Your Guide to EU261 Compensation for Missed Connections

Flight connections are often tight, especially when traveling across Europe. One delay can cause a domino effect, making you miss your next flight and turning your travel plans upside down. But under EU Regulation 261/2004, you may be entitled to compensation for missed connections if certain conditions are met.

In this article, we'll explain what qualifies as a missed connection, what compensation you could claim, and the key rules that apply.

What Is a Missed Connection?

A missed connection happens when a delay or cancellation of one flight causes you to miss a subsequent flight on your itinerary. This is especially relevant for:

Passengers with connecting flights on a single booking.
Flights departing from the EU or operated by an EU-based airline.

If you booked all your flights together and one delay makes you miss your next leg, that’s a missed connection.

Important: If you booked separate tickets for each leg of your journey, EU261 won’t consider them as connected. Only flights under the same reservation (same booking reference) are eligible. For example, if you booked flights with Wizz Air or Ryanair, the claim won’t be eligible under EU261, since these airlines typically sell only one flight per booking, not full connecting itineraries.

When Can You Claim Compensation?

You may be entitled to compensation if:

You arrived at your final destination with a delay of 3 hours or more.
The cause of the delay or missed connection was within the airline’s control (e.g., technical faults, crew issues, overbooking).
Your flights were booked as part of the same reservation.

If the delay was caused by extraordinary circumstances (e.g., severe weather, security threats, air traffic control strikes), the airline is not obliged to compensate you.

Even if the first flight was delayed by only 30 minutes, if that caused a cascade of missed flights and you reached your final destination 3+ hours late, you may be eligible.

Minimum Connection Time: A Common Airline Rejection

Some airlines reject missed connection claims by arguing that the layover time you had left was still above the Minimum Connection Time (MCT) for that airport, even after a delay.

For example, if your original layover was 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the first flight was delayed by 40 minutes, the airline might claim that the remaining 50 minutes were sufficient because the airport's MCT is only 45 minutes. In these cases, they may argue the missed connection was due to the passenger’s actions, not the delay itself.

However, these situations are often more nuanced. Security queues, terminal changes, and boarding cutoffs can all make tight connections unmanageable in practice, especially at large or understaffed airports. If the delay was the root cause and you ultimately arrived at your destination more than 3 hours late, the case may still qualify under EU261.

What Compensation Can You Get?

Under EU261, compensation depends on the total distance of your journey and the delay at your final destination, not just the leg that was disrupted.

Here are the standard amounts:

€250 for flights up to 1,500 km
€400 for flights between 1,500 km and 3,500 km
€600 for flights over 3,500 km (or between EU and non-EU destinations if the delay is 4+ hours)

Example: You book a trip from Milan to Madrid to Buenos Aires (one reservation). If the Madrid flight is delayed and you miss the Buenos Aires flight, arriving 5 hours late, you may be entitled to €600, depending on the cause.

Do Airlines Have to Reroute You?

Yes. If you miss your connection, the airline is required to offer rerouting to your final destination at no extra cost. Depending on availability, this could be on the next flight, with a partner airline, or even via alternative transport.

You also have the right to care and assistance while you wait:

Meals and refreshments
Hotel accommodation (if overnight stay is required)
Transport between the airport and hotel
Access to communication (e.g., free phone call or email)

If the airline doesn’t provide these, keep your receipts because you may be able to claim reimbursement later.

What If You Miss a Flight on Separate Tickets?

EU261 does not apply if your flights are on separate bookings (e.g., one airline to Frankfurt, another to Paris booked separately). In such cases, you're responsible for giving yourself enough layover time, and compensation won't be due if you miss the second flight due to a delay on the first.

Conclusion

Missed connections are stressful, but if you booked your flights under one reservation and arrive at your destination late due to the airline’s fault, you might be entitled to up to €600 in compensation. Keep all booking confirmations, note your actual arrival time, and don’t hesitate to claim your rights. Airlines may not offer compensation automatically, but under EU law, you have the right to ask for it.

Need help checking if your missed connection qualifies for compensation? Langround makes it simple. No win, no fee. Start your claim today.