Qatar Airways Missed Connection Compensation

Qatar Airways missed connection compensation.

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

When it comes to Qatar Airways missed connecting flight, there’s a chance you could be eligible for compensation. The sum you can claim depends on the details of your situation. Regardless of your nationality, ticket cost, or travel insurance protection, your eligibility for compensation isn’t affected. This is due to Qatar Airways’ obligation to adhere to specific regulations imposed by the EU. Keep in mind that these EU regulations apply only to Qatar Airways flights from Europe.

You have the choice to make the claim independently or enlist the help of experts.

1. EU Missed Flight Connection Compensation

Can you claim Qatar Airways missed connection compensation?

If you miss your Qatar Airways connecting flight, there’s a possibility you could be eligible for compensation. The regulations relevant to such situations are straightforward.

1.1 Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay: Compensation

Should you miss a connecting flight because of a delay on your primary Qatar Airways flight, you may be entitled to compensation under EU regulations.

If the delay is the airline’s fault, you could claim up to €600 if your flight is from Europe. As Qatar Airways is not a European airline, this rule is applicable only to Qatar Airways flights departing from Europe. Legally, “Qatar Airways missed connection compensation” doesn’t exist as it is under the same umbrella as Qatar Airways flight delay compensation.

For a valid claim to Qatar Airways flight compensation, you should arrive at your final destination 3 or more hours later than initially scheduled. In summary, you can secure compensation if:

• The delay is 3+ hours (calculated at the time of arrival);
• The fault lies with Qatar Airways;
• Flight is from Europe.

The same regulations are relevant to Qatar Airways connecting flights. It’s worth bearing in mind that in this case, your final destination is the last airport (not any of the stopover airports).

Consider this scenario. You have a connecting flight with Qatar Airways from Madrid to Bangkok via Doha. Your ultimate destination is Bangkok. Doha is merely a stopover airport. If you reach Bangkok 3 or more hours later due to an issue with Qatar Airways, you’re entitled to compensation for the missed connection flight for the whole “Madrid – Bangkok” journey.

Remember to submit a compensation claim!

1.2 Missing a Connecting Flight Due to Cancellation

Should one of your flights be cancelled, causing you to miss your connecting flight and reach your final destination with a delay of 3 or more hours, you might be eligible for compensation from Qatar Airways, much like with flight delays.

This stands if the cause of the cancellation is the airline’s responsibility, and you’re traveling from Europe. The compensation sum can reach €600 and is determined by the distance of your flight.

In conclusion, you can get Qatar Airways missed connection compensation if:

• Your earlier flight is cancelled (or delayed) due to Qatar Airways’ fault;
• You arrive at your destination 3+ hours later;
• The flight is from Europe.

Don’t forget to make a compensation claim!

As Qatar Airways is a non-European airline, these EU regulations apply only to Qatar Airways flights departing from the EU and the UK.

1.3 What About Self-Transfer Flights With Qatar Airways?

If you have booked your flights separately for your travel (i.e., self transfer), the above-mentioned regulations do not hold true. In such situations, if one of your flights gets cancelled or delayed, you will not be eligible for compensation for the other flight.

For instance, if you have booked one flight with Qatar Airways and another with Ryanair, and Qatar Airways cancels their flight, you might be entitled to compensation for the cancelled Qatar Airways flight. However, Qatar Airways is not responsible for your Ryanair flight, and they will not provide any assistance if you miss that flight.

Be cautious of this when making individual 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 conditions that are out of Qatar Airways control.

During these unforeseen circumstances, compensation is not warranted. Examples of such unexpected situations are extreme weather conditions, political unrest or a pandemic. If you have any doubts about the information provided, it is advisable to verify it. To ensure that the airline is not providing any misleading information, it is always a good practice to double-check all details pertinent to refunds and compensations.

Alternatively, you can also consider availing the services of a flight compensation company to scrutinize your case and confirm that you are not being misguided. For instance, mechanical issues with the aircraft are typically the airline’s responsibility and are not deemed as unforeseen circumstances, regardless of any contradictory claims by some airlines.

Instances that are not considered as unforeseen situations:

• Majority of technical issues with the airplane
• Most of Qatar Airways’ staff strikes
• Qatar Airways’ staff shortages

3. Right to Care (from Qatar Airways)

If you are stuck at the airport due to flight delay, flight cancellation, denied boarding or missed connection, you have a right to care.

In such cases, Qatar Airways is required to provide you with assistance while you wait for an alternate flight. In addition to this, in the event of a missed connection, Qatar Airways has to offer a complementary alternative flight, as long as it wasn’t due to any fault of yours.

While talking about assistance, if your waiting period at the airport extends beyond three hours, you are eligible to receive care from Qatar Airways.

• After waiting for 3 hours, Qatar Airways must provide you with complimentary meals and drinks in proportion to the waiting duration, along with two free calls, emails, or faxes.
• In the event of an overnight delay, free hotel accommodation must also be afforded (+ free airport transfer).

As Qatar Airways is a non-European airline, these EU regulations apply only to Qatar Airways flights departing from the EU and the UK.

4. How to Claim Qatar Airways Flight Compensation?

There are two methods how to claim Qatar Airways compensation.

Your first option is to reach out to Qatar Airways directly. You can visit their website and contact their customer support center to request compensation for your flight. However, remember that this process can be time-consuming, and you might have to negotiate with Qatar Airways to get the compensation you are entitled to. Having proof to illustrate how delayed you were at your destination can be beneficial.

Your second, more effortless option is to get legal representation.

With this method, you will have legal experts managing all aspects of your claim. Our partners offer such services – details below.

