What is Missed Connection?

For example, if you are travelling to Australia, you may fly from the UK to Dubai and then transfer onto another aircraft to complete the next leg of your journey.

Transport delays are sometimes unavoidable—but what happens if a delay to your outbound journey causes you to miss your connecting flight?

Missed Connection cover can help with the cost of additional travel and accommodation needed to get you back on track with your itinerary if your international flight, train, ship, or ferry is delayed. However, it’s important to note that connecting transport is not always included as standard under many travel insurance policies. If your trip includes connections, it’s worth choosing a policy that specifically provides this cover.

As with all levels of protection, the limits for missed connection cover can vary between providers. Be sure to read the policy wording carefully before you buy to make sure the cover meets your travel needs.

Missed connection cover won’t be relevant for every traveller, but it is particularly important for long-haul journeys where connecting flights are often required. In these cases, it can be worth paying a little extra for the right level of cover—so if your departure is delayed, you’re not left stranded in a foreign airport and facing unexpected costs.

It’s also important to check whether your policy covers connecting flights on both your outbound and return journeys to the UK, as this can vary between providers.

Whether or not you will receive compensation from the airline solely depends on how you purchased your ticket.

If you have purchased a ‘through ticket’ – where all flights, including connecting flights, are booked under the same reference – and you miss your connecting flight due to your international departure being delayed, you will be entitled to compensation for additional expenses towards food and accommodation. Compensation will also be available if you have booked all your flights with the same airline, under the same reservation, and you arrive at your destination three hours later than planned due to missing your connecting flight.

It is worth bearing in mind that if you or your travel agent have booked each flight separately, the airline will not offer any compensation if you miss your connecting flight – however, if you have cover for missed connection then your travel insurance will.

Any additional non-refundable transport costs required to help you catch up with your itinerary will usually need to be paid upfront by you and then claimed back from your travel insurer once you return to the UK. It’s important to ensure your policy includes missed connection cover, and to check the level of cover available so it meets your needs.

We also recommend keeping all relevant receipts and travel documents, as these will be required as evidence when submitting your claim.