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I missed my connection on separate tickets: what to do

By Joel Hanson, who builds Wheels Up ยท

A traveller blurs past a bank of flight information screens in an airport terminal
Photo: Angelyn Sanjorjo on Pexels

Short answer: contact the airline for your second flight before it departs, explain you're delayed, and ask what they can do. If you just don't turn up, many airlines cancel the rest of your booking, including your return.

On separate tickets, neither airline is responsible for the connection, so expect to pay for a change or a new ticket. Your rights against the first airline still apply to the first flight.

You booked two cheaper tickets instead of one connecting fare, and your first flight ran late. Now the second plane is boarding without you. Here's what to do, in order, and what each airline does and doesn't owe you.

1 callto your second airline before its flight leaves is the most important thing you can do. Not showing up can cost you every flight after it.

Why separate tickets are different

When both flights are on one booking, the airline knows you're connecting. If the first flight is late, it usually rebooks you onto a later flight. Under EU rules, it may owe you compensation if you reach your final destination 3 hours or more late.

On separate tickets, each airline only knows about its own flight. The second airline sees a passenger who didn't turn up. And on some airlines, missing one flight on a booking means the rest of that booking can be cancelled. American Airlines, for example, says that if you don't show up for one segment, it "may cancel your reservations on all remaining flight segments."

1Call the second airline now, not at the gate

As soon as you know you'll miss the second flight, contact that airline through its app, chat or phone line. Tell them you're delayed on another airline and ask:

Doing this before the flight leaves keeps your options open. Once it has gone and you're marked as a no-show, the fare may be worth nothing.

2Compare rebooking with a new one-way ticket

A change fee plus the fare difference can cost more than a new one-way ticket, especially on budget airlines. Check both before you accept anything. If you buy a new ticket, still tell the original airline you won't be on the flight, so any later flights on that booking aren't cancelled.

3Sort out your bags

On separate tickets, your bags usually aren't checked through to the final airport. You'll often need to collect them, go through immigration if it's an international arrival, and check them in again. Allow for that when you choose a new flight.

4Claim what the first airline owes you

Your missed second flight isn't the first airline's problem, but its own delay still is. If that flight was covered by EU rules and reached its destination 3 hours or more late for a reason within the airline's control, you may be owed compensation for it. Keep your boarding passes and note the actual arrival time. How flight delay compensation works.

5Check your travel insurance

Some travel insurance policies cover the cost of a missed connection, including new tickets and hotels. Check your policy wording before you spend money, and keep every receipt.

Next time you book separate tickets

  • Leave a long gap between the flights, longer than you'd need on one booking
  • Add time to collect and recheck bags, and for immigration
  • Avoid connecting onto the last flight of the day
  • Save both airlines' contact details before you fly
  • Check whether your travel insurance covers missed connections

Airlines' rules on missed flights, changes and no-shows differ, and depend on your fare and where you bought the ticket. Check your booking conditions or ask the airline directly. This is general information, not legal advice.

Questions people ask

Will the second airline wait for me?

No. On separate tickets the second airline doesn't know your first flight exists, so it has no reason to hold the plane or rebook you. That's the main difference from a connection booked on one ticket.

Can I get compensation if my first flight was late?

Possibly, for the first flight alone. EU rules judge the delay at the destination on that booking, so if your first flight itself arrived 3 hours or more late for a reason within the airline's control, you may be owed compensation for it. The missed second flight isn't counted.

Is it ever safe to book separate tickets?

It can be cheaper and it often works, but you carry the risk. Leave a long gap between the flights, allow time to collect and recheck bags, and avoid relying on the last flight of the day.

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