TUI Airways with a baby: rules for pushchairs, seats and baby milk
Key facts
Short answer: TUI Airways carries babies from more than 14 days old, charges an infant fare that varies by route for under-2s on your lap, and checks pushchairs and car seats free. On package holidays flying both ways with TUI, under-2s also get a 10 kg checked bag. The crew will heat baby bottles, but TUI doesn't mention bassinets.
Flying TUI Airways with a baby or toddler, on a package holiday or flight only? Here is what TUI's own family, luggage, seating and check-in pages say about infant fares, newborns, bags, pushchairs, car seats and baby milk, checked 17 October 2026. Rules change, so confirm with TUI before you fly.
Quick answers
- How young can a baby fly? Babies must be more than 14 days old to fly with TUI.
- Infant fare: under-2s travel on an adult's lap as infants. TUI says infant charges vary by route and length of flight and are shown when you book; it doesn't publish a fixed fee.
- Baby's own bag: on a package holiday flying both ways with TUI Airways, under-2s get a 10 kg checked bag. TUI says this doesn't apply to flight-only bookings, and infants never get a hand luggage allowance.
- Pushchairs and car seats: checked into the hold free on all TUI flights, package or flight only. You can usually use the pushchair to the gate, and it comes back on the luggage belt.
- Car seat on board: only with a paid seat for your baby. The car seat must be forward-facing, no wider than 40 cm, labelled for aircraft use (often ECE R44-03) and have a single-release harness. Boosters can't be used.
- Baby milk: the crew can heat up your baby's bottles. TUI doesn't provide meals for under-2s, so bring your baby's food.
- Pregnant? No certificate needed for the first 28 weeks of an uncomplicated pregnancy. From week 29 you need a medical certificate, and you must have flown home before week 37 (week 33 for twins or more).
Tickets: infant on your lap or their own seat
On a flight-only booking, TUI counts babies as infants from 14 days old until the day before their second birthday, on the day of travel. Infants sit on an adult's lap, don't get their own seat, and pay an infant charge that TUI says varies by route and flight length and is shown during booking. Children aged 2 and over pay the full fare and get their own seat and baggage allowance.
On a TUI package holiday, the rule is based on your return date: your child travels as an infant only if they will still be under 2 on the day you fly home. If they turn 2 during the holiday, TUI says you must book and pay for a child place.
Each adult can have one infant on their lap, and TUI limits how many infants can travel on each flight, so book early. If you would rather your baby had their own seat, you can pay extra for one, and it comes with a full baggage allowance. TUI asks you to contact it to check availability and prices.
Travelling alone with twins or two under-2s? TUI says one baby can sit on your lap and the other must be booked as a child with their own seat and travel in a TUI-approved car seat.
Newborns
TUI's rule is simple: a baby must be more than 14 days old to fly, for health and safety reasons. That is later than some UK airlines (BA carries healthy full-term babies from 48 hours old, and Ryanair and Jet2 from 8 days without extra checks), so check your dates if you are booking a trip soon after the birth. See our airline baby rules for the others.
Every baby also needs their own passport, even a newborn. Our baby passport guide covers how to apply and how long it takes.
Bags and baby equipment
When you fly both ways with TUI Airways as part of a package holiday, each adult and child gets at least 20 kg of checked luggage (25 kg on TUI BLUE, Sensatori, Holiday Village and TUI River Cruise packages, and on long-haul Premium), and under-2s get 10 kg. On a package you can pool the family's allowance, as long as no single bag weighs more than 25 kg. TUI says the 10 kg infant allowance doesn't apply to flight-only bookings, so check your confirmation or Manage My Booking.
Infants under 2 don't get a hand luggage allowance. Each adult and child aged 2 and over can take one 10 kg cabin bag up to 55 × 40 × 20 cm plus a small under-seat item up to 40 × 30 × 20 cm, and your changing bag counts as part of that. A Trunki for an older child can go in the cabin if it weighs no more than 10 kg, but it counts as one adult's cabin bag.
Pushchairs and car seats go in the hold free on both package and flight-only bookings, on top of your allowance. Any pushchair must fold completely; there's no size or weight limit for the hold. You can keep it until the gate and hand it to ground staff, but tell the check-in desk first because it needs a label. It comes back on the luggage belt, not at the aircraft door, and TUI warns there's sometimes a long walk to reclaim, so a sling or carrier helps.
