So, you’ve booked that brilliant TUI holiday and your mind is already on a sun lounger. Before you switch to full holiday mode, there’s just one small hurdle: packing.

Every airline has its own set of cabin bag rules. According to the latest policy, the luggage allowance will vary depending on the type of holiday each passenger books. 

Sounds rather complicated and troublesome, doesn’t it? Don’t worry. We’ve done the summary for you to save you some time. So keep scrolling down for more detailed information on luggage allowances for checked and carry-on bags, as well as how much extra baggage will cost. 

Overview of TUI Airlines

TUI Group (TUI AG) is a multinational travel and tourism group based in Hannover, Germany. Owning five European subsidiary carriers, this airline group can be considered the seventh-largest airline operation in Europe.

Out of the five, TUI Airways has been well-known for its claim as World's Best Leisure Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards for more than seven times.

In addition to its great discount airfares, TUI Airlines also offers flexible flight times to more than 70 destinations around the world. Whatever destination you're heading to, this carrier would be the very best choice for a truly affordable and memorable experience.

If you are going to travel with TUI Airways, one thing to remember is that the total weight of baggage passengers can bring is based on the type of the booked holiday or flight. The related information will be clearly marked on your booking confirmation, either on the e-ticket or via email.

Tui Airways Carry-On Luggage Policy

TUI Airways cabin bag size summary.

Regardless of the type of holiday or flight, each passenger travelling with TUI airline (except children under 2 years old) is allowed to bring 1 piece of hand luggage free of charge as long as it follows the requirements below:

Note: Items such as laptops, handbags or purses can be counted as personal items. And they must be stored under the seat in front of you. 

Baggage Allowance for Infants & Children

Unfortunately, there’s no hand luggage allowance for any infant under the age of 2, regardless of seating type or flights. However, for check-in luggage, TUI Airways does allow 1 piece of bag with a cumulative weight of no more than 22lb/10kg for each infant.

Parents might as well bring a pushchair, a travel cot or a car seat as checked luggage without any extra fees. Just make sure they are subject to certain requirements to avoid being charged with additional fees.

Checked baggage policy

Unlike hand luggage, your checked-in luggage will vary slightly depending on the type of holiday or flight you’ve booked. Please refer to the guidelines below for everything you need to know about the cumulative weight of checked baggage on each type of TUI Airlines’ flight.

Flight Only

For a flight-only booking, charges will be applied to each of your check-in baggage. In other words, you will have to pay an extra cost since there is no hold or checked baggage allowance. The maximum weight varies according to your booking, so it can either be 20kg or 25 kg.

Tip: It’s less expensive to book online at home rather than pay at the airport. 

Premium Club 

If you decide to upgrade to Premium Club, you'll receive a maximum of 25 kg luggage allowance, together with the standard 10kg hand luggage. 

Package Holiday 

If you’ve booked a package holiday, you are allowed to bring one piece of checked luggage with a minimum weight of 20 kg. From long vacations to short breaks and weekend getaways, depending on the specific types of package holidays, you are also allowed to bring bigger check-in luggage as long as it doesn’t exceed 25kg. 

For more detailed information, please visit the TUI Airways website directly. And keep in mind that this allowance only applies if you fly both ways with TUI Airways. If this is not your case, check your booking information email to see your checked luggage allowance.

Excess Baggage Policy

According to TUI Airways’ policy, your luggage is required to be subject to the size and weight restrictions, or else you will be charged additional fees for your extra bags, heavy or large items. You can also pool your hold luggage allowance with your travel buddies, as long as no bag is heavier than 25kg.

That being said, even if you’ve already paid extra to bring a bag on board (flight only booking), you’ll still be asked to pay an excess luggage charge for any bag exceeding the maximum dimension, as outlined below:

• Short-haul & mid-haul flights (less than 7 hours): £16 per additional kilogram

• Long-haul flights (over 7 hours): £21 per additional kilogram 

Note: For flight-only bookings that haven’t added a checked-in luggage allowance, the prices for excess baggage are the same. However, you also have the option to add a 15kg bag per person at a price of £65 for short & mid-haul flights and £90 for long-haul flights.

