“Checking in a couple of days ago on a flight from Tenerife South Airport in Spain to London I had the misfortune of coming across a ground worker TUI has representing them who was ill informed, unprofessional, obstructive and hostile. She refused to follow the correct procedure to verify my right to enter the UK, as specified by the UK Government and which I have as a legal resident, and instead demanded I conform to her made up demands, which were neither correct nor acceptable.
It is a shame, as I have nothing negative to say about the rest of the flight, nor have I had problems before, but I could possibly not recommend a carrier whose representatives do not know or follow the rules, and instead treat the passengers with hostility, causing them anxiety.
Shame on you TUI for not making sure the people who represent you have adecuate training.”
“We booked a holiday to Paphos for our 30th wedding anniversary. Purchasing extra leg room seats right at the front of a 787 TUI Aircraft and every other extra for our special holiday. On the 14th April 25 we received our E Ticket confirming everything was ok. Then on the 17th April 25 we received a second E Ticket and when we checked the details we realised the aircraft had been changed to a 737 and of course our seats had been changed. This wasn’t pointed out or made obvious which we think is rather devious. We were the first to book seats on the 787 as all seats were available to book at that time. We booked the front two seats with extra legroom as being ahead of the engines it would be quieter, also my wife is scared of flying so not seeing engines and wings moving would help her.
When we realised the aircraft had been changed we were extremely disappointed to see TUI had booked us into seats over the wings. We tried ringing TUI but the gentleman we spoke too couldn’t be understood, we did call back but had the same issue with the lady who answered. We tried the chat facility to investigate the possibility of changing dates or cancelling but were told we would lose 90% of our payment which is staggering to say the least. Call us sinical but it’s strange how these changes didn’t take place until after any chance of a reasonable cancellation refund. Had we have known in time we would definitely have changed the booking or cancelled.
The holiday will not be the same and it has left a very bad feeling. We didn’t expect this sort of treatment from TUI, we thought they were better than that. Staff just point to the terms and conditions and although “Laura” on the chat facility was sympathetic and was trying to find out if there was anything she could do, she reached the end of her shift and simply disappeared leaving us hanging on for a long time before we realised she had gone. We started chat again but didn’t really get any further. When we phoned earlier in the day we were told if we accepted the seat change we would get the £184 charged for our booked seats refunded, however the gentleman on chat said there would be no refund as we had been offered the same type of seat. This isn’t true at all, we won’t be seated at the front, we won’t be seated together and we will have to sit next to strangers and over the wings, so the alternative seats are nothing like the ones booked.
Whilst we do appreciate for economic reasons aircraft do have to be changed from time to time, however TUI could make much more effort to keep bookings as near to original as possible, but unfortunately TUI seem to just shove passengers anywhere. Choosing seats and seating position is a very important part of a customer’s choice when picking their holiday and TUI don’t seem to understand or care about this importance to customers. We feel cheated, let down and completely uncared for and needless to say we are unlikely to ever book with TUI again if this is how they treat customers.”
“I went into the tui store on Acorn Walk in Central Milton keynes to sort out some travel insurance for a trip that had already been booked, and they could not have been nicer or more helpful. The Lovely young lady, Georgia, who dealt with my query sorted out the insurance purchase really efficiently and was also kind enough to print out my ticket for me when I mentioned that I like to have a print- out available. Mny thanks! If I book a future holiday it will certainly be with tui and I'll recommend them to other people. Customer service really does matter!”
“Beware Before Booking – A Costly Mistake with TUI & Jetset
I am writing this follow-up review after reflecting on the significant financial loss I suffered by booking and paying in full for my holiday package with TUI. I feel it is important to highlight the key issues that should have been avoided and warn others to proceed with caution.
1. Misleading Pricing & Pressure to Pay in Full
I was rushed into paying in full, under the impression that I was securing a bargain flight ticket. The agent even claimed that the price given was better than what he personally paid, which led me to believe I was getting an exclusive deal. In reality, this was far from the truth.
