By James Whitfield · Last updated: October 2026 · 10 min read

In This Guide

If your flight is delayed, a pre-booked private transfer moves with it, as long as the flight number is on the booking. On TransferBnB the driver waits 60 minutes free from the actual landing time, not the scheduled one, so most delays cost nothing. Past that hour, or if the flight is cancelled, the booking is re-timed or settled case by case, and you need to tell us as soon as you know.

This guide covers what happens at each stage of a delay, when a late arrival turns into a no-show, and what the airline owes you under EU law. It is part of our complete guide to ski transfers in Europe.

Quick Facts: Flight Delays and Airport Transfers (2026)

QuestionShort Answer
How long does the driver wait at the airport?60 minutes free, counted from the actual landing time.
Is a delayed flight charged extra?No, not inside the free hour.
What if the flight lands early?The driver comes at the scheduled pickup time.
Delay longer than the free hour?Tell TransferBnB at once; the pickup is re-timed where the carrier can, possibly at a charge.
Flight cancelled?Free cancellation more than 24 hours before pickup (72 on peak Saturdays); inside that, case by case.
When is it a no-show?Not at the pickup within the free wait and not reachable by phone.
Does the airline pay?EU261, as the Court of Justice reads it, pays €250 to €600 for arriving 3 hours late; the Montreal Convention covers damage caused by delay.

Sources: TransferBnB terms and conditions (February 2026) and FAQ, October 2026; Regulation (EC) No 261/2004; CJEU Sturgeon, 2009; Montreal Convention; Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024.

What happens to my airport transfer if my flight is delayed?

Usually nothing you will notice: the driver is there when you walk out.

When you book, the form asks for your flight number. With it, the carrier can follow the real arrival time on public flight data instead of the time printed on your ticket. A flight that lands 40 minutes late simply shifts the meeting by 40 minutes, and the driver stands in the arrivals hall with your name on a sign as planned. You are not charged for it.

What protects you is the free waiting time. On TransferBnB it is 60 minutes at airports, and it starts when the wheels touch down, so passport control and the baggage belt come out of the hour, not before it. Railway stations and ports get 30 minutes, any other address 15, both counted from the scheduled pickup time.

The driver's name, phone number, vehicle and plate are in your booking confirmation. Save the number before you fly. A delay is a problem only when the driver and you lose track of each other.

Does the waiting time start at the scheduled or the actual landing?

At the actual landing, on TransferBnB. Our terms count the 60 minutes "from the actual flight landing time".

This matters more than it looks. Some services count the free wait from the scheduled arrival, so a 50-minute delay quietly uses up most of it before you leave the plane. Check the wording in any booking you hold. "From landing" and "from scheduled arrival" can be an hour apart.

The opposite case catches people too. If your flight lands early, the driver still comes at the scheduled pickup time. Flights do land ahead of time, and the driver is not obliged to be there before the agreed time, so use the gap for the bags, or message the driver to say you are through.

A black passenger van waiting outside an airport terminal in winter

What if the delay runs past the free hour?

Then the booking needs a new time, and you have to ask for it.

Once the free hour after landing has passed, the carrier is not obliged to keep waiting. The moment you know your flight will be more than an hour late, email [email protected] with your booking reference and the new arrival time, and message the driver on the number in your confirmation. We pass the new time to the carrier and work out whether the same driver can come later.

That is not guaranteed: the driver may have another run booked that evening. Extra waiting beyond the free period depends on the driver's availability and may be charged. Any such charge is told to you before it applies, by the driver or by us.

Up to 24 hours before pickup you can also change the time, the flight number or the passengers yourself from the booking page, and the carrier approves the change. That helps when an airline moves your flight days ahead. Inside the last 24 hours, contact us instead.

What happens to a ski transfer when an evening flight is hours late?

The drive is long, so a late landing becomes a very late arrival at the resort.

From Geneva Airport, the transfer to Chamonix takes about 1h 15min, to Courchevel about 2h 15min and to Val d'Isère about 3 hours. Allow roughly 45 minutes from touchdown to the car door; that is our planning allowance, not a measured figure.

Flight lands at GenevaChamonix aboutCourchevel aboutVal d'Isère about
19:00 (on time)21:0022:0022:45
21:00 (2 hours late)23:0000:0000:45
23:00 (4 hours late)01:0002:0002:45

Arithmetic: landing time plus 45 minutes to the car plus the route page's driving time. Route pages read October 2026.

