Missed Your Connecting Flight? You May Be Owed Hundreds

Few travel experiences are as stressful as watching your connecting flight's departure time tick closer while you're still stuck on a delayed inbound plane. When you finally land, you sprint through the terminal — only to find the gate closed and your onward flight gone.

It's infuriating. But here's what most passengers don't realise: if you missed your connection due to an airline delay, you may be owed €250 to €600 in compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004. Let's break down exactly how this works.

The Golden Rule: Single Booking vs Separate Bookings

This is the most important distinction in connecting flight compensation, and it changes everything.

Single Booking (One Reservation)

If your entire journey — both flights — was booked as a single itinerary (one booking reference/PNR), you have strong rights:

• The airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination
• Compensation is calculated based on the delay at your final destination, not the connecting point
• The airline must rebook you on the next available connection at no extra cost
• They must provide care and assistance while you wait

This applies whether you're flying with one airline the whole way or connecting between partner airlines on a codeshare or alliance booking.

Separate Bookings (Two Reservations)

If you booked each flight independently — for example, a Ryanair flight to Madrid and a separate Iberia flight from Madrid onward — the situation is different:

• Each flight is treated as a standalone journey
• The first airline is only responsible for getting you to the connecting airport
• If you miss your second flight, the second airline has no obligation to rebook you for free
• You can only claim compensation against the first airline for the delay on their specific flight

This is why booking connecting itineraries as a single reservation is so important. Budget airlines that don't offer connections (Ryanair, easyJet, Wizz Air) create this vulnerability — each flight is always a separate booking.

How EC 261/2004 Applies to Connecting Flights

The Landmark Folkerts Ruling

The European Court of Justice's ruling in Folkerts v Air France (C-11/11) established a crucial principle: for connecting flights on a single booking, compensation is determined by the delay at the final destination.

This means:

• Your first flight was 1 hour late (not enough for compensation on its own)
• You missed your connection and the next available flight gets you to your final destination 5 hours late
• You're entitled to full compensation based on that 5-hour delay at your final destination

The delay at the connecting point is irrelevant. What matters is when you finally arrive where you were supposed to go.

Which Flights Are Covered?

For connecting itineraries involving EU airports, EC 261/2004 applies if:

• Both flights depart from the EU — fully covered
• First flight departs from the EU, connection outside EU — covered for the whole journey if on a single booking with an EU carrier
• First flight from outside EU, connecting in the EU on an EU carrier — covered
• Entirely outside the EU — not covered by EC 261 (other regulations may apply)

Compensation Amounts for Connections

Compensation is based on the total distance of your journey (origin to final destination), not individual flight segments:

| Total Journey Distance | Compensation | |-----------------------|-------------| | Under 1,500 km | €250 | | 1,500 – 3,500 km | €400 | | Over 3,500 km | €600 |

This often works in the passenger's favour. A Lisbon → Frankfurt → Bangkok itinerary covers over 3,500 km total, qualifying for €600 — even if the problematic delay was on the short Lisbon–Frankfurt leg.

Common Connecting Flight Scenarios

Scenario 1: Hub Connection on a Single Airline

You're flying TAP from Porto to Lisbon, connecting to a TAP flight from Lisbon to New York. The Porto flight is delayed 90 minutes and you miss the Lisbon connection.

Your rights: TAP must rebook you to New York on the next available flight (their own or another airline's). If you arrive in New York 3+ hours late, you're owed compensation — likely €600 given the distance.

Scenario 2: Alliance Partners on a Single Booking

You booked through Lufthansa: Porto → Frankfurt → Tokyo. The Porto leg, operated by Lufthansa, is delayed and you miss the Frankfurt connection.

Your rights: Identical to Scenario 1. The booking is a single itinerary, so Lufthansa is responsible for your entire journey. Compensation is based on Porto → Tokyo total distance.

Scenario 3: Separate Budget Airline Bookings

You booked a Ryanair flight from Faro to Madrid, and separately booked a Vueling flight from Madrid to Rome. The Ryanair flight is delayed 4 hours and you miss the Vueling flight.