2. Lack of Transparency About Third-Party Involvement
When booking my package, TUI failed to disclose that my holiday was actually handled by Jetset, a third-party provider. The agent only revealed this once it was too late to request a refund, stating that TUI does not provide holidays to Bosnia.
3. Frustrating & Unhelpful Communication
Due to TUI’s involvement with Jetset, I was caught in a hopeless cycle of back-and-forth communication. Jetset refused to deal with me directly, forcing me to go through TUI, who in turn had to liaise with Jetset. This delayed responses, created unnecessary stress, and left me without any real resolution.
4. Significant Overpayment Compared to Direct Booking
I trusted TUI to secure the best deal, yet I ended up losing over £300 extra just on my Wizz Air basic ticket. If I had booked directly, my flight would have cost £809, but through TUI, I was charged £1,181. This excessive markup suggests a lack of transparency in pricing. It is also likely that I overpaid for the hotel, although I have yet to receive confirmation.
5. Expectation vs. Reality: Choosing a Trusted Agency
I deliberately booked through a TUI branch just 10 minutes from my home, thinking that dealing with them face-to-face would provide better service and accountability. Instead, I found myself dealing with a third-party travel agency, losing money, and being trapped in a policy loophole that prevented any meaningful resolution.
This experience has left me deeply disappointed with both TUI and Jetset. Their lack of transparency, misleading pricing, and poor handling of third-party bookings resulted in financial loss and unnecessary frustration.
I strongly urge anyone considering booking with TUI or Jetset to carefully review all terms, ask about third-party involvement, and compare direct booking prices before committing. Do not assume that TUI will secure you the best deal—you may end up paying significantly more with little to no flexibility.
I will never book with TUI or Jetset again and will be escalating this issue further to seek appropriate action.”
“we have booked all our holidays in the Westwood Cross shop since it opened, all the
ladies in there are pleasant, polite and very helpful . A good shop with great staff !”
“We were left at Lanzarote airport for 19 hours overnight. No food/drink vouchers. No accommodation offered.
The Tui rep when he arrived in the morning told us (group of six) we were entitled to £100 each in compensation. He would get in touch with Tui and they would message or ring me me to get my bank details. They messaged me whilst still at the airport offering £200 (£33 each). I gave my bank details and that money was credited a week or so later.
After numerous emails and complaints via their website I received another email on the 25th January, again asking for my details for another £200 (still £200 short) to be paid. I replied and was told on the email it would be paid within 14 days. Nothing has been paid.
These people try their hardest to avoid paying what you're entitled to. They hide behind the 28 day window to reply to messages and complaints in the hope you'll go away. I won't. You find out the good companies when things go wrong. Tui aren't one of them!”
“By far the worst customer service, I have used TUI for nearly 2-years, we booked a weekend trip to Barcelona April 2025, we needed to ammend, TUI booked a 3rd party flight and want £900 to change, its a £2000 HOLIDAY and they are pocketing our £800 DEPOSIT, if we dont pay the £900, THE management are dreadful.”
“System suspension at the end of the reservation is standard. Confirmed by a TUI employee in store. The phone number that pops up after that disconnects you as soon as you dial the number. Pathetic and untrained staff in customer service. I wanted all inclusive and they sold me half board. When, after checking the documents and pointing out any irregularities, I wanted to cancel my holiday, I was charged £49 because the flight was not with TUI, but with easyJet.
Why do customers have to pay for untrained employees?
Never in my life with TUI, run away. No sense of guilt in the truest sense of the word.”
“A complete rip off company,
They say book with this low deposit but what they dnt say is you have to pay a much bigger deposit if you cancel this is hidden away in very small print, such a big company why rip off your customers your just greedy greedy and I pray to god that you end up going under, rip off spanish company, one the booking page it says a small deposit is required now and nothing about a much bigger deposit only once you have paid and they email you your invoice in the small print does it say this, so on the front page its a small deposit the invoice sent later it says a bigger deposit is required if you cancel, if they was honet and up front it would obviosly say on the front booking page a small deosit now and a remainder of deposit later if you cancel, its obviously designed to mislead you, I encourage everyone to stop using these and go to some of the more honest holiday companies which are UK companies and who are more open and honest. SHAME ON GREEDY TUI”
“TUI charged me £3150 for 11 nights in 4 star hotel that was barely a 2 star hotel. And when I arrived the transfer driver told me that a state of emergency had been in force for a month.
