How to Get EU261 Compensation for a Missed Connection
A delayed flight that makes you miss your connection in Europe can cost you an extra night of expenses, a missed workday, and even the premium experience you paid for. That just happened to us in Copenhagen, but a few proactive steps restored our business class itinerary and quickly got us our EU261 compensation. Here’s what you’re entitled to, how to file it yourself, and the strategy that turned a downgraded rebooking into an amazing flight home.
👉 Flying SAS across the Atlantic? Read our full review here: Should You Fly SAS to Europe? What to Know First
What to Do When You Miss a Connecting Flight in Europe
We got a notice early in the morning that our flight from Palma de Mallorca to Copenhagen was delayed. We waited an extra hour before leaving for the airport and spent the rest of the wait in a Priority Pass lounge at Palma airport, which was nice enough. Once we boarded, the captain explained that the delay came from an equipment issue and a plane swap.
By the time we landed in Copenhagen, boarding had closed for our nonstop business class flight to Washington Dulles. We had bid for an upgrade on that flight, and we were super excited when it cleared at $402 each. 👉 SAS Business Class Upgrade Bidding: How We Won 4 Bids
SAS had already rebooked us automatically for the next day on a terrible flight route that didn’t compare to our direct business-class booking. The direct flight to Dulles only operates a few days a week, so SAS booked us through Reykjavik on Icelandair business class without lie-flat seats, then United economy for the longer route from Iceland home. We would have arrived more than 20 hours late and lost the lie-flat seats we paid $804 for on the longest flight. We didn’t automatically accept that.
Whenever a flight goes wrong, we do these three things at the same time:
- Get in line at the airline’s customer service desk.
- Call the airline while we wait in line.
- Open the airline’s online chat on our phone.
Keep all three going until someone offers a solution you’re happy with. While we waited, I immediately started researching better flight options and found business class availability on a nonstop SAS flight to Newark the next day. That would give us the same experience we had originally booked, and we’d just need a three-hour Amtrak ride home. It’s not ideal, but it was a way better option for us than a connection in Iceland and an economy flight from there.
We got through on the phone first, which surprised us. We’ve had trouble reaching a human at SAS in the past, but the agent we spoke with this time was incredibly helpful. She could only rebook us into alternate airports within a certain mile radius of our original destination, and Newark came in just within that range. I had the flight info ready, and she moved us to the nonstop in business class at no additional charge in about 20 minutes. We had everything rebooked long before our number was ever called at the airport customer service center.
Don’t Accept the First Rebooking After a Missed Connection
The airline will generally rebook you on the closest thing it can find to your original itinerary, but you don’t have to accept an inferior alternative. Our Newark flight was fantastic, and it might have been the best service we’ve had on all our many SAS flights.
Planning Tip: Search for alternative flights while you wait in line, including nearby airports, and confirm seats are open in your original cabin. Then give the agent a specific flight number to check.
EU261 gives passengers who are owed rerouting the right to travel under comparable conditions. If an airline puts you in a lower cabin class, you may also be entitled to a partial refund of that flight’s ticket price. Don’t assume you’re stuck in economy just because that’s what the automated system picked. They wouldn’t have known we were open to Newark unless we told them. We didn’t want to risk yet another connection in Europe and a lower cabin experience, so the train ride was worth it.
👉 Is SAS Business Class Worth It? An Honest Review
What Airlines Must Cover When You’re Stranded Overnight in Europe
Under EU261, airlines owe you care while you wait for a rerouted flight. Depending on how long you’re delayed, that includes:
- Meals and refreshments in reasonable proportion to the wait
- A hotel room when you need to stay overnight
- Transportation between the airport and the hotel
- Transportation from your new arrival airport to your original destination when you’re rerouted to a different airport
If the airline doesn’t arrange it, you can generally make your own arrangements and claim them back later. Keep costs reasonable and save every receipt.
We booked the citizenM Copenhagen. It was our third stay there, and it was probably the least expensive option, too. The hotel cost DKK 1,382 (about $215), and our local transportation was DKK 120 (about $20 round trip for two on the metro). If you happen to be delayed at Copenhagen airport and just want a room by the terminal, Clarion Hotel Copenhagen Airport is a great option in walking distance.
👉 Read our full guide here: Copenhagen Layover Guide: What to Do in 5 to 8 Hours
Sometimes we’d be excited about a surprise night in a city we love, but this time we were exhausted and just wanted to get home. We had sushi for dinner at Tivoli Food Hall, our favorite food hall in Copenhagen, and went to bed. We were too tired to try anything new, so we stuck with a place we already love.
