Air Serbia Missed Connection Compensation

Air Serbia missed connection compensation.

What happens if you don’t make your connecting flight? Can you claim compensation?

If you miss a connecting flight with Air Serbia, you may be eligible for compensation. The amount you can claim depends on the distance of your journey and the delay length. Your nationality, ticket price, or travel insurance coverage does not affect your eligibility for compensation. This is because Air Serbia must comply with EU regulations, which means if compensation is appropriate, the airline is bound to pay.

You have the option to pursue the claim on your own or utilise the services of professionals.

Check your compensation online.

1. EU Missed Flight Connection Compensation

Can you claim Air Serbia missed connection compensation?

When you miss your connecting flight with Air Serbia, you might be entitled to compensation. The rules applicable in such circumstances are straightforward.

1.1 Missed Connecting Flight Due to Delay: Compensation

If a delay on your main Air Serbia flight causes you to miss a connecting flight, you could be entitled to compensation under EU rules.

If the delay is the airline’s fault, you could be eligible for up to €600. Officially, there’s no “Air Serbia missed connection compensation”, as it falls under the same category as Air Serbia flight delay compensation.

To officially claim Air Serbia flight compensation, you must reach your final destination 3 or more hours later than originally planned. In essence, you can obtain compensation if:

• The delay is 3+ hours (calculated at the time of arrival);
• The fault lies with Air Serbia;
• The flight is to/from Europe.

The same rules apply to Air Serbia connecting flights. It’s important to note that in this context, your final destination is the last airport (not any stopover airports).

Consider this example. You have a connecting flight from Belgrade to Tokyo via Abu Dhabi. Your final destination is Tokyo. Abu Dhabi is just a layover airport. If you experience a delay of 3 or more hours in arriving in Tokyo due to the airline’s fault, you are eligible for compensation for the missed connecting flight for the entire “Belgrade – Tokyo” route.

Don’t forget to submit a compensation claim!

1.2 Missing a Connecting Flight Due to Cancellation

If your flight is cancelled and as a result, you miss your connecting flight, causing a delay of more than 3 hours at your final destination, you may qualify for compensation from Air Serbia. This applies if the cancellation is within the airline’s control. The amount of compensation can be as high as €600, depending on the distance of your journey.

This is under the condition that the reason for the cancellation falls under the responsibility of the airline. The compensation amount could potentially hit €600, and it depends on your flight distance.

To summarise, you could receive compensation for a missed connection with Air Serbia if:

• The earlier flight gets cancelled (or delayed) due to an error on Air Serbia’s part;
• You arrive 3 or more hours later at your destination;
• The flight is to/from Europe.

Ready to claim compensation?

Remember to submit a compensation claim!

1.3 What About Self-Transfer Flights With Air Serbia?

When you have independently booked your flights (that is, self-transfer), the previously discussed rules do not apply. In such circumstances, should one of your flights experience a delay or cancellation, you are not eligible for compensation for the second flight.

For instance, if you have booked a flight with Air Serbia and another with Wizz Air, and the Air Serbia flight gets cancelled, you may be eligible for compensation for the cancelled Air Serbia flight. However, please note that Air Serbia is not responsible for your Wizz Air flight and will not provide any assistance if you miss it due to their cancellation.

Keep this in mind when booking your flights separately.

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

There are situations that Air Serbia cannot control, and in such cases, the airline may be unable to provide compensation. These situations are usually unpredictable, such as severe weather conditions, political instability, or global health crises. If you are unsure about the information given, it is recommended that you double-check the data. To ensure you are not influenced by any potentially misleading details from the airline, it is important to verify all information regarding refunds and compensation.

You can also choose to use the services of a flight compensation company to review your case and make sure you are not being deceived. For instance, mechanical issues with the aircraft are typically the airline’s responsibility and should not be considered a ys unexpected events, even if some airlines claim otherwise.

Situations that are not classified as unexpected events:

• Most technical problems with the aircraft
• Most Air Serbia’s staff strikes
• Air Serbia’s staff shortages

3. Right to Care (from Air Serbia)

In the event of a flight delay, flight cancellation denied boarding, or missed connection, passengers are entitled to a right to care.

Under these circumstances, Air Serbia is obliged to offer you assistance while you wait for a replacement flight. Moreover, if a connection is missed, Air Serbia must propose a free alternate flight, provided the missed connection wasn’t due to a fault on your part.

When talking about assistance, if your waiting time at the airport surpasses three hours, you qualify to receive care from Air Serbia.

• After waiting for 3 hours, Air Serbia is required to provide complimentary meals and beverages in relation to the length of the wait, along with two free phone calls, emails, or faxes.
• In case of an overnight delay, the airline must also provide free hotel accommodation and airport transfer.

