TUI Airways cancellation compensation
Compensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c). You are also entitled to choose between a full refund and a replacement flight, whatever the notice.
Which TUI Airways flights are covered
TUI Airways is a UK airline, so most of its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, because TUI Airways is a UK carrier.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: not covered by EU261, because TUI Airways is not an EU carrier — though a UK departure on the same trip is.
Worked examples on TUI Airways routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Manchester (MAN) → London (LGW) | 283 km | UK261 | £220 |
| Manchester (MAN) → Birmingham (BHX) | 106 km | UK261 | £220 |
| Manchester (MAN) → Bristol (BRS) | 221 km | UK261 | £220 |
| Manchester (MAN) → Paris (CDG) | 588 km | UK261 | £220 |
What TUI Airways is likely to say — and the answer
“You were offered an alternative flight” — only relevant if it fell inside the Article 5 windows. Check the departure and arrival times.
“We told you in advance” — the question is whether it was 14 days or more, counted from when you were actually informed.
“Operational reasons” — not a category in the Regulation.
A voucher offered instead of money — you are entitled to be paid in money.
Specific to TUI Airways
TUI is slower than most, and six weeks for a first substantive answer is normal rather than exceptional. Keep the 14-day deadline in your letter anyway — it starts the clock for escalation.
Long-haul TUI flights to the Caribbean and Mexico sit firmly in the over-3,500 km band, so the sums are large. Their Dominican Republic and Mexico routes are among the most claimed.
Because TUI mostly carries package customers, rejections sometimes conflate package-holiday compensation with flight compensation. They are separate rights and you can pursue both.
CEDR handles their alternative dispute resolution, and they are one of the slower members to engage with it. Do not escalate before you have a final response or eight weeks of silence.
Time limit: TUI Airways is based in United Kingdom, where claims run for 6 years from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your TUI Airways cancellation appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with TUI Airways’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
TUI Airways cancellation: common questions
How much can I claim from TUI Airways for a cancellation?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of TUI Airways’s routes.
TUI Airways cancelled my flight and put me on another one. Can I still claim?
Possibly. If you were told less than 14 days before, the airline only escapes compensation if the replacement fell inside strict windows — for example, with under 7 days’ notice, departing no more than an hour early and arriving less than two hours late. Outside those windows, compensation is due, although it can be halved if you arrived within 2, 3 or 4 hours depending on distance.
What reasons does TUI Airways give for refusing cancellation claims?
The most common are: You were offered an alternative flight; We told you in advance; Operational reasons; A voucher offered instead of money. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a TUI Airways cancellation claim?
Where TUI Airways is based, the limit is 6 years. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other TUI Airways claims
- TUI Airways: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- TUI Airways: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- TUI Airways: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- TUI Airways: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.