Can the pushchair come into the cabin? TUI's main luggage and family pages say a pushchair can come on board if it weighs under 10 kg, is no bigger than 55 × 40 × 20 cm and has a hand luggage label from check-in, but it then counts as an adult's large cabin bag. One older FAQ on TUI's flights page says pushchairs aren't allowed in the cabin, so ask at check-in. Check your buggy against the limit with our cabin size checker.
If you've booked a private taxi transfer, TUI says you'll need to bring your own car seat. It's checked in with your hold luggage on top of your allowance. On TUI's shared resort transfers, under-2s sit on an adult's lap.
Seats, check-in and boarding
Under UK rules for UK-registered aircraft, TUI says babies under 6 months must sit on an adult's lap with an infant lap strap, which the crew provide. Babies from 6 months to 2 years also sit on your lap unless you've bought them a seat.
You can choose seats online with a baby, but only seats marked with an 'i' on the seat map, because infants can only sit on the side of the plane with the extra oxygen masks. If none of those seats are left, TUI asks you to contact it. Your infant gets their own boarding pass at online check-in but no seat.
TUI says it will seat any child under 12 with at least one adult in your party. To be sure the whole family sits together, reserve seats when you book or later in Manage My Booking; otherwise seats are allocated when you check in online. At most airports only one person aged over 16 needs to check in and drop the bags for the whole booking.
Families with young children are invited to board first. If your child doesn't share your surname, TUI suggests bringing proof such as a signed letter or birth certificate.
Car seats on board
A car seat can only be used on board if your baby has their own paid seat. TUI's rules: the car seat must meet European safety standards, be no wider than 40 cm (16 inches), carry a label saying it's suitable for aircraft (ECE R44-03 is common), be in good working order with a single-release harness, face forward only, and be held by the aircraft seat belt rather than strapped over the child. Carrycots aren't allowed in a seat, and booster seats can no longer be used on TUI flights.
TUI's 40 cm limit is narrower than the 42 to 43 cm some other UK airlines allow, so measure your seat. TUI also accepts a CARES harness or MERU travel chair for children with disabilities.
Bassinets
TUI's family and luggage pages don't mention bassinets or sky cots, including on long-haul flights, so plan for your baby on your lap with the lap strap, or book them a seat with an approved car seat. If you need a bassinet, ask TUI before you book, and compare our airline bassinet rules.
Baby milk, food and changing
You can carry liquid baby milk or baby food in your hand luggage, pre-packaged or made up at home, as long as it's needed for the flight or holiday. Hand it to staff at security, because it's screened separately and may be tested. Solid baby food can go in hand or hold luggage, and there are no restrictions on powdered formula. TUI prefers you to pack extra milk in your suitcase where possible.
At UK airports, the government's hand luggage rules let you take enough baby food, baby milk and sterilised water for the journey, with no legal limit, though it advises checking with your airport. Breast milk is allowed in containers up to 2,000 ml.
On board, the crew can heat up your baby's bottles. TUI doesn't provide meals for under-2s, so pack food for your baby. Children aged 2 to 12 get a children's meal on long-haul flights, where meals are complimentary, and kids get their own headsets and, on long-haul, an activity pack.
All TUI planes have baby changing facilities in the toilets. Which toilets depends on the aircraft, so ask the cabin crew.
Pregnancy
TUI's pregnancy page says you can fly without a medical certificate for the first 28 weeks of a pregnancy with no complications. From the start of week 29 to the end of week 36 you need a medical certificate, and you must have flown home before the start of week 37. For twins or more, the certificate is needed from week 29 to the end of week 32, and you must be home before week 33. TUI also asks you to tell its Customer Service team. If you've had complications in the first 28 weeks, you need a certificate earlier.
At your hotel
TUI doesn't add a cot automatically. Call TUI before you travel to request one; it's added to your booking but not guaranteed, some hotels charge for it, and some family hotels let you pre-book a cot online. Kettles are listed in room descriptions, or you can ask TUI, the hotel or your rep for one to make up milk. Some TUI-owned hotels, including some TUI BLUE hotels and Holiday Villages, have pushchairs to hire. See our hotel cot policies for UK chains.
A greener option
TUI flies from over 20 UK airports, so pick the one closest to home and go by train if you can. For Paris, Brussels or Amsterdam the train lets under-4s travel free on your lap with no liquid limit; see our Eurostar with a baby guide. Taking a cruise? TUI's sister line has its own guide: Marella Cruises with a baby.
