Vueling Airlines experiences

Joni,
Like you, I had cause for pause when I considered Vueling. There are complaints about just about every airline these days, so we pressed forward.

We were actually quite surprised with how very hassle-free our check-in and journey was from Barcelona to Granada, Spain. Our checked bags arrived safely on time.

It is advised to purchased the rate category that includes luggage (and then watch weight/dimension limits for carry-on). We normally only travel with carry on, so we checked our RS rollaboards, and I had carefully packed totebags (for the Vueling reduced carry-on restrictions). Before I checked our luggage, I asked the airline rep if she needed to weigh our carry-ons.....she took one look at them and said 'no problem.'

When we loaded the gate bus with the other passengers to be taken to the plane, I was surprised at just how large some passengers' carry-on was, and some had two bags each (with no problems encountered). But, you know how that goes, rules could be enforced at any time.

Vueling is evidently part of Iberia. I looked at fare quotes thru both brands, and even though it would have been the exact same plane for each, Vueling's fare was less expensive. (But, who knows, Iberia's restrictions may not have been as strict....I didn't compare.) I booked way in advance and the fare was so low, it was amazing.

Seats were not large, but definitely okay for a shot-hop flight. We are tall.

I'd book w/ them again.

Several people in our office have flown Vueling and recommend them frequently for their combination of destinations and price, particularly from Barcelona to Italy.

Both me and my brother had some serious issues on Vueling flights to/from Florence. My horror story: I was in a group flying from Barcelona to Florence in September 2013 (actually, we were a symphony orchestra). The preceding flight on the same airplane arrived slightly late in Barcelona, we left about half an hour late. On arriving in Florence we discovered that no baggage had been loaded. The airport staff in Florence had us wait about half an hour before telling the truth - the time to allow passengers on the same airplane to board and leave. No Vueling representatives around, only airport staff. As we were a 95 persons group we filed a complain (we can afford to sue if our business is seriously delayed) - baggages arrived in several installments during the following four days. The staff at Florence airport said us that baggage problems with Vueling are relatively frequent; the Florence airport has a short runway and if weather is not optimal, captains prefer to keep airplanes light by not loading baggages. (Someway, this is much more an issue with Vueling than with other companies). - We cannot tell if this was the case or simply they had decided not to lose too much time in Barcelona loading baggages as their schedules and turnover times are fairly tight.

In December 2013 my brother had bigger problems on a Vueling flight from Florence to Paris. They first began the check-in process; after a while they told that weather was bad and they were not going to load baggage to keep the airplane light. After half an hour they told the weather had became really bad, so only the first 80 persons that had already checked in were going to fly (without baggage) and other ones were to be dumped. No alternative plans proposed, they had to stay in Florence at least one day more, with no guarantees to board another flight. There were serious protests from travelers but in the end the flight left, very late, with only 80 persons (including my brother and his little daughter) and no baggage. Baggage arrived in Paris the following day or so.

I understand this may be a local issue with Florence airport. But the lack of customer assistance if something goes wrong seems to be a common complaint with Vueling. My orchestra is leaving again with Vueling in a few weeks and I have asked to be left home to take care of guest concerts.

Perhaps we were lucky, but our Vueling flight from BCN to MRS a couple of years ago was flawless. We're 1 for 1. Maybe we'll stop while we're ahead? Sorry to hear of others' problems and hope future plans go smoothly for everyone.

Joni, there are plenty of nasty comments from this year too as people continue to have their luggage lost or not arrive until days later and find themselves at airports with one from Vueling around to help. This seems to be an issue on all of their routes including Barcelona to Rome. They are cheap because they offer tiny seats and no service. You get what you pay for.

Perhaps we were lucky too but our Barcelona to Bologne experience on Vueling was fine.

I've flown with Vueling on a flight from Sevilla to Paris, and never had any problems at all. The check-in and boarding process was very easy, and I was pleasantly surprised that there were no issues. My checked baggage arrived with me, and overall it was a very nice and relaxing flight.

Thanks for the feedback - all of you are always so helpful
we will be in Rome for 12 days so delayed luggage would not be a huge problem - but Alitalia is only $100 more so it may be worth paying the extra -
I will see how other costs add up as I plan!
Thanks again

Joni,

As I recall, Alitalia has a bit of a reputation for losing luggage although that may have improved in the last while. I wouldn't have any hesitaition in using Vueling. None of the airlines get a perfect rating on the passenger reviews, but I tend to prefer the most cost effective option (within reason) and save a few bucks.

Ken's opinion about these two airlines is the same as mine. We chose the middle fare on Vueling and our checked luggage arrived perfectly on time.

You've probably already finalized your plans since this post was a month ago, but I thought I'd chime in just in case! We flew Vueling from Rome to Paris last year, and it was TERRIBLE. I would never fly this airline again. To be fair, the flight was on time and our luggage arrived--so it could have been worse :). This was probably the smallest/tightest seat I've ever experienced. There was ZERO legroom and both my husband and I felt crammed in our aisle seats. Neither of us are tall/large people. The worst, though, was the temperature. Shortly after takeoff, the plane started getting really hot. I am normally freezing on planes, and I was so warm I thought I was going to pass out. Others were complaining, so they finally found some way to cool it down. It was tolerable for a little while, and then got very hot again. We were thankful that it was a quick flight, because neither of us felt well by the end of the flight.

Here's a tip that was shared with me:

Vueling is notorious for not providing decent customer service when an issue arises (especially phone support). Iberia does have a pretty decent and reachable-by-phone customer service department. Iberia's fare structure offers a fare that includes a 23kg checked bag. With Vueling, checked bags need to be paid for with an extra fee.

Given this info, if you are looking at a route operated by Vueling and plan on having a bag in the hold, compare both airlines and buy from the Iberia website. This way you are Iberia's customer and can on-the-spot access their phone line should an issue arise with your Vueling flight.

I recently purchased a ticket through Iberia.com from Florence to Catania, flying Vueling. Once I factored in the checked bag, the fare was the same. I know that the service won't be great, but it was cheap; and I have my fingers crossed that the experience will be uneventful and dull.