Find cheap TUI Airways flights

TUI Airways is an airline that offers flights from the UK and Ireland’s extensive network of airports to destinations around the world including Europe, Asia, North America and Africa. TUI Airways is the British arm of TUI Airline Group and is the fourth largest UK airline by total passengers carried. Globally, it’s the world’s tenth-largest airline by number of route pairings served.

Formerly known as Thomson Airways, TUI Airways started operations with its new name in 2017. Most scheduled flights with TUI Airways are on behalf of tour operators, making it easy for travellers to book all-in-one holidays that include their flight, hotel stay and often food packages at their destination, too.

Why should you consider TUI Airways?

TUI Airways flies out of 21 UK airports, from the giants like London Heathrow and London Gatwick, down to the smaller airports of Leeds Bradford in the North East and Exeter Airport in the South West. This extensive network means travellers who live away from London can use their local airport. Many airlines only operate out of the major hubs in the UK, so this is a huge bonus.

It’s easy for customers to create a package holiday around a TUI Airways flight directly on their website. Beach holidays come to mind for most when you think of package deals, but TUI also offers city breaks, activity-focused holidays and trips to lakes and mountains. I’ve used TUI packages to book a trip to the Greek island of Rhodes, and it was a really easy process.

Destinations

TUI Airways list of destinations is extensive, covering multiple continents around the world to suit any holiday style. Thailand, Costa Rica, Kenya, Tanzania and Aruba are some of the notable long haul destinations for routes direct from the UK. In Europe, Lapland, North Macedonia, Monaco and Croatia are all options alongside more popular spots like France, Spain and Italy.

I’ve flown with TUI Airways to the Greek islands of Kos and Rhodes, Bourgas in Bulgaria, Iceland and Portugal for a mix of flight-only and package holidays. I love that TUI Airways is really family friendly with the extra space seats, which is a unique feature. The ‘kids fly free’ policy for selected package holiday destinations is a great way to save money, too.

Baggage policy and fees

TUI Airways refers to its short and mid-haul flights as journeys less than seven hours long, and any longer flight is deemed long-haul. For all travellers on these flights, a 55x40x20cm cabin bag weighing up to 10kg is included with their flight ticket. Passengers can take a personal item like a small rucksack or a handbag on board, too.

Those booking package holidays also get a 20kg checked luggage allowance, but don’t worry if you’re only flying with TUI Airways – you can pay extra for your checked luggage, and they offer staggered fees depending on how much weight allowance you’re looking for. The maximum weight for one item of checked luggage is 25kg for long haul and 20kg for shorter flights. The minimum weight is 15kg.

I like the different weight options as it’s offered me the chance to save money checking in luggage for a short city break when I have packed less versus taking advantage of that maximum 25kg allowance for holidays that have been for ten days or more. Many UK airlines offer 23kg checked luggage as their maximum allowance, so those extra couple of kilos from TUI Airways are appreciated for longer breaks.

Changes and cancellation

You can change the name of any non-lead passenger for £25 per person after you’ve made the initial booking – but don’t worry, spelling errors can be changed for free. When booking just a flight with TUI Airways, these changes can only be made by calling TUI. You can also upgrade your flight seats, add luggage or add any airport extras like parking or a hotel for the relevant fee.

Despite the fee involved, having this flexibility around passenger names is really useful. I was a lead passenger for a group booking to Greece. One of my friends had a family matter that meant she couldn’t come away, so I changed the name on the booking to someone else who could make it. This isn’t an option for every airline, so this is a big win for those whose plans may change.

Day-before bag drop

If you’re like me, you might prefer to stay at an airport hotel the night before an early flight if it isn’t near home. TUI Airways offers day-before bag drop at selected UK airports for such scenarios, meaning you can check in your bags the evening prior and walk straight to security on the day of your flight. This can help avoid long bag drop queues and means you can have an extra hour or so in bed, too.

Lounge access

When travelling premium on a TUI Airways flight, passengers get access to a lounge for up to three hours before their outbound flight at selected airports. These are London Gatwick’s North Terminal, Manchester Terminal 2, Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle International, East Midlands, London Stansted, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Bristol. Outside of the UK, there’s lounge access available at Melbourne Orlando International Airport in Florida.

Premium economy, seats and legroom

Travellers can upgrade to premium economy on long-haul flights for some extra comfort. Premium economy with TUI Airways includes a 25kg checked luggage allowance, priority check in at UK airports, fast-track security, UK lounge access, priority boarding, 38-inch seat pitch and a mini luxury cosmetics kit. You also get noise reduction headphones, USB and UK charging points, a four course meal as well as free snacks and drinks.

For those flying in economy, TUI AIrways doesn’t scrimp on comfort. The seats are padded, which I find makes them much more comfortable than competitor airlines. For the taller amongst us, there are also extra legroom seats available to book for a small extra fee. These seats offer an extra two inches of legroom versus standard seats.

TUI Airways also has extra space seats – sometimes these come with extra legroom, but they’re always close to or next to emergency exit doors, behind a bulkhead or behind a dividing wall. These are a great option if you’re travelling with small children. Some seats are marked as unsuitable for passengers flying with children on their lap, so keep an eye out for those when you’re picking your spot.

Food and drink in economy

For short and mid-haul flights up to seven hours, passengers can choose from a menu of hot and cold meals, snacks and drinks that can be ordered for a fee. The menu includes toasties, chicken nuggets and dip, fries, muffins, crisps and more. You can also buy a meal deal, which comes with a sandwich, crisps or chocolate and a drink. If you’re feeling fancy, you can pre-order chocolate and champagne by calling TUI before your journey.

On long-haul flights, travellers get a free bottle of water when they board, plus a main meal and a light snack before landing. The meal is served with wine or a soft drink, and you can opt for a tea or coffee after too. Passengers can choose what type of meal they want when they book their flight so you can be sure you’ll get something you like.

In-flight entertainment and Wi-Fi

On flights on Boeing 787 Dreamliners, which tend to be longer-haul flights, TUI Airways’ in-seat screens help pass the time with over 400 hours of movies, TV shows and audio available for free. For shorter flights, passengers can connect to the TUI Wi-Fi Network to stream entertainment on their smartphones or tablets. Wi-Fi is only available on some Boeing 737s, so be sure to check your aircraft type before flying.

My flights with TUI AIrways

My first plane journey was to the Greek Island of Kos and my family and I flew with Thomson, which is now TUI Airways. Since then, I have used the airline for package holidays and flight only trips – most recently for a five-day break to Iceland. I used TUI Airways for flights only for the journey to Iceland’s capital of Reykjavik, and the fare was very competitive.

My husband and I opted for extra legroom seats for both our inbound and outbound flights. The plane wasn’t full but all extra legroom seats were occupied, so it’s a good idea to book these seats as far ahead as possible if more legroom is a non-negotiable for you. As someone who’s 5ft 11in tall, I am someone who comes under this category!