London Stansted looking forward to new TUI flights this winter and next summer.

New flights launched to Boa Vista from Stansted Airport 

for winter 2021

Reintroduction of holidays to Sharm El Sheikh for winter 2021

17 destinations on offer for summer 2022

TUI UK has put winter 2021/22 holidays from Stansted Airport on sale and will launch summer 2022 from 5th November. The winter 2021/2022 programme will see the addition of flights to Boa Vista, Cape Verde from Stansted Airport for the first time, operating every Thursday from 4th November 2021. TUI holidays to customer favourites Majorca and Sharm El Sheikh will also be reintroduced from Stansted from next winter.

The summer 2022 programme from Stansted Airport will see 17 destinations on offer, including six Greek islands and flights to Turkey six times a week.

TUI is seeing an upward trend in 4 and 5-star all-inclusive hotel bookings for next summer, with over 40% of customers surveyed expressing this preference. This includes hotels which offer the ‘best of both worlds’ with villas or room options with private pools and accommodation as families in particular seek to continue to feel safe in their ‘bubble’. TUI will be offering 233 different options in 155 hotels for this growing category in summer 2021 and expects this trend to continue for summer 2022.

Entire flight told to self isolate after seven test positive for coronavirus

All the passengers from a TUI flight from Zakynthos to Cardiff on Tuesday have been told to self-isolate after 7 confirmed coronavirus infections.

According to official reports, the seven cases came from three different groups who travelled on the same flight, although as yet is not known where they caught the virus. 

Public Health Wales was contacting all the 93 passengers and crew onboard the flight TUI flight 6215 as a matter of urgency,  "These passengers will be contacted shortly, but meanwhile, they must self-isolate at home as they may become infectious, even without developing symptoms. Anyone with symptoms should book a test without delay."  advised Dr Giri Shankar, director of Public Health Wales.

 Shankar added: "Our investigations into a number of cases of coronavirus have indicated that a lack of social distancing, in particular by a minority of the 20-30 year age group, has resulted in the spread of the virus to other groups of people."

"Even if they feel they would not be badly affected by COVID-19" if they were to test positive, the virus could be "extremely serious, even fatal" if they passed it on to older or more vulnerable family members, friends or colleagues."

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TUI group gets agreement with German government over €1.2 billion package as demand starts to increase

TUI 787 Dreamliner                                                                                                     Photo TUI

The European holiday giant TUI  released confirmation at the end of last week that it and KfW have agreed to extend the existing KfW credit line by €1.05 billion subject to certain conditions and underwritten by the Economic Stabilisation Fund (WSF).  

The €1.2 billion stabilisation package strengthens the Group's position and would provide sufficient liquidity in this volatile market environment. This will cover both the seasonal swing in tourism through winter 2020/21 and other long-term travel restrictions and disruptions related to COVID-19.

Including the funds from the additional stabilisation package, TUI AG would thus have cash and credit facilities of 2.4 billion euros.

TUI CEO Fritz Joussen: "The additional stabilisation package allows us to focus on the operations and at the same time to drive forward the realignment of the Group. Already before the pandemic, we had initiated the next transformation of TUI: the transformation into a digital platform company. This transformation will now be significantly accelerated. Our integrated business model is intact. Summer holidays are taking place again in all markets. We introduced massive cost reductions early and implemented them quickly and consistently. However, no one knows at present when a vaccine or medication will be available and what effects the pandemic will have in individual markets in the coming months."

Successful resumption of travel activities from all markets / Third quarter meets own expectations

TUI closing 166 UK and Ireland stores.

The European holiday firm TUI has confirmed it will close 166 of its 600+ high street retail travel agencies in the UK and Ireland after it was revealed that during recent times as much as 70% of new bookings were done online.

The Tui Group announced in May it was looking at ways to cut costs throughout its European operations by 30% and that it expected around 8000 jobs to either be lost or otherwise impacted. The decision to close so many UK and Ireland shops is part of that budgeting programme. 

The holiday firm said it expected 70% of the 900 roles affected would be moved to other stores or departments, to try and limit the number of enforced redundancies.

The UK and Ireland Managing Director of TUI,  Andrew Flintham said: "We want to be in the best position to provide excellent customer service, whether it’s in a high street store, over the telephone or online, and will continue to put the customer at the heart of what we do. It is therefore imperative that we make these difficult cost decisions, look after our colleagues during such unprecedented uncertainty and also offer a modern customer service.

TUIfly to half its fleet

TUIfly confirmed this week that as part of a major restructuring programme, it will half the number of aircraft it has in its fleet.

