Premium service or stick with Economy?
Premium economy is all about the little extras and sits well as a price point between Econ and business. TUI doesn’t have a business option, like Aer Lingus, BA and Virgin but it does fly from more local airports to popular destinations like Florida. So, the question we all want to know is whether TUI’s Premium Economy cabin is worth the upgrade and if you’re prepared to travel, can you get it cheaper to make it better value?
The experience all starts with check-in, a separate queue and desk for Premium Economy customers. In addition you get priority boarding, fast-track security and lounge access included if you are flying out of the UK. If you’re flying to / from Melbourne airport in Florida, you’ll have lounge access included on your return journey too - so far, winner, winner, airplane dinner. Assuming all goes well with your travel, this is not a bad option given each element individually can cost quite a bit.
Dreamliner planes are regarded as being modern, comfortable and nice to fly on. We think this is noticeable when you board the plane, especially if in Premium you are going into a smaller cabin - with the TUI Dreamliner it’s usually 7 - 9 rows depending on the version you are flying on 787-8 or 787-9. You can always check out the seat layout on websites like Seat Guru.
TUI Dreamline - Mrs Patmore - our ride to Florida.
This is the second time we’ve flown on the Dreamliner and it’s a good quality product. The seats have a great seat pitch, 38” compared to 33” in standard economy. The lighting helps to try and combat fatigue which is always a benefit on long haul flights - particularly if you have the best plan of hitting the parks like we aim to do with every Florida flight.
The cabin adjusts the lighting throughout the flight in order to try and help your body clock to adjust, and the larger windows are said to reduce jet-lag. The seat pitch in premium was excellent and we could recline if we chose without encroaching too much on anyone’s overall space. However we found almost everyone kept their seat up for most the flight which was nicer for everyone on board.
Another benefit of premium is that you get a larger luggage allowance ( 25KGS ) which of course is needed when you’re heading to Florida only to take one empty case to fill up with Disney merch for the return flight. These are nice added touches and we enjoyed not having to queue as much travelling with the kids. We also embarked and disembarked first which is also a nice touch.
Top Tip:
If you’re staying on-site at Disney there are plenty of laundry services you can use - meaning that case can be empty to fill with merch. We stayed at Saratoga Springs and the laundry room was next to the pool, just outside of our block in Grandstand - it was easy peasy and inexpensive - click to read about on-site resort options - but only after you’re read the rest of this blog first.
Cabin crew on board were professional friendly and always polite. They were great with the kids travelling and were really accommodating. One of our daughters was really cold and the crew had no blankets on board so they offered her one of their own - a nice touch and one she really appreciated. A point to note though, there was a shortage of blankets and pillows on the flight - unsure of the reason for this but not what you would expect paying premium.
Top tip:
Premium cabins sell out quite quickly so if it’s something you’re looking for, book your seats early. Some routes sell out quicker than others but if you’re prepared to travel from anywhere in the UK, Glasgow flights often have more availability than other airports like Manchester, London and Newcastle.
TUI Dreamliner - Mrs Patmore.
FOOD & DRINKS
Once onboard we were offered a welcome drink, Prosecco or a non-alcoholic alternative.
The meals were served promptly and we selected from the available menu on board.
Throughout the flight we were offered snacks, drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic), some people chose to ask for more drinks throughout the flight by asking the staff or popping into the staff area and requesting them - the staff always gave out additional drinks. We must say, the drinks were premium brands too which was a nice touch. This is not the case on all long haul flights - Aer Lingus for example charge for all drinks.
Johnnie Walker Black Label served as part of the Premium Economy drinks options. Correct at time of writing.
The food options - we had a full meal onboard and tried the pasta dish, beef dish and the kids had kids meals. To be honest the adults food was really nice and it was all piping hot but the kids meal was very bland and didn’t taste great. We asked for adults meals for our kids but they didn’t have enough left which is fair enough for both but our eldest enjoyed her adults meal. Towards the end of the flight we were served afternoon tea of sandwiches and scones these were also nice and tasty.
Afternoon tea in TUI Premium Economy cabin - Flight to Florida.
The food and service were good overall on board the plane and we certainly had no complaints. One of our TVs didn’t work on the return flight however that can happen on any airline. Is the product a true top end premium quality cabin - overall it’s not going to stand up to the higher end products but it was by no means shabby and the experience coupled with the price of the flights is well worth it in our opinion.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Would we fly Tui premium again? Yes, we would. The product was overall well received. The in seat TV had a wide range of films and programs to watch on it, the seat pitch was good and the seat comfortable with an adjustable head rest and a seat back table as standard.
One issue we did experience was the longer commute as opposed to flying into MCO. To get to Orlando by the included bus transfer was an estimate of 1 hour 30 minutes. However, this took far longer than expected, potentially due to waiting for all passengers collecting their luggage and getting to the bus. Some busses did leave before ours. In addition, the traffic was worse than expected so rather than the distance being an issue, if you took out the above two issues it would probably be a reasonable transfer and wouldn’t eat too much into the precious first night park hours. We would fly to Melbourne again and as the airport develops and becomes more established then it should be a really good option - plus it’s nowhere near the size of MCO, so it’s less hectic for anyone who maybe feels overwhelmed by large airpots and the travel.
Read all about our Walt Disney World holiday - from our hotel stay to Minnie van and character dining see Team Five Travels Disney Page.
Did you know we also have a travel agency? It’s aptly named Team Five Holidays - you’ll receive help with your itinerary, planning and service you can’t get from just a few clicks. If we can help you book your next Florida holiday, email: teamfiveholidays@gmail.com or visit Team Five Holidays Facebook page.
