TUI’s new alcohol rule could change the traditional holiday warm-up

Holidaymakers flying long haul with TUI in Economy from November 1 will no longer be getting their pre-game drinks for free. Travellers will receive one complimentary beer or wine with their main meal, rather than up to three free alcoholic drinks. Extra rounds will cost, although adults with existing affected bookings are due a £12.50 refund for each flight.

TUI cuts the free holiday warm-up from three drinks to one

For many holidaymakers, the trip begins somewhere between arriving at the airport and the seatbelt sign going off. From November, that unofficial opening ceremony will become noticeably shorter for TUI’s long-haul Economy passengers.

From November 1, 2026, passengers will receive one complimentary beer or wine with their main meal instead of the current allowance of up to three free alcoholic drinks. Any further alcohol will remain available to buy onboard.

Complimentary water, juice, soft drinks and hot drinks will continue, while the service in Premium Economy will not change. The revised arrangement applies in both directions, so the same rule follows passengers home when the tan is fading and one might want to drown their post-holiday blues.

TUI says adults whose existing bookings are affected will receive a £12.50 goodwill refund for each flight. For a return journey, that adds up to £25 per adult, although passengers should check TUI’s message about how and when their payment will be processed.

UK-Spain flights will keep their existing drinks service

Despite the fear this may cause upcoming holidaymakers looking for a free pick-me-up before touchdown, it’s ok, this is not a new rule for flights to Spain. TUI describes long-haul services as flights lasting seven hours or more. Its standard routes between the UK and Spanish destinations such as Alicante, Malaga, Majorca and the Canary Islands therefore sit outside the change, with alcohol on those shorter flights already sold rather than included.

The November policy is aimed at long-distance Economy journeys, including services to destinations such as the Caribbean, Mexico, the United States and parts of Asia.

Extra drinks can still be bought but duty-free bottles must stay shut

The change is also not a one-drink limit. Passengers can still order another beer, wine or spirit, but it will appear on the card bill rather than inside the holiday price.

Bringing a personal supply is not the cheaper workaround. TUI says only alcohol served by cabin crew may be consumed onboard, and duty-free bottles must remain closed. Its conditions also allow crew to limit or stop alcohol service when necessary. That means the traditional airport-to-aircraft strategy of treating the duty-free bag as a travelling drinks cabinet remains firmly off the menu.

UK law also states that a person must not enter an aircraft when drunk or be drunk onboard. Airlines can refuse boarding when they believe a passenger is intoxicated.

Fewer free drinks may calm cabins but this is not a booze ban

TUI has described the move as a change to its food and drink service, not as a crackdown on drunken passengers. It would therefore be misleading to present the decision as a direct response to air rage.

Even so, it arrives while airlines and courts continue imposing serious consequences for disruptive behaviour. In April, Ryanair said a passenger received a 10-month prison sentence after consuming duty-free alcohol, verbally abusing passengers and ignoring crew instructions on a Krakow-to-Bristol flight.

In a separate case in February, a Dublin court awarded Ryanair €15,000 after a passenger’s behaviour forced a Lanzarote-bound flight carrying more than 160 passengers to divert to Porto.

And more recently, a British tourist was arrested in Mallorca after allegedly making repeated advances towards a male Ryanair cabin crew member and kissing him on the neck during a flight from London Stansted. Local reports described the passenger as drunk, and he was reportedly detained when he returned to Palma Airport for his flight home several days later.

One fewer free round will not prevent every disturbance, particularly when excessive drinking begins before boarding and additional alcohol can still be purchased. It may, however, make the cabin slightly less generous to anyone hoping to begin the all-inclusive experience several time zones early.