British Airways missed connection at Heathrow: final-arrival compensation
Reviewed on 10 August 2026. If a delayed British Airways sector causes a connection on the same booking to be missed at Heathrow, compensation is normally assessed at the ticketed final destination. Arrival there at least three hours late can qualify under UK261 or EC261, even when the feeder's departure delay was much shorter. Separate tickets usually do not form one protected connection.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Keep the original itinerary before BA's automatic rebooking replaces it. Record arrival stand, transfer progress, gate closure and the replacement flight.
One booking or self-transfer
| Itinerary structure | Normal position |
|---|---|
| Both flights share one ticket and reservation | Final destination can control |
| BA sells a through ticket with a partner onward flight | Can remain a protected connection |
| Passenger bought two independent tickets | Each contract usually has its own destination |
| Travel agent issues one ticket at an overall price | Inspect ticket construction and connecting status |
| Baggage checked through but tickets separate | Helpful fact, not conclusive on its own |
Do not assume that two BA flight numbers merge reservations. Conversely, different operating airlines can still form one directly connecting ticket.
Final destination and delay
The Folkerts judgment establishes that compensation can be due where a directly connecting journey reaches its final destination at least three hours late, even though the first flight's departure delay fell below Article 6 thresholds.
Example: Newcastle-Heathrow arrives 55 minutes late. The passenger misses BA's Heathrow-Toronto service and reaches Toronto eight hours behind schedule. On one booking, Toronto controls the arrival calculation.
Use first door opening at Toronto, not touchdown. Distance normally follows the direct Newcastle-Toronto arc rather than adding the two flights. Long-distance reduction rules can apply if final arrival is between three and four hours, but an eight-hour result points to the full band if other conditions are met.
Heathrow transfer evidence
Save the planned connection time and the itinerary's terminals as originally issued, but verify live assignments on travel day. Record when the feeder door opened, where it parked, security or transfer steps, when the onward gate closed and whether BA assistance directed the passenger.
Heathrow's size does not excuse every missed connection. If BA sold a connection that met its booking rules, focus on the incoming delay and final outcome. Passenger-caused delay during transfer can matter, so proceed reasonably and retain evidence of queues or assistance failures.
Do not publish or rely on a permanent terminal map in the claim. Operational changes can alter route and transfer time.
Automatic rebooking and alternatives
BA says it will normally rebook a missed connection to the next available BA or partner flight. Check whether that is genuinely the earliest reasonable option. Heathrow's broad network may offer another carrier that arrives materially sooner.
Ask BA to protect the complete final destination and cabin. If it offers travel from Gatwick or London City, surface transfer and check-in time must be feasible, and BA should arrange or reimburse reasonable transport.
If no suitable option is offered, document available flights, price and BA response before self-booking. The BA rerouting guide explains another-airline evidence.
Cause of the first disruption
Fixed compensation still depends on cause. An ordinary BA technical fault, aircraft rotation or staffing issue can support payment. Unsafe weather or a flight-specific ATC decision can provide a defence if BA proves reasonable measures.
Ask which sector and event caused the missed connection. If BA attributes the final delay to the passenger missing the gate, provide transfer timestamps. If an earlier extraordinary restriction caused only part of the feeder delay, request allocation of later carrier time.
BA CityFlyer can operate an incoming London City service, but Heathrow feeders and long haul may involve another entity. Identify the operating carrier for the disrupted sector rather than naming BA generally.
UK261, EC261 and amount
A journey beginning in the UK ordinarily uses UK261. A through booking beginning in an EU airport and connecting at Heathrow can use EC261 to the final destination. Reverse third-country itineraries on BA can fall under UK261 because BA is a UK carrier.
The normal bands are GBP 220/350/520 or EUR 250/400/600. Great-circle distance uses first departure to final destination for the protected connection. Currency follows the legal regime.
Use the BA UK261 versus EC261 guide where the trip begins outside Britain, and the long-haul amount guide for reductions.
Care at Heathrow
BA must provide appropriate care while the passenger waits: food, communication, overnight accommodation if necessary and hotel transport. This applies even where weather or ATC defeats fixed compensation.
Ask for vouchers and a room. If BA does not arrange them, choose reasonable options and retain itemised receipts. Keep expenses separate from the distance-based payment.
If the passenger lives near Heathrow, travel home and back can be a reasonable alternative. If rerouting departs from another London airport, claim the authorised transfer separately.
Separate tickets
With a self-transfer, BA's first contract may end at Heathrow. Missing the second flight is then usually not measured as BA's final destination under UK261 or EC261. The second ticket's fare rules, insurance, card protection or package arrangement may help.
Still ask BA for goodwill and verify whether the bookings were linked. If an agent sold both for one total and issued a single ticket, the legal position can differ from two confirmations that merely appear in one app.
Never misstate separate tickets as one reservation. CEDR or court will examine ticket records.
Claim file
Attach original e-ticket, all boarding passes, baggage through-check evidence, feeder arrival, gate closure, BA rebooking and final door-opening time. Give the operating cause and direct distance.
List each passenger and requested amount. Submit care receipts through BA's expense form. If BA rejects based on minimum connection or passenger lateness, ask for the transfer record and explain each timestamp.
The BA Heathrow disruption page covers direct cancellations and airport evidence beyond connections.
FAQ
Does my first BA flight need to be three hours late?
No. On a protected through booking, final arrival can exceed three hours even when the initial departure delay was much shorter.
What if BA automatically rebooks me for the next day?
Ask whether an earlier reasonable partner or competitor option exists. Care should continue through an overnight wait.
Are two separate BA bookings one connection?
Usually not. Shared branding or an app view does not merge ticket contracts, though one agent-issued ticket needs closer inspection.
Which distance applies after a Heathrow missed connection?
For one directly connecting journey, use the great-circle distance from first departure to final destination rather than summed sectors.
Can weather remove my Heathrow hotel right?
It may remove fixed compensation if proved, but BA's current care duty usually still requires necessary accommodation and transport.