Your rights: You can claim compensation from Ryanair for the Faro → Madrid delay only (€250 or €400 depending on distance). Ryanair has no responsibility for your missed Vueling flight. The Vueling ticket is likely lost unless you purchased flexible fare or travel insurance covers it.

Scenario 4: Self-Connection Through a Hub

Some airports and booking platforms offer "self-connection" services, helping you combine separate airline tickets. Even with these services, each flight remains a separate booking legally. The self-connection guarantee may offer some protection, but it's not the same as EC 261 rights.

What to Do When You Miss Your Connection

At the Airport — Immediately

1. Go to the airline's transfer desk — don't go to departures. The transfer/connections desk handles missed connections
2. Explain that you missed your connection due to the delay on flight [number]
3. Ask to be rebooked on the next available flight to your final destination
4. Request meal vouchers and, if needed, accommodation
5. Get everything in writing — the rebooking confirmation, the reason for the missed connection

Document the Evidence

• Screenshot your original booking showing both flights on one itinerary
• Note the actual arrival time of your delayed first flight
• Photograph the departure board showing your missed connection has departed
• Keep boarding passes for all flights (original and rebooked)
• Save all receipts for expenses during the wait

Don't Accept Blame

Airlines sometimes try to suggest the missed connection was your fault — you didn't have enough transfer time, you were too slow getting through the airport, etc. If the airline sold you the connection on a single booking, they determined the transfer time was sufficient. If you missed it because the inbound flight was late, that's on them.

The Minimum Connection Time Argument

Airlines set Minimum Connection Times (MCTs) for their hub airports. If they sold you a connection with a 90-minute layover at a hub where the MCT is 60 minutes, they've implicitly guaranteed that 90 minutes is enough.

When a delay on the first flight eats into that time and causes a missed connection, the airline can't argue that your layover was too short — they're the ones who sold it to you.

Special Situations

Overnight Connections

If the next available flight is the following morning, the airline must provide:

• Hotel accommodation near the airport
• Transport to and from the hotel
• Meals and refreshments

Don't settle for sleeping in the terminal. Assert your rights.

Different Airline for Rebooking

If the operating airline can't rebook you on their own services in a reasonable time, they should book you on a competitor's flight. The CJEU has been clear: "next available flight" means the genuinely next available option, not just the airline's own next flight.

Luggage Issues

When you miss a connection, your checked luggage may or may not follow you onto the rebooked flight. Confirm with the transfer desk what's happening with your bags. If your luggage is delayed, you have separate rights under the Montreal Convention.

How to Claim Compensation for Missed Connections

Step 1: Check Your Eligibility

Use FlightOwed to instantly check whether your missed connection qualifies for compensation. Enter your original flight details and we'll assess your claim.

Step 2: Gather Your Documents

• Original booking confirmation showing the full itinerary
• Evidence of the delay on the first flight
• Boarding passes (original and rebooked)
• Any communications from the airline
• Expense receipts

Step 3: File Your Claim

You can file directly with the airline, but connecting flight claims are more complex than simple delay claims. Airlines often try to:

• Blame the passenger for insufficient transfer time
• Claim the delay was under 3 hours (measuring the wrong flight segment)
• Cite extraordinary circumstances for the initial delay

FlightOwed handles these complexities daily. Start your claim and we'll manage the entire process.

Prevention Tips for Future Connections

• Book connections as a single itinerary whenever possible
• Allow generous layover times — MCT is a minimum, not a recommendation
• Avoid the last connection of the day — if you miss it, you're stranded overnight
• Carry essentials in hand luggage — if your checked bag goes astray, you'll have what you need
• Know your rights before you travel

The Bottom Line

Missing a connecting flight is stressful, but it doesn't have to be costly. If your flights were on a single booking and you missed your connection due to a delay, EU law entitles you to rebooking, care, and up to €600 in compensation.

The key factor is how your journey was booked. Single booking? Strong rights. Separate bookings? Limited protection. Plan accordingly, and always check your eligibility after any disrupted connection.

Missed a connecting flight? Check your compensation now — it's free, takes 30 seconds, and could be worth hundreds of euros.