (C-537/17) | €600 |
| Edinburgh – Amsterdam – Nairobi, KLM | Yes, UK261: departs the UK | £520 |
| Glasgow – London Heathrow – Paris, British Airways | Yes, UK261 (distance Glasgow–Paris, under 1,500 km) | £220 |
| Bangkok – Helsinki – London, Finnair | Yes, UK261: an EU airline flying into the UK | £520 |
| Bangkok – Dubai – Manchester, Emirates | No: starts outside Europe on a non-UK/EU airline | – |
| New York – Doha – Athens, Qatar Airways | No: starts outside Europe on a non-EU airline | – |
In Gahan v Emirates (12 October 2017) the Court of Appeal held that, for a journey from an EU airport on one booking, the delay at the final destination counts – even though the missed connection happened in Dubai and the second flight never touched Europe. The UK Supreme Court refused Emirates permission to appeal in 2018. Gahan was decided under EU261 before Brexit. UK261 now states the same "one unit" principle in Article 3(1A). See the Emirates and Turkish Airlines guides for those hubs.
How much compensation for a missed connection?
The distance is the great-circle distance from the first departure airport to the final destination. You do not add up the legs (Article 7(1) and 7(4)). A Manchester–Dubai–Bangkok trip is measured Manchester to Bangkok. Our flight distance calculator does it for you.
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
If the airline re-routed you and you arrived no more than 2, 3 or 4 hours late (by distance band), it may halve the payment (Article 7(2)). Long-haul journeys arriving 3–4 hours late are therefore usually paid at €300 / £260. Compensation is per passenger, in money; vouchers are only allowed with your signed agreement.
Which airline pays?
Compensation is owed by an operating air carrier – the airline that actually flew a flight under your contract – not by a booking site or the airline that only sold the ticket. Usually you claim from the airline whose flight was delayed or cancelled.
Where different airlines operate the legs, the Court of Justice added a useful point in České aerolinie (C-502/18, 11 July 2019). Passengers flew Prague–Abu Dhabi on Czech Airlines and then Abu Dhabi–Bangkok on an Etihad codeshare, arriving 488 minutes late. The Court held that Czech Airlines, which operated the first leg, could be required to pay, even though the delay arose on the Etihad leg. It can then seek recovery from its partner. If one airline refuses because "the other carrier caused it", cite this case.
When you cannot claim
- Separate tickets, including "self-transfer" itineraries assembled by booking sites.
- Your own delay. If your first flight was on time and you missed the connection because of security or passport queues, a slow walk or shopping, there is no compensation (Your Europe; UK CAA "missed flights").
- Arrival less than 3 hours late at the final destination, even if the rebooking was stressful.
- Extraordinary circumstances that disrupted the first flight – for example an air traffic control restriction or severe weather – if the airline also shows it took all reasonable measures, including re-routing you as early as possible.
- Journeys outside the scope above, such as a return journey that starts outside Europe on a non-UK/EU airline. You may still have rights under local law or the Montreal Convention for proven losses.
What to do at the transfer airport
- Go to the airline's transfer desk before you pass through passport control, unless you are told otherwise. On a single booking the airline must re-route you to your final destination at the earliest opportunity (Article 8(1)(b)).
- Ask about other airlines' flights. If a partner or another carrier gets you there sooner, ask for it. The airline's duty to take reasonable measures can include re-routing on other carriers (CJEU, C-74/19).
- Ask for care: meal vouchers, two calls or emails and, if you have to stay overnight, a hotel and transfers (Article 9). See flight delay rights.
- Keep every boarding pass – the original ones and the new ones – and photograph the departure boards.
- Ask for the reason for the first delay in writing.
- Note the time the doors opened at your final destination.
- Check your bags. On through-checked bookings they should follow you. If they arrive late, see delayed baggage compensation.
How to claim
- Collect evidence: the booking confirmation showing all legs on one reservation, boarding passes, rebooking confirmation, your arrival time, and any message giving the reason.
- Write to the operating airline of the disrupted flight. State that the journey was booked as one unit, give the first departure airport, the final destination, the great-circle distance and your arrival delay, and cite Folkerts (C-11/11) – plus Gahan v Emirates for UK journeys connecting outside Europe. Our letter generator prepares the letter.
- Escalate after 2 months (8 weeks in the UK) or a final refusal. EU261 claims: the national enforcement body or ADR body of the country where the incident happened – usually the departure country, or the arrival country for an EU-airline journey into the EU (see, for example, Germany, the Netherlands, France or Poland) – then a national court or the European Small Claims Procedure. UK261 claims: an ADR scheme or the CAA, then the small claims court.