Mistake to Avoid: Keep an itemized receipt for every meal. We didn’t keep the receipt for our $100 dinner in Copenhagen or our $75 meal at Newark airport before the train, so we couldn’t claim either one. We were exhausted and doing our best, but that’s $175 we’d have submitted with everything else.
Can You Get Reimbursed for a Train After Being Rerouted?
Our Amtrak tickets from Newark to Washington cost $310 for the two of us. We submitted them with our expense claim because we needed the train to finish our journey when the best option was to reroute to a different airport. There were no direct flights that day to Washington Dulles, so Newark was the best option for us. SAS reimbursed the full amount of the train ticket home.
Not every airline will approve every train ticket, and the circumstances matter. We had agreed to the new airport with SAS because there were no nonstop flights to DC that day, and the train was the most direct way to get home from Newark.
EU261 Compensation vs. Expense Reimbursement
This is the part we didn’t know going into it. EU261 compensation and expense reimbursement are two separate claims, and you may be entitled to both. Compensation is a fixed cash payment for a qualifying delay, cancellation, or missed connection. Expense reimbursement covers what you spent on meals, hotels, and transportation because of the disruption.
The two claims also need different paperwork. We didn’t have to submit any documentation for EU261 compensation because SAS already had our booking and flight records. The expense claim required itemized receipts, and SAS made that part straightforward, too.
| Claim | What We Received |
|---|---|
| EU261 compensation for two passengers | €1,200 (deposited as $1,352) |
| Hotel, local transportation, and Amtrak | $538 |
| Total | $1,890 |
Takeaway: File both claims. If we had only filed for compensation, we’d have paid for the hotel and the train ourselves.
How Much EU261 Compensation Can You Get?
The amount depends on the distance of your journey to your final destination.
| Flight Distance | Compensation per Person |
|---|---|
| Up to 1,500 km | €250 |
| Over 1,500 km within the EU, or 1,500 to 3,500 km for other flights | €400 |
| Over 3,500 km | €600 |
On flights over 3,500 km, the amount can drop to €300 if you reach your final destination between three and four hours late. Our trip from Palma to Washington was on one reservation, and we got home a day late, so we each received €600.
Does a Short Delay Count If You Miss Your Connection?
Our first flight wasn’t three hours late, but it was late enough to make us miss our connection. For a missed connection on a single reservation, the delay at your final destination is what counts. Even a one-hour delay on your first flight can qualify if it causes you to arrive three or more hours late on the same reservation.
Planning Tip: Book connecting flights on one reservation. If you book separate tickets, the second airline generally won’t owe you rebooking or compensation when your first flight makes you miss it. We love to fly budget airlines intra-Europe, but we would not have received compensation if we had done so on this trip. That’s why we always leave 3-4 hours between flights when booking separately, or spend a night in the hub.
Does an Equipment Problem Count as Extraordinary Circumstances?
Airlines don’t owe fixed compensation when a delay comes from extraordinary circumstances that couldn’t have been avoided, such as certain severe weather, air traffic control restrictions, or security issues. Routine technical problems generally don’t qualify. Our captain told us the delay came from an equipment issue and a plane swap, and SAS paid our claim without any dispute about the cause.
How to File for SAS Flight Delay Compensation
We filed directly through the SAS claims page rather than using a claims company. SAS has two separate forms, one for EU261 compensation and one for flight disruption expenses, and we submitted both.
Filing the EU261 Compensation Claim
- Select EU261 compensation on the SAS claims page.
- Enter your booking reference and original travel date.
- Select the delayed flight that caused you to miss your connection.
- Choose “missed connection” or your specific disruption type.
- Include every passenger on the reservation.
- Choose cash or EuroBonus points.
- Enter your bank details and submit.
The form only let us select one flight, even though our itinerary included a connection. We entered the delayed Palma to Copenhagen flight because it caused the disruption, and SAS had the rest of our itinerary in its records.
Points Tip: SAS lets you take your compensation as EuroBonus points instead of cash. Cash was the obvious option for us. We’d spent a lot out of pocket on this delay and wanted to pay that off, and with no plans to return to Europe in the next year, points felt too risky. The only way we would choose points is if we researched, found, and were ready to book a flight at a higher value than the cash we would receive.
Filing the SAS Expense Claim
Next, we went back to the SAS claims page and selected flight disruption expenses. We uploaded itemized receipts for:
- citizenM Copenhagen: DKK 1,382 ($215)
- Local transportation: DKK 120 ($20)
- Amtrak from Newark to Washington: $310
Pro Tip: The SAS site gave us an upload error on both forms, even on the EU261 form that didn’t need receipts. We tried a few more times, and both went through. Our EU261 claim also took a few days to show up in the online case tracker. If that happens to you, check for a confirmation email and save your case number. Don’t submit a duplicate claim.
