TRAVEL PROBLEMS · MISSED CONNECTIONS

Missed your connecting flight? When the airline pays

Whether you are owed anything comes down to two questions: were both flights on one booking, and how late did you reach your final destination? Here is how the EU, UK and US treat a missed connection.

By Zo · Updated October 31, 2026

Ad / affiliate disclosure: I may earn a commission if you use AirHelp through the link on this page, at no extra cost to you. You can always claim directly with the airline yourself for free. Prepared with AI assistance.

The 30-second answer

One booking: if a delay on your first flight made you miss the second, the airline has to get you to your final destination. Under EU and UK rules you may also be owed cash if you arrive 3 or more hours late and the cause was not extraordinary circumstances.

Separate tickets (self-transfer): the second airline owes you nothing for the missed flight. The UK regulator says there is no statutory right to care, compensation or onward transport in that case.

United States: no federal rule requires cash compensation for a missed connection. Rebooking and refund rules apply instead.

Are the EU rules changing? Yes, from October 23, 2027. The reform, Regulation (EU) 2026/2202 (Official Journal, October 2, 2026), keeps compensation for "a delay at arrival exceeding three hours" and the EUR 250, 400 and 600 amounts. Reports of a new 4- or 6-hour threshold are wrong for the final text. Flights before October 23, 2027 stay under Regulation 261/2004. Checked on EUR-Lex October 30, 2026.

Missed a connection on one booking and reached your final destination 3+ hours late, on a trip from Europe or the UK (or on an EU/UK airline into Europe)? AirHelp checks whether your trip qualifies for free; it charges a fee (35%) only if it wins your claim.

Check your trip with AirHelp →
Affiliate link. Separate tickets or US-only trips usually don't qualify; the checks and the free self-claim route are below.

First check: one booking or two?

	One booking (single reservation)	Separate tickets you connected yourself
Rebooking	The airline re-routes you to your final destination	You buy a new ticket unless the airline chooses to help
EU / UK compensation	Counted on arrival delay at your final destination	Each flight is judged on its own delay only
Meals and hotel while you wait	Owed under EU and UK rules	Not owed for the missed flight

You can usually tell from your confirmation: one booking reference covering both flights means one booking.

Europe: EU rules

According to the EU's official Your Europe guidance, if you miss a connecting flight and arrive at your final destination more than 3 hours late, you may get compensation. The conditions it lists:

the flights were booked as one reservation;
EU passenger rights apply to the journey;
the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances.

Distance to final destination	Compensation
1,500 km or less	€250
Over 1,500 km within the EU, and other flights of 1,500–3,500 km	€400
Over 3,500 km, arriving 3 to 4 hours late	€300
Over 3,500 km, arriving 4 or more hours late	€600

Which journeys count

Starting in the EU: a missed connection qualifies whether the connecting airline is an EU or non-EU carrier.
Starting outside the EU and ending in it: only the flights operated by EU airlines are taken into consideration.

When the EU says no compensation is due

You missed the connection because of delays at security checks.
You did not respect the boarding time at the transfer airport.
The airline proves extraordinary circumstances, such as air traffic management decisions or adverse weather.

If the second airline refuses to board you because it decided you would arrive too late from a delayed first flight on the same booking, the EU guidance treats that as denied boarding, and compensation is due. See the denied boarding guide.

United Kingdom

The UK Civil Aviation Authority bases care and compensation on the distance between the first and last airports in your booking. Arriving late at the connecting airport is not counted; what matters is arriving more than three hours late at your final destination.

Distance	Compensation per person
Under 1,500 km	£220
1,500–3,500 km	£350
Over 3,500 km, arriving 3 to 4 hours late	£260
Over 3,500 km, arriving more than 4 hours late	£520

If the missed connection leaves you waiting, the airline must provide care, including a hotel when the new flight is the next day.
If a connecting flight is delayed by over five hours, you can take a refund for the unused part of the ticket and end the journey; the airline must still get you back to where you started.

United States

There is no federal requirement for cash compensation when a delay makes you miss a connection. What the Department of Transportation does require is a refund if the airline cancels or significantly changes your flight and you choose not to travel. A significant change includes arriving 3 or more hours late on a domestic itinerary or 6 or more hours late on an international one, and being moved to an itinerary with more connections than you booked.

Beyond that, what you get is set by the airline's own customer service plan, not by federal rule: ask the agent to rebook you on the next available flight and what the plan covers (meals, hotel, a seat on another airline) for a delay the airline caused.

What to do when you land late

Go to the transfer desk or use the app at once. Seats on the next flight go quickly.
Ask what caused the first delay and get it in writing if you can.
Keep both boarding passes and the booking confirmation showing one reference.
Write down your actual arrival time at the final destination. That is the number the EU and UK rules use.
Keep receipts for food, transport and a hotel.
Do not rebook yourself and walk away on a single booking without telling the airline; skipping a flight can cancel the rest of the ticket.

Booking tips that prevent this

Book connections on one ticket where you can, even if separate tickets look cheaper.
On separate tickets, leave several hours between flights, or stay overnight.
Check whether your travel insurance or card covers missed connections on separate tickets, and what proof it needs.

Two ways to claim compensation

1. Claim directly (free). Claim from the airline that operated the delayed flight. Quote your booking reference, both flight numbers, your scheduled and actual arrival times, and Regulation 261/2004 or the UK version. If it refuses or does not answer, escalate to the national enforcement body or the CAA.

2. Use a claim service. AirHelp checks eligibility and pursues the airline for you. It keeps a percentage of the compensation as its fee and charges only if it wins; the fee breakdown is in my flight delay compensation guide.

Check your flights with AirHelp →
Affiliate link. Opens AirHelp's website, where you check eligibility and submit a claim.