Missed connecting flight: can you claim compensation?
In short: if a delay made you miss your connection and you reach your final destination at least three hours late, you may have a claim, provided the flights were on one booking.
What counts: the final destination
What matters is when you arrive at your final destination, not when the first flight landed. The Court of Justice of the EU has held that an arrival delay of three hours or more can be treated like a cancellation (Sturgis, C‑402/07 and C‑432/07). This also applies to connecting flights (Folkerts, C‑11/11). For the distance that determines the amount, the final destination is what counts (Article 7).
One booking or two?
- One booking (one booking reference, flights booked together): the connection is part of the same journey. Even if one leg is outside the EU, the Regulation can apply to the whole journey when it starts in the EU (Wegener, C‑537/17).
- Separate bookings: each flight is looked at on its own. A missed second flight then usually gives no claim, because missing the transfer is not attributed to the first flight’s airline.
What to keep
- Booking confirmation showing both flights
- Boarding passes or check-in receipts
- Proof of the actual arrival time at the final destination (photo of the board, airline email)
- Receipts for meals, hotel or transfers
Also: care and refund
Separately from compensation, the airline must look after you (meals, and a hotel and transfer if needed, Article 9). If the delay is at least five hours, you can ask for a refund of the ticket (Article 8).
Next steps
Check your compensation (the check recognises connections), then create the letter to the airline. If the airline refuses, see the guide on refusals.