Cardiff: TUi Airways Flights, New Routes & Base Updates

[Jerry]

I could have sworn it was on there a few months ago. Perhaps the uptake wasn’t as popular as they’d have hoped for the sake of 2 departures a year. A shame if it has been pulled.

Yeah there was a date in March and April looking back but they don't appear to be there anymore.

 

[MrFenner]

I could have sworn it was on there a few months ago. Perhaps the uptake wasn’t as popular as they’d have hoped for the sake of 2 departures a year. A shame if it has been pulled.

It was definitely there previously as I had priced it up for my mother. But as with TUI they often take things off sale and then they reappear after a little tweak. I guess though just 2 departures, as mentioned, is not really that appealing…

 

[Jerry]

It was definitely there previously as I had priced it up for my mother. But as with TUI they often take things off sale and then they reappear after a little tweak. I guess though just 2 departures, as mentioned, is not really that appealing…

Well looking at the seatmaps and the 23/3/26 departure has about 50 seats available and the 6/4/26 a lot more. It obviously depends on how many haven't selected their seats yet. Also the flights themselves might have been to use aircraft that might have had slack in their schedule at the time but don't now. Who knows we might see it return in the future.
Looks like Cardiff isn't on it's own as Newcastle flights in March and April 2027 aren't onsale anymore. I do wonder if the aircraft assigned to these flights were originally down to operate P&O Cruises flights from the regional airports and now they've lost that contract they've been redeployed to something else and don't have the aircraft availability they did have.

 

[CAN&I]

To quote a piece of advice we recently received: "lets try to be positive..."

Its unclear as to whether the dates in question are simply full and off sale, have been temporarily removed for an unknown reason or have been withdrawn completely. We just don't know.

We've not heard of any passenger bookings cancelled or re-arranged so far so lets be positive and see what happens. 😉 👍

 

[Foxlimayankee]

Well looking at the seatmaps and the 23/3/26 departure has about 50 seats available and the 6/4/26 a lot more. It obviously depends on how many haven't selected their seats yet. Also the flights themselves might have been to use aircraft that might have had slack in their schedule at the time but don't now. Who knows we might see it return in the future.
Looks like Cardiff isn't on it's own as Newcastle flights in March and April 2027 aren't onsale anymore. I do wonder if the aircraft assigned to these flights were originally down to operate P&O Cruises flights from the regional airports and now they've lost that contract they've been redeployed to something else and don't have the aircraft availability they did have.

Its rare that every passenger on TUI flights will select seats. Many will wait until check in.

If anything TUI will be looking to add more of their own long haul flights to find something for the aircraft to do. There isn't much ad-hoc long haul flying in the winter season. They are probably just rejigging the schedules.

 

[Jerry]

Its rare that every passenger on TUI flights will select seats. Many will wait until check in.

Which hopefully suggests that the March flight will be fully loaded and the April flight not that far off.
Fingers crossed that it is just some of scheduling change. It's nice to see Cancun on the route map even if it's just some adhoc flights.

 

[Jerry]

Summer 2026 is not far off.

https://www.tui.co.uk/press/tui-boosts-capacity-at-cardiff-airport-for-summer-26-with-new-routes-and-flights/

 

[Jerry]

If anyone fancies a last minute cheap flight to Mexico Cancun on the 6th April is going for £369 return. Return on 20th April.
I've seen a post on Facebook also saying tomorrow's departure is full. Bridgetown today was full as well.

 

[geoff]

It show the demand is there from CWL, nearly all the cruise flights from CWL to the West Indies have been full this winter.

 

[Jerry]

Cruise flights do sell well from Cardiff. One thing with TUI is that you can mix a cruise with a hotel stay or just do one or the other. Unfortunately Cancun isn't onsale for 2027 atm.
Atm Cardiff has a Dominican Republic departure on 8/12/26. 3 Barbados departures 3/1/27, 18/2/27 & 28/2/27. Only 3/1/27 appears on the holiday website.