The carrier had been expected to restructure its operations earlier in the year, however the global coronavirus pandemic has forced the company to accelerate those plans.  Part of these changes will see its various European operations merging into one which will have its main base at  Hanover, Germany.

The firm said “TUIfly plans to reduce the number of jobs in technical, administrative and crew functions as fewer aircraft are used. In future, TUIfly intends to concentrate on the departure airports of Hanover and Düsseldorf as the largest fleet locations, as well as Frankfurt, Munich and Stuttgart,” it said.

It is currently unclear on how many people around Europe will lose their jobs because of the major reduction in operations and aircraft, however consultations have already begun. 

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TUI Group ready to resume travel activities yet will cut thousands of jobs.

CEO Fritz Joussen: “People want to travel. Europe must now gradually open up. Summer holidays are possible responsibly and with clear rules. We will reinvent the holiday in 2020.”
TUI hotels in Germany and Europe ready to go. Increased hygiene and safety measures for all tourism activities of the Group.
Strong start to the 2020 financial year before the pandemic: turnover grows by +6 per cent to 6.0 billion euros in the first five months. Operating underlying EBIT after five months +21 per cent to -240 million euros1 2
First bookings for summer 2021: +114 per cent
Occupancy rate TUI Cruises 2021 at normal level
Targeting 30 per cent overhead cost reduction across the Group around 8000 jobs lost

TUI is ready for an early resumption of travel activities in Germany and Europe. Barely two months after almost all business units had to be shut down due to the worldwide travel bans, the tourism group is prepared for a resumption of its operational activities. TUI's first hotels on Sylt and in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania will open their doors for guests in the coming days. TUI's hotels and clubs in European destinations are also ready to welcome holidaymakers. 

A 10-point catalogue for increased hygiene and protection measures is currently being implemented in the Group's hotels worldwide, offering guests the greatest possible safety. Fritz Joussen, CEO TUI Group: “The safety and well-being of our guests and employees around the world continue to be our top priority. Summer holidays in Europe can now gradually be made possible again – responsibly and with clear rules. Organised travel offers great advantages especially now: With the trusted TUI brand, we offer safety, local support and, in special situations, guarantee the return journey home. Together with the destinations and our partners we have developed extensive measures to protect our guests. The demand for holidays is still very high. People want to travel. Our integrated business model allows us to start travel activities as soon as this is possible again. The season starts later, but could last longer. For 2020 we will also reinvent the holiday: New destinations, changed travel seasons, new local offerings, more digitalisation.”

Travel firm TUI making it harder for customers to get a refund..........

TUI fly,   part of TUI Group                                                                                  Photo TUI

TUI holidays in the UK, part of the European TUI Group has made it far more difficult for customers to get refunds over cancelled holidays, according to Simon Calder, the travel editor of The Independent.  

Calder reports that Under the Package Travel Regulations, Tui - Britain's biggest package holiday company is, like all firms, required to give customers a full cash refund within 14 days of cancelling a holiday. Yet, due to the current crisis caused by coronavirus COVID-19 TUI has been having great difficulty in fulfilling this obligation. 

Now TUI is telling customers "If your holiday can no longer go ahead as planned, you’ll receive a refund credit note for the full value of your holiday”. for all holidays that had been scheduled to go before 15th May. 

TUI UK extends holiday suspension

Palm Beach Safari Island Resort Ari Atoll, Maldives                                                                   Photo Tui

Following the recent update to the Foreign and Commonwealth’s office travel advice and the ongoing uncertainty caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, TUI holiday's in the UK have made a number of changes to its holiday programme.

TUI beach holidays travelling up to and including 14 May will no longer operate.Marella Cruise holidays travelling up to and including 31 May will no longer operate.TUI River Cruise, due to launch last month, will now commence on the 26 November.

The firm said it would be constantly monitoring the situation and will start taking people on holiday again as soon as they are able to do so. At this point in time, nobody can accurately predict when that will be, so for the time being, it will keep a close eye on the programme and continue to amend and adapt timings in line with the latest global travel advice. 

TUI customer teams are working extremely hard to contact everyone affected, however, changes in ways of working and the closure of the TUI retail stores have impacted the speed at which this can happen. 

Customers who have a booking impacted by these changes will be able to amend their holiday to any other TUI package holiday on sale for free via manage my booking on the website. 

