Missed your connecting flight? What you're owed
If a delay on your first flight made you miss your connection, you may be owed compensation for the whole journey, even if the first flight was only a little late.
One booking: the whole journey counts
If both flights were on the same booking (one reservation), the courts treat them as one journey. What counts is how late you arrived at your final destination: 3 hours or more and you're owed compensation, even if the first flight was only 30 minutes late (CJEU Folkerts, C-11/11). The distance is measured from where your journey started to the final destination.
Which journeys are covered
A journey that starts in the UK or EU is usually covered all the way, on one booking, even if the connection was outside Europe or with a non-European airline. A journey that starts outside the UK and EU is covered if it's with a UK or EU airline and ends in the UK or EU.
Separate tickets aren't covered
If you booked the flights separately (for example two different airlines' own websites), each flight is judged on its own. Missing the second because the first was late isn't covered, though the first flight on its own may still be.
Questions
My first flight was only an hour late but I missed my connection. Can I claim?
Yes, if both flights were on one booking and you reached your final destination 3 or more hours late. It's the arrival delay at the end of the journey that counts.
How is the distance worked out for connecting flights?
From the first departure airport to the final destination, in a straight line, not the total distance of each flight added together.
I booked my flights separately. Am I covered?
Only for each flight on its own. Missing a separately booked flight because the first was late isn't covered by UK261 or EU261.
More guides
- How much compensation can I get for a delayed or cancelled flight?
- What are "extraordinary circumstances"?
- Cancelled flight: what you're owed
- Bumped from an overbooked flight: your rights
- How far back can I claim?
- Airline rejected your claim? What to do next
- Delayed or cancelled by a strike: can I claim?
- Meals, hotels and refunds during a delay
- Downgraded to a lower class: what you're owed
Important: DelayOwed is a self-help guidance tool, not a law firm or claims company, and is not affiliated with any airline. Airline names are used only to describe which flights this guide covers.