What happens if you miss your connecting flight?
If both flights are on one ticket and the first one ran late, the airline puts you on its next flight with a seat, at no charge. If you booked the two flights separately, the second airline owes you nothing and you buy a new ticket.
A free hotel comes only when the airline caused the delay, and in the US that promise sits in each airline's own plan with no law behind it. Leave from the EU or the UK and the rules change: rebooking, meals and a room are owed whatever the cause.25
One ticket or two decides who carries the risk
Look at your confirmation email. One booking reference covering both flights, and one ticket number for the whole trip, means one ticket. American, for one, issues a 13 digit ticket number for each ticket, and its refund form asks for it.10
Two confirmations, two booking references, or a booking site that labels the trip "self-transfer" means separate tickets. Each airline then deals only with its own flight.
One ticket
- The airline that sold the ticket rebooks you when the first flight makes you miss the second.
- Your checked bag is normally tagged to the final airport.
- In the EU and UK the whole booking counts as one journey, so rights follow the first departure point.4
On one ticket, the airline rebooks you on its next flight
No US federal rule requires rebooking.1 It comes from each airline's contract of carriage and customer service plan, and every large US airline we read promises a seat on its next available flight.
Some go further. Alaska and Hawaiian rebook you on a partner airline on request when their own next flight is the following day and they caused the delay.12 Frontier says it has no obligation to put you on another airline.11
You can turn the new flight down. When the airline cancels a flight, or delays or changes it significantly (3 hours on a domestic trip, 6 hours on an international one, or an extra connection), US law gives you a full refund if you choose not to travel.1 Accept the rebooking and fly, and that refund right ends.14
Who caused the delay decides what else you get
Rebooking is the floor almost everywhere. Meals, a room and cash depend on the cause and on where the trip started. Pick a cause in the filter to see one column of outcomes.
| Where the trip starts | Who caused it | Rebooking | Meals and hotel | Cash compensation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US, one ticket | The airline | Next flight with a seat, at no charge (airline plans)1 | Meals from 3 hours and a hotel overnight at most large US airlines. Frontier promises meals only.11 Airline by airline | None required by law. Some airlines add vouchers or points.1 |
| US, one ticket | Weather or air traffic control | Next flight with a seat, at no charge (airline plans) | None. The plans exclude these causes.12 | None1 |
| US, separate tickets | The airline | The first airline rebooks its own flight only. The onward ticket may be cancelled as a no-show.9 | From the first airline, for its own delay | None for the onward ticket |
| US, separate tickets | Weather or air traffic control | The first airline rebooks its own flight only | None | None |
| Leaving the EU (any airline) | The airline | To your final destination at the earliest opportunity (Article 8)2 | Meals, and a hotel with transfers when an overnight stay becomes necessary (Article 9)2 | EUR 250, 400 or 600 by distance (Article 7)2 |
| Leaving the EU (any airline) | Weather or air traffic control | Owed whatever the cause2 | Owed whatever the cause2 | Not owed. Recital 15 names air traffic management decisions.3 |
| Leaving the UK (any airline) | The airline | Owed (Article 8)4 | Food, drink and a hotel overnight. If the airline arranges nothing, buy reasonable care and claim it back with receipts.5 | GBP 220, 350 or 520 (Article 7)4 |
| Leaving the UK (any airline) | Weather or air traffic control | Owed (Article 8)4 | Owed "regardless of the reason for the delay"5 | Not owed. Article 2(o)(b) covers air traffic management decisions.4 |
| To, from or within Canada | The airline | Next flight on the airline or a partner within 48 hours, then any airline for a large carrier6 | Meals and a hotel (section 14)6 | CAD 400, 700 or 1,000 by arrival delay, large carriers (section 19)6 |
| To, from or within Canada | Weather or air traffic control | Same 48 hour rebooking rule7 | Not owed6 | Not owed6 |
Rules read on the law or the regulator's own page, checked 15 November 2026. EU and UK thresholds for care: 2, 3 or 4 hours by distance.
International trips can also support a claim for proven costs under the Montreal Convention, capped at 6,303 Special Drawing Rights for delay, unless the airline shows it took all reasonable measures.8 Claims must reach a court within 2 years.
Stuck overnight, the hotel depends on your airline's own plan
In the US no federal rule requires meals, hotels or ground transport for a delay or cancellation, whatever the cause.1 Most large airlines promise a room only when they caused the overnight stay. The hotel page lists each airline's wording and clause.
Your checked bag follows the ticket. On one ticket it normally travels on with you to the rebooked flight; on separate tickets it comes off at the connecting airport and waits for you at the carousel.
Miss it yourself and the rest of the trip can be cancelled
Delta's page is blunt: if you miss your flight, your entire itinerary including the return trip may be cancelled under its contract (U.S. General Rule 14.C, International General Rule 60.C.3).9 The same page says to contact Delta immediately if you cannot make a flight.
