Best TUI alternatives in 2026 (we tested 7)
TUI is the default for UK package holidays for a reason. Flights, hotel, transfers, and ATOL cover land in one booking. The deposit recently jumped to £150 per person, the price-rise clause has been triggered more often than passengers remembered reading about, and the change fees stung anyone trying to move a date. There is now a real choice of UK package operators and online travel agents. Below we compare seven TUI alternatives on the things that decide an actual booking: ATOL or ATOL-style cover, deposit size, what is genuinely included, and how rough or smooth the change-and-refund flow actually is.
At a glance
| App | Best for | Free to try | Standout |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jet2 Holidays | consistent customer service and 22kg luggage included | Free app | ATOL-protected packages with industry-leading service ratings |
| loveholidays | the lowest deposits and the widest hotel choice | Free app | £60-down deposit with monthly payment plan available |
| easyJet Holidays | flexibility on cancellation and free child places | Free app | £60 deposit with full refund cancellation up to 28 days before departure |
| On the Beach | DIY packages with separate flight and hotel selection | Free app | Beach Vault wallet holds deposits with full ATOL cover |
| Booking.com | DIY trips that are not packages | Free app | 28 million accommodation listings plus separate flight booking |
| First Choice | all-inclusive packages with family focus | Free app | All-inclusive holidays as the default booking model |
| Hays Travel | high-street personal service and complex itineraries | Free app | 470+ UK branches with in-person advisors |
Why people look for TUI alternatives
Deposits and final-payment dates moved. The deposit roughly tripled over the last five years; the final-balance date moved earlier in the booking timeline.
Price-rise clauses are real. Operators including TUI reserve the right to increase the price after booking under specific conditions. The clauses are buried in the terms but enforced.
Change fees are steep. Moving a date or upgrading a hotel typically costs hundreds in admin charges plus the rate difference.
Hotel choice is narrower than it looks. Branded TUI hotels are pushed in search results; the actually-independent options often sit lower in the listings even when they are cheaper.
The 7 best TUI alternatives
1. Jet2 Holidays: best for consistent customer service and 22kg luggage included
Jet2 Holidays wins consumer awards for customer service most years for a reason. Bags are 22kg as standard (not 15kg), transfers are included, and the change-and-refund experience is consistently the smoothest in the segment. The catalogue covers the same Mediterranean and Canaries staples as TUI.
Where it falls short: Long-haul catalogue is thinner than TUI’s. North American departure airports limited to a smaller list than TUI flies from.
Pricing: Deposits from £60 per person; final balance due ten weeks before departure. Headline package prices broadly comparable with TUI for similar hotels.
Switching from TUI: Standard sign-up. Existing Jet2 flight customers can convert to a package without re-entering details.
Bottom line: First call for European package holidays. The lower deposit and included bags make the day-one math easier.
2. loveholidays: best for the lowest deposits and the widest hotel choice
loveholidays is the dominant online travel agent for UK packages. The £60 deposit per person is the lowest of the major operators and the monthly payment plan spreads the balance until just before departure. The hotel catalogue is larger than TUI’s because it includes independent hotels not pushed in the branded operator listings.
Where it falls short: Customer service is online-first; phone support is harder to reach than at TUI or Jet2. Some hotel listings rely on third-party reviews rather than on-site checks.
Pricing: Deposits from £60; some last-minute deals from £30. Monthly payment plans available without interest charges.
Switching from TUI: Account sign-up takes minutes. Filter aggressively on board basis and TripAdvisor rating.
Bottom line: Best pick for budget-conscious families who want the lowest day-one cost and time to pay the balance.
3. easyJet Holidays: best for flexibility on cancellation and free child places
easyJet Holidays pushes the most flexible cancellation policy among the big UK operators. The free child places (one per child sharing with two paying adults at participating hotels) is a meaningful cost cut for families. ATOL protection comes standard.
Where it falls short: Schedule depends on easyJet’s flight network; long-haul options limited. The hotel catalogue is smaller than loveholidays’ but more vetted.
Pricing: Deposits from £60; cancel-and-refund up to 28 days out for most packages. Free child places at selected hotels.
Switching from TUI: Existing easyJet Plus members get fast-track sign-up. App accepts the same login.
Bottom line: Best fit for families who want the option to cancel late without losing the deposit.
4. On the Beach: best for DIY packages with separate flight and hotel selection
On the Beach lets you pick a flight from any carrier and pair it with a hotel of your choice. That breaks the operator dependency that traps you on TUI’s schedule and inventory. Deposits land in a Beach Vault that holds your money separately, with ATOL protection over the top.