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Bridging loan for TUI approved as UK operation extends grounding until 14 May

TUI head office                                                 Photo TUI

KfW and TUI AG confirm the signing of the state aid bridging loan for 1.8 billion euros. The loan had been committed by the German Federal Government on 27 March as part of the COVID-19 state support programme. TUI's current Revolving Credit Facility “RCF” banking consortium supports the KfW loan and the addition of the 1.8 billion euros into TUI's existing RCF credit line. 

Following the international travel restrictions, TUI decided to apply for the KfW loan in order to cushion the unprecedented effects of the pandemic until normal business operations can be resumed. TUI like others had to temporarily suspend its tour operator, flight, hotel and cruise programmes. TUI is a very healthy company that was economically successful before the crisis – it has a strong strategic positioning, structure and substance. The current financial year 2020 had started off with extremely strong bookings.

TUI UK completes its mammoth repatriation programme and furloughs 11,000 UK based staff

The arrival of 265 TUI UK passengers at Birmingham Airport from Cancun on Sunday marked the end of a mammoth repatriation programme mounted by the travel company in response to the Coronavirus Pandemic. The long haul flight was the final part of a finely orchestrated operation bringing the last of 45,000 TUI UK holidaymakers home.

The complex process was planned as government and local authority advice changed and countries closed their borders. And as well as returning TUI customers, hundreds more holidaymakers, unable to get home with the airlines they had travelled with, were repatriated by TUI from destinations including Goa, Jamaica, Turkey, Spain and Marrakech.

The flights could not have been operated without the efforts of 964 TUI cabin crew and 362 flight crew team members, who put in over 11,000 flying hours to get customers home. The repatriation effort was supported on the ground by over 2,500 TUI destination reps overseas who were on hand to help customers as they waited in their hotels and resorts before.

In the last ten days 192 TUI airways flights have taken off from 30 overseas airports in destinations across the world from Spain, Turkey and Greece to Mexico, Costa Rica and Thailand, bringing customers and 320 overseas destination reps back to 16 UK airports.

German Federal Government approves KfW bridge loan of €1.8 billion for travel firm TUI

Major European travel firm TUI AG has received the approval of the German government for a bridging loan of 1.8 billion euros from the KfW. The funds of Germany’s state-owned development bank are to be used to increase TUI's existing credit line with its banks amounting to 1.75 billion euros (“Revolving Credit Facility”). The KfW bridge loan is subject to the approval of the banks. Talks on this have already started and will be continued after today's decision. One of the conditions of the KfW bridge loan is that TUI waives dividend payments for the duration of the bridge loan. This would give TUI access to financial resources and credit lines totaling 3.1 billion euros at the present time. 

Fritz Joussen, CEO of TUI Group: “The commitment of the KfW bridge loan is an important first step for TUI to successfully bridge the current exceptional situation. Our thanks go to the German Federal Government, the German parliament, the Government of Lower Saxony and KfW. They have acted quickly and in a solution-oriented manner in the interest of our customers, employees and the company.”

TUI Group sells German holiday home provider Wolters Reisen

Holiday home and tours provider Wolters Reisen sold to Frankfurt-based e-domizil

Tui continues to reduce its dependence on traditional tour operation, increases its focus on its core business with hotels, cruises and destination activities

TUI Group consistently continues its transformation to focus on its core business with hotels, cruises and destination activities. The world’s leading tourism group has sold holiday home and tours specialist Wolters Reisen to Frankfurt-based e-domizil. The parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price. The purchase contract was signed in Frankfurt. The transaction marks a further step towards a sharpening of TUI’s profile as a vertically integrated tourism group and reduces its dependence on the traditional tour operation business. Wolters Reisen does not leverage any or only very few synergies for TUI’s core business. The sale to the new owner will enhance the company’s prospects for the future and open up additional development potential for its employees.

TUI UK launches additional 37,000 seats for winter 2020 from East Midlands Airport

TUI UK launches additional 37,000 seats for winter 2020 from East Midlands Airport

TUI has announced its winter 2020 programme with the addition of new destinations Hurghada and Tunisia and the reintroduction of holidays to Sharm El Sheikh.

The new flights to Hurghada and Tunisia from East Midlands for winter 2020 are on sale now with weekly flights to Hurghada operating on a Tuesday and flights to Tunisia on a Friday.

From the 5th November 2020 TUI flights to Sharm El Sheikh will be operating on a Thursday from East Midlands.

TUI have also added 10 and 11 night holidays to Lanzarote with the addition of a weekly flight operating every Monday from East Midlands airport, giving holidaymakers from the Midlands more flexibility and choice.

TUI UK to fly to Orlando Melbourne Airport

TUI, one of the UK's leading tour operators and holiday airline has confirmed it will be operating flights to Orlando's Melbourne International Airport (MLB) from 2022.