Call or message the airline before the flight leaves. A "flat tire rule" for late passengers is described widely online, but Delta's missed flights page does not mention it.9 Treat any same-day help as goodwill.
The US refund rule does not cover a flight you missed yourself. It applies when the airline cancels or significantly changes the flight.1
Insurers set their own minimum connection times
Airlines publish a minimum connection time for each airport, and a ticket sold as one booking already meets it. If that connection fails, the airline rebooks you.
Insurance is stricter. A missed connection benefit can refuse a claim when the gap on your itinerary was short, even though the airline sold it.
- AIG Travel Guard: no missed connection cover where the itinerary allowed under 1 hour between domestic flights or under 2 hours between international ones.15
- Cover-More Australia: needs at least 90 minutes between connections.16
- Admiral's Enhanced Trip Disruption add-on (UK): 90 minutes between international legs, 30 minutes within the UK.17
- 1Cover (Australia): no missed connection payment where the scheduled layover was under 4 hours.18
- RBC Avion Visa Infinite (Canada): excludes connections shorter than the carrier recommends.19
We have not yet compiled airline minimum connection times by airport.
Most US travel policies pay a missed connection only for weather or breakdowns
A missed connection benefit pays for the extra costs of catching up with your trip: a later flight, a night's room, meals. Several US policies list the causes that count, and air traffic control is missing from most of those lists. Canadian and card cover is more often open on cause.
Blank cells mean the figure was not in the wording read. Policies bought after a disruption is known exclude it.14
| Product | Market | Starts after | Pays up to | Causes and limits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Faye travel plan | US | Delay of more than 3 hours | US$500 | Flight disruption, weather or cruise delays20 |
| Berkshire Hathaway ExactCare Extra | US | A missed connection | US$100 fixed per flight | The wording read has no list of causes21 |
| AIG Travel Guard Preferred and Deluxe | US | Itinerary must allow 1 hour domestic, 2 hours international | Airline must document cause and length of the delay15 | |
| Allianz OneTrip | US | Pays travel delay or missed connection for one event, never both22 | ||
| Generali Standard, Preferred and Premium | US | Delay of 3 hours or more | Mechanical breakdown or adverse weather. Air traffic control is absent23 | |
| Cover-More US | US | Traffic accident, carrier mechanical breakdown or adverse weather only24 | ||
| Nationwide Travel Prime and Essential | US | Tied to documented weather25 | ||
| World Nomads (US residents) | US | Explorer and Epic plans only26 | ||
| Manulife CoverMe | Canada | Arrive 6 hours or more late | C$1,000, less anything the carrier pays | Any carrier delay, schedule change or cancellation27 |
| TuGo Traveller | Canada | No hour threshold when the delay causes the miss | C$350 a day to C$1,500, plus unused prepaid costs and a one-way economy fare | No cause test28 |
| CAA Travel Insurance | Canada | No hour threshold when a delay or cancellation causes the miss | C$4,000 overall, C$400 a day | No cause test29 |
| American Express Canada Platinum | Canada | No alternative within 4 hours | C$1,000 per occurrence, shared with delay and baggage | No cause test30 |
| RBC Avion Visa Infinite | Canada | 4 hours after the missed connection | C$250 a day per person, C$500 per occurrence | No cause test. Too little connection time excluded19 |
| Cover-More Australia Comprehensive | Australia | At least 90 minutes between connections | A$3,000 | Prepaid transport cancelled, delayed or rescheduled. A government intervention exclusion could be raised16 |
| Medibank International Comprehensive | Australia | First leg 3 hours late international, 2 hours domestic | A$3,000 | 90 minutes minimum between connections31 |
| Staysure Basic, Comprehensive and Signature | UK | GBP 500, or GBP 1,000 on Signature | Scheduled public transport delayed or cancelled, with no cause list32 | |
| American Express UK Platinum | UK | Late previous flight and no alternative within 4 hours | Open on cause33 | |
| ERGO standard tariffs | Germany | Delay over 2 hours | EUR 500 per person in extra travel costs | Excludes acts of state authority34 |
| Chapka Cap Multi Voyages | France | More than 4 hours on a scheduled flight | EUR 300 per event | Excludes an aircraft withdrawal ordered by aviation authorities35 |
| Mitsui Sumitomo flight delay rider | Japan | No replacement within 6 hours | JPY 20,000 per delay | 36 |
| JCB premium cards | Japan | No replacement within 4 hours | JPY 20,000 | The fare must be paid on the card37 |
| Tata AIG international | India | US$500 to US$1,000 by plan, less a US$50 to US$100 deductible | Return journey only. No list of causes38 | |
| Samsung Fire overseas travel | South Korea | 2 hours | Fixed sums up to KRW 200,000 | Domestic connecting flights inside the destination country are excluded39 |
Read in each provider's own policy wording or benefit page, checked 15 November 2026. Every insurance position on the main page.
