Missed connection compensation

Missed your connection? You may be owed up to €600.

If a delay on one leg made you miss a connecting flight and you arrived late at your final destination, EU261 or UK261 may entitle you to fixed compensation. It usually turns on whether it was all one booking.

Checked by the FlightCompensations editorial team

Last updated 1 July 2026 · Editorial & corrections policy

Direct answer

If your flights were on a single booking and a delay on one segment caused you to miss a connection and reach your final destination 3 or more hours late, you may be entitled to €250–€600 per passenger under EU261 or UK261. The compensation is based on the total distance to your final destination and the reason for the disruption. It generally does not apply where you booked the legs as separate tickets (self-transfer) or where the missed connection was caused by a genuinely extraordinary circumstance.

Key takeaways

The connection normally must be on the same booking (a single reservation) for EU261 / UK261 to cover the whole journey.
Eligibility is measured by how late you arrive at your final destination, not the individual leg.
Amounts are €250, €400 or €600 based on the total distance to the final destination.
It matters which segment caused the problem and whether that carrier was covered by the regulation.
Self-transfers, where you buy separate tickets, are usually not protected as a single journey.

What qualifies — and what usually doesn't

May qualify for compensation

All connecting flights were booked as a single reservation (one booking reference / protected connection).
A delay to an earlier segment caused you to miss the onward connection.
You reached your final destination 3 or more hours later than originally scheduled.
The journey started in the EU/EEA or UK, or was operated into the EU/EEA or UK by an EU/UK carrier.
The cause was within the operating airline's control, not an extraordinary circumstance.

Usually excluded

Self-transfer itineraries booked as separate tickets, where the airlines had no obligation to protect the connection.
Final-destination arrival less than 3 hours late despite the missed connection.
Missed connections caused by genuinely extraordinary circumstances the airline could not avoid.
Journeys with no qualifying EU/EEA or UK departure or arrival under the regulations.
Connections missed because you arrived at the gate late or did not meet the minimum connection time on a separate ticket.

Rights by jurisdiction

Not sure which rules apply to your flight? We work it out for you.Check my flight

EU Regulation 261/2004 treats a single-booking itinerary as one journey to the final destination, so a missed connection is assessed by the total arrival delay there (Folkerts, C-11/11).

It covers connections departing an EU/EEA airport on any airline, and connections arriving in the EU/EEA where the operating carrier is an EU/EEA airline. The operating carrier of the segment that caused the delay is usually responsible.

Compensation amounts

EU261 / UK261 compensation by total journey distance

Flight	Amount
Up to 1,500 km	€250
1,500–3,500 km (and all intra-EU over 1,500 km)	€400
Over 3,500 km	€600

Distance is measured to your final destination, not per leg. Amounts are per passenger and illustrative until eligibility is verified.

What to do

1Confirm all legs were on one booking reference (a single reservation).
2Note the original scheduled arrival and your actual arrival at the final destination.
3Ask the airline, in writing, why the first segment was delayed.
4Keep boarding passes for every leg, including the connection you missed.
5Keep receipts for any meals, refreshments or accommodation.

Documents to keep

Booking confirmation showing all legs on one reservation

Boarding passes for each flight, including the missed connection

Any delay notice or rebooking confirmation from the airline

Receipts for care expenses (meals, hotel, transport)

Compensation and a refund are separate. Compensation is a fixed payment for arriving late at your final destination; a refund returns the cost of unused flights if you decide not to continue. On a long delay from a missed connection you generally keep compensation rights while also being entitled to care such as meals and, where needed, accommodation.

How to claim

1Enter the flight details of the leg that was delayed to get a preliminary assessment.
2Add your full itinerary and any boarding passes or documents you have.
3We prepare and submit the claim to the operating carrier and follow up.
4If compensation is recovered, you receive the airline's award and pay our fixed €39 fee.

Frequently asked questions

Do my flights have to be on the same booking?

Usually yes. If the legs are on one reservation, EU261 / UK261 treats the trip as a single journey to the final destination. Separate tickets (self-transfer) are generally not protected as one journey.

Which airline is responsible?

Generally the operating carrier of the segment that caused the delay, even on a codeshare where a different airline sold the ticket.

How is the amount calculated?

By the total distance from your first departure airport to your final destination, then applying the €250 / €400 / €600 bands.

The connection was missed by only a few minutes — does that matter?

What matters is how late you ultimately arrived at your final destination. If that delay is 3 hours or more and the cause was within the airline's control, it may qualify.

Check if your flight qualifies

Free in about 15 seconds. You receive the airline's compensation and pay only our fixed €39 fee after success.

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