 

[geoff]

Hays Travel were advertising a total of five P&O flights from CWL, 3 to Barbados and two to Antigua. Two of the flights were available to book through Hays shops and website only. So there could be the possibility of 9 cruise flights from CWL next winter.

 

[Jerry]

Hays Travel were advertising a total of five P&O flights from CWL, 3 to Barbados and two to Antigua. Two of the flights were available to book through Hays shops and website only. So there could be the possibility of 9 cruise flights from CWL next winter.

Looking at P&O website there were 2 for winter 2026-27 to Barbados 6/11/26 & 1/1/27. I believe there's a Hays travel only date in between those dates.
Then they have a Barbados departure on 18/12/27 and 2 Antigua departures 18/12/27 & 5/2/28.
So winter 2026-27 should see 7 departures to the Caribbean 3 on Norse Atlantic/P&O and 4 TUI

 

[Samdorob]

Any ideas on the ad hoc Malaga flight with TUI tomorrow? A max 8 seems to be flying in from Gatwick today and it shows on the departure boards. Is it cruise related?

 

[Jerry]

Cancun departure

https://twitter.com/x/status/2036032357480731048

 

[Jerry]

Well at BRS they do have other options they can use.


We need to remember as well that at CWL cruises are quite popular and the Canary Islands are a starting point for that.

TUI Summer 2027 57 weekly departures +1 on 2026, 25 destinations and 4 based aircraft
Palma de Mallorca 7 weekly
Tenerife 4 weekly
Enfidha 3 weekly
Malaga 3 weekly +1
Antalya 3 weekly
Dalaman 3 weekly
Bourgas 2 weekly
Larnaca 2 weekly
Paphos 2 weekly
Hurghada 2 weekly
Corfu 2 weekly
Heraklion 2 weekly
Kos 2 weekly
Rhodes 2 weekly
Zante 2 weekly
Faro 2 weekly
Alicante 2 weekly
Gran Canaria 2 weekly
Ibiza 2 weekly
Lanzarote 2 weekly
Menorca 2 weekly
Fuerteventura 1 weekly
Kefalonia 1 weekly
Dubrovnik 1 weekly
Reus 1 weekly

Looks like TUI have been making some changes to Summer 2027
Mallorca goes to 8 weekly, Rhodes goes to 3 weekly but Fuerteventura gets cut for the Summer and it looks like Faro is down as Other Carrier, 1 based/overnighting and 1 non based.

 

[geoff]

That's interesting, other carrier based overnighting, and the other non based, on the Faro route, could it possibly be Ryanair?

 

[Jerry]

That's interesting, other carrier based overnighting, and the other non based, on the Faro route, could it possibly be Ryanair?

Looking at the times the Thursday flight is TUI times , Sunday Ryanair times. It could be that they're keeping they're options open and as well meaning they can sell the packages for 2027. They could end up tweaking again and going 1 weekly. It looks like they moved Malaga into that slot. Still plenty of time for more changes.

 

[Samdorob]

but Fuerteventura gets cut for the Summer

Looking at the other airports TUI offer Fuerteventura flights, it’s very limited. I wonder if they’re just generally scaling back on the island to concentrate on other routes? Winter 27/28 isn’t out yet so do you think it will return? I see it stops in April 27 - to me suggests perhaps it’ll just become a winter route.

Have you seen anything that has been added in its place of that?

 

[Jerry]

Looking at the other airports TUI offer Fuerteventura flights, it’s very limited. I wonder if they’re just generally scaling back on the island to concentrate on other routes? Winter 27/28 isn’t out yet so do you think it will return? I see it stops in April 27 - to me suggests perhaps it’ll just become a winter route.

Have you seen anything that has been added in its place of that?

It'll probably stay as just a winter route. Atm idk what's replaced it. Only Rhodes and Palma de Mallorca have had increases and they're on a Sunday and Monday.

 

[Samdorob]

Faro is down as Other Carrier, 1

Seems like TUI are playing with the dates today with Faro flight only option showing for a few dates in summer 27. Malaga seems to be 3pw in some weeks and 2 in others.