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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To change entire holiday?

51 replies

Whatisgoingoff2024 · 24/04/2025 21:05

We have our honeymoon booked to Crete in July with our 2 year old Son. We have spent a lot of money on the honey moon and of course want it to be perfect.

TUI have since changed our return flight home to 2:50am, meaning that we land in the UK around 5:30am. Of course, this screams absolute nightmare given that we will be travelling with our 2 year old. He is a firm cot napper with lots of resistance to the push chair.

Because the flight change is less than 3 hours (2 hour 50) TUI are saying there is nothing to compensate.

Im thinking of changing the entire holiday to a different airport just for a better flight time that would suit our family.

AIBU? Would you suck it up?

OP posts:
Original poster
Whatisgoingoff2024 · 25/04/2025 18:30

Because the holiday is less than 70 days away they want us to pay 30% of the holiday to move to a different airport (around £1,800). We aren’t prepared to pay that amount.

The customer service so far from TUI has been terrible, conflicting information received from in-store to online. So they are going to compensate with a late check out and allowing us to keep the room for as late as poss. We are also looking at a private transfer to avoid the bus chaos.

The original flight was 11:50pm, I know still not ideal but my mum maths said delay his day nap for as late/long as possible then keep him awake until the flight… in the hope he crashes.

Now my mum maths is thinking sleep at a normal time then wake him at midnight for the airport on a private transfer… and well
hope for the best!

OP posts:
cestlavielife · 25/04/2025 18:33

Look for same hotel holiday with eg ba.com if better flight times

cestlavielife · 25/04/2025 18:34

If too late then pay late check out and hope for the best

Wibblywobblybobbly · 25/04/2025 18:37

It might be cheaper to just book your own flights back with another airline at a more civilised time and not turn up for your existing return flights.

Pearl97 · 25/04/2025 18:47

I did think Tui won’t help you! They are like that!
its in their T&C’s they can change the flight. Even if you move it they might move the flight again!
late checkout is great. what time do you have the room until and what time do you need to leave for the airport. They don’t usually let you have it passed 6pm? Make sure you get everything in writing a they have habits of not doing that they say!

WasherWoman25 · 25/04/2025 19:21

Pearl97 · 25/04/2025 18:47

I did think Tui won’t help you! They are like that!
its in their T&C’s they can change the flight. Even if you move it they might move the flight again!
late checkout is great. what time do you have the room until and what time do you need to leave for the airport. They don’t usually let you have it passed 6pm? Make sure you get everything in writing a they have habits of not doing that they say!

Yes I was going to say this, I would make sure you have it in writing exactly what’s agreed, as late as possible could be 2pm instead of 10am.

Original poster
Whatisgoingoff2024 · 25/04/2025 19:32

There is an alternative flight back with Jet2 at 9:30pm, around £200PP. I have been tempted to book that flight as an alternative to the one we have booked with TUI!

Like most of you have said though, there is always a risk of the flight being delayed so you can’t predict which way it’s going to go.

TUI stipulate a late check out of 6pm but I was planning on contacting the hotel directly and explaining our situation. Maybe laying it on thick that it’s our honeymoon in the hope they feel sorry for us and let us use the room until midnight!

OP posts:
Caspianberg · 25/04/2025 19:38

I don’t think late check out will be midnight!

That’s another full day and half night in room, which can’t then be rented out to anyone arriving that day or evening. Late check out is usually a few hours max, so 6pm is very generous

I think you will have to pay another night if you want full use until late at night

thevassal · 26/04/2025 00:07

Caspianberg · 25/04/2025 19:38

I don’t think late check out will be midnight!

That’s another full day and half night in room, which can’t then be rented out to anyone arriving that day or evening. Late check out is usually a few hours max, so 6pm is very generous

I think you will have to pay another night if you want full use until late at night

I don't know, if they are giving them the room until 6, they may as well let them have it for the another few hours, on the basis that they will still need to have the room cleaned - will staff even be around after 6pm? If they are, how many people are going to be checking in that late?

It's worth asking, but if not I agree you'd be better off just paying for another night in the room - that's going to be far less than £1800 and worth it, because what are you going to do with a toddler for the 5 hrs in the public areas of a hotel between 6pm and 11pm when you leave for the airport?

alternatively, if the airport you're going to is a big one, does it have a nice airport lounge? you can often buy passes for them quite cheaply, it might be an alternative place to sit and chill for the hours before the flight if you go to the airport earlier rather than hanging round the hotel. You can often get showers there, usually free food and drink, sometimes even somewhere to nap. Sometimes there is a limit on how long you can spend there though/what hours they are open.

