> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.sosflights.help/blog/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Missed your connecting flight because of a delay? Do this - URL: https://www.sosflights.help/blog/missed-connecting-flight-delay/ - Published: 2026-10-11T08:01:48.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-11T12:23:21.000Z - Description: Your first flight was late and you missed the connection. Check if it's one ticket, go to the transfer desk, and ask for a new flight, food and a hotel. - Author: Codeblocks - Tags: Travel Help, Missed Connection > **Short answer:** First, check if both flights are on one booking. If yes, the airline must get you to your final destination. Go straight to the transfer desk and ask for the next flight, food and a hotel if needed. On separate tickets, the second airline owes you nothing. Keep every receipt. You land late. You run. The gate is closed and the plane is pushing back. Stop running. The next 20 minutes decide whether you fly tonight. One question matters most: is this one ticket or two? ## Do this now 1. **Open your booking.** Do both flights share one booking reference? That is one ticket. 2. **Go to the transfer desk.** Look for "Transfer", "Connections" or your airline's service desk. Do not exit to arrivals. 3. **While you queue, call or chat with the airline.** Whoever answers first rebooks you. 4. **Search the next flights yourself.** Include partner airlines and nearby airports. Note the flight numbers. 5. **Screenshot everything.** The delay on the first flight, your boarding passes, and the departure board. 6. **Ask for meal vouchers and a hotel** if the next flight is hours away or tomorrow. Keep every receipt. ## What to say at the desk > "My first flight was delayed and I missed my connection. Both flights are on one booking. Under EU Regulation 261/2004 I am asking for re-routing to my final destination at the earliest opportunity, including partner airlines. I also need meal vouchers and, if needed, a hotel with transport." Have the alternative flight number ready. A specific request gets a faster yes. More lines: what to say at the airline desk. ![Missed connecting flight because of delay](https://www.sosflights.help/blog/content/images/2026/10/missed-connecting-flight-delay-inline.webp) Missed connecting flight because of delay · Illustration: SOS Flights ## One ticket or separate tickets? | | One booking | Separate tickets | | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- | | Who rebooks you | The airline that sold the trip | You, on your own | | New flight to final destination | Owed | Not owed by the 2nd airline | | Food and hotel at the layover | Owed under EU rules | Not owed by the 2nd airline | | Compensation | Based on arrival delay at final destination | Only for the delayed flight itself | One booking protects you. Separate tickets usually do not. ## Missed connection: what happens on one ticket? The airline treats your trip as one journey. Its job is to get you to your final destination. You can ask for: - **Re-routing at the earliest opportunity.** This can mean a partner airline or a nearby airport. - **Re-routing at a later date** that suits you. - **A refund** if the trip no longer makes sense. You also get a flight back to where you started, if needed. You choose. Don't accept a flight tomorrow without asking about partner flights tonight. Ask for a specific flight by number. A connecting flight cancelled outright works the same way. See connecting flight cancelled on one ticket. For the full cancellation checklist: [flight cancelled? what to do](https://www.sosflights.help/blog/flight-cancelled-what-to-do/). ## First flight delayed, I missed my connection. Who pays the hotel? On one booking under EU rules, the airline owes you care while you wait: - Meals and refreshments in reasonable relation to the wait. - Two phone calls, emails or messages. - A hotel if you must stay overnight. - Transport between the airport and the hotel. This care is owed **even if the delay came from weather or air traffic control**. Those causes can cancel compensation. They do not cancel food and a bed. No vouchers, no desk, no answer? Book a reasonable hotel and meals yourself. Keep the receipts and claim them back later. Full guide: missed connection overnight: who pays the hotel. Also useful: [stranded at the airport overnight](https://www.sosflights.help/blog/stranded-at-airport-overnight/). ## Who pays for a missed connecting flight on separate tickets? Often, no one but you. Each ticket is its own contract. The second airline owes you nothing for a missed connection caused by the first. That means no free rebooking and no hotel from the second airline. Your first airline still owes you its own rights for its own delay. What to do now: - Ask the second airline about a change fee to a later flight. Sometimes it is cheaper than a new ticket. - Check if your booking site sold a transfer guarantee. Read its terms. - Compare one-way fares on other airlines. Step by step: missed a self-transfer on separate tickets. Short layover to blame? Read missed a connection with a short layover. ## Compensation is homework for next week On one booking, compensation is based on your delay at the final destination. It is not based on the first flight's delay. Arrive 3 hours or more late and you may be owed €250, €400 or €600 per passenger. The amount depends on distance. It can be halved if re-routing gets you there only slightly late. The airline can refuse if the cause was truly extraordinary, like a storm. Tonight, focus on getting there. Claim later. Quick sheet: [delayed 3 hours or more](https://www.sosflights.help/en/help/flight-delayed-3-hours?ref=sosflights.help). ## FAQ **What happens if I miss my connecting flight because of a delay?** On one booking, the airline must re-route you to your final destination. Go to the transfer desk and ask for the next available flight. **Who pays if I miss a connecting flight?** On one booking, the airline. It owes a new flight, meals and a hotel if needed. On separate tickets, the second airline owes you nothing. **Can they put me on a partner airline?** Yes. Re-routing at the earliest opportunity can include other airlines and nearby airports. Ask for a specific flight by number. **Do I get a hotel at the layover airport?** On one booking under EU rules, yes, if you must stay overnight. Transport to the hotel is included. Keep receipts if you pay yourself. **Do I get compensation for a missed connection?** Possibly. On one booking it depends on your delay at the final destination. 3 hours or more can mean €250 to €600 per passenger. **My tickets were booked separately. Is there anything I can do?** Ask the second airline for a paid change, check any transfer guarantee, and compare new fares. Claim from the first airline for its delay. --- Missed your connection and no one is helping? [Get a human on your case now](https://www.sosflights.help/en?ref=sosflights.help). Arriving 3 hours or more late: see [the 3-hour delay quick sheet](https://www.sosflights.help/en/help/flight-delayed-3-hours?ref=sosflights.help). *Advice only, not legal advice. Rights summarised from Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, CJEU cases C-402/07 and C-11/11, and the European Commission's air passenger rights pages. Updated 10 October 2026.* ## Related guides - [Flight cancelled? What to do in the next 30 minutes](https://www.sosflights.help/blog/flight-cancelled-what-to-do/) - [Stranded at the airport overnight? What the airline owes you](https://www.sosflights.help/blog/stranded-at-airport-overnight/)