You missed your connection because your first flight was late. You're stuck in a foreign airport. What you're entitled to demand comes down to one single question: did you buy your journey on one ticket, or on two separate bookings?
That distinction decides everything — your right to rerouting, your right to a hotel, and your right to compensation of up to €600. It's rarely explained clearly, and airlines do nothing to clear up the confusion.
One Ticket or Two Separate Bookings — the Question That Decides Your Rights
✓ Single ticket (one PNR)
The airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination. If you miss the connection because your first flight was late, it must reroute you free of charge, cover meals and a hotel if needed, and compensate you if you arrive 3+ hours late.
✗ Two separate tickets (two PNRs)
You alone carry the transit risk. The first airline owes you no rerouting on the second ticket. You may be entitled to compensation for the first flight's delay — but your second ticket is gone.
On a single ticket: the airline must get you to your destination
A single ticket — technically, one PNR (booking reference) covering the whole journey — puts the responsibility for carriage on the airline. If your Paris–Frankfurt flight is late and you miss your Frankfurt–Tokyo connection, the airline has to sort it out.
It doesn't matter that the two segments are on different aircraft, or even on two partner airlines under a codeshare: if you bought one ticket, the contracting carrier is responsible for carrying you all the way to your final destination. That's what EC Regulation 261/2004 and the case law of the Court of Justice of the European Union confirm.
The Court has established that when a passenger misses a connection on a single ticket because of a delay on the first flight, and arrives at their final destination 3 or more hours late, they hold the same compensation rights as for a cancellation. The delay at arrival, not departure, is the measure that counts.
On two separate tickets: you carry the transit risk alone
Two separate tickets means two independent bookings — two distinct PNRs. You bought Paris–Frankfurt from one airline and Frankfurt–Tokyo from another, separately. The first airline has no commitment whatsoever regarding your connection.
If the first flight is late and you miss the second, you have no right to rerouting on the second ticket. Your recourse is limited to possible compensation for the first flight's delay — if EC261 applies and the 3-hour threshold is met on that first segment. Your second ticket is simply lost.
This is the situation travellers regularly end up in after combining fares from different airlines on comparison sites. The saving made at booking can cost dearly when something goes wrong.
Your Rights After a Missed Connection on a Single Ticket
Free rerouting
The airline's first obligation is to carry you to your final destination "at the earliest opportunity". It must offer an alternative — on its own flights, or on a partner airline if necessary. This rerouting is free: no fare difference, no seat repurchase.
If the options offered don't work for you, you can refuse and request a full refund of your ticket, plus a return flight to your departure point at the airline's expense. You can also sort yourself out by buying a new ticket on another airline — in that case, keep every receipt: those costs are recoverable within reason.
Care while you wait
While waiting for your replacement flight, the airline must provide:
- Meals and refreshments proportionate to the waiting time, once the wait exceeds 2 hours
- Hotel accommodation if the rerouting means an overnight stay, with airport–hotel transfers included
- Two means of communication (phone call or email)
These rights apply immediately, independently of any financial compensation. If the airline doesn't spontaneously offer meal vouchers, ask for them explicitly at the desk. If you have to pay upfront, keep every receipt — costs are reimbursable within reason.
Financial compensation if you arrive 3+ hours late
If you reach your final destination 3 or more hours behind schedule, you're entitled to:
| Total distance (departure → final destination) | Compensation |
|---|---|
| Flights ≤ 1,500 km | €250 per passenger |
| Intra-EU flights > 1,500 km, or other flights 1,500–3,500 km | €400 per passenger |
| Flights > 3,500 km (non-EU) | €600 per passenger |
The distance that counts is the total distance between your original departure point and your final destination — not the delayed segment. A Paris–Tokyo via Frankfurt is calculated on the basis of Paris–Tokyo.
The compensation can be halved if the airline reroutes you and you arrive at your final destination less than 2 to 4 hours late (depending on distance) compared to the original schedule.
What to Do at the Airport
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1Go straight to your airline's desk
Not the airport's general help desk. Your airline — the one listed on your ticket as the contracting carrier.
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2Request rerouting explicitly
Use the words: "I am requesting free rerouting to my final destination under EC Regulation 261/2004." That phrasing signals you know your rights and usually speeds things up.
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3Ask for care vouchers
If the wait exceeds 2 hours: meal vouchers. If it's overnight: a hotel. Don't pay out of pocket if the airline can issue these documents on the spot.
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4Document everything
Photograph the departure boards showing the time and status. Keep both original boarding passes. Note the exact time you reach your final destination.
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5Get it in writing
Ask the airline for a written document confirming the first flight's delay and the stated reason. Useful if the airline later tries to invoke extraordinary circumstances.
The Situations That Complicate Things
A connection sold below the official MCT
Every airport publishes an MCT (Minimum Connection Time) — the official minimum time required to make a connection in its terminals. If the airline sold you a connection with a transit time below the airport's official MCT, it sold a connection that was technically impossible under normal conditions. The missed connection stems from a flaw in the itinerary's design, not an unforeseen event — which strengthens your position in a dispute.
Codeshare and interline — who's responsible?
A codeshare flight (two flight numbers on the same aircraft) or an interline itinerary (segments on two airlines sold on a single ticket) doesn't change the fundamental rule: the airline that issued your ticket — the contracting carrier — is responsible for carriage to your final destination. If your Air France ticket covers a segment operated by KLM, you deal with Air France.
Extraordinary circumstances — when the airline escapes compensation
The airline can refuse the financial compensation — but never the rerouting or the care — if it proves the cause qualifies as unavoidable "extraordinary circumstances". The legal list is strict: exceptional weather, political instability, security risks, airspace closures, air traffic control strikes.
What is not an extraordinary circumstance under European case law: a technical fault on the aircraft (except a hidden manufacturing defect), a strike by the airline's own staff, an internal operational decision.
Your connection, monitored in real time
Flight Guardian detects the moment your first flight starts slipping and assesses the risk to your connection — before you're stranded at the airport. If the EC261 threshold is reached, the assessment of your rights is ready the moment you need it.
Activate flight monitoring →Frequently Asked Questions
I missed my connection because my first flight was late — who do I go to?
The desk of the airline that issued your ticket (the contracting carrier), not necessarily the one operating the delayed flight. On a single multi-airline ticket, the issuing airline is responsible for the whole journey.
My connection was on two separately purchased tickets — do I still have rights?
Not on the second ticket. On the first, you may be compensated if its delay exceeds 3 hours at the arrival of that first segment and EC261 applies to that flight. But your recourse is limited to the first segment only — the second ticket is lost.
How long do I have to file a claim for a missed connection?
France: 5 years from the flight date. Germany: 3 years. UK (UK261): 6 years. Belgium: 1 year is recommended in practice. After that, your right to compensation lapses.
The airline offered a voucher instead of compensation — do I have to accept?
No. You're entitled to payment in cash (bank transfer). A voucher cannot be imposed on you. If you accept one, you usually waive your rights for that flight — read the conditions before signing anything.
The airline is blaming the weather to refuse compensation — is that valid?
Sometimes. Exceptional weather is a legally recognised extraordinary circumstance. But "weather" is also airlines' default excuse. If the disruption was foreseeable and known well in advance, case law tends to narrow the exemption. Always ask for a written document stating the exact cause.