Missed your connection because of a delay: what happens and how much you can claim
Reviewed by José Romero Lara
EU261 aviation lawyer — 5+ years as in-house legal counsel at international airlines
Your first flight is delayed, the gate for your connection is already closed, and you’re wondering what happens now. The answer depends on a detail most people overlook: whether the flights are on one booking or two. This guide explains what Regulation (EC) 261/2004 says in each case, how much you can claim and how to do it.
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Check my flight1What happens if you miss a connection because of a delay
The Court of Justice of the EU settled this in the Folkerts ruling (C-11/11, 2013): when the trip was booked as a single reservation, what matters for compensation is the delay at your final destination, not the delay on each leg separately. If the first flight is delayed and that makes you miss the connection, the whole itinerary is treated as one delayed flight.
It applies even if the connecting flight itself left on time: what matters is your final arrival, not whether that second flight kept to schedule.
It applies even if different airlines operate the two flights, as long as they are on the same ticket or the same booking (one booking reference).
The airline operating the first flight must re-route you on the next available flight to your final destination, at no extra cost.
If you reach your final destination 3 or more hours later than originally scheduled, you are owed cash compensation on top of the re-routing.
When you count as having "arrived"
Arrival is the moment at least one aircraft door opens at your final destination, not when the plane touches down and not when you’ve fully disembarked (CJEU, Germanwings, C-452/13). That’s the time to note when working out your delay.
2One booking or two: the detail that decides whether you get paid
This is the point that confuses passengers the most, and we’d rather spell it out now than have you find out when the airline rejects your claim.
| Criterion | Same booking (one reference) | Separate tickets (two bookings) |
|---|---|---|
| Who is liable for the full delay | The airline operating the first flight, even if another airline operates the second | Each airline is liable only for its own flight |
| Which delay counts | The delay at your final destination, including the effect of the missed connection | Only the delay of each flight on its own |
| Mandatory re-routing | Yes, on the next available flight to your destination | No: if you miss the connection, you buy a new ticket yourself |
| Compensation for the missed connection | Yes, if you arrive 3+ hours late at your final destination (€250–600) | No; only if the first flight itself arrived late at its own destination |
Check your booking reference first
If you bought the flights on independent bookings (two different references, even with the same airline), Regulation 261/2004 does not require the first airline to compensate you for the missed connection. You can only claim against it if that first flight, on its own, arrived at its own destination 3 or more hours late.
3How much you can claim
Compensation is calculated on the total distance between your departure airport and your final destination, not on the leg that was delayed.
Compensation per passenger (single booking)
Up to 1,500 km
E.g. Madrid–Barcelona with a connection
1,500 to 3,500 km
E.g. Madrid–Tenerife with a stopover
Over 3,500 km
E.g. Barcelona–New York via London
Flights over 3,500 km
If the airline re-routes you and you arrive at your final destination between 3 and 4 hours late, it can halve the compensation to €300. At 4 hours or more, it’s the full €600.
4What the airline owes you while you wait for the alternative flight
While you wait for the next flight to your final destination, the airline that caused the delay must assist you (Art. 9), whether or not cash compensation is also due.
Enough food and drink for the length of the wait.
Two free phone calls, emails or messages.
A hotel and transfer to it if you must stay overnight before the alternative flight.
Written information about your rights.
If the airline doesn’t provide this and you pay yourself, keep the receipts: you can claim that cost alongside the compensation.
5How to claim compensation, step by step
- 1
Check whether you’re on a single booking
Look at the booking reference on your confirmation. If every flight shares the same reference, the trip counts as one for EU261 purposes.
- 2
Note the actual arrival time at your final destination
It’s the time the aircraft door opened, not the landing time. Check it against the boarding pass for the alternative flight or a flight tracker.
- 3
Claim against the airline that caused the delay
That’s the airline operating the first flight, even if a different airline operated the second. State the total delay to your final destination.
- 4
Wait one month, then go to AESA if it doesn’t reply
If your flight departed Spain, or arrived in Spain from outside the EU on a European airline, you can complain to AESA free of charge.
- 5
Or hand it to AviFly
We handle the whole claim, including missed-connection cases. Nothing upfront: we charge 15% + VAT if it stays out of court, and 30% + VAT if it goes to court, only if you recover your compensation.
AviFly claims your missed connection for you
Nothing upfront. We only charge if you recover your compensation.
Start my claimFrequently asked questions
What happens if I miss my connecting flight because of a delay?
If all the flights were on the same booking, the whole itinerary is treated as one delayed flight: what counts is the time you reach your final destination, not the delay on the first leg. With 3 or more hours of total delay, you’re entitled to free re-routing and, on top of that, compensation of €250, €400 or €600 (CJEU, Folkerts, C-11/11).
What if the connecting flight itself left on time but I still arrived late?
It doesn’t matter: the Folkerts ruling measures the delay at the final destination of the whole itinerary, not on each leg. If the first flight’s delay made you miss your original connection and your final arrival was 3 or more hours late, you’re owed compensation even though the alternative flight left on schedule.
Am I owed compensation if the two flights are operated by different airlines?
Yes, as long as they’re on the same booking (one reference). Liability sits with the airline that operated the first flight and caused the initial delay, even if a different airline operates the second leg.
What happens if I bought the flights as separate bookings?
Then Regulation 261/2004 treats each flight independently. The airline operating the first flight has no obligation to compensate you for the missed connection or to re-route you on the second flight; you can only claim against it if that first flight itself arrived at its own destination 3 or more hours late.
How is the arrival time worked out to know if it’s a 3-hour delay?
It’s counted from the scheduled arrival time to the moment at least one aircraft door opens at your final destination (CJEU, Germanwings, C-452/13), not when the plane touches down or when you’ve finished disembarking.