TUI flight delay compensation: package holidays explained

Most TUI passengers fly as part of a package holiday, and that leads to a common question: if the flight was late, who do you claim from, and does the package change anything? This guide answers that, and covers what TUI owes you.

Can I claim compensation from TUI?

TUI's UK flights are operated by TUI Airways Limited, a UK airline (it used to be called Thomson Airways). Its flights are covered in both directions: from the UK under UK261, and back to the UK because it's a UK airline landing in the UK.

You can claim if:

• you arrived at your final destination three hours or more late; or
• your flight was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice; or
• you were denied boarding;

and the cause was within the airline's control.

TUI also runs other airlines in Europe: TUI fly Belgium, TUIfly in Germany and TUI fly Netherlands. Flights on those from EU airports are covered by the EU's rules, EC261. See our pages for TUI fly Belgium, TUIfly Germany and TUI fly Netherlands.

How much does TUI have to pay?

The amount depends on flight distance, not on what the holiday cost.

TUI flies a lot of long-haul holiday routes, so the top band comes up more often than on budget airlines. Some examples, airport to airport:

• Gatwick to Lanzarote, about 2,710 km: £350.
• Manchester to Dalaman, about 3,025 km: £350.
• Gatwick to Orlando, about 6,990 km: £520.
• Birmingham to Cancun, about 7,845 km: £520.

On flights over 3,500 km, if you arrived between three and four hours late, the airline may pay half (£260). Four hours or more, the full £520.

Each passenger with a seat is owed the full amount. A family of four delayed five hours on the way to Orlando would be owed 4 × £520 = £2,080.

I booked a TUI package. Who do I claim from?

There are two different sets of rights, and they sit with two different companies.

• Flight compensation for a delay, cancellation or denied boarding is owed by the airline that operated the flight. For most UK TUI packages, that's TUI Airways.
• Package holiday rights, under the Package Travel Regulations, are owed by the organiser of the holiday, normally TUI UK. These cover things like the hotel not matching what you booked, or losing part of the holiday you paid for.

The two can overlap. If a long delay cost you a day of your holiday, you might have a flight compensation claim and a package claim. The law allows one payment to be taken into account against the other, so you can't usually be paid twice for the same loss.

What we handle is the flight claim. If your main problem is with the holiday itself, tell us and we'll say honestly whether we can help.

How do I claim from TUI?

You can claim from TUI directly, for free. If you'd rather hand it over, we send the claim for you from day one, through TUI Airways' own claim channel.

TUI asks for a little more than most airlines:

• the booking reference, which for a package is the holiday booking number;
• the names of everyone on the booking;
• a boarding pass or booking confirmation;
• photo ID.

How long does TUI take to reply?

We allow TUI Airways 28 days to respond to a claim. If there's no reply, we chase. If it refuses and we disagree, we reply with the reasons and a deadline. See how long flight compensation takes for honest ranges.

What if TUI refuses?

TUI Airways is a member of AviationADR, a dispute scheme approved by the Civil Aviation Authority. Its decisions bind the airline. If a claim we believe is valid is still refused, we can refer it to the scheme at no cost to you.

If the scheme route isn't available, the county court remains, and in England and Wales a claim of this size goes on the small claims track.

What does TUI usually say when it refuses?

"Extraordinary circumstances." Weather, air traffic control and security can count. Technical faults and crew problems generally don't. See technical fault delays and extraordinary circumstances.

"The flight time was changed in advance." Holiday flights are often moved weeks or days before departure. A small change made well ahead is usually fine. A large change made late can, depending on the details, count as a cancellation, which brings the 14-day notice rule into play. We look at when you were told and what the new times were.

"Strike." A strike by air traffic controllers is usually extraordinary. A strike by the airline's own staff usually isn't: the EU court held in Krüsemann v TUIfly (2018) that a wave of TUIfly crew calling in sick after a surprise restructuring announcement was not extraordinary. See airline strike compensation.

What should TUI give me while I wait?

Food and drink once the delay passes two hours (short flights), three hours (medium) or four hours (long-haul), and a hotel with transfers if you're stuck overnight. This applies whatever caused the delay. On long-haul holiday flights, an overnight delay is common, so keep receipts if you end up paying. See what the airline owes you during a delay.

How long do I have?

For UK flights, six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, five in Scotland. The six-year limit was confirmed by the Court of Appeal in Dawson v Thomson Airways (2014), against TUI Airways under its old name. See claiming for old delays.

You can see how we handle TUI Airways claims on our TUI Airways airline page.

Frequently asked questions

How much is TUI compensation for a delay to Florida or Mexico?

From the UK, £520 per passenger if you arrived four hours or more late, or £260 if you arrived between three and four hours late.

Does a TUI package holiday change my right to compensation?

No. The flight claim is the same as for a flight-only booking. It goes to the airline that operated the flight.

TUI changed my flight time before I travelled. Can I claim?

Possibly. It depends on how big the change was and how much notice you were given. A big change at short notice can count as a cancellation.

Is TUI in a dispute scheme?

Yes. TUI Airways is a member of AviationADR, whose decisions are binding on the airline.

Can I claim for a TUI flight from six years ago?

From England, Wales or Northern Ireland, you have six years from the flight date. In Scotland, five.