4.1 How Long Does It Take To Get Compensation?

What is the usual time taken to receive compensation from an airline?

Typically, it might take at least a few months to receive compensation.

If your case requires an escalation to a national enforcement body or court, the process might stretch an additional couple of months, and in some scenarios, even an additional six months.

Several factors can influence the time taken to receive compensation. If an airline promptly acknowledges your claim and agrees to pay compensation, the process can be expedited. However, if the airline rejects your claim, it might take longer, and you might have to navigate through a prolonged legal process to receive compensation.

Furthermore, the complexity of your case may affect the time taken to receive compensation.

Each case is unique.

As Qatar Airways is a non-European airline, these EU regulations apply only to Qatar Airways flights departing from the EU and the UK.

5. How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

How much is Qatar Airways missed connection compensation?

The compensation amount is set and ranges from €250 to €600.

Here is how you can compute the amount of your Qatar Airways 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 Qatar Airways Voucher Refund or Cash?

There is a possibility that Qatar Airways might present you with a voucher instead of cash compensation.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many airlines were issuing vouchers instead of financial compensation for flight delays and cancellations.

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

Keep in mind that EU regulations only apply to Qatar Airways flights from Europe. If your Qatar Airways flight departs from a third country, accepting vouchers as compensation or refund may be your only option.

6. What Is a Connecting Flight?

A connecting flight refers to a travel itinerary where instead of directly flying to your end destination, you take two or more flights, stopping at one or more airports along the way. In other words, you’re not directly flying from point A to point B; instead, you’ll stop at point C, and sometimes, even more points.

The duration spent at these stop-over airports between flights is termed as a layover, if it’s less than 24 hours. Beyond 24 hours, it becomes a stopover.

Taking a connecting flight could be due to the lack of a direct flight, or simply because the connecting flight may be cheaper.

Connecting flights are usually of two kinds:

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

6.1 Airline-Protected Transfer

So how do you know if you have an airline-protected transfer?

1. You’ve booked a connecting flight, via either the airline or a third-party service such as Kiwi, Expedia, or eDreams.
2. Your entire journey, which includes two or more flights, has been given a unique booking reference number by the airline itself. It’s important to note that this should be an airline booking reference number and not the travel agent’s booking reference number. By inputting your booking reference number on the airline’s website, you would be able to manage your entire travel schedule.

6.2 Self Transfer

And how do you identify a self-transfer flight?

1. If your journey consists of multiple flights that were booked individually, that’s a self-transfer flight.
2. If each of your flights has its own unique reservation number, you’re on a self-transfer flight.
3. If you had to pay for each flight separately, you’re considered to be self-transferring.

Differentiating between self transfer and airline-protected connecting flights can seem complicated. To identify them, check your tickets. If each flight segment has a different reservation number or booking reference, it’s likely a self transfer. Online travel agencies such as Kiwi or Expedia also mention if the flight is a self transfer.

7. Missed Connection

When a passenger doesn’t catch their subsequent flight, it’s referred to as a missed connection.

This situation could be due to several reasons, such as a delay or cancellation of the previous flight, or the connection time being too short. In circumstances where your transit period is brief, like 1 or 1.5 hours, it’s quite possible to miss your next flight.

Keep in mind that airlines often lend a helping hand to passengers who fail to catch their connecting flight due to flight delay or cancellation. If you don’t mind reaching your destination later than planned, a delay might actually work in your favor, as you might be entitled to a compensation of up to 600 euros per person.

Cancelled or delayed flight causes missed connection?

7.1 Missed Airline-Protected Transfer

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

If circumstances beyond your control cause you to miss your connecting flight, the airline offers protection and aid.

In the event of flight cancellations or delays leading to a missed connection, passengers are covered, and they may be eligible for compensation. The airline will typically organize a new flight, and in case the next flight leaves the following day, they might provide a complimentary hotel stay. For resolving the issue, reach out to the airline’s representatives at the airport.

What about a refund or flight compensation?

Generally, a refund isn’t provided for a missed flight.

However, if your flight is covered by the EU Regulation 261/2004, you might be eligible for missed flight compensation for your entire journey. This is the same as flight delay compensation or flight cancellation compensation.

Remember to make a compensation claim!

7.2 Missed Self-Transfer Flight

A self-transfer implies booking multiple flights separately.

What happens if you miss your self-transfer connection?

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

For instance, let’s say you have a flight with Ryanair to Frankfurt, referred to as “flight 1,” and after a 3-hour layover, you have a subsequent flight with Qatar Airways to Doha, referred to as “flight 2.” If you miss your connection due to a delay or cancellation of flight 1, neither airline is liable for the missed connection.

If flight 1 is delayed significantly (3+ hours), you might be eligible for compensation from Ryanair. If there’s a last-minute cancellation, you might be entitled to a new flight, refund, and compensation from Ryanair for flight 1, according to ‎Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.

However, if as a result you miss your Qatar Airways flight, you will need to purchase a new flight to your destination (Doha, in this case). Neither Ryanair nor Qatar Airways will provide any compensation for flight 2, and no compensation for a missed flight connection will be provided.

The same holds true for the Qatar Airways flight – flight 2. If it’s delayed or cancelled last minute, you may get compensation for this one particular flight. However, if it’s cancelled last minute and you are given a flight 2 hours earlier than you can make it for, you will have to manage the situation yourself.

If you have insurance for missed flights, get in touch with your insurance provider. Depending on the circumstances, they might be able to help you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists

Qatar Airways Delayed Flight > Missed Connection

Flight Cancellations

Other Situations

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

Featured photo by Alexandr Podvalny from Pexels