Frequently Asked Questions

Airport security regulations state that you’re only allowed to carry small amounts of liquids in your hand luggage.

Liquids make up part of your 1-bag hand luggage allowance. You’ll need to pack them in containers of no more than 100ml – 3.5fluid Oz and carry them in a clear, resealable plastic bag up to a maximum size of 20cm x 20cm – 8 inches x 8 inches, or that can hold up to 1 litre. Any liquids in containers bigger than this need to be packed in your checked-in luggage.

How to pack your liquids:
Make sure the containers fit comfortably in the bag and that the bag is completely closed. You’ll need to ensure the containers are easily visible, too.
You’ll need to provide the plastic bag yourself. At most airports they’re also available to buy before you go through security. Each person travelling – including infants – can carry 1 plastic bag for liquids.

What ‘liquids’ means:
Examples of liquids that you should pack as above include:

– Water and drinks, soups or syrups
– Creams, lotions and oil
– Perfume
– Sprays
– Gels – including hair and shower gels – Shaving foam, other foams, deodorants and anything in pressurised containers
– Pastes, like toothpaste
– Liquid-solid mixtures
– Mascara
– Any other items that have a similar consistency.

Medical and dietary liquids:
You’ll be able to carry medical and dietary liquids over 100ml, but you’ll need to bring a doctor’s letter to show at security.
Any liquids you buy from duty free must be carried in a sealed security bag – you’ll be given this bag when you buy the item at the airport. You’ll need to keep the item and the receipt sealed in the security bag throughout the journey.

Just so you know, security officers might need to open the bag to screen the item. If you’re going to be connecting with another flight at your destination airport, let the security officer know and they’ll reseal it in a new security bag.

There are limits to the number of duty-free items you can bring into Mexico.
Passengers over the age of 18 may purchase a maximum of 200 cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200g of tobacco, and up to three litres of alcohol. You can spread your purchases between the adult passengers in your group prior to your arrival in Mexico. Make sure that each adult in your group is not carrying more than the allowance for an individual. If you are found to exceed the limit, you will be fined and there is no option to dispose of the goods. 

Yes – if the instrument you’re bringing is smaller than 55x40x20cm you can carry this as hand luggage.

For larger instruments, you’ll need to pay a bit extra to check them in as hold luggage. This can be booked on our Flight Extras website 90 days before your return flight. We recommend you do this at least 2 months before you travel as there’s limiteds space. That said, you can add extra baggage allowance up to 6 hours before your outbound flight and 25 hours before your return flight, if there’s room. If you need help with this, please call us on 0203 451 2690.  

We recommend you mark the instrument as fragile and ask check-in staff to handle with care.

We don’t allow the carriage of small vehicles powered by Lithium batteries on our flights. This applies to both hand luggage and hold luggage, as well as cargo. This is due to recent reports highlighting some doubts with regards to the integrity of the electrical wiring within these products.

A drone or “unmanned aerial vehicle” (UAV) can be safely carried on TUI flights provided the following precautions are followed:

1. <::marker>If lithium-ion or lithium polymer batteries are used, the drone can be carried as checked baggage or carry-on baggage, as long as the drone can be protected from inadvertent activation.
2. <::marker>The size and weight limits of checked or carry-on baggage is not exceeded.
3. <::marker>Spare batteries must be protected from short circuit and damage, and can be carried in carry-on baggage only.
4. <::marker>For drones powered by batteries up to 100Wh, prior approval by TUI is not required. For drones with batteries exceeding 100Wh but not exceeding 160Wh, prior approval by TUI is required. In this case, please contact us.
   Drones and batteries exceeding 160Wh are forbidden from carriage.

Note: a number of countries have strict guidelines on the use of drones, where some countries do not allow drones to be used at all. Please check the local regulation of your destination country before you travel.
In the UK, the Civil Aviation Authority has produced guidelines on the safe and legal use of drones: https://dronesafe.uk/

If you’re flying on TUI, Air Europa, Albastar, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines Ireland, Evelop Airlines, Germania, Norwegian, Travel Service or Volotea flights, you can add luggage using our Flight Extras website up to 6 hours before your flight leaves.  

Customers with a Manage My Booking account can add luggage up to three hours before the flight leaves, but we’d ask that you print the confirmation of the luggage purchase to show at check in or our Bag Drop desk.