On 13 November 2026 the domestic leg stranded travellers from overseas
The FAA stopped every departure in the US from 3:54pm to 8:15pm ET, a stop of 4 hours 21 minutes.13 About 1.5 million passengers were booked on flights scheduled after 4pm ET.41
For visitors the exposed flight was the domestic one. About 26% of overseas visitors flew between US cities in 2025, roughly 8,915,000 people.40 A French travel site warned that a US connection could be lost even when the transatlantic flight operated.42
The big connecting hubs lost the most flights on Friday
Friday cancellations by airport, one local report each, compiled on the main page. 43444546474849
What connecting passengers met
- A Delta flight from Chicago to Los Angeles scheduled for 2:32pm left at 8:39pm.50
- A traveller at San Francisco asked for meal and hotel vouchers and was told the airline was not at fault. She got a standby seat on an 11:00pm flight.50
- A couple travelling to Sydney expected to miss their cruise after a missed connection.51
- Delta's waiver covered travel on 13 to 15 November, with rebooking by 22 November.52
- No US airline's page offered hotels or meals.53
Insurance had its own gaps. Samsung Fire, for example, excludes domestic connecting flights inside the destination country.39 Kakao Pay Insurance does not count separately bought tickets as a connection.54
What to do in the first hour
- Open the airline's app and email before you queue. On one ticket a new itinerary may already be waiting.
- Join the desk queue and call or message the airline at the same time. Take the first workable flight.
- Ask what caused the delay and ask for it in writing. Insurers want the airline's own statement of the cause and the length of the delay.15
- If the airline caused it, ask for meal and hotel vouchers. Leaving the EU or UK, ask whatever the cause.5
- On separate tickets, contact the second airline before its flight leaves, or the rest of your booking may be cancelled.9
- Keep every receipt. Refunds and goodwill payments from the airline are deducted from insurance claims.22
- Decide between the new flight and a refund before you fly. Travelling on the rebooking ends the refund right.14
The claim tool writes the refund, expense and insurance letters for a cancelled or delayed flight, with the official page to send each one.
Questions people ask
What happens if you miss a connecting flight due to not enough time?
On one ticket the airline sold that connection as long enough, so it rebooks you on its next flight with a seat at no charge. On separate tickets the gap was your choice and the second airline owes you nothing. Some insurers also refuse short connections: AIG Travel Guard needs 1 hour domestic and 2 hours international.
Is 45 minutes enough time to get a connecting flight?
If the airline sold it on one ticket, the airline rebooks you if you miss it. The risk sits with insurance: several policies refuse missed connection claims below their own minimum, such as 90 minutes for Cover-More Australia and international legs on Admiral's add-on.
Will a connecting flight wait for you?
No US rule requires it, and no airline plan we read promises it. Expect to be rebooked on the next flight with a seat.
Is 30 minutes enough time to catch a connecting flight?
An airline only sells a connection that meets its minimum for that airport, and rebooks you if it fails. Admiral's Enhanced Trip Disruption add-on accepts 30 minutes only within the UK.
How much time is too little for a connecting flight?
For insurance, below the policy minimum: 1 hour domestic and 2 hours international for AIG Travel Guard, 90 minutes for Cover-More Australia, 4 hours for 1Cover. For the airline, nothing it sold on one ticket is too short to rebook.
Who is responsible if I miss a connecting flight?
The airline that issued your ticket, when both flights are on it and the first ran late. You, when the flights were booked separately or you arrived late at the gate.
What happens if my first flight is delayed and I miss my connecting flight?
On one ticket you are rebooked at no charge. Meals and a hotel follow only if the airline caused the delay (in the US) or whatever the cause when you left from the EU or UK.
What happens if I miss a connecting flight due to airline delays?
Most large US airlines promise rebooking, a meal from 3 hours and a hotel overnight when they caused the delay. Frontier promises meals only. Leaving the EU you may also be owed EUR 250 to 600.
Will my bags make it?
On one ticket the bag is tagged to your final airport and normally follows you onto the new flight. On separate tickets collect it and check it in again.
Do I have to pay for a new flight?
Not on one ticket when the first flight was late. On separate tickets, or when you missed the flight yourself, the second airline can charge you or cancel the rest of the booking.
What if I booked through a travel site?
If the site issued one ticket, the airline rebooks you. If it sold two tickets as a self-transfer, each airline handles only its own flight. When a refund is due and the site took the payment, the site owes it under 14 CFR 399.80(l).
What if the second flight is on a different airline?
On one ticket the issuing airline rebooks you. On separate tickets the second airline owes you nothing, and you buy a new seat.