PeloMom · 26/04/2025 03:36

Nah I don’t do ungodly hours for travel. I’d change things.

Caspianberg · 26/04/2025 05:36

@thevassal - I assume that tui has flights arriving from other locations that evening. If they know a flight arrives at 8pm then they expect guests in by 9-11pm depending on how far away it is. There will be Limited cleaners in 24/7, some paid overtime to wait for later checkouts hence the extra cost usually.

Pearl97 · 26/04/2025 05:49

There will also be the people arriving on the flight the OP is leaving on.

McSpoot · 26/04/2025 05:58

Almost no chance of a midnight checkout with paying for the night.

LimitedBrightSpots · 26/04/2025 06:37

I would ask TUI to organise having the room until it's time to leave for the airport. Otherwise tbh I'd just stay in the room anyway. No one will be cleaning it at 7pm.

SunnySideDeepDown · 26/04/2025 06:40

Can’t he just have a good sleep at home to make up for a disrupted night? I can’t see the issue.

MixedBananas · 26/04/2025 06:46

I get your child is set in their ways. But life is life and we can't always have the perfect sleep set up. Children need to learn adaptability. If you can afford to cancel and rebook you do you.
But we never have that rigidity even with poor sleepers. We roll with it. In fact we have a 12 hour flight overnight in a few days time. And DS2 is too long at 8 months old for the bassinate onflight so we will be holding him all night!! DS2 did it when he was 6 months old. 12 hour overnight it was a bit rough but we all got through it. Nursing was my best friend to get through it. When desperate, as my mates say, boob it.

MixedBananas · 26/04/2025 06:48

SunnySideDeepDown · 26/04/2025 06:40

Can’t he just have a good sleep at home to make up for a disrupted night? I can’t see the issue.

Maybe she is worried he will scream the plane down and drive everyone bananas? As a mother of 2 little ones thats my first thought and concern.

Hobbitfeet32 · 26/04/2025 07:05

You’re overthinking it. It’s one short haul flight. It will be fine. Being able to adapt to situations is a good skill to have. Having perfect conditions all the time isn’t always possible.

B1indEye · 26/04/2025 07:10

Hobbitfeet32 · 26/04/2025 07:05

You’re overthinking it. It’s one short haul flight. It will be fine. Being able to adapt to situations is a good skill to have. Having perfect conditions all the time isn’t always possible.

How do you teach adaptibility to a 2 year old? Are you thinking she should spend the next few weeks mucking around with his routines to get used to it?

Hobbitfeet32 · 26/04/2025 07:14

@B1indEyei was referring to the parents really. I’m not suggesting you ‘teach’ it to a child but that you just get on with it and then the child will learn to adapt and build resilience. All the child needs is its parent and it will be fine. There are many situations when routine goes out of the window and it does not mean it is the end of the world.

IpsyUpsyDaisyDoos · 26/04/2025 07:34

Whatisgoingoff2024 · 25/04/2025 18:30

Because the holiday is less than 70 days away they want us to pay 30% of the holiday to move to a different airport (around £1,800). We aren’t prepared to pay that amount.

The customer service so far from TUI has been terrible, conflicting information received from in-store to online. So they are going to compensate with a late check out and allowing us to keep the room for as late as poss. We are also looking at a private transfer to avoid the bus chaos.

The original flight was 11:50pm, I know still not ideal but my mum maths said delay his day nap for as late/long as possible then keep him awake until the flight… in the hope he crashes.

Now my mum maths is thinking sleep at a normal time then wake him at midnight for the airport on a private transfer… and well
hope for the best!

In my experience, travelling with small children knocks them out of routine massively anyway, so even if he was a good sleeper and slept anywhere, he might not sleep at the times you want while you're travelling.

DD was an amazing napper and sleeper at that age. We went to a holiday cottage in the UK and she would not nap at all, unfamiliar surroundings and different routine to up, work/nursery etc I guess.

Just enjoy your honeymoon and deal with the travelling side of it as it happens.

OMGitsnotgood · 26/04/2025 08:15

If you have a toddler who will only sleep in a cot,
you’d have had the same problem with your original flight surely?

Cushionseams · 26/04/2025 08:32

Àa

cestlavielife · 26/04/2025 09:59

Airport lounge for three hours is a good suggestion. Get a private transfer early and toddler can stretch out in the lounge parents can eat and drink

QuickPeachPoet · 26/04/2025 10:03

It’s just the return. Won’t affect your enjoyment of the actual holiday