top of page
  • Writer: Mr Plane Guy
    Mr Plane Guy
  • 2 days ago
  • 6 min read
TUI Airways long-haul economy meal tray 2025 on flight to Phuket — pasta main, bread roll, dessert and water served in standard packaging.

🍴 TUI Long-Haul Meals 2025 — What You’ll Actually Get On Board (And How to Eat Better Before You Fly)


By Mr Plane Guy Plane Travel News & Reviews with Altitude


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you click and buy, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you, it keeps this travel blogger airborne and the lounge prosecco topped up.


What’s New in TUI’s 2025 In-Flight Meals

Flying long haul with TUI Airways? Expect familiar economy-style trays rather than fine dining, even if you’re booked in Premium.

Recent flyers have shared mixed reviews on Tripadvisor:

“Premium cabin, comfortable and excellent service,”

wrote one reviewer, sharing a photo of a full English breakfast with fruit, yoghurt and coffee.Others described


Comparison of TUI long-haul in-flight meals — standard economy tray versus upgraded Premium breakfast option
“lukewarm meals and basic sandwiches”

in economy, calling them “barely better than a budget airline.”

Photos from 2025 flights to Phuket show standard packaged trays pasta or curry mains, bread roll, dessert and water, proof that TUI’s onboard dining remains functional rather than memorable. Even in Premium, expect convenience over cuisine.


Comparison of TUI long-haul in-flight meals — standard economy tray versus upgraded Premium breakfast option
TUI long-haul economy meal tray 2025 to Phuket

On the plus side, TUI still includes a complimentary hot meal and drink on most long-haul routes, something many low-cost competitors have scrapped.


On recent flights to Cancun and Phuket, travellers were served pasta or chicken mains, a bread roll, dessert and tea or coffee. Premium cabins receive slightly larger portions and breakfast options like fruit, yoghurt and pastries for fights landing back into the UK.


For a closer look at what’s actually served on board, check out my full TUI Long Haul 787 In-Flight Meals Review with real photos of meals in both Economy and Premium cabins.


How to Upgrade Your TUI Flight Meals (Without Paying Extra)


Why queue at Pret when you could sip prosecco in peace? Priority Pass gives access to more than 1,700 lounges worldwide, including Clubrooms and No 1 Lounges at Gatwick and Manchester.


Plane Tip: Eat before you board. Lounges like Clubrooms or No 1 Lounge at Gatwick and Manchester serve restaurant-quality dishes, prosecco, barista coffee and with my Priority Pass 30 % discount, it often costs less than upgrading your in-flight meal.



Priority Pass with 30% off is the easiest way to access the lounge without worrying about availability or paying full price.


Plane Tip: You don’t need to splurge on airport food. Apps like Too Good To Go at Manchester and Gatwick airports let you pick up discounted “Surprise Bags” from restaurants and cafés at the end of service times usually around 11 a.m. and after 7 p.m.

The Too Good To Go app connects users with local cafés, restaurants and supermarkets selling surplus food at up to 70 % off. It’s available across Europe and North America, letting you save money and reduce waste while grabbing a decent pre-flight meal. Sometimes you even score airport Pret bags for £3 instead of £10.



Essential Travel Add-Ons for TUI Flights

🅿️ Compare Airport Parking Before You Fly

Airport parking prices are climbing faster than boarding queues. That’s why I’ve partnered with Compare Parking Prices UK to launch Plane Airport Parking 2026 Guide.Save up to 75 % versus drive-up rates at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and more.


Compare Parking Prices UK — official and park-and-ride options near Heathrow and Gatwick for TUI travellers.


Why Compare Parking Prices UK Works:

  • Compare official and independent car parks in seconds

  • Verified reviews & secure bookings

  • Flexible cancellation and UK support

  • Average savings £60 – £120 per trip



Compare Parking Prices UK — official and park-and-ride options near Heathrow and Gatwick for TUI travellers.

Plane Tip: Take a photo of your bay and row, trust me, after a week in the sun and two coffees at arrivals, you won’t remember where you parked.


Priority Pass Lounge offer

🍸 Start Your Trip in a Lounge

Why queue at Pret when you could sip prosecco in peace before your TUI flight? Priority Pass gives access to 1,700+ lounges worldwide, including Clubrooms and No 1 Lounges at Gatwick.


My readers get 30 % off memberships here

Plan

Best For

Normal Price

With 30 % Off

Visits

Guest Fee

Standard

Occasional traveller

£69

£48

Pay per visit

£24

Standard Plus

Regular traveller

£259

£181

10 free visits

£24

Prestige

Frequent flyer

£419

£293

Unlimited

£24

Cabin Max Anode luggage set in olive green Bodo Green matching TUI cabin bag size 55x40x20cm

TUI Luggage Allowance 2025 & The Best Suitcase for TUI Holidays

TUI’s allowance is generous,10 kg cabin + 20–25 kg checked, but only if your case fits the sizer.That’s why I recommend the Cabin Max Anode Luggage Set – £99 sale

(40 L cabin + 100 L hold) built exactly to TUI’s dimensions.


