On this page
Two Separate Claims
- Delay Repay for the late train: a share of your fare, based on how late you reached your destination, from the company whose train delayed you (National Rail Conditions of Travel, condition 32.1). Missing the flight doesn't change it. See How Much Delay Repay Will I Get?.
- The flight: a separate request to the train company's customer relations team. Under the industry arrangements you can recover up to the price of your ticket; other losses are considered only in exceptional circumstances, at the train company's sole discretion (condition 32.2).
You can't recover the same money twice (condition 32.1), so a cost your insurer pays can't be claimed from the train company as well.
On the Day: Ask Staff First
When disruption stops you finishing your journey, the train company will, where it reasonably can, provide another way to your destination (condition 28.2). Tell staff you have a flight before you pay for a taxi yourself. If your train is cancelled, other companies' trains may take your ticket: see ticket acceptance when your train is cancelled.
Some companies expect you to leave time. CrossCountry says it normally only considers other transport for a flight if you planned to reach the airport station at least two hours before the recommended check-in time. East Midlands Railway recommends arriving at the airport station at least 2 hours before your flight.
Before you set off, see where your train is now with Track a Train.
What Train Companies Say About Missed Flights
- West Midlands Railway: its charter says it considers all claims for extra costs caused by a delay or cancellation, giving the cost of a new plane ticket after a missed flight as an example.
- Southeastern: contact Customer Services with your train ticket, flight booking, journey itinerary and receipts. It decides case by case.
- GWR: if you don't allow enough time and miss your onward journey, it may not be able to cover the extra expenses.
- [Stansted Express](/delay-repay/stansted-express): taxis, hotels and flights should be claimed on your travel insurance.
- [Chiltern Railways](/delay-repay/chiltern-railways): claims for consequential losses are considered on an individual basis.
- Northern: a separate claim process for extra costs after disruption, apart from the Delay Repay form.
The other companies don't mention flights. A request goes to their customer relations team, which decides at its discretion. Choose your train company on this page to see what it says.
The Consumer Rights Act 2015
Separately from the industry arrangements, the Consumer Rights Act 2015 expects a service to be provided with reasonable care and skill (section 49). You make that claim to the train company. These claims are hard to win, and you have to show what the delay cost you.
If you're still unhappy after the train company has replied, you can take it to the Rail Ombudsman.
Travel Insurance and What to Keep
Stansted Express tells passengers to claim flights on their travel insurance. Check what your policy says about missing a flight because of a late train, and what proof it wants. Keep:
- Your train ticket, or your contactless or Oyster journey history.
- The flight booking, and anything from the airline about the missed flight or a new booking.
- Receipts for a new flight, taxi or hotel.
- The train you caught, when it was due and when it got in.
What Railhop Does
Other costs: What Can I Claim For When My Train Is Late? and Train Cancelled and You Got a Taxi. More on how Delay Repay works.
Questions
Can I claim for a missed flight if my train was late?
Not under Delay Repay. You can ask the train company, which may consider other losses in exceptional circumstances, or claim under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. Travel insurance is often the better route.
Do I still get Delay Repay if I missed my flight?
Yes. Claim Delay Repay for how late you reached your destination. The flight is a separate request.
Will the train company pay for a new flight?
It doesn't have to. West Midlands Railway gives a new plane ticket as an example of extra costs it considers, Southeastern decides case by case, and Stansted Express says to use your travel insurance.
How early should I get to the airport by train?
CrossCountry and East Midlands Railway say to plan to reach the airport station at least 2 hours early: before the recommended check-in time for CrossCountry, before your flight for East Midlands Railway.
What should I send with a missed flight claim?
Your train ticket, flight booking, journey itinerary and receipts. Southeastern asks for all of these.
Can I claim from my insurer and the train company?
Not for the same cost: you can't recover the same money twice. You can still claim Delay Repay for the late train.
What if the train company says no?
If you're still unhappy after it has replied, you can take it to the Rail Ombudsman.
Sources
- National Rail Conditions of Travel (30 July 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 49
- Rail Ombudsman
- CrossCountry: Passenger's Charter
- East Midlands Railway: Passenger's Charter
- GWR: Passenger's Charter
- West Midlands Railway: Passenger's Charter
- Chiltern Railways: Passenger's Charter
- Northern: Delay Repay
- Southeastern: Delay Repay
- Stansted Express: Delay Repay
Train company terms checked 6 October 2026. Terms change: if something here doesn't match the train company's own page, the company's page is right. Tell us and we'll fix it. Railhop fills in the train company's own claim form, and you check it and submit it yourself. Railhop is not affiliated with any train company, TfL or National Rail.