TUI doesn't serve Belfast between early October and late May normally anyways.

We have now received communication that our flights are officially cancelled. Can confirm they are not offering alternative flights from the larger bases and are instead offering refund credit or a cash refund.

Roc10 - When were you due to be travelling and from which airport ?

If TUI are just cancelling your holiday due to an non force majeure situation and its not because of government restrictions they are obligated under the package and linked travel regulations 2018 to offer you an alternative holiday for the same duration they cannot simply cancel the holiday and say rebook something else at todays prices.

see below for a copy of section 11.—(1) The provisions of this regulation are implied as a term in every package travel contract.
(2) The organiser must not unilaterally change the terms of a package travel contract before the start of the package, other than the price in accordance with regulation 10, unless—
(a)the contract allows the organiser to make such changes;
(b)the change is insignificant; and
(c)the organiser informs the traveller of the change in a clear, comprehensible and prominent manner on a durable medium.
(3) Paragraphs (4) to (11) apply where, before the start of the package, the organiser—
(a)is constrained by circumstances beyond the control of the organiser to alter significantly any of the main characteristics of the travel services specified in paragraphs 1 to 10 of Schedule 1;
(b)cannot fulfil the special requirements specified in paragraph 1 of Schedule 5; or
(c)proposes to increase the price of the package by more than 8% in accordance with regulation 10(4).
(4) The organiser must, without undue delay, inform the traveller in a clear, comprehensible and prominent manner on a durable medium, of—
(a)the proposed changes referred to in paragraph (3) and, where appropriate, in accordance with paragraph (7), their impact on the price of the package;
(b)a reasonable period within which the traveller must inform the organiser of the decision pursuant to paragraph (5);
(c)the consequences of the traveller’s failure to respond within the period referred to in sub-paragraph (b); and
(d)any substitute package, of an equivalent or higher quality, if possible, offered to the traveller and its price.

Looking at GOV.UK, FCO advise hasn't changed. Sounds like Force Majeure to me

Set to change Monday with the Air Bridge annoucements for Greece, Spain, Italy, Belgium, Germany, Holland, France, Gibraltar, possibly Croatia and Portugal and strangely Bermuda!

Apparently then further nations to be added in July such as BVI, Aguilla and the Caymans,

August - Canada, Caribbean, Morocco, Turkey and Dubai

Late August - Vietnam, Hong Kong and Singapore

Nov/Dec - USA, Mexico and Latin America

They are saying on BBC that Sweden and Portugal probably won`t be on list and we will probably know the basics tomorrow

Thats why I asked ROC10 when he is due to travel and where the destination was , If its a country that are not allowing UK nationals in then that would be deemed force majeure but to cancel a holiday as they have decided to make a cut in capacity which is what their press articles indicate this would then be something that is inside their control.

I am surprised with the lack of bookings that they claim to have for summer 2020 that they are not trying to retain the bookings rather than saying have your money back or book at todays inflated prices . It is like with my booking I have paid for 11 days All Inclusive but the Sunday flight has been withdrawn to go for 7 days would cost an extra £300 or 14 days £1800 legally they have to offer an alternative at the same cost.

Talk of airbridges etc is still "If's, but's and maybe's" - TUI have to make a decision at some point. Can you imagine the outcry if they said your holiday is still on, you'll get no money back if you don't turn up, and the FCO was still saying it advised against all but essential international travel?

Thanks for the info. We were flying to ACE which is one of their initial eight destinations and flights are operating from MAN/LGW/BHX on the day we were due to fly (16/07) but because the base I booked from is closed, the flights are cancelled. Just to clarify, our booking was flight-only so wasn’t technically a holiday as we have booked private accommodation in Lanzarote. I was thinking along your lines that they’d want to try and retain existing bookings and perhaps offer us seats on the MAN flight but apparently not. We could probably use the refund credit on that flight but we’d rather not as it’s very inconvenient. Jet2 are due to fly to ACE on the 16th from an airport much nearer than MAN so we are now considering that (dependent on a change in FCO advice, of course) and will probably just take the refund from TUI. Shame really but what can we do.

Roc10- As you were booked flight only then the PTRs do not apply but looking through social media it does appear that they are treating package holiday customers the same and they consider the regulations are not applicable to them. I have feeling they are going to be in for quite a shock if these start going to court or arbitration as they were given a lot of slack on not processing refunds in the 14day limit but if they try to profit from changing customers bookings and contracts that is likely to be looked at in more detail especially with the CMA already investigating tour operators on how they operate

Seems harsh, you'd think they'd want those planes full, Jet2 from what I have seen have been offering alternatives for cancelled holidays on other dates for example.

Looks like all Florida holidays cancelled until the end of November.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mir...a-22256119.amp

What did you expect? With rampant virus and therefore a quarantine on return...

The fact that the USA is not letting Brits enter the country, and doesn't expect to change this policy is probably the biggest reason for TUI cancelling all holidays to the USA.

I wouldn’t want to go near the US for a while.

If you read the article it has nothing to do with travel to and from the USA, it is due to the measures that Disney have in place.

Tui BHX/CFU July 2020
 

Good Evening
Looking at booking a package holiday with TUI for July 17th onwards. Possibly BHX/CFU
Seems today they've removed this route.
Few questions

Would Tui fly against FCO advice? If so, being ABTA bonded I'd be able to get refund if they did?

