Delay to connecting flights outside of the EU (first
flight leaving the EU)
A flight with one or more connections under a single
reservation constitutes a whole in the regulation on the rights of air
passengers. Accordingly, connecting flights of which the first flight was
performed from an EU airport fall within the scope of the passenger rights
regulation even if the second of those connecting flights was performed by a
non-Community carrier from and to a country which is not an EU Member State.
Therefore, the operating air carrier that has performed the first flight is
responsible for compensation even though the delayed flight was operated by a
non-EU carrier outside of the EU. However, your airline is only required to
provide compensation if you are booked on a through ticket. This means you have
a single ticket and one reservation reference for your entire journey.
Learn about
how your airline should help you if you miss a connecting flight, or your
connecting flight is disrupted, and what to do if it happens to you.
Many journeys by
air involve connecting flights. This is when you have to take more than one
flight to reach your destination. For instance, you might fly from Manchester
to London, then from London on to New York.
Under EU law, you
may be entitled to compensation from your airline if you miss a connection,
even if the initial delay causing you to miss the connection was under 3 hours. EU law also covers delays to a connecting
flight, whether the connecting flight departed from an EU or non EU airport.
To be covered by
these rules, your journey must either:
- depart from an EU airport
and operated by any airline
or
- arrive at an EU airport and
operated by an EU airline;
and
- the delay at your final destination is over three hours
(Under this law, EU
airports also include those in Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland.)
See the full country list
If your journey involves flights with airlines from different countries, it’s generally the
nationality of the airline at fault that determines your rights.
For instance, if a delay on your first flight causes you to miss your second, it’s the airline
operating the first flight that is responsible.
Are you on a through ticket?
Your airline is only required to provide compensation if you are booked on a through ticket.
This means you have a single ticket and one reservation reference for your entire journey. The
cause of you missing your connection must also be within the airline’s control.
If you or your travel agent booked the flights separately, then you are not covered by these
rules.
Claiming compensation
In some circumstances you may be able to claim compensation for your missed connection.
This depends on how late you arrive at your final destination and what
caused the delay.
The rules about compensation when you miss a connection are the same as for any other flight
delay.
Learn about your rights for:
What to do when you miss a connection
See what you should do if you’ve missed your connection.
I’ve missed my connection