Single Booking or Separate Tickets? How It Affects Your EU261 Rights

Whether your connecting flights are on a single booking (PNR) or separate tickets is the most important question for your EU261 compensation. With a single booking, the delay at the final destination counts and the airline must rebook you. With separate bookings, each flight is assessed individually — a missed connection is at your own risk.

Single booking vs. separate bookings compared

Single Booking (one PNR)

Delay counted at final destination
Distance: great circle origin → final destination
Airline must rebook + provide care
Luggage checked through to final destination
Up to EUR600 compensation possible

Separate Bookings (different PNRs)

Each flight assessed individually
Distance: only the individual flight
No rebooking obligation for connection
Missed connection = your own risk
Compensation only for the delayed individual flight

Practical example: The difference in numbers

Route: Berlin → Munich → New York (missed connection in Munich, arrived 5 hours late)

Single booking vs. separate bookings comparison
	Single Booking	Separate Bookings
Relevant distance	Berlin → New York: 6,400 km	Berlin → Munich: 500 km
Relevant delay	5h at final destination New York	Flight 1 only: e.g. 45 min (< 3h)
Compensation	600 EUR	EUR0 (< 3h)
Rebooking	Airline must rebook	New ticket at your own expense

Beware of online travel agencies

Platforms like Kiwi, Gotogate, or eSky often offer cheap connecting routes that consist of separate individual flights. These are marketed as 'self-connect' or 'virtual interlining'. If you received two different booking references, these are separate bookings — even if you only paid once.

How to identify separate bookings:

Two different booking references (PNRs)
Luggage must be collected and re-checked at the connecting airport
Separate check-in required for each flight
Portal offers 'connection guarantee' for an extra fee (= proof of separate booking)

4 steps to your compensation

1
Check your booking type
Review your booking confirmation: Do all flights share the same PNR/booking reference? Was your luggage checked through to the final destination?
2
Enter flight data
For a single booking: Enter the first departure airport and the final destination. For separate bookings: Enter only the delayed individual flight.
3
Generate complaint letter
Our AI creates a complaint letter that correctly documents the situation (single booking or individual flight) — for 8.40 EUR.
4
Send to airline
Download the letter as a PDF and send it to the operating airline of the delayed flight.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if I have a single booking?

All flights share the same booking reference (PNR) and appear on one ticket. Your luggage was checked through to the final destination at check-in, and all boarding passes were issued together. Another sign: you paid a single total price.

What if I booked through an OTA (e.g., Expedia, Kiwi)?

Be careful: some online travel agencies combine individual flights from different airlines into a seemingly cheap package. If you received two different booking references (PNRs), these are separate bookings — even if you only paid once. However, the ECJ clarified in C-436/21 (Flightright vs. American Airlines) that a genuine single booking through an OTA can exist if a unified ticket with through-carriage was issued.

I have separate bookings — do I have no rights at all?

You do, but they are limited: each flight is assessed individually. If Flight 1 was delayed and you missed Flight 2, you can only claim for Flight 1 — provided it arrived more than 3 hours late. The missed connection (Flight 2) is at your own risk. That's why it's important to allow sufficient connection time with separate bookings.

How is compensation calculated for a single booking?

With a single booking, the delay at the final destination (last airport on the booking) counts. Compensation is based on the great circle distance between the first departure airport and the final destination: EUR250 (up to 1,500 km), EUR400 (1,500–3,500 km), or EUR600 (over 3,500 km).

And for separate bookings?

Each flight is assessed individually. The delay and distance refer only to the specific individual flight. Example: Flight 1 Berlin → Munich (500 km, 4h delay) = EUR250. The missed Flight 2 Munich → New York is not included.

My travel agent 'combined' the flights — is that a single booking?

The key question is whether a unified ticket with a single booking reference (PNR) was issued and whether through-carriage was agreed (luggage checked through, airline responsible for the connection). If the travel agent merely put two separate tickets on one invoice, they are still separate bookings.

Does outbound and return count as one booking?

Outbound and return flights on the same booking are booked together but are treated as two separate journeys for EU261 purposes. A delay on the outbound flight does not create a claim for the return flight and vice versa.

When must the airline rebook me after a missed connection?

Only with a single booking is the airline obligated to rebook you on the next available flight and provide care (meals, hotel for overnight stays). With separate bookings, there is no rebooking obligation for the missed connecting flight.

Create your complaint letter now

Professional EU261 complaint letter — correct for your booking type — for just 8.40 EUR.

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The information on this page is for general guidance only and does not constitute legal advice. No liability is accepted for accuracy or completeness. For complex cases, we recommend consulting a lawyer.