The long list of things wrong with the barely 2 star hotel ..
Filthy. Infested with feral cats.
Menu was restricted and food was generally awful which made me ill several times. Breakfast was a joke.
The hotel manager (female) made inappropriate remarks and held on to my hand for a bit too long making me feel very uncomfortable. Tried to contact the TUI rep who did not respond.
When I got home I complained to TUI who fobed me off. I will never never use TUI again and I would advise everybody that reads this review to check ....really check the reviews. TUI really don't care about the person's...it's just about the money..GREED!”
“Unorganised, not given any info about hotel, meals etc. After our excursion was dropped off at a different hotel than ours and told to make our own way back in -10 degrees weather with a 5 and 10 year old. Had to get a taxi for £30 (paid over £500 for the excursion). Customer service a joke, wasn't interested , their reply was they had ‘investigated’ and didn’t actually give any explanation -
Here at TUI, we're always keen to hear about our customers holiday experience, so thank you for contacting us with your complaint submitted on 03-01-2025. We've investigated and reviewed each of your individual complaint topics and have provided our comments below.
Excursions & Booked extras/Attraction tickets & Excursions/Transport/Not as expected
We’re sorry you were disappointed with your excursion transfer.
Our aim is to make sure every excursion meets our high standards and have quality checks in place with excursion providers to ensure this is the case. We will pass on your feedback as part of our quality checks and apologise for any inconvenience caused.
First and last time booking with TUI as the service for what was paid was terrible and the customer service even worse.
I haven't even gone into the airport hotel parking and booking I made via their website (which is via holiday extras) had been cancelled with no warning or explanation and I had to book and pay again (more than I had already paid) and am still waiting for my refund (this booking was made 9 months in advance).
Would not recommend as far too much stress, unreliable, extra costs and no customer service.
This was booked as a treat for my family after my cancer treatment over the last 2 years, so thanks very much TUI.”
“I booked a holiday with TUI at the start of 2024 for travel in 2025. We carefully selected a hotel and flight schedule that accommodated our toddler’s routine, prioritizing a beach holiday where my wife could swim in the sea.
However, in December, TUI emailed to inform us that not only would they no longer operate the flight themselves, but they would also outsource it to a subpar airline while significantly altering the flight times.
Our original UK departure flight was scheduled for 15:55 - 21:45. This has been changed to 19:05 - 01:00. How is this considered a "minor change" that supposedly doesn’t impact travelers? Arriving at 01:00 with a toddler is completely unreasonable.
After spending hours speaking with customer support, I was left frustrated. Not only could they not find a suitable alternative (since Black Friday and summer sales had already cleared out most decent options), but they also refused to issue a refund.
TUI seems content to offload frustrated customers onto their frontline support agents, who admitted this situation is a frequent complaint. This level of service is unacceptable.
I will never book with TUI again.”
“I recently had the misfortune of experiencing a series of appalling events during my holiday with TUI, and I feel compelled to share my experience. What was supposed to be a special trip – the first holiday my girlfriend and I booked together – turned into a nightmare, and TUI's response to the situation has been deeply disappointing.
The ordeal began with flight delays and an emergency landing/diversion to Athens due to the smell of smoke on the plane. While the emergency landing was understandably necessary, TUI’s handling of the situation afterward was nothing short of chaotic.
Upon arrival in Athens, TUI promised meal vouchers, hotel accommodations, and transportation arrangements – but they failed to deliver. The airport descended into chaos, with passengers left without guidance, clarity, or support. TUI staff were entirely absent, and the only communication came through sporadic, vague emails.
