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We’ve all been there. Our suitcase is ready and we are prepared to get a relaxing vacation but sadly, an announcement is made. The plane is rescheduled and the first flight is therefore delayed. We realize then that our connecting flight will not wait for us.

What happens if I miss my connecting flight through no fault of my own?

Missed connection: these are your rights

If something within your control causes you to miss the connection, you’re essentially on your own. The airline will probably help you re-book, but it’s under no obligation to do so.

But if the missed connection is the airline’s fault (mechanical problems or delayed flight), you are protected by the EU regulation 261/2004. Which regulation set out that the passenger might be entitled to compensations from the air carrier.

How can I get a compensation in the event of missed connection?

If the airline is responsible for the missed connection, you can claim a compensation. The amount is calculated based on the flight route, rather than the cost of the flight.

But a number of conditions need to be met for this effect to happen. So in case the flight that takes you to a layover is delayed and you ended up missing your connection, you might claim up to 600€. However, your overall travel time has to be affected cause the delay is calculated on the time of arrival at the final destination. For example, if your flight destination is outside the EU, it is possible to obtain 600€ compensation for a delayed flight of over 3.500 km.

Nonetheless, you need to bear in mind that airlines may invoke “extraordinary circumstances” to derogate from their obligation of compensation. So your rights are guaranteed by European Law but airlines are used to the abuse of this notion of “exceptional conditions” while the actual reason is far more under their responsibility.

From experience, the reasons given by the airlines to avoid compensating passengers are multiple and sometimes very complex. This is why you should not hesitate to use the services offered by RefundMyTicket.

About RefundMyTicket

Only 5% of eligible passengers claim their rights. Others, often misinformed or discouraged by multiple of obstacles just give up. And so, it is more than 1.7 million of passengers that annually abandon € 500 million to the airline companies. Nearly €5 billion unclaimed since the introduction of the EU legislation n°261/2004.

At RefundMyTicket, we are determined to enforce the rights of passengers around the world. So, our mission is to help passengers get their money back for delayed, canceled or overbooked flight. In that regard, we take the necessary steps to obtain the refunds due by the airline companies.

You could be one such passenger, check if you’re eligible here.