To ask what our rights are as TUI have changed our flights to a Lithuanian airline

[wineoclockthanks]

Whose planes are 25+ years old.

I'm a nervous flyer anyway and really don't like the idea of this.

I can't call them until the morning, but does anyone know what our rights are please?

When Norwegian changed our New York flights to Wamos Air we were offered a full refund (which after reading reviews on Trip Advisor we snatched up!). Maybe Tui will offer similar, or possibly switching to another destination?

The TUI t&cs are available online:

www.tui.co.uk/destinations/info/booking-terms-and-conditions

There is something in there about the fact that carriers may change in exceptional circumstances and, if they do, the customer will be informed. The fact that they’ve specified this as a possibility, and that their only obligation is to let you know, would make me think you don’t have much of a basis for complaint.

Not my area of expertise though, so I could be wrong.

Their contact is to get you there so you don't have the right to refuse travel and get a refund.

You'll be fine, the age of the plane doesn't affect the safety. There is a lot of this going on due to the grounding of the new Boeing planes. For now the older ones are safer if anything.

Which airline?

We've been told by Tui we are now flying with the Latvian airline SmartLynx.

Bloody hell, I think age has a lot to do with safety, especially when it comes to Eastern European planes.

Has anyone managed to get the blasted Tui app to work? I need it to get my boarding pass onto my phone but it won’t work, lots of complaints on their forum saying the same.

wineoclockthanks and outofnothing
Where are you both flying to / from and when? (If you don’t mind me asking)
TUI have changed the times of our flights twice so far and am totally expecting something like this to happen too

TUI lease aircraft all the time. It literally happens everyday.

ahintofstyle we are going from Birmingham to Dubrovnik

There is no reason why the planes won’t be safe, so please try not to worry! These planes fly all the time and accidents are vanishingly rare.

Your rights will depend on what your contract says, but there will likely be a clause allowing the airline to do this so I would think it’s very unlikely that you would get anywhere.

There really is no cause to worry!

We're flying from Gatwick to Zante in late-July. The airline is GetJet.

I've just looked on their website - 25 years is the age of the airline in its present format. They have planes that are much younger than that. Their fleet is Airbus 320s and 321s, which have a pretty impressive safety record.

I'm a nervous flyer as well, and I wouldn't fret about Smartlynx

If you are on Facebook, there is a page called TUI - holiday complaints group It's nothing to do with the company but is a great place for advice. Also if there is any legal case for flight delays, injury etc, they have a discount for a no win no fee solicitors.

Nobody is talking about flying on 'Eastern European planes'. These are all standard Boeing and Airbus aircraft maintained to a high standard (otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to fly in European airspace, full stop).

i was mad when a local flight to AMsterdam was diverted to an Edinburgh flight to amsterdam...PITA trip on a coach

I looked into it and I think your right to a refund depends on the flight number....if they have changed that you are within your rights to cancel, but if not then it's tough

Sneakily our airline changed the number of the Edinburgh/Schipol flight to the number of the cancelled Dundee/Schipol, so basically anyone who wanted the original had no recourse, and those who were already booked from Edin couldn't give a bugger as it was just a number change. Bastards.

I'm not worried in the slightest about the change in airline, just noting with the OP that we had been advised of a change too.

Your plane won't be any more or less safe than one that's painted in the TUI livery.

These are all standard Boeing and Airbus aircraft maintained to a high standard (otherwise they wouldn't be allowed to fly in European airspace, full stop).

This.

What makes you think their aircraft are 25+ years old, OP?

They will be the same planes used by all airlines, just with a different name painted on the side.

@MsMightyTitanAndHerTroubadours

The Dundee - Amsterdam was a roaring success and it's absolutely ridiculous that the flight was shifted to Edinburgh. It was one of the best loaded flights out of Dundee in years

YANBU to ask

But

Many UK airlines use 3rd party carriers.

This can also happen last minute.

Don't let it spoil your holiday.

They changed our return flight from Mexico a few years ago, on the day of travel home. Nothing we could do, despite them flying us home on what must have been the original jumbo jet. Seatbelts didn’t work, springs poking through the seats. No entertainment, out of date food. We complained to no avail.

Tui quite often do this. It's in the small print that they may change carrier in certain circumstances. You won't be able to get a refund, so your choice whether to still fly or not

To be fair the Gatwick flight is usually a 737-8 and TUI's are about 7 years old.

The idea that an older plane will be less safe isn't true though. Just take the recent MAX 8 for example.

GetJet's Boeing's are indeed up to 27 years old.

Jet2's own planes are up to 29 years old.

It affects the airline's maintenance costs and fuel efficiency.

Not safety.