What Happens If You Miss Your Connection Because Of A Flight Delay?

Ah, air travel—the gift that keeps on giving, especially when your first flight is delayed and you end up missing your next one.

Welcome to the club.

But before you throw your carry-on in despair, take a deep breath. I've got the 101 on what you can do when you miss your connecting flight and what you're entitled to, thanks to the tangled web of air passenger rights.
Think of this as your "get out of travel hell free" card, or at least a less painful layover in airport purgatory. So grab that airport sandwich and read on.

Your Passenger Rights When You Miss Your Connection Because Of A Flight Delay

Don’t panic. I've got you covered with the ins and outs of passenger rights, which, believe me, are a lot less complex than trying to figure out what's really in airline food.

When can I get missed connection compensation?

For you to be eligible, you must be delayed at your final destination by at least three hours. Even if your initial flight is delayed by less than 3h, if you don’t have enough time to catch your connecting flight because of the first flight’s delay, you may be entitled to compensation.

Also, it’s crucial that the flight delay was within the airline’s control. If it’s the airline's fault, bingo—you've hit the compensation jackpot. But if you're delayed due to extraordinary circumstances like bad weather or air traffic control issues, unfortunately, you won’t get compensated. More on that later.

Note that although your right to compensation relies on EC261, you may be eligible if you’re traveling from the European Union to the outside the EU (including the US), or from a departure airport outside the EU to the EU (if you’re traveling with a European airline, like Lufthansa, KLM, or British Airways).

How much compensation can you get for a missed connection?

The amount of compensation you can get varies depending on the distance of your flight and the length of the delay. The compensation amount ranges from €250 to €600:

• Flights under 1,500 km: 250 euros
• Flights between 1,500 and 3,500 km: 400 euros
• Flights over 3,500 km: 600 euros

Now, to be fair, there are some subtleties: you might want to check our page on missed connection compensation.

How to claim compensation for a missed flight?

To claim compensation for your missed connecting flight, keep all the documents: boarding pass, booking confirmation, and any communication with the airline.

Then, file a claim directly with the airline, or via experts like ClaimCompass.

If they decide to act like it’s not their fault, you can escalate it to a national enforcement body. Rest assured that if you have a valid claim under the appropriate passenger rights regulation, we will get your money for you.

Remember, airlines might try to give you vouchers. You have the right to demand cold, hard cash—or, more likely, a bank transfer.

Missed Connection: When Are You Not Eligible

Extraordinary circumstances

Extraordinary circumstances are like the airline industry's "get out of jail free" card. We’re talking about things like bad weather (“adverse weather conditions”, to be more specific), air traffic control issues, or other “unforeseeable events” that are genuinely not the airline’s fault, not within their control. In these cases, since the reason for your missed flight connection doesn’t fall within their responsibility, you won't get compensation.

But, under EC261, you might still get some assistance, like refreshments or overnight accommodation. More on that later.

Missed connection for personal reasons

Life has a way of throwing curveballs. Family emergencies, sudden illness, or even just losing track of time—these things happen to the best of us.

That said, it's important to know that if you're responsible for missing your connection due to personal reasons, the airline won't provide compensation, because EC261 doesn’t plan for it. It's a tough spot to be in, but you're not completely out of options. We do offer helpful guidance on how to handle a missed connecting flight in our FAQ section.

Can I get a refund if I miss my connection because of a flight delay?

The good news is yes, you can often get a refund if the airline's at fault and you decide not to travel further. Under EC261, you can be reimbursed after a 5-hour delay, in cases of flight cancellations, or when you are denied boarding because the flight was overbooked.

This applies to connecting flights as well if you have to wait more than 5 hours for your replacement flight. When this happens, the airline must refund you the cost of the journey you did not make and provide you with a return flight back to your departure airport. If your journey no longer serves its original purpose, you may also receive a refund for the first part of your journey.

Can I get an alternate flight when I miss my connection because of a flight delay?

If you miss your connecting flight due to a delay, the airline usually has to rebook you on the next available flight. Now, "available" is a loose term here, and “next possible flight” is certainly more accurate. Don't expect to get on the next flight if it’s fully booked. But they should get you to your final destination as soon as they can, even if that means on a later flight. Now, be aware that sometimes, the next available flight won’t be on the same day. If that happens, the airline must provide you with a hotel room for the night at no extra cost to compensate for the flight disruption.

That being said, if you have to wait more than 5 hours for your next flight, you may choose to get a refund instead, along with a return flight to your point of departure, at no extra cost.

Your right to care: additional services and benefits at the airport

Under EC261, if you have to wait longer than 2h for your next flight, airlines are supposed to offer you refreshments and a meal (it might be a meal voucher). You also have a right to wi-fi access and at least two phone calls.

After a 6h delay or in case of a forced overnight stay, you’re entitled to hotel accommodation. Yep, you read that right. So even if you're stuck in a layover purgatory, you might at least get a hotel room and some food out of it. Don’t expect a five-star meal, though—airline vouchers usually don’t cover champagne wishes or caviar dreams.

What should I do if I miss my connecting flight because of a delay?

Firstly, contact the airline. They’re your first port of call for rebooking your flight. Keep all of your documents, like boarding passes and booking confirmations. If you have travel insurance (which you should), contact your travel agent or insurance provider as well.

Then, go to the airline counter or customer service to sort out the next steps. If they offer you an alternative flight that’s departing later than you'd like, check other airlines. Sometimes, especially in Europe, there’s another flight to your destination within a couple of hours.

If there are no suitable options available, get the airline to provide you with a return ticket home and a refund for your journey.

Conclusion on missed connecting flights

And there you have it, everything you need to know about what happens when you miss a connecting flight because of a delay.

Keep in mind that if you ever run into such a painful travel experience, you have rights, and shouldn’t let the airline make you pay for it even more. When in doubt, reach out to us and we’ll help you claim compensation.

Until next time, safe travels, and may your flights be ever on time!

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