Air Europa Missed Connection Compensation

Air Europa missed connection compensation.

How much can you claim? What are the next steps if you miss your flight?

Should you miss a connecting flight with Air Europa, there’s a chance you may be entitled to compensation. The compensation amount you can claim depends on your situation. It’s important to understand that factors like nationality, ticket price, or travel insurance status don’t affect your right to claim compensation. This is because, as required by EU regulations, Air Europa must provide compensation when due.

You can either make the claim yourself or obtain professional help.

1. EU Missed Flight Connection Compensation

There’s a chance you may be entitled to compensation if you miss your connecting flight with Air Europa. The rules that apply in such situations are simple.

1.1 Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay: Compensation

If you miss a connecting flight because your first Air Europa flight was delayed, you may be eligible for compensation under EU regulations.

If the delay was the airline’s fault, you could claim up to €600, if your flight is heading to or coming from Europe. Since Air Europa is a European airline, this rule is applicable to all Air Europa flights within, coming to and leaving from Europe. Legally, the term “Air Europa missed connection compensation” does not exist, as it falls under the same umbrella as Air Europa flight delay compensation.

You must reach your final destination 3+ hours after your scheduled arrival to be eligible for Air Europa flight compensation. In short, you may be eligible for compensation if:

• There’s a 3+ hour delay;
• It’s Air Europa’s fault;
• The flight is to/from Europe.

The same rules apply to Air Europa connecting flights. Remember that in this context, your destination is your final destination (not any of the layover airports).

Here’s an example. If you have a connecting flight with Air Europa from Barcelona to Buenos Aires via Madrid, your final destination is Buenos Aires. Madrid is merely a stopover. If your arrival in Buenos Aires is delayed by 3 hours or more due to Air Europa’s fault, you may be eligible for missed connection flight compensation for the entire “Barcelona – Buenos Aires” journey.

Don’t forget to file a compensation claim!

1.2 Missing a Connecting Flight Due to Cancellation

If one of your flights is cancelled, causing you to miss your connecting flight and arrive at your final destination more than 3 hours late, you may be eligible for compensation from Air Europa, similar to flight delays.

This applies if the cancellation is the airline’s fault, and you’re flying to or from Europe. The compensation amount could be up to €600 and is determined by the distance of your flight.

To summarise, you may be eligible for missed connection flight compensation if:

• Your previous flight was cancelled (or delayed) due to Air Europa’s fault;
• You arrive at your destination 3+ hours late;
• The flight is to/from Europe.

Want to claim Air Europa missed connection compensation?

Remember to file a compensation claim!

1.3 What About Self-Transfer Flights With Air Europa?

If you have booked separate flights for your journey (i.e., self-transfer), the regulations mentioned above do not apply. In such situations, if one of your flights gets cancelled or delayed, you aren’t eligible for compensation for the other flight.

Let’s say you have booked one flight with Air Europa and another with Ryanair, and Air Europa cancels their flight. You may be entitled to compensation for the cancelled Air Europa flight. However, Air Europa is not responsible for your Ryanair flight, and they won’t provide any assistance if you miss it.

Remember this when making separate flight bookings.

By Europe and EU here on this page (and on this website in general) we mean all EU Member States, the United Kingdom (UK), Guadeloupe, French Guiana, Martinique, Reunion, Mayotte, Saint Martin (French Antilles), the Azores, Madeira, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland.

2. Extraordinary Circumstances

These are circumstances beyond the control of Air Europa.

Air Europa missed connection compensation is not applicable under such scenarios. Exceptional scenarios include extreme weather events or pandemics. If there is any doubt regarding the information provided, it is advisable to verify it. Double-checking all the specifics related to compensations and refunds with the airline can ensure that you are not given incorrect details.

You might also consider engaging a flight compensation company to evaluate your case and confirm that you are not being deceived. For instance, mechanical problems with the aircraft are generally the responsibility of the airline and are not counted as exceptional scenarios, despite what some airlines may tell you.

Instances that are not considered as exceptional scenarios:

• Most technical issues with the airplane
• Most Air Europa staff strikes
• Air Europa staffing shortages

3. Right to Care From Air Europa

You are entitled to receive help if you are stranded at the airport.

If your flight with Air Europa is delayed or cancelled causing you to miss a connecting flight, Air Europa has a duty to provide you with assistance while you wait for a substitute flight. Moreover, in the event of a missed connection, Air Europa is required to provide a free alternate flight, provided that it wasn’t due to your fault.

Regarding aid, if your waiting time at the airport exceeds three hours, you have a right to care from Air Europa.

• After 3 hours of waiting, Air Europa must provide you with free meals and drinks proportionate to the waiting time, plus two free phone calls, e-mails or faxes.
• In the event of an overnight delay, free hotel accommodation must also be provided (+ free airport transfer).

4. How to Claim Air Europa Flight Compensation?

How to claim Air Europa missed connection compensation?

There are two methods of claiming EU flight compensation.

The first way is to contact Air Europa directly. You can go to their website and contact their customer service centre to claim compensation for your flight. However, bear in mind that this method can be time-consuming, and it might be necessary to negotiate with Air Europa to receive the compensation you deserve. Having proof to show how much later you arrive at your destination can be beneficial.

The second, more straightforward option is to obtain legal representation.

With this option, legal professionals manage all aspects of your claim. Our partners offer such services – details below.

4.1 How Long Does It Take?

What is the typical duration for receiving compensation from an airline?

Ordinarily, it takes at least a few months to receive compensation.

If your case needs to be referred to a national enforcement body or court, the process can take an additional few months, and in some instances, even an extra six months.

Several factors can influence the time it takes to receive compensation. If an airline promptly acknowledges your claim and agrees to pay compensation, the process can be speeded up. However, if the airline disputes your claim, it might take longer, and you might have to undergo a more extended legal process to receive compensation.