Plane Tip: Don’t wait until check-in to discover you’re overweight (luggage-wise). The Anode set fits TUI’s rules and saves you fees.


Passenger checking suitcase weight before TUI check-in  avoid excess baggage fees by using TUI-approved luggage.

Ready to fly stress-free?

Grab your Cabin Max Anode Luggage Set now, sized perfectly for every TUI flight.


Plane-Approved Travel Essentials for Long-Haul Flights


Audible for Travel: 3 Months of Audiobooks for Just 99p Stay Entertained on Flights & Holidays

Flying TUI soon? Here’s my secret to making those flight hours disappear Audible for just 99p.Whether you’re heading to Tenerife or Turkey, you’ll have endless stories, travel podcasts and escapism ready to go.

Start your 3-month Audible trial before you fly it’s ideal for a 30-day trip, and I use it on every TUI flight.


Start your 3-month Audible trial today and turn your next trip into a story worth listening to.


Vacuum Travel Packing Bags. 👉 Check them out here

Get 10% off with code MRPLANE10 pack smarter, travel lighter!


What They Are

  • Resealable bags you pack your clothes into.

  • Roll them and then pump the air out.

  • Result? Clothes are flattened into a neat little condensed packed bag.


Why They’re Brilliant for Wizz Air, Ryanair & easyJet

  • Shrink your clothes by up to 70%. That’s basically doubling your space.

  • No bulging bag. Everything is flat, neat, and easy to slide into the sizer.

  • Stay organised. Separate outfits, keep dirty laundry sealed away.


Pack more, pay less, use code MRPLANE10 to save you 10%.


Wizz Air Baggage Guide: Everything You Need to Know

This was a game changer for me, I just got back from New York and I bought way too much for my case!



Plane Tip: Don’t forget the little comforts. I never board without my noise-cancelling earbuds and travel adapter with USB-C ports both from Amazon, both worth every penny on long-haul flights. You should also get a airplane Bluetooth adaptor




Related Plane Reads for TUI Travellers


Final TUI Boarding Call

TUI’s long-haul meals won’t win Michelin stars, but between the included service, your own snacks, and lounge dining before you fly, you can make the experience taste a lot better.



🅿️ Find the Best Airport Parking Deals

Compare Parking Prices UK gives you instant access to Meet & Greet, Park & Ride and official on-site options, often at up to 75 % off drive-up prices.



✔ Compare parking before you book

✔ Grab 30 % off lounge access

✔ Pack smart with compression bags (code MRPLANE10)

✔ Use a TUI-approved case


Cabin Max Anode suitcase set in classic black meeting TUI baggage allowance limits

Ready to fly TUI the Plane Guy way? Book your parking, grab a lounge deal, pack smart and enjoy the journey, because you can’t control the airline meals, but you can upgrade everything else.


Tui Inflight essentials


Plane Tip: Get one of these phone holder clips and watch something on your phone hands free, it clips on to economy seats perfectly! They are so cheap and will really transform your economy flight experience!


Inflight essentials for 2026


Travel blogger Mr Plane Guy, at TWA retro iconic Hotel at JFK

Hello, I’m Paul a professional jet-setter and all-around plane travel pro. After 15 years working in and around planes, I became a flight delay expert at a London Airport and mastered plane travel hacks, a PLANE flight expert with BIG travel plans but small carry-on.

Now, I share PLANE travel news, tips, reviews, and deals with honesty, humour, and zero baggage! Thanks for reading TUI Long-Haul Meals 2025, What You’ll Actually Get On Board (And How to Eat Better Before You Fly)



Follow me on Instagram for the latest lounge reviews, PLANE tips, and PLANE deals.



Mr Plane Guy Travel Blogger of the year 2025

Plane Extras

The PLANE Smart Way to Take Off

Here are my go-to travel extras that help keep this blog (and me) airborne.


🅿️ Airport Parking Compare prices and save up to 75 % at Heathrow, Gatwick, Manchester and more with Compare Parking Prices UK →


🍸 Lounge AccessWhy wait at the gate when you could sip a pre-flight prosecco?

Get 30 % off a Priority Pass membership → and access 1 ,700+ lounges worldwide.


🌍Travel Insurance Don’t fly without cover. Coverwise (by AXA) offers annual European cover from £10.20, including medical consultations and pre-existing conditions.


🎒 Plane Essentials My must-pack travel gear, from cabin-size backpacks to neck pillows that actually work. Shop my curated Amazon Storefront → 


📱Stay Connected Avoid roaming shock. Arlo eSIMs → give you instant data in 180+ destinations, no SIM swap required.


💳 Boost Your Avios Earn faster and fly farther with my Amex Gold referral → or track reward seats via Reward Flight Finder →.






Comments


  • Instagram
  • Facebook
  • YouTube
  • TikTok

DISCLAIMER MrPlaneGuy.Com uses affiliate links. Affiliate links means that sometimes if you click through to a website and register or purchase something, we get a commission from that sale at no extra cost to you. All opinions and reviews are our own.

©2025 by Mr Plane Guy. Proudly created with Wix.com

bottom of page