The UK’s largest tour operator has issued new travel advice for holidaymakers ahead of the peak summer getaway. TUI was one of only three airlines in the UK that managed to run more than 99 per cent of its planned flying programme in June, with only 27 out of 4,091 scheduled flights needing to be cancelled – just 0.66 per cent of services.
With more than two million customers already enjoying a holiday with TUI so far this year, and more than 750,000 in June alone, the travel giant has taken steps to build confidence and resilience in its summer holiday programme.
It has recruited hundreds more staff to work in airports, contact centres and its operations hub to provide extra support to customers. This includes thousands of travel experts and holiday reps available in stores, in hotels, on the phone or via the live chat in the TUI app seven days.
Emergency travel options include five aircraft on standby to be used if a plane becomes unavailable because of technical issues. It has even further strengthened relationships with partners, UK airports and destination airports to minimise any disruption and delays and offering day before bag drop at its busiest airports, including Gatwick, Birmingham, Bristol and Manchester to speed up the check in process.
Andrew Flintham, TUI managing director, said: "As one of the top performing airlines in the UK, we’re confident we’ve taken all the steps we can to ensure our customers can get away on holiday as planned this summer. We’ve recruited more staff, we have more aircraft available, and we’ve improved the way we communicate with customers to help them in the unlikely event things don’t go to plan.
"As the UK’s number one holiday company we want our customers to know they can trust in TUI this summer.”
TUI has also issued the following pre-departure guidelines for holidaymakers:
- Make sure your passport is in date and that the names on your booking match those in passports. If you’re travelling to the EU, check your passport is not older than 10 years and that you have at least three months left before expiry on the day you return to the UK – check FCDO travel advice
- Download the TUI app – it’s a one-stop shop for everything to do with your holiday, from live travel updates, including your transfer to your hotel, and 24/7 chat so you can keep in touch every step of the way.
- Arrive at the airport no more than three hours before your flight. You’ll still have enough time to get through check in and security, but arriving any earlier can cause longer queues.
- Check your destination’s Covid-19 entry requirements to find out if you need to organise any tests.
- Keep your hand luggage to the 10kg allowance, and pack the essentials needed for your flight. Remember, no liquids over 100ml.
TUI is operating more than 45,000 flights this summer to 59 destinations from 19 UK airports. For latest TUI travel deals, check here.
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