Vueling or Ryanair??

I have flown with Ryanair several times. The flights were always comfortable, I always checked a bag and got it back at the end of the flight, and they were always either on time or early. The tricky thing with them (and any budget airline) is that you have to read, understand, and comply with their rules. You will have to print your own boarding pass ahead of time (but you can check in weeks early), you have to be on time at the gate, your carryon cannot be overweight or oversize. If you plan to check a bag, pay for it when you book your ticket - it will cost a lot more at the airport. There are no free drinks or food. Sometimes the airports they use are aways out from a city, sometimes they are right where you want to be, but be sure to factor in any other transportation you might need when you compare prices. (Ryanair uses the regular Barcelona airport. I haven't been to Malaga, but I think they do the same there.) I have friends who have had flights unexpectedly canceled by Vueling, but I suppose it can happen sometimes with any airline.

Nancy gave you all the info you need. Another alternative to printing boarding passes ahead of time is to use your smartphone. There is no other way to print boarding passes at the airport, so don't forget.
Another important thing to know. For Malaga both airlines use Malaga international (airport code: AGP).
But for Barcelona, RyanAir uses both El Prat, which is Barcelona proper international airport (Airport code: BCN) and also Girona (airport code: GRO) which is quite a distance from the city of Barcelona (about 65km). Therefore be aware of which airport you buy your ticket to. Tickets to GRO are generally cheaper, but then there is a longer trip to get to Barcelona.

Deanne,

I've flown with both airlines, and of the two I would most definitely recommend Vueling. I found their staff to be efficient and nice to deal with, the planes seemed to be brand new and the service was good. The booking process seemed very easy and straight forward.

As with any of the budget airlines in Europe it's a good idea to read their Terms & Conditions carefully, especially related to luggage. I always have to check one of my Packs, and have found that if the bag is at the high end of the allowable weight, it's a good idea to pay for the next weight tier at the time of booking. The charges will be considerably more expensive if the gate staff discover the bag is overweight. As my luggage sometimes gets re-packed during trips, I don't want any surprises!

We flew both Vueling and Ryanair in September of this year and both went well without any problems....But, if I had a choice, I'd fly Vueling. Ken, that's a great idea to go up a level for baggage weight. I usually just go for the lower cargo weight and then constantly worry until it's weighed.
During my planning I do dummy purchases for all the airlines available so I can figure the actual costs and convenience. Purchasing early is a must in my book since the prices only go up as others purchase the cheaper fares.

Thanks everyone, I think we will book with vueling.