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TUI Airways flight delay and cancellation compensation

Up to €600 compensation per passenger. Was your TUI Airways flight delayed or cancelled, or were you denied boarding? TUI Airways is a UK airline: UK261 covers its flights departing the UK and its flights into the UK, and EU Regulation 261/2004 its flights departing the EU. Here is what to expect and what to do.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: Reading time: 8 min How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: On TUI Airways flights departing the EU you are entitled to €250–600 compensation for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, or involuntary denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. A British airline: flights departing UK airports are covered by UK261 (£220 / £350 / £520), flights departing EU airports by EU261 (€250 / €400 / €600). Because TUI Airways holds a UK operating licence, UK261 also covers its flights into the UK from outside Europe – for example Cancún–London Gatwick.

IATA code
BY
Headquarters
Luton (Wigmore House)
Hub
Manchester, London Gatwick, Birmingham, East Midlands, Newcastle, Bristol, Glasgow
Type
Charter
EU261 scope
flights departing the EU

TUI Airways flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your TUI Airways flight reached its final destination at least 3 hours late (counting from when the doors opened), and the cause was within the airline's control – a technical fault, staff shortage, a delay on the previous flight, a strike by its own staff – you are entitled to compensation. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, an air traffic control strike, an airport closure). Read the full conditions here.

Typical TUI Airways routes: London Gatwick–Tenerife, Manchester–Tenerife, Manchester–Palma de Mallorca, London Gatwick–Cancún, London Gatwick–Sharm el-Sheikh, Manchester–Lanzarote.

TUI Airways flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, TUI Airways must offer you a refund of the ticket price (within 7 days) or re-routing on the earliest available flight – including another airline's, if that is quicker. If you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the re-routing offered differed significantly from the original flight, you are also entitled to compensation. More on the 14-day rule.

How much compensation for a TUI Airways flight?

Flight distanceDelay on arrivalCompensation per passenger
Up to 1,500 km
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220
1,500–3,500 km, and every flight within the EU over 1,500 km
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EU
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)
Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EUover 4 hours€600UK261: £520

Check your TUI Airways flight

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

How punctual was TUI Airways in the UK in 2025?

TUI Airways operated 61,607 flights at UK airports in 2025. 0.83% were 3 hours or more late and 0.14% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated
61,607

2025, at UK airports

On time (≤ 15 min late)
59.2%

worse than the UK average (72.7%)

3 hours or more late
0.83%

1 in 120 flights · worse than the UK average

Cancelled
0.14%

88 flights · better than the UK average

Average delay
23.4 min

UK average 15.1 min

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data

UK airportFlightsOn time3 h+ lateCancelled
Manchester13,41353.6%1.04%0.15%
London Gatwick13,06558.1%0.72%0.31%
Birmingham8,70460.5%1.06%0.07%
East Midlands4,62975.3%0.26%0.02%
Newcastle4,48953.7%0.96%0.20%
Bristol4,07163.8%0.66%0.00%
Glasgow3,26161.1%0.98%0.06%
Cardiff2,71665.9%0.70%0.00%
London Stansted1,72754.5%0.75%0.12%
Bournemouth1,53958.3%0.45%0.06%

What to know when claiming from TUI Airways

  • Claim on TUI's own flight delay form (tui.co.uk → Contact us → Flight delays). It only covers flights operated by TUI Airways – flight numbers beginning TOM, BY, OR or BLX. If another airline operated a flight in your TUI package, claim from that airline.
  • TUI says it aims to process claims within 14 days; if the claim is accepted it sends you a link to enter your bank details. After a cancellation, TUI asks you to wait 72 hours before claiming, and its conditions of carriage ask you to claim directly before using a third party.
  • If TUI rejects the claim or has not answered within 8 weeks, you can refer it to AviationADR free of charge – the CAA lists TUI Airways as a member. Complaints about the package itself (hotel, transfers) go through TUI's package terms, which point to ABTA's scheme.
  • Compensation and expenses are separate: during a long delay TUI must provide meals and, if needed, a hotel. Keep receipts for anything you had to buy yourself.

Typical rejection reasons – and how to answer them

  • ‘A technical problem with the aircraft’ – routine technical faults are not extraordinary circumstances (CJEU C-549/07 Wallentin-Hermann; in England, Jet2 v Huzar, Court of Appeal 2014).
  • ‘The aircraft was late from its previous flight’ – a knock-on delay only exempts the airline if the earlier flight was itself hit by extraordinary circumstances and TUI took all reasonable measures; ask TUI in writing what the original cause was.
  • ‘You booked a package, so claim from the tour operator’ – fixed compensation under UK261/EU261 is owed by the operating airline, TUI Airways, however you booked.

About TUI Airways

TUI Airways is the UK airline of the TUI Group. It flies mainly holidaymakers – many of them on TUI package holidays – from airports across the UK to the Canary and Balearic Islands, the Mediterranean, Egypt, the Caribbean and Mexico. Its history goes back to Euravia, founded in 1962 and later renamed Britannia Airways; the present airline was formed when Thomsonfly and First Choice Airways merged in 2008, flew as Thomson Airways from 2009 and became TUI Airways in October 2017.

The fleet is all-Boeing: 737-800 and 737 MAX 8 jets for Europe and North Africa, and 787 Dreamliners for long-haul routes. In 2013 the airline (then Thomson Airways) was the first UK carrier to take delivery of a Boeing 787. In the CAA's 2025 figures TUI Airways operated more than 61,000 flights at UK airports, with Manchester and London Gatwick its largest bases.

TUI Airways holds a UK operating licence from the CAA, so UK261 applies to its flights departing the UK and to its flights into the UK from anywhere, while EU261 applies to its flights departing EU airports. If the flight was part of a package holiday, you may also have rights against the tour organiser under the Package Travel Regulations 2018 – for example if the holiday was significantly changed.

How to claim directly from TUI Airways

  • Official online form: tui.co.uk
  • Only for flights operated by TUI Airways (TOM, BY, OR or BLX flight numbers); after a cancellation, wait 72 hours before claiming. TUI’s conditions of carriage (9.4) ask you to claim directly through this web form and allow 14 days before using a third party; the lead passenger may claim for others on the booking. TUI aims to process claims within 14 days. UK ADR: AviationADR member (flight-only bookings; package complaints go to ABTA’s scheme).
  • Our complaint letter generator writes the letter for you – filled in, as a printable PDF.

We checked these claim channels on the airline's own website (10 November 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Am I entitled to compensation if my TUI Airways flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from an EU airport and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount depends on the distance: €250, €400 or €600.

How do I submit a claim to TUI Airways?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.tui.co.uk/destinations/contact-us/flight-delays), or through our partner AirHelp, which checks the flight data and, if the airline rejects the claim, takes the case to the enforcement body or to court – for a fee of 35% only if it succeeds.

How long do I have to claim for a TUI Airways flight?

Limitation periods vary by country and are set by national law – for example 6 years in England & Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

TUI Airways offered me a voucher instead of compensation. Do I have to accept it?

No. Under the Regulation, compensation is paid in money; the airline may only give you a voucher with your written agreement. If you want money, do not accept it.

Flew with another airline?

The TUI Airways name and trademark belong to their owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site with no connection to the airline. The content is for information only and is not legal advice. We receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds.

Sources

  1. TUI Airways – official claim / complaints page – TUI Airways
  2. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  3. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
  4. Delays and cancellations – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.