To check if you’ve got access to Manage my Booking, take a look at our “What is Manage my Booking?” question. If you don’t have access to Manage my Booking but would like to add additional luggage to your booking then please contact us. 

TUI Flights
If hold baggage is included with your booking, you can take up to five bags per passenger, as long as the combined weight of all the bags is within your maximum luggage allowance. It’s also worth mentioning that no single bag can weigh more than 25kg.

Flights with other airlines
This varies depending on who you’re travelling with. Please check your e-ticket/confirmation email for details.

Sorry, if you’ve already checked-in online, you can’t make any changes to your seat numbers or luggage allowance online. You’ll need to contact us to do this as we’ll need to uncheck you and change your seats. You’ll then need to check-in again and print your boarding passes.



If you’re travelling with TUI, Air Europa, Albastar, ASL Airlines France, ASL Airlines Ireland, Evelop Airlines, Germania, Norwegian, Travel Service or Volotea, please see below. If you’re flying with any other airline, you’ll need to contact them directly. 

 

If you haven’t travelled yet
Please call us on 0203 451 2690. Just so you know, once you’ve made the changes, you’ll need to print your boarding passes again, so they show the updated details. You’ll need to print each boarding pass clearly on an individual piece of A4 paper. 

 

If you’re on holiday and want to make changes for your flight home
Please speak to your Holiday Rep, who’ll check availability for you. Just so you know, once you’ve made the changes, you’ll need to print your boarding passes again, so they show the updated details. Alternatively, you can collect the new boarding passes at the TUI bag drop desk when you arrive at the airport. 



To reprint your boarding passes, please visit our Flight Extras website. If you can’t print them for any reason, you can collect them from the TUI bag drop desk when you get to the airport. 

If you’re flying with any other airline, you’ll need to contact them directly. 

Please read through the information on our  List of allowed items page. Here you’ll find a list of items that can be carried in your hand luggage and hold luggage. 

For a list of restricted items, please read through our luggage guidelines page.

Travelling to the US?
New measures came into effect on 30th June 2018 meaning that you may be subject to security searches at the boarding gate on any flight to and from the USA. Also, you’ll only be allowed to carry powder substances in your hand luggage in quantities less than 12oz or 350ml – there are exemptions to this such as medically prescribed powders with a supporting doctor’s note, baby formula and cremated ashes. All other powder-like substances need to be in your checked in hold luggage.
These regulations also apply on flights from Jamaica – Montego Bay Airport – and Dominican Republic – Puerta Plata and Punta Cana – as these flights fly over the USA.

Your luggage is now electronically tagged when you check-in, so there’s no need for luggage tags.

If your luggage is heavier than your allowance when you check in, you’ll need to pay an excess luggage charge. However, even if you pay the extra charge, each piece of luggage can’t weigh more than 25kg.
 
Excess luggage charges
Short haul flights – £13 or €15 per kilogram.
Mid haul flights – £15 or €17 per kilogram.
Long haul flights – £18 or $25 per kilogram.

Just so you know, charges may vary depending on whether you’re travelling in the summer or winter season. 

Flights with other airlines
You’ll need to pay an excess luggage charge if your luggage is heavier than your allowance when you check-in. Each airline also has a restriction on how heavy each piece of luggage can be, and some airlines will only allow one piece of hold luggage per person. Please check directly with the airline for details.

We happily take on board different sports equipment, such as bikes, golf clubs and fishing rods. In order to book these, please go to the Flight Extras page or you can give us a call on 0203 451 2690. We recommend that you book this as soon as possible as space on each flight is very limited. 
Please be aware that if you bring sports equipment that hasn’t been booked, we may be unable to board it and will also be subject to excess baggage charges at the airport.

Below, you’ll find the price per one way flight for different equipment types:
– Diving & scuba equipment from £30
– Bikes from £30
– Fishing rods from £20
– Skis from £28
– Golf clubs & other equipment from £27

Just so you know, prices may vary depending on your destination.

Protecting your Sports Equipment
We recommend that you insure your sports equipment for its replacement value and make sure it’s securely packed with zip compartments padlocked. If you’re taking a bicycle, we recommend you use a bicycle bag. Handlebars must be turned inwards, pedals removed, tyres deflated and the bicycle must be wrapped in plastic or cardboard.

