Missed Connecting Flights: How to Claim and What to Do

Long trips usually involve layovers, and connection times are often extremely tight. If your first flight departs just 45 minutes late, it might be enough to see the doors of your connecting flight close right in front of you. What happens then?

Condition 1: All flights on the same booking (Same PNR)

To be fully legally protected against a Missed Connection, it is essential that all segments of your flight were purchased in a single, unique reservation. If you used Skyscanner and bought a separate Ryanair ticket to London, and then bought another separate British Airways ticket to New York, they are considered two independent contracts. In that scenario, if the Ryanair flight is delayed and you miss the British Airways flight, you are absolutely not covered and have no right to a guaranteed new flight.

If, instead, you bought your entire ticket from Madrid to New York (with a layover in London) in a single purchase with Iberia/British Airways (same PNR locator), you are 100% covered.

What must the airline do immediately?

If the delay of the first flight causes you to miss the connection (being on the same booking), the airline responsible for the delay is obligated to:
1) Provide you with a seat on the next available flight to your final destination.
2) Assist you at the connecting airport with food, drink, and if an overnight stay is necessary, accommodation and transport.

The Key to Financial Compensation (EC 261)

Here is where many people lose out on money. Financial compensation is not calculated based on the delay of the first leg or the stress experienced; it is based on the arrival time of your alternative flight to your FINAL destination.

Practical example: You fly from Berlin to Bangkok with a layover in Amsterdam. The initial Berlin to Amsterdam flight is delayed just 45 minutes, causing you to miss the connection. The airline puts you on the next plane to Bangkok 12 hours later.
Even if the first flight was "barely" delayed, your arrival at your final destination is now over 3 hours late. Therefore, you have the right to €600 in legal compensation.