TUI Airways: The TUI Group's Holiday Carrier, the Fleet Betting Everything on the 737 MAX and Passenger Reviews

History and positioning

The carrier was born from the unification of the group's historic airline brands, in a simplification process that over the years has also led to the progressive standardization of the fleet on a small number of models, to cut maintenance and crew training costs.

The fleet

After the retirement of the last Boeing 737-700s, the short- and medium-haul fleet is now standardized on the Boeing 737-800 and the more recent 737 MAX 8, which burns about 14% less fuel than the earlier 737NG. The TUI group as a whole operates 42 MAX 8s across all its European subsidiaries, with 14 more aircraft being delivered to British TUI Airways alone between 2025 and 2026 through a leasing contract with BOC Aviation. The stated goal is to reach about 32 MAXs in the UK fleet alone.

Routes and network

The network is almost entirely leisure, with destinations in the Mediterranean, the Canary Islands and North Africa concentrated in the summer months, joined by a smaller winter season to the same geographic areas. Flight sales are largely bundled with the TUI holiday package, although it is possible to buy just the air ticket.

Fares and baggage

Those who buy only the flight find conditions similar to those of a leisure charter: a small carry-on bag included, checked baggage as a paid extra with fares that rise depending on the seasonal period. Customers who buy the complete holiday package, on the other hand, generally enjoy more generous baggage conditions included in the price.

What passengers say

Online reviews often distinguish the experience of those traveling with the holiday package from that of those buying the flight alone.

• Most frequent favorable opinions: a cabin considered comfortable on the new 737 MAXs, holiday package handling judged reliable in case of problems with the hotel, cabin crew generally appreciated on leisure routes.
• Most frequent critical opinions: delays concentrated in the July and August peaks because of the intense rotation of the fleet, baggage information that is less clear for those buying the flight alone than for the complete package.

TUI Airways is suited to those who buy a complete TUI holiday and want to travel on the same modern aircraft throughout the summer season. It is less suitable for those looking only for a flight-only ticket at the lowest fare on a leisure route, since the product remains designed mainly for the tour operator's customer. Anyone buying only the air ticket should carefully check the baggage conditions associated with their specific fare, because they differ from those applied to people who book the complete holiday package with the same flight.