Diving Equipment and Licenses
If you’re travelling with TUI, carrying diving equipment and you show your diving certificate at check-in, we’ll give you an extra 5kg luggage allowance free. If you’ve got more equipment, you can check it in for an extra charge.

For TUI flights, you’re allowed to pool your luggage allowance with anyone else travelling on your booking. However, each bag can only weigh up to 25kg.

Travelling with another airline?
Please check your e-ticket/confirmation email for details.

Your luggage allowance depends on what type of holiday or flight you’ve booked with us; we’ve therefore provided a breakdown of this in the link at the bottom of this question.
Please be aware that your luggage allowance will be clearly marked on your booking confirmation which will have been emailed over to you, if you have any questions around this, then please give us a call on 0203 451 2690.
Please also note that the tables below only applies to bookings on TUI flights, for other airlines please read on..

Flight only
If you’re booking a flight only, then you will have 10kg of hand luggage for free. The maximum size of this should be 55x40x20cm. You can also add a checked in luggage allowance of either 20 or 25kg when you book, or by adding it to your booking here if you already booked online. If you booked in a store, you should visit or get in touch with the store where you booked, or give us a call on 0203 451 2690. Prices vary by destination.

Premium
If you’ve upgraded to Premium, then you will receive a generous allowance of 23kg hold luggage and 10kg hand luggage irrespective of the above. You can upgrade when you book, or if you’ve booked already then you can upgrade here or by calling us on 0203 451 2690

Pooling and Multiple pieces of luggage
Please be aware that you are able to pool your luggage allowance across your party. However, no one piece of luggage can weigh more than 25kg.
You are able to split your total allowance across more than one piece of luggage, provided it doesn’t exceed more than five bags per person.

Infants
We carry pushchairs as hold luggage for free on TUI flights. You can usually take the pushchair to the boarding gate before handing it to a member of staff to put into the hold. Ask us to confirm this when you get to the check-in desk. If you’re travelling on a package holiday with us, in addition to carrying a pushchair, infants under 2 years old will get a hold baggage allowance of 10kg. Any prams or pushchairs need to be completely fold down/collapsible.

Flights with other airlines
If you’re flying with another airline, you’ll find details of your luggage allowance on your e-ticket/confirmation email.

Please click here to access the TUI Holidays Luggage Allowance

The amount of duty-free you can bring back varies depending on where you’re going on holiday. Take a look at the HM Revenue & Customs website for the latest details.

Yes – if you’re travelling with TUI and you show us your diving certificate when you check in, we’ll give you an extra 5kg hold luggage to fit in all your scuba stuff.

Flights with other airlines
Please check directly with the airline for details.

If you’ve booked a wedding with us and you’re travelling with TUI, we’ll give the bride and groom an extra 5kg hold luggage each. You’ll find a letter about this in your confirmation pack, which you need to take with you when you check in.

Yes – you can carry your wedding dress as hand luggage, however this will count as your one item of hand luggage. This means it needs to meet the hand luggage size and weight limits. You’ll need to put it in the overhead locker during the flight.
 
For more details on hand luggage size and weight limits, please take a look at our ‘What is my luggage allowance?’ question.

If you’re looking for a safe way to carry your wedding dress, we recommend a wedding dress box from the Life Memories Box Company. Please go to https://www.lifememoriesbox.co.uk/tui-and-first-choice-brides-26-w.asp to get 10% off your order.

If your flight has a TOM flight number, your flight time is eligible, and you’re flying from Birmingham, Bristol*, Gatwick or Manchester*, you can check your bags in 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
For flight times: before midday
Open between: 2pm and 9pm

-Bristol Airport*
For flight times: departing before midday
Open between: 4pm-9pm

-Gatwick Airport – from the North Terminal
For flight times: before midday
Open between: 2pm and 9pm

-Manchester Airport* – from Terminal 2
For flight times: departing before midday
Open between: 2pm and 9pm

We’re pleased to let you know that East Midlands will be open for day before check in on 29^th May onwards for flights departing 30^th May onwards
For flight times: departing before midday
Open between: 4pm-9pm

Just so you know, this service isn’t available for flights to the USA, Marella Cruises, and P&O Cruises flights to Malta.