Do you think they fly the BHX/CFU route so early?

When will the change of FCO advice for Greece along with returning quarantine change would you predict?

Thanks

TUI absolutely will not fly if the FCO says "do not go". As to whether Greece will admit people from the UK by 17 July without still requiring potential quarantine is uncertain - only the Greek Govt can answer that....
Please have a careful read through of the FCO advice on Greece, particularly the sections on "Entry Requirements" and "Staying during coronavirus". Greece is still not sure they want potentially-virus-infested British tourists coming to their country
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/greece

If you really want to go on holiday on 17 July, I wouldn't be booking Greece quite yet

Pritti Patel has muddied the waters even more today.

She has contradicted others in saying lifting travel restrictions and the traffic light system remain works in progress and are far from imminent and or a given .

Foreign office and diplomatic missions still in negotiations with various EU/EEA/Turkey states for those flagged headline safe corridors !

FCO advice remains very much in force so no viable insurances are available .

Think you and others need to revisit this in another 7-10 days at the earliest to be honest .

Thanks everyone
I've just also updated myself through GTP.gr which seems to have more information on what the Greek government are stipulating now and also their thoughts in going forward.

You're new here aren't you? When has a politician ever confirmed or denied an imminent policy change in an interview before the official announcement?

If any one is booking a TUI holiday or flight for July and think that the flights are guaranteed, then think again.
TUI are gambling that they will be able to start, as it is easier to cancel flights and holidays than getting organised and ready to start.
It takes weeks to get setup, so they are taking bookings in case they get the go ahead, money in the bank.
That is why only a few flights at the start, before they start ramping up.

Hardly new been posting for more than ten years through not necessarily regularly !

Given the fact she's actually the most incapable minister in the cabinet i'd say i wont take her word as gospel. I also believe that boarders etc should be controlled, especially in coronavirus time, by the foreign sectary and not the home secretary but that's a different discussion in a different thread all together. If she doesn't review the current guidelines the aviation industry in the UK will continue to free fall. This government needs to act on this and be openly honest.

She stated some hard negotiations were still ongoing, bearing in mind some won’t open July 15th (Malta and Cyprus) and Greece are still debating then some will still need securing, add in Portugal and Turkey who are borderline cases.

We will know more this week, but if quarantine changes as reported, you don’t need an air bridge for Spain which is open for us, or Italy and Croatia...

AKA Priti Dim but to be fair the standard to be in this cabinet has never been lower, ever probably anywhere in Western Europe too. Incompetent doesn't even begin to describe all of them.

Hardly surprising, since the criteria for selection was devotion to Project Boris and the true Church of Brexit. Hence there's more competence on the back benches.

Yawn.......getting really boring now - can we have some useful input regarding TUI?

Yet another pointless political post about Brexit and Government bashing by someone that has yet to get over the results of the last election.

Back to TUI, I watched an interview with a travel agent who didn’t believe there is a surge in bookings as he is still cancelling more holidays than he was booking.

TUI in Germany cut 50% of their workforce Bojo or no Bojo. Will TUI do the same in the UK?

"Surge in bookings" and "pent up demand" are fantastic marketing expressions because they are not quantifiable. Working on the FOMO mindset to try and get things moving again.
The more specific statements such as "an 80% increase in booking since last week" sound impressive but if you only sold 100 holidays last week then an 80% increase only means 180 this week.

Sales teams are understandably keen to get the market moving but I have a concern around mixed messages. On the one side stating bookings are seeing a surge in demand whilst on the other side stating the industry is in dire straits.
The latter is true and I would not want to see efforts to get much needed industry support undermined through well meant but perhaps misplaced sales tactics.

Which Aircraft
 

Hi, I’m new to all this. Just wondered if anyone could help. I am booked to fly BY2418 on 03/09/20 and BY2419 on 11/09/20. I initially had extra legroom seats booked on a B757-200 which is now showing a seat map for a B737-MAX 8, but when I rang them they said the flight will be operated by a B767-300, but were not sure why the seat map is wrong. Does anyone know which of these aircraft is likely to operate the flight? Thanks

I doubt anyone on here will be able to answer that ! From what you say are TUI really sure what they will be operating just yet, could change again ? Doubt it would be a 737 Max are'nt they still undergoing new certification test flying at present ?

My local shopping centre for some reason had two TUI shops (never understood why) ! Looked today and one of them has shut down and everything removed so probably yes they will need to cut the UK workforce wherever possible and looks like they already are.

I think we might have the same local shopping centre (based on your location). If so, the second store has been closed for a while now (pre-Covid anyway). But I don’t doubt there will be further cuts.

We also had 2x shops, not within the same centre but only about 3-4 mins walk apart. Again one closed very recently but before Covid so was definitely already shrinking.

Any sign of the shops reopening?

Hoping Cape Verde flights are back up and running in a few weeks and the country is on the government’s corridor list...

Cape Verde is seeing about 6 times the number of cases per day compared to the UK, when measured on a cases per 100,000 population basis over the last 10 days

Thanks David.

I won’t get excited yet then.

Livingston... the shop yesterday had newspaper over the windows, today they had been removed and the shop was completely empty ! Looking forward to when they re-open the shop, as most in Scotland are in shopping centres I guess that could be Monday 13th July but I won't hold my breath. Still waiting for my refund voucher and have so many questions when they do regarding total lack of contact.