Vueling luggage rules

There are sizers in the boarding areas.

A piece of luggage 1.5 cm over the limit might be acceptable, but they may ask you to check it in for an additional fee if they check its dimensions. With this 1.5 cm oversize, it won't fit. So it's a gamble: you could win or lose.

See the "Important" section at the bottom of the page:

If at the boarding gate any piece of luggage exceeds 55x40x20 cm, you will have to check it in at a cost of 110 EUR to 140 EUR per item and flight.

https://help.vueling.com/hc/en-gb/articles/19798835176081-Hand-Luggage-Allowance-Cabin-bags-allowance

That's not a financial risk I would take. I've never flown Vueling, but those fees for being required to check a bag at the gate are awful.

They're pretty strict, we flew them a couple years ago (NCE-BCN) and witnessed a couple passengers getting bags taken away from boarding gate [taken to be 'checked' cargo, via jetway door/ladder, for a fee]. We paid upfront when booking to have one bag checked, and were able to bring two smaller carry-ons onboard without issue. Might be one of those subjective things, depending on who's at the counter, which airport, etc... but our one experience flying Vueling found them to be serious about dimension/weight limits.

I flew Vueling last year and was also concerned about the luggage sizing. I had a stuffed rolling 40 liter backpack (like your situation, fit 2 of the 3 criteria) and a large stuffed totebag, that didn't fit their cm criteria, but from experience, I knew it would fit under the seat in front of me. I paid for the expensive seats--up front, allowed for a check bag (my hedge) and 2 carryon items.

My impression was as long as it isn't brimming at the seams and you can easily maneuver it, you won't be flagged. I saw 22 inch size rollers get on with no problem.

It helps if you keep yourself low profile. nothing extra, just you your carryon your underseat bag and nothing else just your phone which you put in your pocket. I also have a navy carry on hard sided not overstuffed and a black underseat bag. Bright colours draw attention. We are on 4 airlines and a train in total and I had to do a spreadsheet to keep track of all the different dimensions.

The answer to any bag size question is.....it depends on who is working that day. Some might be lenient and others might follow the rules exactly.

I always side with caution. If I have doubt, I'll pay at the cheapest point for a checked bag. I'll then try to carry it on. If they say no, and get that look in their eye that they are about to collect some money from me, I tell them I already paid.

Once even, when they heard I had already paid for a checked bag, they let me carry it on.

While I can't speak for Vueling, I know of at least two airlines that pays its people a commission for collecting exta fees such as oversize bags.

Vueling is a "low cost" airline, which tend to strictly apply their rules, since this is part of their business model (to have relatively low base fares, but with extra fees and rules that are generally strictly applied to increase revenue). So I wouldn't be surprised if they apply this rule to the law of the letter.

As above, you might get lucky depending on who's working that day, but if you bring this particular piece of luggage I would consider it somewhat of a gamble, and be ready to pay the relevant fee if needed.

I’m concerned they will make me check.

Pack as if they will make you check. Be prepared to pull out any essentials like meds. You can always put things in a small bag that is easy to remove.

I always pay the fee for a checked bag on the budget European airlines when my bag exceeds their size limit. The last time I flew Vueling, I checked my rollaboard.

I'm another one who will not take the risk of paying a hefty fee to have it checked at the gate. Check the bag. Otherwise, you'll be worrying about it the entire time. It's not worth it.

It may also depend in the airport. Not all "airline employees" actually work for the airline. The airlines may contract act to a handling company based at the airport to handle all operational needs....gate agents, baggage handlers, dispatchers, mechanics, etc.

It's possible that some of these gate agents may not be as strict as they are more concerned with getting the flight off on time.

BTW, the same is true for some regional airlines. While the plane might say a major airline on its side, and they say they are that airline on board, it might actually be a different company flying the plane.

As an example, Skywest Airlines is the largest regional carrier in the US. It has over 500 planes and operates flights for United (United Express), Delta (Delta Connection), American (American Eagle) and Alaska (Alaska Skywest).

My husband and I took a Vueling flight from Dubrovnik to Bordeaux. We actually took the little feet off of our carry-on to make sure it would fit their requirements. In the event they did not check anyone's luggage for size. Nor did they let us board early even though we had purchased early boarding. It was somewhat of a free-for-all. That said, the flight was fine, we arrived on time, life was good. But to your point, I would not take the chance. Not only that I'd like not to not pay for last-minute gate check I also do not want to be separated from my carry-on as it has very important items which I cannot afford to lose. We did wear vests with many pockets and wore our heaviest clothing and shoes.