As the night progressed, things only got worse. We were told a hotel would be arranged, but no such arrangements materialized. Instead, we were forced to sleep on the cold airport floor, only to be scolded by airport staff who demanded we stop sleeping there – despite having no alternative. I became increasingly ill during this time, vomiting regularly and feeling utterly helpless. Walking back and forth between the toilets and the freezing floor, without any sleep or proper care, was one of the worst experiences I’ve ever endured.
Eventually, TUI managed to arrange access to a hotel, but even this was woefully inadequate. Instead of proper accommodations, we were directed to a conference room, where I managed to sleep for just over an hour on the hard floor after being awake for 26 grueling hours. The lack of consideration for our well-being was appalling.
When the trip finally concluded, TUI offered us a £100 voucher as compensation. This gesture was insulting, considering the magnitude of the distress, inconvenience, and discomfort caused. This holiday – meant to be a joyful milestone – has instead left a lasting negative impression on us both.
Adding to the frustration, I’ve been trying to use the voucher before it expires next week, only to encounter even more obstacles. Despite TUI’s email stating the voucher could be used for accommodation-only bookings, their call team has informed me it cannot be used for UK accommodation-only options. This restriction is nowhere to be found in the original email, and after holding onto this voucher for 17 months, I now risk losing it altogether.
The entire experience has left me questioning TUI’s commitment to their customers. The inadequate compensation, lack of transparency, and repeated failures to deliver on promises show a troubling disregard for customer care.
I implore TUI to reconsider their compensation policy and evaluate cases like this with the attention they deserve. The money saved by providing inadequate accommodations and poor service cannot outweigh the damage done to customer trust.
Unless TUI makes meaningful changes and addresses these issues, I cannot recommend them to others. This experience has left me deeply disappointed, and I will be sharing my concerns with friends and family. Future travelers should be wary.”
“I sent the following email to the shop in Brighton:-
“With the exception of the last two visits, I have built very good relationships with the staff, particularly with Georgia.
I have booked FOUR holidays, taken out annual travel insurance and applied for the travel money card.
The standards I had before have slipped and I feel like a nuisance.
The manager, Michelle, in my last visit, asked me what can she help me with in an offhand manner and when I went to the currency bureau there was a dreadful atmosphere and whispers. I felt like a nuisance.
This interaction is rude and unnecessary and I don’t feel comfortable going into the branch again. I will book on line in future”
I received a very general reply with no substance or reasoning as to why this occurred.”
“Earlier in the year we booked return flights from Manchester to Preveza for a 2 week holiday. We now have the opportunity to go for 3 weeks so contacted TUI to arrange an amendment to take in the extra week. Can’t believe they want to charge us and extra £908 for this simple amendment. Shame on you TUI, won’t be using you for flights again”
“Booked a Christmas Santa trip with all the family-the arrangements and communication was good but we wanted to try the husky and reindeer experience. They said we could try before ordering which we did. We repeatedly asked if we could book the excursions and the reps said yes see us in the hotel later. No reps appeared we asked at reception they said they were normally there.
Obviously they did not have any excursions available as we later checked on the TUI app!!
Why they weren’t honest with us I can’t understand
It ruined the holiday as the kids wanted to experience the full huskys snd reindeer experience.
Why were the reps not honest and why did they disappear-not what you would expect from a company like TUI”
“Animal cruelty and animal abuse on the very premises of a TUI hotel, despite their animal welfare mission statement.
Our holiday passed in distress. When we raised this issue, all our attempts fell on deaf ears. No honest or decent reply from TUI for months, and finally when it came (as an answer to a review!) it was a complete falsehood. Shame on you, TUI.”
“Charged almost as much for extra space seats, that were not, as extra legroom seats on our outbound flight, that were worth every penny. All in our row and the row in front said exactly the same, cabin crew said the people in our rows on the previous flight said exactly the same. Tui do not want to know. Complete rip off, deceitful and bordering on theft. NEVER AGAIN !!!!!”