Moreover, the complexity of your case can affect the time it takes to receive compensation. Each case is unique.

5. How Much Can You Claim?

The compensation amount is fixed and varies from €250 to €600.

Here is how you can calculate the amount of your Air Europa flight compensation:

When your destination is within the EU/UK:

When your destination is outside the EU/UK:

There’s one exception. When the distance is 3500 kilometres or more and you reach your destination 3 to 4 hours later, you are entitled to compensation of €300, not €600. If the delay is longer than 4 hours, you will get full compensation of €600.

5.1 Air Europa Voucher Refund or Cash?

Air Europa might offer you a voucher instead of cash compensation.

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, several airlines were offering vouchers instead of monetary compensation for flight delays and cancellations.

However, you have the right to reject a voucher and choose bank transfer compensation instead. It’s crucial to understand that airlines are legally required to offer compensation and refunds in cash or bank transfer, and not in the form of vouchers or coupons, according to European law.

6. What Is a Connecting Flight?

A connecting flight involves boarding two or more separate flights to reach your ultimate destination, with a pause at one or more airports on the way. This means that you will not be travelling directly from point A to point B, but will make a detour at point C. Sometimes, there might be several detours.

The period between flights at the airport is referred to as a layover, and if it extends beyond 24 hours, it’s termed a stopover. When a direct flight is either not an option or is pricier than the connecting alternative, passengers opt for connecting flights.

There are two types of connecting flights:

1. airline-protected transfers,
2. self-transfer flights.

6.1 Airline-Protected Transfer

How can you confirm if you have an airline-protected transfer?

1. You have booked a connecting flight, either directly with the airline or via a third-party service such as Kiwi, Expedia, or eDreams.
2. Your entire journey consists of two or more flights and has been allocated one booking reference number by the airline. Be aware that it is the airline’s booking reference number, not the travel agent’s booking reference number — this is an important difference. By entering your booking reference number on the airline’s website, you will be able to oversee the whole itinerary.

6.2 Self Transfer

How to assert if you have a self-transfer flight?

1. If your journey consists of numerous flights that were booked individually, you have a self-transfer flight.
2. If every flight has its own individual reservation number, you have a self-transfer flight.
3. If you paid for each flight separately, it is a self-transfer.

Establishing whether it’s a self-transfer or an airline-protected connecting flight can be tricky. One way to differentiate is by examining the tickets. If each flight has a discrete booking reference or reservation number, it is likely a self-transfer. Online travel agencies such as Kiwi or Expedia also specify whether the flight is a self-transfer.

7. Missed Connection

A missed connection refers to the situation when a passenger is unable to make a transition from one flight to another. This can happen if the first leg of your journey runs late, or if it was unexpectedly cancelled.

Particularly in cases where there is a very brief period for connecting flights (i.e., layover), such as an hour or 90 minutes, you might find it challenging to get to your next flight on time.

Many airlines will often extend support to travellers who find themselves in this predicament. If you don’t mind getting to your final destination a bit late, the upside to this inconvenience could be flight compensation that could run up to 600 euros per passenger.

Missed your flight due to cancellation or delay?

7.1 Missed Airline-Protected Transfer

Choosing an airline-protected transfer is the safest bet for passengers.

Should you miss your connecting flight due to circumstances beyond your control, the airline is expected to provide protection and assistance.

In situations where delays or cancellations lead to a missed connection, passengers are safeguarded, and they might even be in line for compensation. The airline is likely to arrange a substitute flight, and if the new flight is scheduled to leave the following day, provide a free hotel stay. To resolve the issue, it is best to reach out to the airline’s representatives at the airport.

Is there a provision for a refund or compensation?

Usually, it is not possible to get a refund for a missed flight.

However, if your flight is covered by EU Regulation 261/2004, you could qualify for missed flight compensation for your entire journey (the same as flight delay compensation / flight cancellation compensation).

Don’t forget to submit a claim for compensation!

7.2 Missed Self-Transfer Flight

A self-transfer entails booking each flight in your journey separately.

What happens if you miss this self-transfer connection?

If any of the individual flights in your itinerary are delayed by 3 hours or more, cancelled or if you are denied boarding, you could be eligible for compensation linked to that particular flight. But neither of the airlines involved will be liable for your whole journey or any missed connections.

Example: Let’s say you have a flight with Ryanair to Madrid, which we’ll call “flight 1,” followed by a 3-hour layover before your next flight with Air Europa to New York, or “flight 2.” Neither airline will be held accountable for any missed connection resulting from a delay or cancellation of flight 1.

If there’s a lengthy delay (3+ hours) of flight 1, you could be entitled to compensation from Ryanair. A last-minute cancellation might also mean you are entitled to a replacement flight, refund, and compensation from Ryanair for flight 1, in accordance with ‎Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

However, if you miss your Air Europa flight as a result, it falls on you to book a new flight to your destination (New York in this case). Neither Ryanair nor Air Europa will offer any compensation for flight 2, and you will not be compensated for a missed flight connection.

The same rule applies to the Air Europa flight – flight 2. If it gets delayed or cancelled last minute, you may be eligible for compensation for this specific flight. Meanwhile, if it gets cancelled last minute and you are assigned a flight 2 hours earlier that you can’t make, it is your issue to resolve.

If you have insurance for missed flights, it would be wise to contact your insurance provider. Depending on the circumstances, they might be able to assist you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

EU – Non-EU Flights, Regulation UK261, Tourists

Air Europa Delayed Flight > Missed Connection

Flight Cancellations

Other Situations

Have you ever missed a connection? Was it a connecting flight with Air Europa? Share your experience. Do you have any questions about Air Europa missed connection compensation policies? Ask in the comments.