TUI Airways

TUI, package holidays, and the myth that costs people money

TUI Airways is the UK’s big leisure and charter airline — the flying half of TUI, the world’s largest holiday company — carrying sun-seekers from Manchester, Gatwick, Birmingham and a dozen other UK bases to the Mediterranean, the Canaries, and long-haul to the Caribbean, Mexico and Cape Verde. Most of its passengers are on a package holiday.

And that’s where the money gets left on the table. Huge numbers of TUI customers believe that because their flight was part of a package, they can’t claim flight-delay compensation. That’s wrong. Charter and package flights are fully covered by UK261 / EU 261 — the right attaches to the operating airline, and the tour operator can’t waive it. Being on a package doesn’t remove your flight rights; it adds a second layer on top.

Flight-only rights vs package-holiday rights

What your TUI claim is worth

Flight compensation is set by the great-circle distance of the route — in pounds for UK departures (UK261), euros for EU departures (EU 261):

TUI is a leisure airline, so its routes cluster in the £350 / €400 band — most Med and Canary destinations are over 1,500 km — and its long-haul flights to the Caribbean, Mexico and Cape Verde reach the top £520 / €600. Try a few:

Watch the band edge: London → Alicante (~1,430 km) is £220 / €250, just under the line, while Manchester → Palma (~1,580 km) is £350 / €400, just over. A few kilometres separate the two.

Delays and cancellations

• Delays. Arrive at your destination 3+ hours late for a reason within TUI’s control, and you’re owed £220–520 / €250–600. Measured at arrival, not departure.
• Cancellations. You choose a refund or rerouting, you get care, and — unless TUI gave 14+ days’ notice or the cause was extraordinary — the per-passenger compensation on top. On a package, the operator must also offer suitable alternatives or refund the holiday if it’s materially affected.
• Long-haul 50% rule. On flights over 3,500 km, if your arrival delay is between 3 and 4 hours, the compensation can be halved to £260 / €300; at 4 hours or more it’s the full £520 / €600.

Real example. A package flight from Manchester → Cancún is delayed 5 hours by a technical fault. Not extraordinary, over 3,500 km → £520 / €600 per passenger under UK261 — plus care (the long-haul overnight thresholds), plus, because it’s a package, any package remedies if the late departure materially shortens the holiday. Check a delayed flight →

Real example. A charter Gatwick → Tenerife flight is cancelled. UK261 → £350 / €400 per passenger, plus a refund or rerouting — and, as a package, TUI must provide suitable alternative arrangements or refund the package. Check a cancelled flight →

How to claim from TUI yourself

1. Gather your evidence — booking reference, boarding passes, flight number and date (TUI flights start TOM / BY / OR), TUI’s stated reason, and any receipts.
2. Confirm it qualifies — arrived 3+ hours late (or cancelled with under 14 days’ notice, or denied boarding); the cause wasn’t extraordinary; you’re within six years.
3. Work out the amount from the distance band — £220/€250, £350/€400 or £520/€600.
4. Submit TUI’s claim form. Use TUI’s flight-delay compensation page, citing UK261 / EU 261/2004, the flight and the arrival delay.
5. Escalate if refused. For UK flights, AviationADR or the UK CAA; for package complaints, ABTA; for EU departures, the national enforcement body of the country you flew from — or hand the claim to a specialist.

Real TUI scenarios

• Package long-haul delay. Manchester → Cancún 5 hours late after a technical fault → £520 / €600 each, plus care, plus package remedies if the holiday is cut short.
• Charter cancellation. Gatwick → Tenerife cancelled → £350 / €400 each, plus rerouting or refund and package alternatives.
• The myth, busted. “It’s a package, so EU261/UK261 doesn’t apply.” False — the operating airline owes the same compensation as on a flight-only ticket.
• ATC/weather — the honest no. Birmingham → Palma 4 hours late from a Spanish ATC strike → no compensation, but care, rerouting, and package remedies if the holiday is significantly affected.

See real won cases and verdicts →.

TUI Airways at a glance

TUI Airways — known as Thomson Airways until 2017 — is the UK arm of TUI Group, the world’s largest leisure-travel company, flying a Boeing fleet of 737-800s, 737 MAX 8s and 787 Dreamliners (for the long-haul routes) to holiday destinations across the Med, the Canaries, the Caribbean and beyond. It’s one of the UK’s largest airlines, carrying around 12 million passengers a year — the overwhelming majority on package holidays, which is exactly why knowing your double layer of rights matters.

Why hand your TUI claim to Refundio

Package or not, TUI claims can get tangled between the airline and the tour-operator sides, and “extraordinary circumstances” refusals still come up. Refundio buys your claim and pays you upfront, usually within days, then takes TUI on itself and escalates through the right body. No win, no fee.

Check your TUI claim in 2 minutes →

Frequently asked questions

My TUI flight was part of a package holiday. Can I still claim flight compensation?

Yes — the biggest TUI myth. Charter and package flights are fully covered by UK261 / EU 261. The compensation attaches to the operating airline (TUI Airways) and the tour operator can’t waive it. A package simply adds extra rights; it never removes your £220–520 / €250–600 flight compensation.

How much compensation does TUI pay?

£220 / €250 up to 1,500 km, £350 / €400 for 1,500–3,500 km, and £520 / €600 long-haul over 3,500 km. Most TUI Med and Canary routes are £350 / €400; the long-haul Caribbean, Mexico and Cape Verde routes hit £520 / €600.

What’s the difference between flight compensation and my package rights?

They’re separate and can both apply. Flight compensation is a fixed airline payment for a 3+ hour delay or cancellation within its control. Package rights (via the tour operator) cover the holiday — alternatives or a refund of the whole package if it’s significantly affected — plus ATOL protection if the operator fails. You can’t be paid twice for the same loss, but distinct losses stack.

Does ATOL protect me if my flight is delayed?

No. ATOL protects against the operator or airline going bust — a refund if you haven’t travelled, repatriation if you’re abroad. It does nothing for a delay or cancellation of a still-operating flight; that’s what UK261 / EU 261 and your package rights are for.

How do I claim compensation from TUI?

Use TUI’s official flight-delay compensation form (for flights numbered TOM/BY/OR). If refused or unresolved within eight weeks, escalate to AviationADR or the UK CAA (UK flights), ABTA (package issues), or the relevant national enforcement body (EU departures) — or hand it to Refundio.

How long do I have to claim from TUI?

Six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland (five in Scotland) — a limit set, fittingly, in a case against TUI’s predecessor Thomson. Older TUI flights are very often still claimable.