Published on Monday, November 2, 2020

TUI cancels all flights from England and Wales from 5 Nov, but not Scotland

TUI UK has confirmed it won't operate flights and holidays from England and Wales when the travel ban comes into place between 5 November and 2 December, but holidays from Scotland will continue as planned.

All holidays scheduled to depart the UK between Monday 2 November and Wednesday 4 November will operate as normal.

With different restrictions in place for Scotland, package holidays departing north of the border are currently unaffected. All TUI UK customers with accommodation-only bookings can also still travel if they wish, or they can choose to amend for free.

Additionally, Marella Cruises is extending its pause in operations up to and including 16 December 2020.

The launch of the TUI River Cruise programme is also postponed, with three ships now set to launch in March and April 2021.

TUI River Cruise was originally due to launch in March this year, then the launch date was pushed back to 26 November, before being postponed again until next spring.

Meanwhile, TUI UK's summer 2022 holidays, which the operator planned to put on sale on November 5 have been brought forward two days and will now go on sale on Tuesday 3 November.

TUI UK will be contacting all customers impacted by these changes over the coming days to discuss options, including amending for free with a booking incentive, receiving an ATOL-protected refund credit note with a booking incentive, or requesting a full cash refund.

Andrew Flintham, Managing Director of TUI UK and Ireland said: "The UK government's latest decision to implement a second national lockdown is another blow for the travel industry, which has already been brought to its knees after almost eight months of continued uncertainty.

"However, public health must be the priority right now and we therefore cannot take customers on holiday from England and Wales from 5 November up until 2 December.

"We appreciate that the government has recognised the toll these restrictions will have on the sector and its employees and we're pleased that the furlough scheme has been extended throughout November.

"However, these new measures reiterate the vital importance of a move to airport testing to allow those who want to travel to do so safely.

"We will continue to monitor the government's advice and review our holiday programme in line with this."

By Lisa James, Deputy Editor, UK