Missed your connecting flight? Here's what to do first.
If both flights are on one ticket, the airline has to get you to your destination: it rebooks you on the next available flight at no charge, often automatically. Check the airline's app first, then the transfer desk. On separate tickets, the second airline usually treats you as a no-show, so you'll pay for a new flight unless you have insurance or a booking-site guarantee.
Updated October 2026
What to do, in order
- Open the airline app. Many airlines rebook missed connections automatically, often before you land.
- Call or chat while you walk. Phone and chat agents are often faster than the transfer desk line.
- Go to the transfer desk if you need a new boarding pass, a meal voucher or a hotel.
- Ask about partner airlines. On an alliance ticket, agents can sometimes move you to another airline's earlier flight.
- Keep receipts for meals, transport and hotels, in case you can claim them back.
Your rights, by where you're flying
Rules apply to the whole booking, judged on the delay at your final destination.
| Where | Rebooking | Compensation and care |
|---|---|---|
| EU (EU261): flights from the EU, or into it on an EU airline | Yes, free | €250–600 when you reach your final destination 3+ hours late for reasons within the airline's control, plus meals and a hotel if needed |
| UK (UK261) | Yes, free | £220–520 on the same terms as EU261 |
| United States | Yes, free on one ticket | No law requires cash for a delay, but major airlines commit to meal vouchers for long delays and a hotel for overnight disruptions they cause (see the DOT's customer service dashboard) |
| Separate tickets anywhere | No | Nothing from the second airline, unless your insurance or booking site covers it |
Did your bags make it?
On one ticket, checked bags follow your new booking, though they can arrive on a later flight than you. If they don't come out at your destination, file a report at the airline's baggage desk before you leave the airport.
Missing fewer connections
Most missed connections come from a delay that eats a layover that was only just long enough. Book a layover with real time to spare, especially arriving into the US from abroad (see how long a layover should be), sit near the front on a tight one, and know where your next gate is before you land. LYVR shows your connection's real time to spare, live security waits and the walk to the gate, so you know early whether to hurry.
The rest of the answer.
Will the airline rebook me for free if I miss my connection?
Yes, if both flights are on one ticket. The airline rebooks you on its next available flight, or a partner's, at no charge. On separate tickets it doesn't have to.
Do I get compensation for a missed connecting flight?
Under EU261 and UK261, yes, if the missed connection makes you reach your final destination 3 or more hours late for a reason within the airline's control: €250–600 (or £220–520) depending on distance. US law doesn't require cash compensation for delays.
Does the airline pay for a hotel if I miss my connection?
Under EU261 and UK261, yes, when you're stuck overnight. In the US, major airlines commit to a hotel when their own delay or cancellation strands you overnight, but not for weather.
What if I missed my connection because of a long security or customs line?
On one ticket, airlines usually still rebook you, but they don't owe you compensation. On separate tickets, you're treated as a no-show.
Will the rest of my ticket be cancelled if I miss a flight?
If you miss a flight because of the airline's delay, no. If you simply don't show up, airlines can cancel the rest of the booking, so call them right away.
See how much time your connection really has.
Free, in your browser. LYVR finds the layover, times every walk and fills the gap.
Plan my layover →About these numbers
Passenger rights summarized from Regulation (EC) 261/2004, the UK's retained version of it, and the US Department of Transportation's airline customer service dashboard. Rules have conditions and exceptions; check the official text and your airline's conditions of carriage.