Missed connection compensation: when a delayed first flight costs you the second
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Réponse rapide
If all flights were on one booking and you reached your final destination 3+ hours late because of a delayed or cancelled first flight, you are entitled to compensation calculated on the whole journey — even if the first delay was short and even if the connection was outside Europe. On separate tickets only the disrupted flight itself counts, and the missed onward flight is not covered.
Puis-je réclamer une indemnisation pour une correspondance manquée ?
Oui, lorsque les deux vols sont sur une même réservation : le retard se mesure à votre destination finale, et 250 €–600 € par passager sont dus à partir de 3 heures, sauf si la compagnie prouve une circonstance extraordinaire.
Cela s'applique-t-il à votre vol ?
Vous avez manqué une correspondance ?
Quelques questions courtes — pas encore besoin du numéro de vol. Vous obtenez un résultat préliminaire sur les faits indiqués ; la vérification complète le confirme à partir de l'itinéraire.
Déjà connu grâce à cette page
- Correspondance manquée
Avec quel retard êtes-vous arrivé à votre destination finale ?
Comptez le retard à l'ouverture des portes à votre destination finale, pas le retard au départ.
| Distance | UE / CH (règl. 261/2004) | UK261 |
|---|---|---|
| Jusqu'à 1 500 km | 250 € | 220 £GB |
| 1 500 – 3 500 km | 400 € | 350 £GB |
| Plus de 3 500 km, deux aéroports UE/EEE | 400 € | — |
| Plus de 3 500 km | 600 € | 520 £GB |
The single-booking rule
The Court of Justice treats connecting flights on a single reservation as one “flight” for the Regulation:
- the delay is measured at the final destination (Folkerts, C-11/11);
- the distance is the straight line from the first departure airport to the final destination (Bossen, C-559/16);
- a journey departing from an EU airport is covered as a whole, even when the connection and the delayed leg are outside the EU on a non-EU airline (Wegener, C-537/17; České aerolinie, C-502/18) — the EU airline that operated the first leg is liable.
Example: Lisbon → Frankfurt → Tokyo on one Lufthansa ticket. The Lisbon flight leaves 50 minutes late, you miss the Tokyo flight and arrive 9 hours late. Compensation: €600 (Lisbon–Tokyo is over 3,500 km).
Separate tickets
If you bought Lisbon–Frankfurt and Frankfurt–Tokyo separately (even from the same airline), they are separate contracts. The Lisbon flight’s own arrival delay (50 minutes) is below the threshold, so no compensation; the missed Tokyo flight is a no-show under the second contract. Some airlines rebook as goodwill, and the first flight’s cancellation would still trigger a refund of that flight — but the loss of the second ticket is not covered by the Regulation.
Inbound journeys into Europe
For a journey from a third country into the EU, the rules apply only if the operating carrier is an EU airline. Where the legs are on different carriers, coverage depends on which airline operated the disrupted leg and the terms of the booking — Horvera flags these as needing a closer look.
Minimum connection times
Missing a connection because you were slow through the airport is not the airline’s fault; missing it because the first flight was late is. Airlines sometimes argue the connection time was too short — irrelevant if they sold it as one ticket.
What to claim
Compensation for the whole journey, re-routing to the final destination, and care during the wait at the connection airport (meals, hotel if overnight). Claim from the airline that operated the first (delayed) flight, or the marketing airline of the single booking.
Questions fréquentes
Is compensation due if I missed my connection because the first flight was late?
Yes on a single booking: the delay is measured at your final destination and the distance band uses the whole journey, even if the first flight was only slightly late.
What if the two flights were booked separately?
Each booking stands alone. Compensation depends on the arrival delay of the first flight; the cost of the missed second flight is not recoverable under EU261 or UK261, though travel insurance may cover it.
Does it matter that the connection was outside the EU?
Not if the journey departed from the EU on one booking: a Paris–Doha–Bangkok ticket delayed at the Doha connection is assessed on the arrival in Bangkok, on any airline. On an EU airline the connection may also be assessed on the return.
Which distance is used for a connecting journey?
The great-circle distance between the first departure airport and the final destination, not the sum of the legs.
Sources
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-559/16 Bossen v Brussels Airlines — the distance is the great-circle distance between the first departure and the final destination
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-502/18 České aerolinie — the Community carrier operating the first leg is liable for a delay caused on a connecting leg operated by a non-EU carrier
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-11/11 Air France v Folkerts — compensation for connecting flights depends on the delay at the final destination
- Court of Justice of the European UnionCase C-537/17 Wegener v Royal Air Maroc — a journey with a connection under a single booking departing from an EU airport is covered as a whole
- European CommissionInterpretative Guidelines on Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (2016/C 214/04)
- European Parliament and CouncilRegulation (EC) No 261/2004 establishing common rules on compensation and assistance to passengers in the event of denied boarding and of cancellation or long delay of flights
Dernière revue juridique : 12 septembre 2026 · Contenu mis à jour : 12 septembre 2026
Correspondance manquée parce que le premier vol était en retard ?
Saisissez les deux vols ; la vérification mesure le retard à votre destination finale et vous dit si l'ensemble du trajet compte comme un seul vol.