Where it falls short: Transfers are not included by default; you add them as a separate line item. Final price after add-ons can match TUI for like-for-like setups.
Pricing: Deposits from £30 to £75 depending on the package. Monthly payment plans available.
Switching from TUI: Sign up, search, build. The first booking takes longer than TUI’s because of the DIY flow; subsequent bookings get faster.
Bottom line: Best pick for travellers who care which airline they fly and which exact hotel they stay at.
5. Booking.com: best for DIY trips that are not packages
Booking.com is not a package operator; you book components separately and assemble them yourself. That trades ATOL package protection for the widest possible inventory and the cheapest possible sticker price. For independent travellers willing to manage their own logistics, the cost saving versus a TUI package on the same hotel-flight pair is often substantial.
Where it falls short: No package protection means flight cancellations are your problem to solve. Genius loyalty discount is real but variable.
Pricing: Free to use. Flight and hotel sold separately at the property’s distribution rate.
Switching from TUI: Account sign-up takes a minute. Loyalty Genius status carries from previous stays.
Bottom line: Best pick when you want the lowest combined cost and you are comfortable handling delays yourself.
6. First Choice: best for all-inclusive packages with family focus
First Choice is owned by TUI Group but operates as a separate brand focused entirely on all-inclusive packages, with strong family hotel coverage in the Canaries, Balearics, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic. The single-rate, food-and-drink-included model removes the on-trip budget math that ruins a lot of family holidays.
Where it falls short: Same parent group as TUI, so the change-fee and price-rise clauses look similar. Brand catalogue is smaller than parent TUI’s.
Pricing: Deposits from £150 per person, same as TUI. All-inclusive rates often beat the equivalent TUI half-board package once on-site spending is factored in.
Switching from TUI: Same account ecosystem as TUI; logins port across. Existing TUI bookings appear in the same app.
Bottom line: Best pick for families committed to all-inclusive who want one fixed price covering everything.
7. Hays Travel: best for high-street personal service and complex itineraries
Hays Travel is the largest independent travel agent in the UK and bought the Thomas Cook high-street stores in 2019. The model adds a human advisor who handles the search, builds the package, and fixes problems if something goes wrong. Useful for complex multi-stop trips and accessibility-related requirements that app-first operators handle poorly.
Where it falls short: Sticker prices match competitive operators rather than undercut. Online experience is weaker than the in-branch one.
Pricing: Deposits and final-balance dates vary by component supplier. Service fee is implicit rather than charged separately.
Switching from TUI: Best used through a branch visit or phone call. The app supports existing bookings and updates rather than full search.
Bottom line: Right pick when the trip is complicated, you have specific access needs, or you simply want a human to handle it.
How to choose
Pick Jet2 Holidays for European trips where service quality and luggage allowance matter. The consistent customer ratings are not marketing fluff.
Pick loveholidays when day-one cost is the deciding factor. £60 down and monthly payments stretch the budget further than any direct operator.
Pick easyJet Holidays if you want the option to cancel late and recover the deposit.
Pick On the Beach when you care which airline and which exact hotel; the DIY-with-ATOL model is unmatched.
Stay on TUI for long-haul trips where the carrier (TUI Airways) has the direct flight your dates need. Long-haul scheduling is where the parent brand still leads.
FAQ
Are TUI alternatives ATOL protected?
Jet2 Holidays, easyJet Holidays, loveholidays, On the Beach, First Choice, and Hays Travel are all ATOL-protected for package holidays. Booking.com is not (it sells components separately, not packages).
Which is cheaper, TUI or loveholidays?
loveholidays usually wins on day-one deposit and the spread monthly-payment model. Final-price comparison varies by hotel and date; loveholidays tends to undercut on independent hotels, TUI competes on its own branded properties.
Can I cancel a TUI alternative for free?
easyJet Holidays offers full-refund cancellation up to 28 days before departure on most packages. Other operators charge cancellation fees on a scale that grows closer to departure.
What is the smallest deposit for a UK package holiday?
£60 per person at Jet2 Holidays, loveholidays, easyJet Holidays, and (from £30 to £75) On the Beach. TUI and First Choice deposits sit higher, typically £150 per person.
Which package holiday company has the best customer service?
Jet2 Holidays has won the Which? package holiday provider awards consistently in recent years. easyJet Holidays and Hays Travel also score well; large-volume online operators rank lower.