Can I get a refund for a missed connecting flight?
Yes, when the airline cancelled or significantly delayed your trip (3 hours domestic, 6 hours international, or an extra connection) and you choose not to travel. Not when you missed the flight yourself.
Sources
54 sources
Every figure links to its source. "Checked at source" means the original page was read on or before 15 November 2026. "Reported elsewhere" means it came through another outlet. Numbers that also appear on the main page link to the methodology page.
- US refund rule, 14 CFR Part 260 and 49 U.S.C. 42305 Checked at source · methodology ref 89
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 Checked at source · methodology ref 90
- Your Europe, air passenger rights Checked at source · methodology ref 154
- UK261 as it has effect in UK law Checked at source · methodology ref 91
- UK CAA, delays Checked at source
- Air Passenger Protection Regulations, SOR/2019-150 Checked at source · methodology ref 92
- Canadian Transportation Agency, delays, cancellations, rebooking, refunds Checked at source · methodology ref 407
- Montreal Convention 1999 (UK Carriage by Air Act 1961, Schedule 1B) Checked at source · methodology ref 93
- Delta Air Lines, Missed flights Checked at source
- American Airlines, refunds Checked at source
- Frontier customer service plan and contract of carriage Checked at source
- Alaska Airlines contract of carriage and customer commitment Checked at source
- Wikipedia Checked at source · methodology ref 6
- Upgraded Points Checked at source · methodology ref 206
- AIG Travel Guard (Travel Guard), Preferred and Deluxe Checked at source
- Cover-More Australia, Cover-More Travel Insurance Combined FSG and PDS, effective 15 October Checked at source
- Admiral, Admiral Travel Insurance, TRAPB 014, Section 15 Enhanced trip disrupti Checked at source · methodology ref 225
- 1Cover, 1Cover Travel Insurance Combined FSG and PDS, effective 4 March 2026. Checked at source
- RBC cards, RBC Avion Visa Infinite, Delayed Baggage and Flight Delay Insurance (c Checked at source
- Faye Checked at source · methodology ref 134
- Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection, ExactCare (also LuxuryCare; reimbursement Trip Delay) Checked at source
- Allianz Global Assistance (Allianz Travel Insurance), OneTrip (Basic, Prime, Premier, Cancellation Plus, Emergency Medical) Checked at source
- Generali Checked at source · methodology ref 213
- Cover-More US Checked at source · methodology ref 202
- Nationwide, Travel Prime, Travel Essential and Cruise Choice Checked at source
- World Nomads (US residents), Standard, Explorer, Epic and Annual plans Checked at source · methodology ref 214
- Manulife CoverMe policy Checked at source · methodology ref 142
- TuGo, Traveller policy: Trip Cancellation and Trip Interruption, and Air Tra Checked at source · methodology ref 266
- CAA Travel Insurance, CAA Travel Insurance Policy, Trip Cancellation and Interruption (TI-58 Checked at source
- American Express Canada, The Platinum Card, Flight and Baggage Delay and Hotel Burglary Insuran Checked at source
- Medibank Travel Insurance, Medibank Travel Insurance Combined PDS and FSG, effective 22 April 202 Checked at source
- Staysure, Staysure Travel insurance policy, July 2026 (Basic, Comprehensive, Sig Checked at source · methodology ref 227
- American Express UK: The Platinum Card, Your Insurance Documentation, The Platinum Card, January 2025 Checked at source
- ERGO Reiseversicherung Checked at source · methodology ref 255
- Chapka Checked at source · methodology ref 258
- Mitsui Sumitomo Insurance Checked at source · methodology ref 185
- JCB Checked at source · methodology ref 188
- Tata AIG Checked at source · methodology ref 179
- Samsung Fire and Newsis Checked at source · methodology ref 262
- NTTO Air (Intra-USA) market profile Checked at source · methodology ref 416
- Cirium via CNBC Checked at source · methodology ref 302
- Ulysse Checked at source · methodology ref 440
- Chicago Sun-Times Checked at source · methodology ref 19
- AJC Checked at source · methodology ref 20
- FlightAware via NBC Los Angeles Reported elsewhere · methodology ref 21
- FlightAware via Denver7 Reported elsewhere · methodology ref 22
- Deep Arrival Checked at source · methodology ref 23
- Flightradar24 via Karryon Reported elsewhere · methodology ref 2
- FlightAware via The Arizona Republic Reported elsewhere · methodology ref 24
- 21jingji (Southern Metropolis Daily) Checked at source · methodology ref 466
- CNN live blog Reported elsewhere · methodology ref 9
- Delta advisory "Air Traffic Control Outage" Checked at source · methodology ref 52
- JetBlue, Southwest, Frontier, Avelo and Alaska pages Checked at source · methodology ref 55
- Kakao Pay Insurance Checked at source · methodology ref 263