Austrian Missed Connection Compensation

Austrian missed connection compensation.

How much are you entitled to? What happens if you miss your flight?

If you happen to miss a connecting flight with Austrian Airlines, you may be eligible for compensation. The amount you can claim depends on the specific circumstances of your situation. It’s important to note that your nationality, flight ticket price, and travel insurance do not affect your eligibility for compensation. This is because Austrian Airlines follows EU regulations, and if compensation is due, the airline is obliged to provide it.

You have the choice to process the claim independently or enlist the help of professionals.

1. EU Missed Flight Connection Compensation

Are you entitled to Austrian missed connection compensation?

In the event of missing your connecting flight with Austrian Airlines, you could be entitled to compensation. The regulations that control such situations are simple.

1.1 Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay: Compensation

Should you miss a connecting flight as a result of a delay to your previous Austrian Airlines flight leg, you could be eligible for compensation under EU regulations.

If the delay is due to an error on the airline’s part, you may claim up to €600. Given Austrian Airlines is a European airline, this rule is applicable to all Austrian Airlines flights within, to, and from Europe. Legally, there is no distinct “Austrian missed connection compensation,” as it is encompassed under the same category as Austrian flight delay compensation.

You’re required to arrive at your final destination with a delay of 3+ hours to be eligible for Austrian flight compensation. To summarize, you’re entitled to compensation if:

• It’s a 3+ hour delay;
• It’s the fault of Austrian Airlines;
• Flight is to/from Europe.

The same regulations are applied to Austrian connecting flights. Bear in mind that in this context, your destination is your end destination (not one of the stopover airports).

Here’s an illustration. You have a connecting flight with Austrian Airlines from Salzburg to New York via Frankfurt. New York is your final destination. Frankfurt is merely a stopover airport. If you’ve arrived in New York 3 or more hours late due to an Austrian Airlines error, you’ll be entitled to compensation for missed connection flight for the entire “Salzburg – New York” journey.

Don’t forget to file a compensation claim!

Read more:

• How To Claim Austrian Compensation?
• Your Austrian Flight Is Delayed. Should You Wait at Home?
• Your Austrian Compensation Claim Is Denied. Now What?

1.2 Missing a Connecting Flight Due to Cancellation

When a flight cancellation results in a missed connecting flight and lands you at your end destination with a delay of 3 hours or more, you could be entitled to compensation from Austrian Airlines, similar to flight delays.

This is applicable if the reason for the cancellation is due to the airline’s fault. The amount of compensation could reach up to €600, based on the distance of your flight.

To encapsulate, you qualify for missed connection flight compensation if:

• Austrian Airlines is at fault for your prior flight’s cancellation (or delay);
• You arrive at your destination 3+ hours late;
• The flight is to/from Europe.

Looking to claim compensation?

Don’t forget to file a compensation claim!

1.3 What About Self-Transfer Flights With Austrian Airlines?

When you’re making individual flight bookings for your trip (i.e., self-transfer), the aforementioned regulations are not applicable.

In such instances, if any of your flights are cancelled or delayed, you will not be eligible for compensation for the other flight.

For instance, if you’ve booked one flight with Austrian Airlines and another with Wizz Air, and Austrian Airlines cancels their flight, you could be eligible for compensation for the cancelled Austrian Airlines flight. However, Austrian Airlines holds no liability for your Wizz Air flight, and they won’t offer any support if you miss it.

Remember this while arranging 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 situations that are beyond Austrian Airlines’ control.

Compensation is not valid in these instances. Exceptional situations are unforeseen events such as extreme weather, safety concerns or a pandemic. If you have any doubts about the details provided, it’s recommended to corroborate them. To ensure the airline’s information regarding compensation and refunds is accurate, it’s wise to double-check all details.

Alternatively, you can engage the services of a flight compensation company to check your claim and ascertain that you are not being misled. For instance, technical issues with the aircraft are usually the responsibility of the airline and are not regarded as extraordinary circumstances, despite some airlines asserting otherwise.

Events and situations that are not extraordinary circumstances:

• Most technical problems with the aeroplane
• Most Austrian Airlines staff strikes
• Staffing deficits at Austrian Airlines

3. Right to Care From Austrian Airlines

You are entitled to receive assistance if you find yourself stranded at the airport.

Should your flight with Austrian be delayed or cancelled, leading to a missed connection, Austrian must provide assistance while you wait for a replacement flight. Additionally, in the event of a missed connection, Austrian is obligated to offer a free alternative flight, assuming it was not your fault that you missed your connecting flight.

When it comes to assistance, if your waiting period at the airport surpasses three hours, you have a right to care from Austrian Airlines.

• After waiting for 3 hours, Austrian is required to provide free meals and beverages in proportion to the waiting time, along with two free phone calls, emails, or faxes.
• In the event of an overnight delay, free hotel accommodation must also be provided (+ free airport transfer).

4. How to Claim Austrian Flight Compensation?

There are primarily two methods of securing EU flight compensation.

The first option is to get in touch with the Austrian directly. You can navigate to their website and communicate with their customer support team to seek compensation for your flight. Bear in mind that this route may be time-consuming, and you might have to engage in negotiations with Austrian to obtain the compensation you are entitled to. Providing proof to verify how much later you reached your destination will be beneficial.

The second, more straightforward option is to seek legal aid.

In this scenario, legal experts will manage all facets of your claim. Our partners provide such services – see the details below.

4.1 How Long Does It Take To Receive Compensation?

What is the typical duration to obtain Austrian missed connection compensation?

