Whose fault is a missed connection?

If your flights were on a single ticket and the first leg ran late, the missed connection is generally the airline's responsibility to fix at no extra cost. On separate tickets, each airline may treat it as your problem — which is why the ticketing setup matters so much.

Will the airline rebook me for free if I miss my connection?

On a single ticket where the airline caused the delay, yes — they should rebook you onward without extra charge, and cover care if you're stranded overnight. Ask for the next flight, including partner carriers and nearby airports, to get home fastest.

Where should I go the second I land?

Head straight to the airline's transfer or rebooking desk, not the general check-in line — and get in the phone queue at the same time. Being first with a specific onward flight in mind is what gets you the last remaining seats.

Am I owed anything if I'm stuck overnight after a missed connection?

Often yes. If the airline caused the missed connection and you're stranded until morning, you can be owed a hotel, meals, and transport under duty of care — and possibly cash compensation like EU261 on covered routes. The two are separate; you can claim both.

Guide

Missed connection? What to do next

You watched the gate close from the jet bridge. The good news: if your missed connection was the airline's fault — a late inbound, a tight legal connection they sold you — getting you onward is their problem to fix. The bad news: an entire flight's worth of passengers just missed the same connection, and the first ones to the right desk get the last seats. Here's how to be first.

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1. Know who's responsible

If both flights were on one ticket and you missed the connection because the first leg ran late, the airline generally must rebook you onward at no extra cost — and cover care if you're stuck overnight. Separate tickets are riskier: each airline may treat the missed leg as your problem, so know which situation you're in.

2. Start rebooking before you deplane

The race starts the moment you know you'll miss it — ideally in the air. Open the airline app, call the airline, and note the next flights while you taxi. Doing this before you reach the terminal puts you ahead of the crowd walking off with you.

3. Go to the right place, fast

Head straight for the airline's transfer or rebooking desk (often near arrivals or the connection point), not the general check-in line. Get in the phone queue at the same time — whichever answers first wins. Two lines at once is how you skip the thirty-person wait.

4. Ask for a specific onward flight

Come with two or three concrete next options — flight numbers, times, and carriers, including partner airlines and nearby airports. 'Put me on the 4:50 partner flight' is far faster for an agent than an open search, and it surfaces routings the default screen may skip.

5. Claim care and compensation if you're stuck

If the next flight is tomorrow, ask for a hotel, meals, and transport under the airline's duty of care. And if the delay to your final destination is long enough on a covered route, note that you may be owed cash compensation like EU261 — separate from getting rebooked. Document the cause and times.

Know your next flight before you land

Don't wait to find out your options at the desk. Paste your itinerary and Reroute maps the next realistic flights across every carrier and nearby airport, so you land already knowing exactly which onward flight to request.

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Already saw your instant recovery route above? This is for a trip that hasn't broken yet. Paste an upcoming itinerary and we'll email a ranked backup route to keep on hand — so if that flight melts down at the gate, you already know your fastest way home.

Check what your airline owes you →Use the free compensation checker to see, in under a minute, whether a missed connection entitles you to rebooking, meals, a hotel, or cash compensation under EU261 / UK261 or US DOT rules.

Frequently asked questions

Whose fault is a missed connection?: If your flights were on a single ticket and the first leg ran late, the missed connection is generally the airline's responsibility to fix at no extra cost. On separate tickets, each airline may treat it as your problem — which is why the ticketing setup matters so much.
Will the airline rebook me for free if I miss my connection?: On a single ticket where the airline caused the delay, yes — they should rebook you onward without extra charge, and cover care if you're stranded overnight. Ask for the next flight, including partner carriers and nearby airports, to get home fastest.
Where should I go the second I land?: Head straight to the airline's transfer or rebooking desk, not the general check-in line — and get in the phone queue at the same time. Being first with a specific onward flight in mind is what gets you the last remaining seats.
Am I owed anything if I'm stuck overnight after a missed connection?: Often yes. If the airline caused the missed connection and you're stranded until morning, you can be owed a hotel, meals, and transport under duty of care — and possibly cash compensation like EU261 on covered routes. The two are separate; you can claim both.

Weekly data · free to cite

State of US flight cancellations this week

Updated Friday, October 9, 2026 · 7/7 days disrupted · ↓ 33% better than last week See the data →

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