The initial schedule is still under development but has the potential to be made up of nonstop flights between MLB and nine European cities. TUI’s Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the 300-seat aircraft type that will be used for all the new transatlantic flights.

“At TUI we’re committed to offering our customers an outstanding airline and holiday experience and we are delighted to be working with Orlando Melbourne Airport on their exciting expansion plans,” said Dawn Wilson, managing director at TUI Airways. “Our new Orlando gateway will be perfectly situated to offer TUI UK customers total flexibility in designing their holiday around any combination of theme parks, beaches or cruising.”

TUI UK launches additional 52,000 seats for summer 2020 from London Stansted

TUI UK launches additional 52,000 seats for summer 2020 from London Stansted

TUI, the UK’s largest holiday company, has announced their biggest ever holiday programme with new destinations; Skiathos, Greece and Enfidha in Tunisa, added to its summer 2020 programme from London Stansted. The new flights to Skiathos and Enfidha flights will operate on Fridays.

Sticking with its commitment of offering more flexibility and choice, TUI will also introduce new 10 and 11 night holidays to Zakynthos (Greece), providing even more duration options for customers.

Stansted will also see an increase in flights to TUI customer favourite Turkey with additional days of flying to Antalya and Dalaman*, giving holidaymakers from the South East more choice when booking next year’s summer holiday.

* Additional flying days from Stansted Airport: Antalya, Turkey (Sun) and Dalaman, Turkey (Weds, Sat).

London Stansted celebrates successful year supporting the local community -  read on....

UI UK launches 48,000 more seats for summer 2020 from East Midlands Airport

New flights to Antalya, Heraklion and Skiathos

TUI, the UK’s largest holiday company, has announced its biggest ever holiday programme with new destinations. 

Antalya (Turkey), Heraklion (Greece) and Skiathos (Greece) have been added to its summer 2020 programme from East Midlands Airport (EMA). Antalya and Heraklion flights will operate on Tuesdays, and Skiathos on Fridays. 

Additional weekly flights introduce 10 and 11 night holidays to Ibiza, Larnaca and Reus

48,000 extra seats from East Midlands Airport

Sticking with its commitment of offering more flexibility and choice, TUI will also introduce new 10 and 11 night holidays to Spanish favourites Ibiza, Larnaca and Reus, providing even more duration options for customers.

TUI 787-9 Dreamliner Gatwick landing drama report issued.

Photo paineairport.com

The UK's Air Accident Investigation Branch detailed an incident involving a TUI Boeing 787 Dreamliner at London Gatwick Airport on 6 July 2018 at 1711 in its May bulletin.

The aircraft, registration G-TUIM, a 787-9 was operating a flight from the holiday island of Tenefire back to the UK and was on approach to Runway 26L at London Gatwick Airport and the crew was configuring the aircraft for landing. After flaps 1 was selected, there was a progressive deterioration in the normal flight controls, landing gear lowering and nosewheel steering capabilities.  Initially, the slats primary fail and flaps primary fail on the Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System - EICAS - messages were displayed. There was difficulty in lowering the nose landing gear, indicating nose wheel steering fault.  

Worst UK airlines for delays named.

According to a report by Which magazine, around 1.3 million UK air passengers have endured severe delays in the last 12 months alone.

The study said that 13,000 flights to or from UK airports were delayed by three hours or more in 12 months up to June this year.  On average, nearly 3,500 passengers faced lengthy delays each day.

According to the delay report, budget carrier, Easyjet was the worst with 2,618 late flights,  its low-cost-high-fee rival Ryanair was second with 1,868 flights and the former 'world's favourite airline' British Airways was third with 1,668 flights being delayed.

TUI get first 737 MAX 8

Boeing and TUI Group, one of the world's largest tourism/holiday companies celebrated the delivery of the operator's first 737 MAX 8. It is hoped the aircraft e will play a key role in TUI Group's ambition to operate Europe's most carbon efficient airlines and regain profitiability for the group.

"The 737 MAX is a great fit for TUI Group, with 14 percent lower carbon emissions and a 40 percent smaller noise footprint supporting its airlines commitment to sustainability," said Monty Oliver, vice president of European Sales, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "We are honored by TUI Group's continued confidence in our products and look forward to the many MAX deliveries that lie ahead."

TUI Group has 51 additional orders of the 737 MAX 8 and four 787 Dreamliners. The Group also has 18 unfilled orders for the 737 MAX 10 and was the first European operator to select the latest and largest member of the 737 MAX family of aircraft.

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