British Airways missed connection compensation
Where all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination. If you arrive there 3 hours or more late, compensation is due — even if the first flight was only a little late. Flights bought on separate bookings are treated as separate journeys.
Which British Airways flights are covered
British Airways is a UK airline, so most of its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, because British Airways is a UK carrier.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: not covered by EU261, because British Airways is not an EU carrier — though a UK departure on the same trip is.
Worked examples on British Airways routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| London (LHR) → London (LGW) | 41 km | UK261 | £220 |
| London (LHR) → London (LCY) | 36 km | UK261 | £220 |
| London (LGW) → London (LCY) | 43 km | UK261 | £220 |
| London (LHR) → Paris (CDG) | 347 km | UK261 | £220 |
What British Airways is likely to say — and the answer
“The first flight was only 40 minutes late” — irrelevant on a single booking; the delay is measured at the end.
“You booked the flights separately” — genuinely fatal if true. Check your booking reference.
“The connection was operated by our partner” — the operating carrier of the delayed flight is who you claim from.
“Minimum connection time” arguments — if they sold you the connection, they accepted it as viable.
Specific to British Airways
BA runs a dedicated online compensation form and will normally reference a case number in its first reply. Quote that number in every follow-up — their correspondence threads are organised around it, and a letter without it can sit unmatched.
First responses commonly attribute a delay to "operational reasons" or to air traffic control flow restrictions. Neither is a category in the Regulation. If they say ATC, ask specifically which flow measure applied and at what time, because that is checkable.
BA is signed up to CEDR for alternative dispute resolution. If they reject you or go quiet past eight weeks, CEDR is the escalation route rather than the CAA directly, and it is free to the passenger.
Payment, when it comes, is usually by bank transfer rather than voucher. If they offer you a travel voucher instead of cash, you are entitled to insist on the cash.
Time limit: British Airways is based in United Kingdom, where claims run for 6 years from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your British Airways missed connection appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with British Airways’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
British Airways missed connection: common questions
How much can I claim from British Airways for a missed connection?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of British Airways’s routes.
I missed my connection with British Airways. Which flight do I claim for?
If all the flights were on one booking, you claim for the journey as a whole, measured at your final destination, from the airline that operated the delayed flight. The distance used is the full distance from your first departure airport to your final destination.
What reasons does British Airways give for refusing missed connection claims?
The most common are: The first flight was only 40 minutes late; You booked the flights separately; The connection was operated by our partner; Minimum connection time arguments. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a British Airways missed connection claim?
Where British Airways is based, the limit is 6 years. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other British Airways claims
- British Airways: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- British Airways: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- British Airways: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- British Airways: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.