Summary table
- Pushchair
- Pushchairs and car seats checked free, on top of the normal allowance. A collapsible pushchair can go on board only if it's under 10 kg and 55 × 40 × 20 cm (it uses an adult's hand-luggage allowance).
- Car seat
- Checked free, as above. Use on board needs a paid seat and a forward-facing car seat no wider than 40 cm with an aircraft label (often ECE R44-03) and a single-release harness; booster seats can't be used.
- Cot / bassinet
- No bassinets mentioned on its baby-travel pages when we checked (Oct 2026); on short-haul flights plan for baby on your lap, and ask the airline.
Compact strollers & pushchairs for flying
| Product | Weight | Folded size | Price | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bugaboo Butterfly 2 | 7.3 kg (16.1 lbs) | 44.8 × 24.5 × 55.5 cm (17.6 × 9.6 × 21.8 in, IATA cabin-compatible) | £435 RRP / $479 MSRP | Check price at Bugaboo |
| Joolz Aer+ | 6 kg (13.2 lbs) | 53.5 × 45 × 21.5 cm (21.1 × 17.7 × 8.5 in) | £419 RRP / $449 MSRP | Check price at Joolz |
| Stokke YOYO3 (Babyzen YOYO) | 6.2 kg (13.6 lbs) | 52 × 44 × 18 cm (20.5 × 17.3 × 7.1 in, IATA cabin-size) | £399 RRP / $449 MSRP | Check price at Stokke |
| UPPAbaby Minu V2 | 7.7 kg (16.9 lbs) | 58.4 × 45.2 × 29.2 cm (23 × 17.8 × 11.5 in) | £399 RRP / $399 MSRP | Check price at UPPAbaby |
| Joie pact lite | 5.35 kg (11.8 lbs) | 46.8 × 26 × 54 cm (18.4 × 10.2 × 21.3 in) | Around £160 / $199 (varies by retailer) | Check price at Joie |
Blank cells: not yet verified from the maker's official page.
FAQ
How old does a baby have to be to fly with TUI?
More than 14 days old. TUI says this is for health and safety reasons.
Do babies fly free on TUI?
No. Under-2s on your lap pay an infant charge, which TUI says varies by route and length of flight and is shown when you book.
Does my baby get a luggage allowance on TUI?
On a package holiday flying both ways with TUI Airways, under-2s get a 10 kg checked bag. That doesn't apply to flight-only bookings, and infants never get a hand luggage allowance.
Can I take a pushchair on TUI for free?
Yes. Pushchairs and car seats go in the hold free on package and flight-only bookings. You can usually use the pushchair to the gate, and it comes back on the luggage belt.
Can I take a pushchair in the cabin on TUI?
TUI's main pages say yes if it weighs under 10 kg, is no bigger than 55 x 40 x 20 cm and has a label from check-in, but it counts as an adult's large cabin bag. Confirm at check-in.
Can I use a car seat on a TUI flight?
Only if you've paid for a seat for your baby. It must be forward-facing, no wider than 40 cm, labelled for aircraft use and have a single-release harness. Booster seats can't be used.
Does TUI have bassinets?
TUI's family and luggage pages don't mention bassinets or sky cots, even on long-haul flights. Ask TUI before you book if you need one.
Will TUI warm baby milk?
Yes. TUI says its crew can heat up your baby's bottles, but it doesn't provide meals for under-2s.
Can I choose seats with a baby on TUI?
Yes, but only seats marked with an 'i' on the seat map, on the side of the plane with the extra oxygen masks. Under-12s are seated with at least one adult.
Sources
- TUI: Travelling with infants and children FAQs (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI Airways: Flying with kids (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI: Infants, children and unaccompanied minors (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI: Luggage allowance on TUI Airways (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: How old does my baby need to be to fly? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: What ages do child fares apply to? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: Can I take a pushchair and a car seat on my flight? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: Can I book a separate seat for my baby? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: Can I travel alone with multiple infants under 2? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: I'm travelling with a baby. Can I still choose my seats online? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: Can I check in online if I'm travelling with a baby? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI FAQ: Do I need to reserve our seats together? (checked 2026-10-17)
- TUI: Is it safe to fly while I'm pregnant? (checked 2026-10-17)
- GOV.UK: Baby food and baby milk in hand luggage (checked 2026-10-17)
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