4. How to Claim Air Serbia Flight Compensation?

How to claim Air Serbia missed connection compensation?

There are two methods how to claim Air Serbia compensation.

Your first option is to reach out to Air Serbia directly. You can visit their website and contact their customer support centre to request compensation for your flight. Keep in mind that this process may take time, and you may need to negotiate with Air Serbia to receive the compensation you deserve. It can be helpful to have evidence that shows the extent of your delay at your destination.

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 acknowledges your claim promptly and agrees to pay compensation, the process can be expedited. However, if the airline disputes your claim, it may take longer, and you might have to navigate a lengthy legal process to receive compensation.

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

Each case is unique.

5. How Much Compensation Can You Claim?

How much is Air Serbia missed connection compensation?

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

Here is how you can compute the amount of your Air Serbia 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 Serbia Voucher Refund or Cash?

There is a possibility that Air Serbia 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.

6. What Is a Connecting Flight?

A connecting flight is a journey where you have two or more flights to reach your final destination.

Instead of a direct flight from point A to point B, your journey includes a stop at point C, and possibly more stops. The time you spend at these airports between flights is called a layover if it’s less than 24 hours. If it’s more than 24 hours, it’s called a stopover.

Flying via a connecting flight could be due to the absence of a direct flight, or simply because the connecting flight could be more cost-effective.

Connecting flights typically fall into two categories:

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

6.1 Airline-Protected Transfer

So, how can you ascertain if your transfer is protected by the airline?

1. If your flight itinerary, involving two or more flights, has been booked via the airline directly or a third-party platform such as Kiwi, Expedia, or eDreams.
2. Your complete journey, encompassing multiple flights, is assigned one booking reference number by the airline. It’s crucial to remember that this number should be provided by the airline and not the travel agent. By entering your booking reference number on the airline’s website, you can manage your entire travel itinerary.

6.2 Self Transfer

How can you recognize a self-transfer flight?

1. If your travel plan consists of multiple flights, each booked separately, it indicates a self-transfer flight.
2. If every flight on your itinerary comes with a distinct reservation number, you are on a self-transfer flight.
3. If you had to make separate payments for each flight, it signifies a self-transfer flight.

The distinction between self-transfer and airline-protected connecting flights can seem perplexing. To differentiate them, examine your tickets. If each flight segment carries a different reservation number or booking reference, it’s likely a self-transfer. Online travel agencies like Kiwi or Expedia usually state whether the flight is a self-transfer.

7. Missed Connection

When a traveller is unable to board their subsequent flight, this event is known as a missed connection.

Several factors, like flight delays or cancellations, or a tight connection time, can contribute to this situation. If the transit duration is only around 1 hour, it can increase the likelihood of missing the next flight.

Airlines often help passengers who miss their connecting flights due to delays or cancellations. So, a delay might not be all bad; you could be eligible for compensation of up to 600 euros per person if you’re flexible with your arrival time.

Cancelled or delayed flight causes missed connection?

7.1 Missed Airline-Protected Transfer

Choosing an airline-protected transfer is the most secure option for travellers.

If circumstances beyond your control result in a missed connecting flight, the airline offers protection and assistance.

In cases where flight cancellations or delays result in a missed connection, passengers are covered, and they may be eligible for compensation. The airline will typically arrange a replacement flight. If the next available flight is the following day, they may offer a free hotel stay. To resolve the situation, contact the airline’s representatives at the airport.

What about a refund or flight compensation?

Typically, a refund is not offered for a missed flight.

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

Don’t forget to make a compensation claim!

7.2 Missed Self-Transfer Flight

A self-transfer signifies 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, or cancelled, or if you are denied boarding, you might be entitled to compensation for that specific flight. However, none of the airlines involved will be responsible for your entire journey or any missed connections.

For instance, let’s say you have a flight with Ryanair to Frankfurt, which we’ll call “flight 1.” After a 3-hour layover, you have another flight with Air Serbia to Belgrade, which we’ll call “flight 2.” If flight 1 is delayed or cancelled, causing you to miss your connection, neither airline bears responsibility for the missed connection.

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

However, if you consequently miss your Air Serbia flight, you will have to buy a new flight to your final destination (Belgrade, in this case). Neither Ryanair nor Air Serbia will provide any compensation for flight 2, and no compensation for a missed flight connection will be provided.

The same applies to the Air Serbia flight – flight 2. If it’s delayed or cancelled at the last minute, compensation may be claimed for this stand-alone flight. But if it’s cancelled last minute and you’re rescheduled to a flight 2 hours earlier than planned, you’ll have to handle the situation by yourself.

Contact your insurance provider if you have coverage for missed flights. They may be able to assist you, depending on the situation.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

EU – Non-EU Flights, Tourists

Air Serbia Delayed Flight > Missed Connection

Flight Cancellations

Other Situations

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