Two things follow. First, tell your chalet or hotel as well as us, since a key handover at 02:00 needs arranging. Second, on a peak changeover Saturday the same Geneva to Courchevel drive is published at 3h15 to 3h45 against 2h15 to 2h30 midweek, so a delay on that day stacks on a slower road. Our guide to Saturday changeover day shows which landing times avoid the worst of it.

A private transfer can be re-timed around a late flight. A shared shuttle leaves on its own timetable, and our shuttle versus private transfer guide explains what happens to a seat on a missed run.

What if my flight is cancelled or diverted?

A cancelled flight with time to spare is a simple cancellation. You can cancel any TransferBnB booking more than 24 hours before pickup for a full refund. For pickups on peak dates, which are the last Saturday of December, the first Saturday of January and the first three Saturdays of February, the free window is 72 hours. Refunds go to the original payment method within 14 business days of the refund being confirmed.

Inside that window, a cancellation for any other reason is not refunded. A flight cancellation, or a delay of several hours that makes the original pickup impossible, is different: our terms treat it case by case. We look at the circumstances, how much notice you gave and whether the carrier could take the new time, and the refund follows from that. The earlier you tell us, the more there is to work with.

A diversion is mostly the airline's problem. If the airline lands you at another airport serving the same city or region, EU Regulation 261/2004 says it "shall bear the cost of transferring the passenger" to the airport you booked or a nearby destination you agree with it (Article 8(3)). Ask the airline desk for that transport before you leave the terminal, keep the receipts if you pay yourself, and tell us where you are straight away, so the driver is not left waiting at the wrong airport.

When does a late flight become a no-show?

Only when two things happen together: you are not at the pickup point within the free wait, and the driver and TransferBnB cannot reach you.

A late flight by itself is never a no-show. If you land 90 minutes late and nobody knew, the risk is real; if you emailed us from the gate, it is a re-timing. The terms are plain about the phone: you must be reachable on the number you gave at booking, and not answering the driver within the free period turns the transfer into a no-show. A no-show is not refunded.

Three habits prevent it. Put a mobile number on the booking that works abroad, switch roaming on when you land, and answer unknown numbers that day. If you think a no-show was recorded wrongly, write to us within 7 days; we check call logs and driver records and give a decision within 14 business days.

One more trap sits on the way home. If the outward transfer is a no-show and your booking includes a return, confirm the return at least 24 hours before its pickup, or it may be treated as a no-show too.

Will the airline pay for a missed transfer?

Sometimes, but not under the line most people look for.

Regulation 261/2004 sets three kinds of help for delays. From a departure delay of 2 hours on flights up to 1,500 km, 3 hours on longer flights within the EU and on other flights of 1,500 to 3,500 km, and 4 hours on the rest, the airline must give meals, refreshments and two calls or emails. This is the right to care in Article 9. If the new departure is the next day, it must add a hotel and "transport between the airport and place of accommodation". That transport is to the hotel by the airport, not to your ski resort. And if you reach your final destination 3 hours late or more, the Court of Justice ruled in the Sturgeon case in 2009 that you are owed the same cash compensation as for a cancellation: €250, €400 or €600 by distance, unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances such as weather.

There is no EU261 line for "the transfer I paid for and missed". That is where most answers stop, and it is half the picture. Article 12 of the regulation keeps "further compensation" open, and the Montreal Convention, which governs international flights, makes the airline "liable for damage occasioned by delay", up to 6,303 Special Drawing Rights per passenger since 28 December 2024. A transfer you paid for and lost because the flight was late is a cost you can put to the airline on that basis. The airline can defend itself by showing it took every reasonable measure, and any EU261 compensation can be deducted, so keep the booking, the receipt and anything that shows the delay.

Check who flew you, too. EU261 covers every flight leaving an EU airport, whatever the airline, but a flight into the EU from outside only when the airline is an EU carrier. A flight from New York to Munich on a US airline is outside it, while the same airline's flight home from Munich is inside.

What if my transfer to the airport is late and I miss my flight?

Then the airline will not help, and the transfer is where you ask.

EU261 applies only to passengers who present themselves for check-in on time, so a missed flight caused by a late car is not the airline's delay. Email us at once with your booking reference. We investigate the cause with the carrier, and depending on what happened you may get the transfer fee back. TransferBnB and its carriers are not liable for the costs that follow, such as the new flight, rebooking fees or a hotel.