Time limits are national – for example 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year), 5 in France, 6 in Ireland, 6 in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, 5 in Scotland; other countries in our time limits guide. The full process is in how to claim.
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Common rejection reasons, and how to answer them
| The airline says | What you can reply |
|---|---|
| "Your first flight was less than 3 hours late." | The delay at the final destination counts (Folkerts, C-11/11; UK261 Article 3(1A)). |
| "The flight you missed departed outside the EU/UK." | A journey that starts in Europe on one booking is covered to the final destination (Wegener, C-537/17; Gahan v Emirates [2017] EWCA Civ 1530). |
| "The delay was on our partner's flight." | The operating carrier of an earlier leg can be liable for the whole journey (České aerolinie, C-502/18). |
| "You did not reach the gate in time." | If you were late only because the airline's previous flight was late, a refusal is denied boarding (Rodríguez Cachafeiro, C-321/11). |
| "We measure the distance of the delayed leg only." | The distance runs from the first departure airport to the final destination (Article 7(1)). |
Frequently asked questions
Do you get compensation for missing a connecting flight?
Yes, if all the flights were on one booking, you missed the connection because of a delay, cancellation or denied boarding within the airline's responsibility, and you reached your final destination 3 hours or more late. The amount is based on the distance from your first departure airport to your final destination: €250–€600 under EU261, £220–£520 under UK261.
What happens if I miss a connecting flight due to airline delays?
On a single booking the airline must get you to your destination: it re-routes you on the next suitable flight, at no cost to you, or refunds you if you no longer want to travel. While you wait it must provide care – meals, drinks and, if needed, a hotel. If you arrive 3+ hours late, you can then claim fixed compensation.
What compensation can I claim in the EU for missing a connecting flight?
€250 (up to 1,500 km), €400 (1,500–3,500 km, and intra-EU flights over 1,500 km) or €600 (over 3,500 km), measured from your first departure airport to your final destination. On long-haul journeys that arrive 3–4 hours late the airline may pay €300. On UK261 journeys: £220, £350 or £520 (or £260). Example: Warsaw–Frankfurt–Lisbon on one booking is measured Warsaw–Lisbon, about 2,750 km, so €400.
What should we do if we miss a connecting flight?
Go to the airline's transfer or service desk before leaving the airside area. Ask to be re-routed on the earliest flight – including another airline's if that is sooner – and ask for meal vouchers and, if needed, a hotel. Keep all boarding passes and receipts, and note your actual arrival time at the final destination.
My first flight was only 40 minutes late. Does that matter?
No. What counts is the delay at your final destination (CJEU, Folkerts, C-11/11). A 40-minute delay that makes you miss a connection and arrive 9 hours late is a 9-hour delay.
I missed my connection on the way home from Asia with a non-European airline. Can I claim?
Usually not. On a journey that starts outside Europe, EU261 and UK261 only apply if the operating airline is an EU or UK airline. Bangkok–Dubai–London on Emirates is not covered. Bangkok–Helsinki–London on Finnair is covered by UK261, because an EU airline flies you into the UK.
I missed my connection because of long queues at security or passport control. Can I claim?
No. If your first flight was on time and you missed the connection because of delays at security checks, the airline owes no compensation (Your Europe; UK CAA). The airline may still let you fly on a later flight, sometimes for a fee.
Related guides
- Flight delay compensation
- Cancelled flight compensation
- Denied boarding compensation
- Lufthansa: connections in Frankfurt and Munich
- British Airways: connections at Heathrow
- Where to complain in each European country
- Case law library
This guide is general information, not legal advice. We are not lawyers and we are not AirHelp; we receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds. See our affiliate disclosure.
Sources
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (EU261), Articles 3, 6 and 7 – EUR-Lex
- UK261, Article 3 (scope, including 3(1A) on bookings made as one unit) – legislation.gov.uk
- Flight delays – your rights (bookings with more than one flight) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Missed flights – UK Civil Aviation Authority
- Air passenger rights: missed connecting flight – Your Europe (European Commission)
- Folkerts, C-11/11, judgment of 26 February 2013 – Court of Justice of the EU
- Wegener v Royal Air Maroc, C-537/17, judgment of 31 May 2018 – Court of Justice of the EU
- Press release 95/19: CS and Others v České aerolinie, C-502/18 – Court of Justice of the EU
- Gahan v Emirates [2017] EWCA Civ 1530 – Court of Appeal (England and Wales), via The National Archives
- Rodríguez Cachafeiro, C-321/11, judgment of 4 October 2012 – Court of Justice of the EU
- If your flight’s delayed or cancelled – Citizens Advice
We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.