A disabled woman has been left “very upset” after missing her Canary Islands holiday due to complications with her mobility scooter battery.

Carol Hutchins had been eagerly anticipating a sunny getaway at the TUI Magic Life Hotel in Fuerteventura with her daughter, Layla, scheduled for late October. Yet the mother-and-daughter pair’s dream escape came to an abrupt end at Manchester Airport, where personnel informed them that Carol’s scooter could not be loaded onto the aircraft.

Carol has been left “very upset” by the cancelled holiday and the fact she is more than £1,000 out of pocket. There is no indication that TUI failed to adhere to protocol. Nevertheless, Carol and Layla’s ordeal serves as a cautionary tale for Brits travelling abroad with a mobility scooter.

A TUI spokesperson stated: “We’re sorry that Ms Hutchins wasn’t able to travel on her holiday, and we recognise how upsetting that must have been for her. This was due to them not having the required documentation and battery identification information for their electric mobility aid, which meant it couldn’t be cleared to fly under safety guidance. The TUI airport team supported her on the day and explored alternative options, which she chose not to accept.”

Carol reserved her holiday to the sun-drenched Canary Islands at the TUI Doncaster branch on 23 October 2025. As the reservation was made less than a fortnight before departure, the travel consultant telephoned the welfare team while Carol was in store, to ensure the mobility scooter was included in the booking. When a mobility aid is attached to a holiday reservation, customers are sent the Conditions of Carriage, which outline vital instructions passengers are required to adhere to prior to their flight.

These state: “The battery or batteries should clearly be labelled showing the type and the watt-hour (Wh) rating. Failure to show this can lead to refusal of battery or batteries. Please carry the manufacturer’s operating instructions with you, which will help you and the airport staff to block the vehicle’s electric circuits and remove the battery if necessary.”

TUI confirmed that the Conditions of Carriage were sent via email to Ms Hutchins on four separate occasions as her booking was amended, and provided twice more alongside her ticketing documentation.

When Carol and Layla arrived at Manchester Airport on October 29, her battery had no visible identification label, meaning airport personnel were unable to legally approve it under safety regulations.

An on-site duty manager reached out to the resort team in Fuerteventura to source an alternative mobility scooter for use during her holiday.

However, according to Layla, Carol was uncomfortable travelling without her own scooter, or with the prospect of potentially being without one for a period upon reaching her destination.

TUI stated that Carol and Layla declined the offer of two alternative flights and goodwill vouchers.

TUI’s website features a dedicated section outlining everything customers using mobility scooters need to be aware of and do ahead of travelling.

Before flying with your electric mobility aid, you’ll need to:

• Check your battery type and specifications
• Provide battery details to TUI in advance
• Bring manufacturer documentation to the airport

TUI accepts these battery types:

• Non-spillable batteries (like AGM, Gel Cell, SLA)
• Lithium batteries with specific watt-hour limits:
• Single battery: maximum 300Wh
• Two batteries: maximum 160Wh each
• However, wet cell (spillable) batteries are not permitted on TUI flights.

Important pre-flight steps: