Are TUI Strict With Luggage Weight? | Rules Fees Facts

Travel plans feel smoother when you know where airlines draw the line on bags. TUI publishes clear weight limits for both cabin and checked luggage, and staff at the desk use calibrated scales to apply them. Go over the number on your ticket and you’ll be asked to move items between bags or pay an extra-kilo charge. Stay within the allowance and you’ll breeze through bag drop without drama.

This guide lays out how TUI treats weight at the airport, what the allowances look like for common bookings, what fees apply if you tip the scale, and practical packing moves that keep you on the right side of the rules.

How Strict Is TUI About Luggage Weight?

Short answer: expect the scale to decide. At check-in, hold luggage gets weighed and tagged. If a case exceeds your paid allowance, the agent applies the per-kilo charge before sending the bag to screening. Hand luggage checks vary by airport and flight load, yet the cap still stands: one cabin bag at up to 10kg within 55x40x20cm, plus a small under-seat item sized 40x30x20cm. When the gate area is busy, staff may weigh or measure carry-ons, so pack with that limit in mind.

Two helpful points sit inside TUI’s rules. First, you can pool hold-bag weight across people on the same booking, which gives families and couples room to balance loads. Second, no single suitcase can exceed 25kg for handling safety even if your pooled total allows more. That means a 27kg monster case won’t be accepted until weight moves to another bag.

Here’s a fast recap of allowances you’ll see on TUI itineraries. Check your booking for the exact figure shown on your confirmation, then use this table as a planning baseline.

For the full, current figures and seasonal notes, see the TUI luggage allowance. If you plan to add more before you fly, booking extras online costs less than paying at the airport; details live on TUI’s page for adding extra luggage. For what can and can’t go in each bag, the UK Civil Aviation Authority keeps a clear list on its baggage guidance.

TUI Strict With Baggage Weight: What Airport Staff Check

At bag drop, each suitcase sits on the scale linked to your booking. The screen shows allowance and live weight, making any excess plain on the spot. If you pooled weight across your group, the system still blocks any single piece above 25kg. Agents can ask you to reshuffle items into a second case or hand luggage to bring the number down.

At the gate, team members look for cabin bags that match both size and weight rules. Wheels and handles count toward dimensions, so measure the full shell at home. You’ll also need to place the bag in the overhead yourself, which is why the cabin limit sits at 10kg. When a carry-on fails, it moves to the hold and the excess fee applies.

Cabin Bag Weight And Size

Your ticket includes one cabin bag up to 10kg within 55x40x20cm, plus one small personal item within 40x30x20cm that lives under the seat in front. A slim laptop bag or compact daypack fits well in that under-seat slot. If your main carry-on looks tight on either edge, use a soft-sided case that shaves a centimetre when zipped and avoid overstuffing front pockets.

Checked Bag Limits And Pooling

Pooling helps groups fly lighter. Two travellers on a 20kg allowance each can share a combined 40kg across up to three bags, so a 17kg case and a 23kg case works fine. What doesn’t pass is a single 26kg case; split that into two pieces or move items into a cabin bag to meet the 25kg hard limit per item. Add a second suitcase only if spreading weight won’t solve it.

Fees For Overweight And Extra Bags

Charges kick in the moment your scale reading tops the allowance on your booking. Short and mid-haul flights price each extra kilo lower than long-haul, and flight-only customers who never added a hold bag pay a separate fee for the first 15kg at the desk. Buying online before you reach the airport keeps costs in check and speeds the counter conversation. Keep cash or card ready too.

Smart Ways To Stay Inside TUI’s Weight Limits

• Weigh everything at home. Check each case and your cabin bag after packing and again after souvenirs go in.
• Pick lighter luggage. A 2.5kg suitcase buys back 1.5kg versus many hard-shell cases.
• Balance across the booking. Use the pooling rule to split heavy items across two or three bags.
• Move dense gear to carry-on within 10kg. Chargers, books, toiletries in travel sizes, and shoes weigh more than they look.
• Wear the bulkiest outfit on travel days. Trainers and a light jacket save space and weight in the case.
• Add allowance in advance. If your packing list keeps creeping up, buy the extra online and skip desk fees.
• Know restricted items. Power banks and spare lithium batteries ride in the cabin; check the CAA link above for details.

Edge Cases That Trip People Up

A few situations spark last-minute repacks. Pushchairs and car seats check in for free on TUI flights, yet they don’t add to your hand luggage tally for infants under two, as infants don’t get a cabin allowance of their own. Sports gear must be pre-booked; turn up without notice and staff can refuse it if the hold is already at capacity. Larger instruments follow the bag rules if they exceed cabin limits, so plan for a flight case and fragile handling tags.

