UKI booked separate flights and missed the second due to first delay. Am I covered?
No, if you booked flights separately (not as a single booking), UK law generally does not require airlines to compensate or assist you for missing the second flight due to a delay on the first.
What the Law Says
The main UK law governing flight delays and cancellations is the retained EU regulation known as EC No 261/2004, which continues to apply in UK domestic and international flights departing from the UK. However, its protections only apply to passengers holding a 'confirmed reservation' on a single flight or a directly connected journey booked as one ticket.
If your flights were booked separately — for example, with different airlines or on different booking references — they are treated as independent journeys. The law does not consider them 'connecting flights' for the purposes of assistance or compensation.
Under EC 261/2004, airlines must provide care (meals, refreshments, accommodation, communications) only when a delay exceeds certain thresholds — but only for flights covered by the regulation. Crucially, this applies only where the passenger holds a confirmed reservation on that specific flight, and the delay originates with that carrier.
There is no statutory duty on an airline operating the second flight to accommodate or rebook you simply because you missed it due to a delay on an unrelated, separately booked flight.
Statutory TextThis Regulation shall apply to passengers departing from an airport located in the territory of a Member State to which the Treaty applies.
— Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 3(1)(a)
Statutory TextPassengers shall have the right to care in accordance with Article 9 in the event of long delays…
— Regulation (EC) No 261/2004, Art. 6(1)
What to Do
Check if either flight was booked through a travel agent or package holiday — if so, the Package Travel Regulations 2018 may offer recourse.
Contact the airline operating the second flight: some may offer goodwill rebooking (but no legal obligation).
Review your travel insurance policy — many cover missed connections due to delays on separately booked flights.
Keep all evidence: boarding passes, delay notifications, receipts for expenses, and correspondence.
Submit any claim to the airline within 14 days of the incident — though success depends on contract terms, not statute.
Sources
Not legal advice. This article is general information based on publicly available sources, written for educational purposes. Laws change and individual situations vary. Consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction before acting on anything you read here. Last reviewed: 2026-06-08.