Usually, it requires at least a couple of months to secure compensation.

Should your case necessitate referral to a national enforcement agency or court, the process may consume an additional couple of months, and in specific instances, even an additional half a year.

Several factors can influence the time taken to secure compensation. If an airline promptly acknowledges your claim and agrees to pay compensation, the process could be quicker. Conversely, if the airline rejects your claim, it may take longer, and you might have to get legal help.

Moreover, the complexity of your case may impact the time taken to receive compensation. Each case is individual.

5. How Much You Can Claim?

How much is Austrian missed connection compensation?

The compensation sum is predetermined and varies from €250 to €600.

Here is how you can estimate the amount of your Austrian 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 Austrian Voucher Refund or Cash?

It’s conceivable that Austrian may propose a voucher as opposed to cash compensation.

In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, numerous airlines were presenting vouchers instead of monetary compensation for flight delays and cancellations.

Nonetheless, you have the right to decline a voucher and choose bank transfer compensation instead. It’s essential to remember that airlines are legally obligated to offer compensation and refunds in cash or bank transfer, and not through vouchers or coupons, as per European law.

6. What Is a Connecting Flight?

A connecting flight signifies a journey where you need to board more than one aircraft to ultimately arrive at your end destination, incorporating one or more stopovers at various airports along the way. This implies that your voyage will not be a straight shot from point A to point B, instead, it will include a pitstop at point C or potentially additional stops. The interval between these flights is referred to as a layover, and in cases where it prolongs over 24 hours, it is known as a stopover.

Travelers often choose connecting flights when a direct flight is not accessible or is out of their budget in relation to the connecting alternative.

There are two categories of connecting flights:

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

6.1 Airline-Protected Transfer

How can you clarify if your connection is an airline-protected transfer?

1. You have secured a booking for a connecting flight, either directly with Austrian or via an online travel agency like Kiwi, Expedia, or eDreams.
2. Your entire journey is comprised of two or more flights and have been allotted a single reservation reference number by Austrian. This reference number is generated by the Austrian and not by the travel agent — it’s crucial to remember this distinction. By entering your booking reference number on Austrian’s official website, you can manage and view your complete journey.

6.2 Self Transfer

How can you differentiate if you are on a self-transfer flight?

1. When you have several consecutive flights that were booked individually, you have a self-transfer flight.
2. When every flight is associated with its own reservation number, it is a self-transfer flight.
3. If you made payments for each flight separately, it is a self-transfer flight.

Identifying the difference between self-transfer and airline-protected connecting flights can be puzzling. To differentiate, you can inspect the tickets. If each flight holds a unique booking reference number, it is likely a self-transfer. Online booking platforms like Kiwi or Expedia also specify whether the flight is self-transfer.

7. Missed Connection

A missed connection refers to the situation when you fail to catch your subsequent flight.

This can come about due to a delay in your prior flight an unanticipated cancellation, or even when the time frame for the connection is tight, such as just an hour or so in between flights.

Many airlines, including Austrian, may offer support to travellers who have missed their connecting flight. Being late to your final destination doesn’t always have to be negative; there may be a silver lining in the form of flight compensation up to 600 euros per person.

7.1 Missed Airline-Protected Transfer

Opting for an airline-protected transfer is a wise choice for travellers seeking security.

When you miss your connecting flight and it’s not due to an error on your part, the airline, such as Austrian, will provide safeguards and assistance.

In situations where delays or cancellations cause you to miss your connecting flight, passengers have protection and may be eligible for compensation.

The airline usually organizes a replacement flight, and if the subsequent flight is scheduled for the next day, they might also provide a complimentary hotel stay. To resolve such issues, you should reach out to the airline’s representatives at the airport.

Is a refund or compensation possible?

Typically, refunds for missed flights are not an option.

Nevertheless, if your flight falls under EU Regulation 261/2004, you could potentially be eligible for compensation for your complete journey (equivalent to flight delay compensation/flight cancellation compensation).

Remember to submit a claim for compensation!

7.2 Missed Self-Transfer Flight

Booking multiple flights separately constitutes a self transfer.

What happens if you miss your self-transfer connection?

If any individual flights in your itinerary incur a delay of 3 hours or more, are cancelled, or if you are denied boarding, you may be eligible for compensation for that specific flight. However, none of the airlines involved will be accountable for your entire journey or any missed connections.

For instance, consider you have a flight with Ryanair to Frankfurt, denoted as “flight 1”, and then after a 3-hour layover, you take another flight with Austrian to New York, denoted as “flight 2”. Neither airline is liable for any missed connection resulting from a delay or cancellation of flight 1.

If flight 1 experiences a significant delay (3+ hours), you may be entitled to compensation from Ryanair. In case of a last-minute flight cancellation, you could be entitled to a new flight or refund, and compensation from Ryanair for flight 1, under ‎Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

However, if as a result, you miss your Austrian flight, it will be your responsibility to book a new flight to your destination (New York, in this case). Neither Ryanair nor Austrian will provide any compensation for flight 2, and you will not receive compensation for a missed flight connection.

The same principle applies to the Austrian flight – flight 2. If it’s delayed or cancelled at the last minute, you may receive compensation for this individual flight. But, if it’s cancelled at the last minute and you are offered an earlier flight which you can’t manage to catch, you will need to handle the situation on your own.

If you have missed flight insurance, it would be prudent to contact your insurance company. Depending on the circumstances, they might be able to provide assistance.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists

Austrian Delayed Flight > Missed Connection

Flight Cancellations

Other Situations

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