Liquids in the cabin still follow airport security rules, and airport staff apply those limits even if your case fits TUI size and weight. If you rely on duty-free, keep the sealed bag intact until you land. Also watch cabin wheels and handles when measuring; airline sizers count the full footprint. A bag that passes the tape at home yet bulges after packing can miss by a hair at the gate.

Realistic Packing Plans For Common Trips

Packing tends to scale with trip length, not destination hype. Use these sample plans as a working model, then tweak for weather and activities.

One-Week Beach Holiday (20kg Hold + 10kg Cabin)

Start with a 2.5–3kg medium case. Load 8–9 outfits that mix tops and shorts, two swimsuits, flip-flops, trainers, a packable hat, and a lightweight cover-up. Toiletries in 100ml sizes ride in the cabin with electronics. Keep a 1kg buffer for sunscreen and a small towel on the return. If travelling as a pair, shift shoes and toiletries between cases to keep both under 20kg.

Long Weekend City Break (No Hold Bag)

Aim for a 35–40L soft carry-on that meets 55x40x20cm. Pack two pairs of trousers or skirts, four tops, a compact knit, underwear for four days, and sleepwear. Wear the heaviest shoes and jacket. Tech stays tight: phone, chargers, earbuds, a small camera. Keep weight near 8–9kg so gifts still fit without crossing the 10kg cap.

Two-Week Long-Haul (25kg Hold In Premium)

With 25kg to play with, a large case makes sense, yet keep single-bag weight under the 25kg item cap. Pack two sets of footwear, gym kit, a light fleece, and layers that wash and dry overnight. Use packing cubes to separate clean and worn clothes and a digital scale to keep a running total. Place heavier items low and near the wheels so the case rolls without strain.

When You Should Buy Extra Allowance

If your plan includes scuba gear, golf clubs, a wedding outfit, or shopping on the return leg, add hold weight online when you lock flights. The pre-book price beats airport rates and protects your route if the hold runs tight. Families with one light packer and one heavy packer can still benefit: buy a single extra case online, then split weight across all bags at home so nothing creeps past 25kg.

Clear Rules For Tricky Weight Moments

A suitcase reading 20.8kg on a 20kg ticket needs a shuffle. Move shoes or toiletries to a second case or your cabin bag, then reweigh. A family of three on a 20kg allowance each can check 60kg in total, split across up to three bags, but still no single bag beyond 25kg. If a carry-on tips past 10kg at the gate, staff check it into the hold and charge based on the table above.

Long-haul and short-haul price tiers differ, and seasons can change fee levels. If your itinerary spans different legs, apply the stricter limit across the trip. Keep receipts for any extra weight bought online; agents can look it up, yet showing proof speeds the process.

Here’s a pricing recap for quick planning.

Weight-Saving Gear That Punches Above Its Size

• Digital luggage scale: Clip it on, lift, and get a reading in seconds. It prevents guesswork and lets you fine-tune loads the night before.
• Compression cubes: They squeeze soft items and stop “micro-creep” that pushes zips outward and inches cases over size limits.
• Fold-flat duffel: Packs into a pocket and doubles as an overflow hold bag if you pre-buy allowance.
• Soft toiletry bottles: Silicone bottles weigh less than hard plastic and fit security rules when kept to 100ml each.
• Featherweight daypack: Lives under the seat, carries snacks and tech, and keeps your main cabin bag under the 10kg mark.
• Travel laundry soap sheets: A couple of sink washes cut outfit counts without denting weight.

Sample Weigh-In Playbook At The Airport

1. Place the case on the lobby scale before joining the queue.
2. If it’s close, move dense items—chargers, books, a pair of shoes—into your cabin bag.
3. Recheck the number; aim for a 0.3–0.5kg buffer to allow for scale differences.
4. At the desk, confirm your pooled total if travelling as a group.
5. Keep a tote handy so a carry-on that fails can shift to a checked piece without stalling the line.

TUI isn’t out to surprise anyone on luggage; the rules sit in plain sight and the airport kit enforces them the same way for everyone. Plan with the allowance on your booking, weigh at home, pool weight across your group, and keep a little headroom for the trip back. Do that, and your bags will sail through—no last-minute repack on the floor, no fees you didn’t plan for, just a smooth start to your flight. Pack smart, fly smooth.