ANSWER · UK 261 AND EC 261
My connection was on a separate ticket. Can I claim?
Usually not for the missed connection itself. Art. 2(h) and Folkerts turn on directly connecting flights under a single reservation, so two separate bookings are treated as two journeys. The first flight is assessed on its own arrival delay, which on a short sector rarely reaches 3 hours, and the second airline owes nothing for a passenger who did not arrive.
REVIEWED AGAINST RULE SET V6 AND THE CITED PRIMARY SOURCES · UPDATED 7 AUGUST 2026
Why the single reservation matters
Art. 2(h) defines the final destination by reference to the ticket, and in the case of directly connecting flights the destination of the last flight. Two tickets create two final destinations, so each flight is measured to its own.
What can still be claimed
- Compensation on the first flight if it arrived 3 hours or more late at its own destination.
- Care under Art. 9 during the wait for the first flight, at the Art. 6 thresholds for that distance.
- Anything the second airline's fare rules or your travel insurance provide for a missed departure.
The self transfer products in between
Some booking platforms sell separate tickets with connection protection of their own. That protection is contractual and sits with the platform. It is not a Regulation 261/2004 right and the operating carriers are not bound by it.
THE JUDGMENTS BEHIND THIS ANSWER
SOURCES
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 2(h) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
- Case C-11/11 Air France v Folkerts, judgment of 26 February 2013 (Grand Chamber, ECLI:EU:C:2013:110) · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
- Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 6 · EUR-Lex · checked 7 August 2026
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