Missed Connections: Your Rights and Compensation
Your first flight left 40 minutes late, the connecting flight did not wait, and you reached your destination six hours behind schedule. The airline says "the first flight was only 40 minutes late"; the law says otherwise: on a single booking, what counts is the delay at your final destination. This page explains which missed connections pay compensation, the crucial difference between one ticket and separate tickets, and what you are owed at the transfer airport.
The basic rule: final destination
Under the Court of Justice's Folkerts judgment (C-11/11), compensation on a connecting journey depends on how late you arrive at the final destination, not on the delay of the first leg. If a 30-minute delay makes you miss the connection and you arrive 3 hours or more late, you are owed the full amount. Turkish courts apply the same approach to SHY-Passenger claims.
One booking or separate tickets?
| Single booking (one PNR) | Separate tickets | |
|---|---|---|
| How to tell | All legs share one booking reference; baggage is tagged through | Separate references and separate payments |
| If you miss the connection | The airline must re-route you free of charge | You are a no-show on the second flight; a new ticket is needed |
| Compensation | €250–600 if final arrival is 3+ hours late | Only if the delayed first flight itself arrived 3+ hours late |
| Care (meals, hotel) | Yes | Only for the delayed flight |
Tickets sold under one PNR — by one airline or by code-share partners — are a single booking. The Court has held that even when the connection takes place outside the EU (e.g. Berlin–Istanbul–Bangkok), the whole journey is covered by EC 261 if the first departure was from the EU (Wegener C-537/17, České aerolinie C-502/18).
How the amount is calculated
Distance is measured from the first departure airport to the final destination; the transfer point is ignored.
| Total distance | Compensation | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 | Antalya – Istanbul – Sofia |
| 1,500 – 3,500 km | €400 | Izmir – Istanbul – Frankfurt |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 | Ankara – Istanbul – New York |
See the amount for your route in the compensation calculator.
Your rights at the transfer airport
- Re-routing: the airline must get you to your destination at the earliest opportunity, on another carrier if necessary.
- Care: meals in proportion to the wait, two calls or e-mails, a hotel and transfers if you stay overnight.
- Refund: if the trip no longer makes sense, the unused segments plus a free flight back to your origin.
- Baggage: if your bag travelled on a different flight, delivery is the airline's job; delayed baggage can be claimed separately under the Montreal Convention.
Common airline objections
| The airline says | The reality |
|---|---|
| "The first flight was only 45 minutes late." | The delay at the final destination counts (Folkerts). |
| "Your connection time was too short — your risk." | The connection was sold by the airline within its own minimum connecting time; the risk is theirs. |
| "The second flight belongs to another airline." | On a single booking the debtor is the airline that operated the delayed leg; on a code-share, the ticketing carrier is also liable. |
| "The connection was outside the EU." | If the first departure was from the EU, the whole single booking is covered. |
Steps to take
- Keep all boarding passes and the booking confirmation — the easiest proof of a single PNR.
- Ask for your new flight in writing at the transfer airport; keep the meal/hotel vouchers and your own receipts.
- Note your actual arrival time (door opening) — compensation is calculated from it.
- Submit the claim form; we assess it for free and run the airline and, if necessary, court process. Fees only on success.
Frequently asked questions
I bought the tickets separately but from the same airline.
Separate booking references mean two independent contracts; the first flight's delay creates no rights on the second. Some airlines rebook as a courtesy, but it is not an obligation.
I missed the connection but was put on a flight two hours later.
If your final arrival is less than 3 hours late, no compensation is due; care rights during the wait still apply.
Passport control took too long and I missed the flight.
A miss caused by something outside the airline's control does not pay compensation — unless the first flight's delay is what made you late for control.
Related: delayed flights, cancelled flights.
Missed your connection because of the airline? Submit your claim and get a free assessment within 48 hours.
Informational only; based on EC 261/2004, the SHY-Passenger Regulation and the CJEU rulings cited, as in force at publication. Not legal advice.