When it comes to excess baggage policy, TUI airline is known to have quite strict regulations, and each traveller must notify the airline about any oversized item 2 months in advance. So make sure you follow the TUI Airways’ checked baggage allowance accordingly to avoid long security check-ins and hefty fees for your baggage.

Always buy baggage in advance for lower prices. Photo by Chalabala - stock.adobe.com

Sports equipment and CPAP

TUI Airways requests travellers to inform them if there is any sports equipment on board at least 2 months through their hotline. Or else, they can decline it as there might be no space available. 

You must secure your equipment by yourself, as wrapping it with cardboard or plastic to reduce impact when moving. Zip compartments and padlocks are also recommended if it is valuable equipment. For those that are fragile, mark and note to the staff before handling them.

Note: For travellers who have a diving certificate, you can show yours when checking in, and TUI Airways will offer you 5kg of luggage for free to carry your equipment.

For CPAP, TUI Airlines declares to carry for free. However, there are restrictions on the batteries and the types of equipment that are not publicly available. It is recommended that you bring along a doctor's letter and call their support team beforehand to get a consultation.

Booking and Check-in process

Booking with TUI Airways

Like any other airline, TUI Airways has the option of buying tickets directly from them or through a third party. The first way is recommended as it is more certain and usually offers a lower price. You can either book online on their website or download their app.

The process is rather simple: choose your destinations, the date you intend and see the available flights. The website will provide a board with all the suitable flights within a week from the date you chose, so that you can adjust your plan if possible. 

After having chosen the flight, you can now proceed to choose your seat type. Standard seats are those that will be allocated randomly at check-in and require no additional fee.

If you want to choose your seat, you must pay £20 extra per person. For those who prefer an extra space seat or an extra legroom seat, the price will be £46 and £40 respectively. At this step, you can also book your luggage.

Then, you can continue buying travel insurance, book your airport parking, or even an airport hotel. 

Check in with TUI Airways

For checking in, there are 02 options available: Online through their app/web or offline at their counters. Of course, you are recommended to check in online to save time and effort in to queue.

If you have upgraded to Premium or at least chosen your seats, then the check-in will open 14 days before your departure. Or else, you can wait until it’s 48 hours to start checking in.

After checking in online, you can go straight to the security gate if you travel with only hand luggage, or drop your luggage at the counter.

TUI Airways also offers a day-before bag drop service or self-service bag drop for TOM or BY flight numbers with specific requirements.

If you prefer to check in offline, feel free to arrive at the airport early and visit the counter to be assisted. 

Away with TUI airways. Photo by Sergey Fedoskin - stock.adobe.com

FAQs

1. Is TUI Airways strict with hand luggage?

Depends on your luck. People usually say that if your luggage is an inch too much, then it’ll be fine. TUI Airways is never known for being exceptionally strict with hand luggage. However, if the plane is full, they might randomly pick out people to examine. So if you are already aware that your hand luggage is oversized, be prepared to pay if necessary.

2. Do you need to print boarding passes for TUI?

Yes, you do. Print out your boarding passes on A4 paper and make sure all the information is clear without any rips. If you are unable to print your boarding passes, don’t worry, just visit their kiosk before heading to the plane.

3. Does a backpack count as hand luggage?

A backpack can be counted as hand luggage if it meets the required size, which is no bigger than 21 x 15 x 8 inches (55 x 40 x 20 centimetres). But for backpacks that are below 15 x  11 x 7 inches (40 x 30 x 20 centimetres), those are counted as a personal item. For TUI Airways, you are allowed to bring 01 personal item along with 01 hand luggage. Usually, laptop backpacks are fine.

4. Do TUI planes have TV screens?

Yes, but only for long-haul flights. TV programs and games are available, as well as other means of entertainment. You are also offered a complimentary meal on these flights. See what airlines have TV screens here.