Missed Connection Compensation Guide 2026
A delayed first flight caused you to miss your connection. Whether you are owed up to €600 depends on one key factor: whether your flights were on a single booking. This guide explains the rule, the exceptions, and how to claim.
Quick answer
If your connecting flights were on one booking and you arrived at your final destination 3 or more hours late, you are entitled to €250, €400 or €600 under EU261 or UK261. Separate ticket bookings are not covered.
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The Single Booking Rule — The Most Important Factor
EU261 and UK261 protect passengers on through-itineraries booked as one reservation. If you bought a Paris–Frankfurt–New York ticket as a single transaction, the airline accepted responsibility for delivering you to New York. A delay on any leg that causes you to miss your connection and arrive late at the final destination triggers the regulation.
If instead you bought Paris–Frankfurt on one booking and Frankfurt–New York on a separate booking, the two airlines have independent obligations. Missing the second flight because of a delay on the first is, legally, your problem — EU261 does not apply to the missed leg.
How Compensation Works for Missed Connections
The key metric is your actual arrival time at the final destination listed on your booking — not at the intermediate hub. If the delay at your final destination is 3 hours or more, compensation is owed.
The amount is based on the total route distance from your origin to your final destination:
| Total route distance | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| 1,500 km – 3,500 km (intra-EU over 1,500 km) | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km (intercontinental) | €600 |
This means a missed long-haul connection typically entitles you to the maximum €600 — even if the delay on the first leg was only 40 minutes.
Rights While Stranded at the Hub
While you wait for a replacement connecting flight, the airline must provide, free of charge:
- Meals and refreshments proportionate to the wait
- Hotel accommodation if an overnight stay is required, plus transfers
- Two free communications (phone calls, emails)
Always ask the airline desk for care vouchers rather than paying out of pocket. If they refuse, keep receipts for reasonable expenses and claim reimbursement.
Separate Tickets: When You Are Not Protected
Book-it-yourself multi-leg itineraries on separate tickets are a common trap. Airlines such as Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air prominently warn passengers that they do not accept responsibility for missed connections when tickets are independently booked.
If you regularly travel on connecting itineraries booked separately, consider travel insurance that specifically covers missed connections — it bridges the gap left by EU261.
How to Claim
- Keep all boarding passes from both legs, plus your single booking confirmation
- Note actual arrival time at the final destination
- Obtain written confirmation from the airline that the delay caused you to miss your connection
- Submit a formal EU261 claim to the operating carrier of the delayed first leg (or the carrier that re-booked you, if different)
- Escalate if rejected: national enforcement body or ClaimWinger
Frequently Asked Questions
Does EU261 cover missed connections?
Yes — if all flights were booked under a single reservation and the missed connection was caused by a delay on an earlier leg. What matters is your arrival time at the final destination on your booking, not the individual flight delay.
What if I booked the flights on separate tickets?
EU261 does not apply. If you booked connecting flights separately (two independent bookings), the airline has no obligation to get you to your destination — you bear the risk of missing the connection. EU261 only covers passengers on a single through-booking.
My first flight was late and I ran to the gate but missed the connection — do I get €600?
Compensation depends on your arrival time at the final destination, not whether you physically made the connection. If you eventually arrived 3 or more hours late at your final destination (on any re-routed flight), you are entitled to compensation. The amount is based on the distance from departure to final destination.
The airline re-booked me and I arrived only 2 hours late — do I still get compensation?
No. Compensation requires a delay of 3 hours or more at the final destination. If the airline successfully re-routed you and you arrived fewer than 3 hours late, no compensation is owed — though you still have the right to care (meals, hotel) while waiting.
Can I claim €600 for a missed long-haul connection?
Yes. The compensation is calculated on the total distance from your departure point to your final destination. If you were flying London to Sydney via Dubai and missed the Dubai connection, arriving in Sydney 5+ hours late, the full route qualifies for €600.
The layover was very short — is the airline responsible?
Yes, if it was a single booking. The airline accepted responsibility by selling you an itinerary with a connection they scheduled. If a standard delay on the first leg makes the connection impossible under normal operating conditions, EU261 applies.
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