The remedy that works is time. From a resort, leave early enough that a closed road or a slow Saturday still lands you at the airport two hours ahead. If the driver has not come within the free 15 minutes at a hotel and you cannot reach them, contact us straight away: we arrange another car where we can, and if you take your own transport we refund the transfer in full on reasonable evidence, claimed within 7 days.

Does travel insurance cover a missed transfer?

It can, if the policy has trip delay or missed connection cover and the cause is one it lists, such as an airline delay or bad weather. Read the wording before you fly: delay benefits start after a set number of hours, and each policy sets its own.

Our terms recommend insurance that covers flight delays, cancellations and missed connections, because neither TransferBnB nor the carrier is responsible for delays the airline, air traffic control or the weather cause. Keep the delay confirmation from the airline; an insurer and an airline will both ask for it.

What should you do the moment you know your flight is late?

  • Before you fly: put the flight number and a mobile number that works abroad on the booking, and save the driver's number from the confirmation.
  • Delay under an hour: nothing to do. The free wait starts at landing.
  • Delay over an hour: email [email protected] with the booking reference and new arrival time, and message the driver.
  • Flight cancelled: cancel or re-time the transfer as early as you can; more than 24 hours out (72 on peak Saturdays) it is a full refund.
  • Diverted: ask the airline for the transfer to your booked airport, keep receipts, and tell us where you are.
  • Landed: roaming on, phone on, answer the driver.
  • Afterwards: claim EU261 compensation if you arrived 3 hours late, and keep the transfer receipt for a delay damage claim.

Book an airport transfer that follows your flight

Post the trip with your flight number, then choose an offer.

TransferBnB is a marketplace: verified local carriers who drive the route send offers, and you choose one. The 60 minutes of free waiting after landing are included in every offer, and the price you accept is the price you pay. Start from your route, from our ski resort transfers page, or book your transfer directly. The full rules are in our terms and conditions and FAQ.

AI-generated images.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens to my airport transfer if my flight is delayed?

With the flight number on the booking, the carrier can follow your actual arrival, and TransferBnB does not charge extra for flight delays. On TransferBnB the driver waits 60 minutes free from the actual landing time. If the flight will be more than an hour late, contact TransferBnB with the new arrival time so the pickup can be re-timed.

How long will a private transfer driver wait at the airport?

On TransferBnB, 60 minutes free at airports, counted from the flight's actual landing time. At railway stations and ports the free wait is 30 minutes and at other addresses 15, both from the scheduled pickup time. Longer waits depend on the driver's availability and may be charged.

What happens if my flight lands early?

The driver comes at the scheduled pickup time, not earlier. The free 60 minutes are counted from landing, so an early arrival only means waiting a little longer in the hall; message the driver to say you are through.

Do I get a refund on my transfer if my flight is cancelled?

Yes, if you cancel more than 24 hours before pickup, or 72 hours on the peak Saturdays of December, January and February. Closer to the pickup, a flight cancellation is handled case by case by TransferBnB, from the circumstances, the notice given and whether the carrier could take a new time. Refunds go to the original payment method within 14 business days.

Is it a no-show if my flight is late and I cannot reach the driver?

A late flight alone is not a no-show. It becomes one only if you are not at the pickup within the 60 minutes of free waiting after landing and neither the driver nor TransferBnB can reach you on the number you gave. Tell TransferBnB about any delay over an hour, and dispute a wrong no-show within 7 days.

Will the airline pay for my missed transfer under EU261?

Not directly: EU261 has no line for a missed transfer. It gives €250 to €600 if you arrive 3 hours late or more, unless extraordinary circumstances apply. The lost transfer cost can be put to the airline as damage caused by delay under the Montreal Convention, which caps that liability at 6,303 Special Drawing Rights; EU261 compensation can be deducted.

Who pays if my flight is diverted to another airport?

The airline. Under EU Regulation 261/2004, Article 8(3), an airline that lands you at another airport serving the same city or region must pay to take you to the airport you booked or a nearby destination you agree. Ask at the airline desk and keep the receipts.

What if a late transfer makes me miss my flight?

EU261 does not apply, because it covers only passengers who check in on time. Contact TransferBnB at once: depending on the cause you may get the transfer fee back. TransferBnB and its carriers are not liable for the new flight, rebooking fees or a hotel, so check what your travel insurance covers.

Sources and Data