FAQ Categories
Frequently Asked Questions
Day Before Check In
Bag drop made easy
Here’s how you can keep your airport experience simple. Scroll down for our FAQs.
If you’re looking to make sure that your airport experience is as straightforward as possible, online check-in is the best place to start.
Online check-in opens 48 hours before you’re due to fly and closes three hours before departure. Just so you know, you’ll need to check in to your outbound and return flights separately.
If your flight has a TOM flight number, use Manage My Booking or the TUI app to check in.
If you’re flying with one of our partner airlines, you can go to their websites to check in.
We recommend downloading the TUI app so we can keep you updated on things like your departure gate number.
If your flight has a TOM flight number, your flight time is before midday, and you’re flying from an eligible airport, you can check your bags in between 2pm and 9pm on the day before you’re due to fly. You can save even more time by checking in online beforehand.
We offer day-before check-in at:
-Birmingham Airport
-Gatwick Airport – from the North Terminal
Just so you know, this service isn’t available for flights to the USA and P&O Cruises flights to Malta.
If you’ve checked in online, your flight has a TOM flight number and you’re flying from an eligible airport, you can head straight to the self-service bag drop kiosks when you arrive at the airport.
We offer self-service bag drop at:
-Birmingham Airport
-Bristol Airport
-Cardiff Airport
-Gatwick Airport – from the North Terminal
-Manchester Airport – from Terminal 2
-Newcastle Airport
If you’re just taking hand luggage with you on your flight, and you’ve checked in online, you can make your way to security as soon as you arrive at the airport.
If there are two or more of you travelling on the same booking, then only one person needs to go to the bag drop desks with the following:
-All boarding passes – if you’ve checked in online
-All passports and any visas
-All bags to be checked in
-Any COVID-19 health documents required by your destination, e.g., vaccination records or pre-departure forms
Plus, you can use our day-before check-in service to drop your bags, too, if your flight’s eligible.
Just so you know, you can’t check in as a group for flights to the USA and P&O Cruises flights to Malta.
You can use check-in opening times as a guide, even if you’ve checked in online. Standard check-in opens at least two-and-a-half hours before departure for short and mid-haul flights, and at least three-and-a-half hours before departure for long-haul flights. Arriving any earlier than this won’t mean you can check in or pass through security early.
-Remove your belt, if you’re wearing one, and empty your pockets (e.g. keys, loose change) and pack these in your hand luggage.-Remove any outdoor clothing, boots or shoes with heels, ready to place them in a tray. – All liquids – including water and any creams, lotions, perfumes, hand sanitiser, foods, lighters – must be in containers no larger than 100ml.
– These containers must be in a single, transparent, resealable plastic bag which holds no more than a litre and measures approximately 20cm x 20cm (limited to one bag per person).
– Take your liquids bag out of your hand luggage, ready to pop it in a tray.
– Check government hand luggage restrictions at UK airports for further details, medical and dietary exceptions.
– Remove all large electrical items (laptops, tablets, e-readers, hair straighteners etc.) from your hand luggage. You’ll need to get ready to place them flat in a separate tray ensuring they’re not covered or on top of each other. Make sure they’re charged, too.
If your flight has a TOM flight number, use Manage My Booking or the TUI app to check in.
Online check-in opens 14 days before you’re due to fly and closes seven hours before departure. Just so you know, you’ll need to check in to your outbound and return flights separately
If you’re flying with one of our partner airlines, you can go to their websites to check in
Short-haul flights
If you’re going on one of our shorter flights, you’ll be able to choose from our Café range – available to buy onboard. There’s a range of hot and cold savoury snacks and treats to choose from, as well as a full bar service and lots of other goodies.
Long-haul flights
Going on a flight that’s more than seven hours long? You’ll get a main meal and a light refreshment offered before landing, both included in the price. You can select which type of meal you need when you’re booking your holiday. We don’t provide in-flight meals for under-twos, but you can bring your own liquid baby foods or baby milk on board, plus there are themed kids’ snack boxes on the menu.
There’s a complimentary bar service, plus a range of snacks you can purchase.
In the unlikely event that you miss your flight due to congestion at airport security, we’ll always support you in finding a suitable solution.
The vast majority of our flights are departing without any delay or minimal delays. If we know your flight is delayed, we’ll let you know as soon as we can. Keep an eye out for text and email updates. Please check in as normal unless you’ve been notified otherwise.
Please log into Manage My Booking to reselect your seats. Please note, this applies to changes to your flight that we’ve let you know about before your departure day. If your flight has been changed on the day of your departure, we’ll do our best to allocate your chosen seats.
If your flight is delayed for more than three hours, we’ll provide vouchers for refreshments at the airport. The amount of support we provide depends on the length of any delay. If you’re denied boarding, or your flight is cancelled or delayed for at least two hours, please speak to staff at the check-in desk or boarding gate to see information that states what your rights are when it comes to things like compensation or assistance.
Just so you know, we always do everything we can to limit flight delays. Delays can happen from time to time for various operational reasons, however the vast majority of our flights are departing without a delay or with only a minimal delay.
TUI requires all customers to comply with the destination rules on check in – as long as you meet this requirement, you’ll still be able to fly, even if there is a delay on your flight. Please speak to one of our team at the airport if you need assistance.
You can call us on 0204 578 0978 for assistance.
If you want to cancel your booking, or part of it, you should contact us as soon as possible.
How much it costs to cancel your holiday, or to remove passengers from the booking, varies depending on how much time there is before you’re due to travel and which airline you’re flying with.
Our cancellation charges cover the cost of processing your cancellation and to compensate us for the risk that we may not be able to resell your travel arrangements.
If you’re travelling on a TUI flight as part of package, here are our cancellation charges.
70 days or more before travel: Loss of full deposit
69 – 63 days before travel: 30% of total booking price
62 – 49 days before travel: 50% of total booking price
48 – 29 days before travel: 70% of total booking price
28 – 15 days before travel: 90% of total booking price
14 – 0 days before travel: 100% of total booking price
Just so you know, removing a passenger from your booking might mean that your overall holiday cost goes up.
Your deposit is non-refundable, even if the cancellation charge calculated is lower than the deposit amount paid. Where extra facilities or transport options are non-refundable, in part or in full, the cost of these will be added to the cancellation charge you have to pay.
If you booked using a Low Deposit Offer, the full deposit amount stated on your confirmation invoice will need to be paid upon cancellation.
The cancellation charge may be higher for certain travel arrangements, such as coach tours or scheduled airfares. Please ask for details of cancellation charges when you book and check your insurance policy to see if you’d be covered for the cost of any cancellation charges.
If you purchased TUI Flex with your booking, your terms and conditions are different.
If TUI has cancelled your holiday:
If we’ve cancelled your booking – for example due to a hotel closing or a flight cancellation – we’ll refund you in full.