Theoretical question re: EU261...

A thought occurred to me earlier and I wanted to run it past those in the know.

Every now and then I find travel options on the VS website for destinations transiting via ATL, with very small connection times (I believe one was only 50 minutes). If I were to take such an option and wound up missing my connection and placed on a later flight, could I file an EU261 claim - assuming I arrive at least 4 hours late?
My understanding is that the claim only applies to your final destination, and not to individual segments.
Or would this be disallowed as it involves an internal US connection which isn't covered by EU261 (as far as I know?). I have no intentions of trying such a thing, it just smacks me of an easy way to knock €600 off of one's flight ticket by opting for an infeasibly short connection.

I would be surprised if they let you book such a tight connection - Even when the option is offered on the website, these things have a habit of erroring out when you do try and book it.

I recently booked flights through VS that included a domestic VX segment, the system wouldn't book with less than 1hr30min between flights. I have had exactly the same issue with EK and transitting through DXB, which just means more time in the lounge.

Onto the actual question, it is an interesting one... By my understanding of EU261, compensation would only be due if the ATL arrival was more than four hours behind schedule. A non-EU airline would be taking you the rest of the way and the atlantic carrier will likely classify ATL as your 'final destination' where you leave one carrier and embark upon another..

If booked all on one ticket the airline is of course obligated to get you to your final destination for any missed connections.

No. And you're not the first to think of it!

The reason - as you have already said- is that the onward flight won't be operated by VS but by a USA based carrier and they aren't in the scope of the regulations


And you'd be relying on the delay being caused by the airline in the first place and not something like weather, ATC or a diversion due to those or for a medical emergency

I know someone who was delayed on arrival to MIA with BA by about an hour, and missed his connection on AA, forcing him to spend the night at MIA. BA paid out. Was booked as one ticket, have seen many examples online of similar things happening,

As Hamster says we arrived too late on a BA flight to catch an internal flight on AC and was put up overnight in Montreal and claimed the full amount back with no problem as both flights booked on the same PNR. Previous to this we used to booked an onward flight on the return which gave an hour turn around then suddenly when trying to book the same flights the following time we did this route, it would not allow us to because of a percieved 'not enough turn around time'.