How Long Do You Have to File for EU261 Compensation?
Time limits for EU261 claims depend on national law in each EU country, so they vary. We’d still file as soon as you’re home and have your receipts together. We filed about four weeks after our missed connection, and SAS made it so easy that there was no reason to wait.
How Long Does EU261 Compensation Take?
We submitted both claims on the same day. Within 12 days, SAS deposited our €1,200 in EU261 compensation, which showed up in our account as $1,352. We didn’t have to appeal or send any extra documents.
The expense claim took a little longer. But it was still less than four weeks when SAS emailed us to confirm it would reimburse the full $538, including the Amtrak tickets, and it was deposited a few days later. So, within 30 days of submitting the claim, we were reimbursed for every expense we submitted.
What If Your EU261 Claim Is Denied?
We didn’t have to challenge SAS, but not every claim gets approved on the first try. If your airline denies your claim, we’d take these steps:
- Read the reason carefully. A generic reference to extraordinary circumstances doesn’t settle the question.
- Ask the airline for a specific explanation and supporting evidence. The airline has to show the defense applies.
- Reply directly to the airline with your booking and flight details, and keep it factual.
- If that doesn’t work, file a complaint with the national enforcement body in the country where the disruption happened.
The European Commission’s air passenger rights page explains your rights and how to file a complaint. Even when an airline doesn’t owe fixed compensation, it still owes you care while you wait, such as meals and a hotel. We’d always start with the airline before paying a claims company a percentage of your compensation.
Quick Verdict: What We’d Do Again After a Missed Connection
This was a long and exhausting experience, and it cost us another day of work. But €1,200 in compensation plus $538 in expenses made up for it, and we’re very appreciative. We’re usually at the airlines’ mercy when a flight goes wrong, so this was a nice shift, and we wish protections like EU261 were standard around the globe.
SAS was open and straightforward from the initial phone call through the final payout, and we think a lot of EU-based airlines are, too. It was the best possible outcome for what started as a stressful day.
Our EU261 Claim Experience: At-a-Glance
- Disruption: Delayed flight from Palma to Copenhagen, missed business class connection on the same itinerary direct to Washington Dulles
- Automatic rebooking: Through Reykjavik on Icelandair, with United economy on the longest flight
- Our alternative rebooking: SAS nonstop in lie-flat business class to Newark, then Amtrak home
- EU261 compensation: €1,200 for two, deposited as $1,352 within 12 days
- Expenses reimbursed: $538, approved 26 days after filing
- Not reimbursed: We didn’t claim $175 in meals because we forgot to get itemized receipts
- Claims company: None. It was so easy to do ourselves.
EU261 Compensation FAQ
How Much Is EU261 Compensation?
EU261 compensation ranges from €250 to €600 per passenger, depending on the distance of your journey. Flights over 3,500 km qualify for €600, which can drop to €300 if you arrive between three and four hours late. We received €600 each for our missed connection from Palma to Washington.
Does SAS Pay Flight Delay Compensation?
Yes. SAS pays EU261 compensation for qualifying delays, cancellations, and missed connections, and it has a separate form for expenses. SAS paid our €1,200 claim within 12 days without asking for any documentation.
What Should You Do When Your Connecting Flight Is Canceled?
The airline will generally rebook you on the closest thing it can find to your original itinerary. But you don’t have to accept an inferior alternative. Get in line at the airline desk, call the airline, and open its online chat at the same time. Search for alternative flights while you wait, including nearby airports the airline would not have considered, and ask the agent for a specific flight. Keep itemized receipts for your hotel, meals, and transportation.
Can You Get EU261 Compensation and Hotel Reimbursement?
Yes. Compensation and expense reimbursement are separate entitlements, so you can claim both. We received €1,200 in compensation plus $538 for our hotel, local transportation, and train.
Does EU261 Apply to Flights From Europe to the United States?
Yes. EU261 covers flights departing from an EU airport on any airline, plus flights arriving in the EU when an EU airline operates them. Our SAS itinerary from Palma to Washington through Copenhagen qualified.
Do You Need a Claims Company for EU261 Compensation?
No. You can file directly with the airline and keep the full amount. Claims companies take a percentage of your compensation, and the SAS forms were simple enough to handle ourselves.
Is There Compensation for a Delayed Flight in Europe Under Three Hours?
Fixed EU261 compensation starts at a three-hour delay at your final destination. A shorter delay on your first flight still counts if it makes you miss a connection on the same reservation and you arrive three or more hours late. You may also be owed meals and refreshments during a long wait.
Have you ever filed for EU261 compensation after a delay? Tell us how it went in the comments.