TUIfly Check-in: Boarding Pass, Times and Airport Rules

TUIfly online check-in generally opens several hours, or even one to two days, before departure, depending on the airport and type of flight. The window closes before take-off and does not reopen once shut: at that point the only option left is the airport counter.

The exact time is shown on your booking confirmation and on the check-in invitation email sent by the airline. Treat the earliest time as your reference point, especially when flying from seasonal airports where ground teams close early.

At the airport, TUIfly counters usually open around two hours before departure and most often close 40 to 45 minutes before the scheduled take-off time. During school holidays, on charter flights to the islands, the baggage drop queue can be long: aiming for three hours ahead of a flight outside the European Union avoids a lot of unpleasant surprises.

Online check-in is done through the Check-in section of the airline's website, using the booking reference (a six-character code) and the passenger's name exactly as it appears on the booking. The TUI app also gives access to your travel file and boarding pass.

A few situations fall outside the online process and must be handled at the counter:

• unaccompanied minors or passengers requiring special assistance;
• a pet in the cabin, sports equipment or oversized baggage;
• travel documents to be checked for certain destinations outside the Schengen area, such as Morocco, Turkey or Egypt;
• tickets issued by a tour operator or bundled with a package, sometimes handled differently;
• flights operated by another airline under a TUIfly code.

If the system refuses online check-in, this is not necessarily an error: your booking may simply require counter processing. Ground staff at the departure airport handle these cases.

Once check-in is confirmed, the boarding pass is sent by email or available for download in the travel area. The mobile format is accepted at most airports served, but some airports outside the European Union still ask for a printed document: if in doubt for Marrakech, Agadir, Hurghada or Antalya, have your pass printed at the counter before going through security.

Check three things as soon as you receive it: the exact spelling of the name, the flight number and the boarding gate, which remains indicative until confirmed on the airport display. A difference between the name on the pass and the one on the passport should be corrected with the airline's customer service, not at the gate.

The pass can be downloaded again as many times as needed from the booking file. If the link does not arrive, check your spam folder before contacting the airline.

Checking in online does not remove the need to drop off hold luggage. TUIfly directs these passengers to a dedicated baggage drop counter, generally open during the same time slots as standard check-in and closed before the boarding deadline.

The hold baggage allowance depends on the fare purchased and, for package holidays, on the deal sold by the tour operator: it is shown on the booking. Allowed cabin baggage and its dimensions also vary by fare, and any excess is paid at the counter, usually at a higher rate than if bought online. Weigh your bags before leaving: any excess found at drop-off is settled on the spot.

Departing from Paris-Orly, flights within the TUI group are handled by ground-handling contractors: follow the terminal display to find the correct check-in island on the day, as counter allocation changes from one rotation to the next.

On routes to Morocco (Agadir, Marrakech, Casablanca) and more broadly outside the European Union, travel documents are checked at the counter even if you are already checked in online. A valid passport and, where required, an entry authorisation must be presented before the final boarding pass is issued.

TUIfly Germany, TUI fly Belgium and TUI Airways share the brand but not always the same procedures or check-in platforms: check your ticket to see which entity actually operates your flight. A traveller departing from Düsseldorf or Hanover does not necessarily follow the same process as a passenger leaving from Brussels.

Other airlines serve these same leisure and holiday markets from Germany: the check-in rules for Condor, those for Eurowings or how Lufthansa check-in works differ on timing as well as baggage. Also see the page on Discover Airlines and the one on Hahn Air tickets if your journey combines several carriers.

Refusal of online check-in often comes from an incomplete booking (payment not finalised, passenger added afterwards), a booking reference typed with zeros instead of letters, or a flight too close to departure. Try the website again after clearing your cache, then the app, before calling.

If the window has closed, go to the counter within the airport's opening hours: late check-in is still possible there as long as the counter has not closed, but it may be charged on certain fares and seat choice is very limited. Arriving after the counter closes means missing the flight, even with a paid ticket.

In the event of a delay, cancellation or schedule change, the airline reissues a new boarding pass: the old one is no longer valid. Travellers who prefer not to keep track of when check-in opens can have it done by iBoardingPass, which checks in as soon as the window opens and sends the boarding pass by email.