Information on Vueling Flights

Vueling Airlines, a Barcelona-based budget carrier, is a popular option among Europeans for destinations across the European continent, as well as North Africa and the Middle East. Among many U.S.-based travelers, however, the airline is not quite as well known.

It offers some unique benefits for a budget airline: For example, onboard Wi-Fi and facial recognition technology. But, as with other low-cost carriers, you’ll pay for even the most basic essentials. Here’s what else to know about Vueling, including tips on scoring the best deal and what to expect onboard.

An overview of Vueling’s fleet and route network

Founded in 2004, Vueling currently operates a modern fleet of narrow-body aircraft, including Airbus A319s, A320s, A320neos and A321s, featuring a gray-and-yellow livery. Vueling’s main hub is Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), and it has a strong presence at other major Spanish airports, including Madrid-Barajas (MAD) and Valencia (VLC), and further afield, Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Paris-Orly (ORY).

Since the majority of Vueling’s routes are concentrated in Spain and Europe, it can offer a cheaper alternative for popular tourist destinations including London, Paris and Rome, as well as Spanish hotspots like Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and the Canary Islands. Further afield, Vueling, which operates under airline giant International Airlines Group (IAG), also has a few routes to Africa and the Middle East.

Tips on booking Vueling flights

Vueling does a couple of things slightly differently during the online booking process. First off, the booking screen initially only displays dates in a calendar format. You’ll specify which month(s) you want to search, and in the next step, select your exact dates. One benefit to this format is that the calendar format makes it easy to compare prices between dates (and see discounted fares, which are noted with a green circle). However, it takes some getting used to.

After selecting your specific flights, the next page shows the three ticket types to choose from: Optima, TimeFlex and Basic. Keep in mind that the TimeFlex – the most expensive option, sometimes up to four times the cost of Basic – is by default highlighted in the center, with the lesser-expensive Optima on the left and Basic on the right. This is notably different from the way other carriers display their ticket categories, so be sure to look closely at the options before booking.

And, similar to the process for other carriers, the initial ticket price displayed in your original search is always the Basic version. This is standard practice – but one I’m not at all fond of because it’s so deceptive. If you want to add any extras, from seat selection to a larger carry-on bag, that original price can easily double.

At the start of your search, you can also check boxes to indicate whether you’re traveling with a group or want to book an Extra Seat. This aptly named add-on lets you reserve the adjacent seat (but keep in mind that both seats are assigned for you). Exact prices vary for the Extra Seat option, but when you’re able to score an especially low ticket price, it can be an excellent way to ensure more space to spread out a bit. It’s especially helpful on longer flights.

How to book seats on Vueling (including extra space ones)

After selecting your flights, you’ll come to the page where you choose seats. There are several different options to choose from, but fortunately, the interface is pretty clear to understand, with color-designated areas, prices and icons indicating what’s included.

Space One is the front row bulkhead, which is the most expensive of the offerings but also comes with one overhead cabin bag (plus a personal item). Space Plus seats are slightly less expensive but also at the front of the aircraft and, like Space One, include an overhead cabin bag. Space seats are the least expensive, but do not come with an overhead cabin bag. All other seats also come with a cost.

If you don’t select a seat while booking, you can choose later, but at least 24 hours prior to departure. But if you don’t select one ahead of time, a seat will be randomly assigned to you when you check in.

Vueling’s baggage policies

If you’re accustomed to flying budget carriers, Vueling’s baggage policies won’t come as a surprise: You’ll pay for anything beyond a personal item (Vueling’s specs are 40 x 30 x 20 centimeters, about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.8 inches). Some fare categories include an overhead bag and/or a checked one, but you can also purchase both options as add-ons. According to the airline, you’ll save about 50 percent by doing this online ahead of time instead of at the airport.

Additional add-ons

You can purchase additional add-ons for your flight, including priority boarding and access to Vueling’s VIP lounges. But remember that priority boarding also comes included with higher fare classes such as Optima and TimeFlex.

Vueling offers access to its VIP lounges, which are operated by third-party groups and available at major airports including BCN, MAD and London Gatwick (LGW). You can purchase lounge access in advance through the Vueling website or via the app, which is often cheaper than waiting until you get to the airport.

Check-in and boarding: What to expect

Unlike some budget carriers, Vueling allows passengers to check in up to seven days prior to departure. You can check online or via the carrier’s app. Alternatively, you can also do it in person at the airport at no extra cost (unlike some other budget carriers that charge a fee), which is a nice option if needed.

Facial recognition technology at some Spanish airports

In addition, Vueling is using facial recognition technology in collaboration with Spanish airport operator AENA on certain routes at airports including BCN, MAD and Malaga (AGP). This cutting-edge technology aims to streamline the boarding process and improve efficiency, as passengers don’t have to show a boarding pass or ID during the boarding process. However, passengers need to opt in ahead of time by registering their facial data at the airport. This innovation is somewhat unusual for a budget carrier, and if it helps streamline the boarding process, I’m all for it.

However, boarding with Vueling can still be a challenging process, especially without the assistance of technological innovations. In theory, Vueling flights board by groups (1, 2 and 3). In reality, that may or may not happen. On one flight with my family, we had Boarding Group 1 thanks to our higher-class fares. However, it ended up being useless because the gate agent didn’t even call Group 1 to board first. It was a chaotic, frustrating mess, and we ended up at the back of a very long queue and having to gate-check carry-ons that we should have been able to store in the overhead lockers.

My advice to avoid a similar situation if you’re in Group 1: Pay close attention to when boarding starts, so you don’t end up at the back of the line – or don’t spend too much extra on this perk. And no matter which boarding group you’re in, prepare for a stressful experience – which is a common complaint among many other passengers – so that at the very least it won’t come as a surprise.

What to expect from Vueling’s onboard experience

As with most other budget carriers, Vueling offers a fairly bare-bones onboard experience, with a buy-on-board menu and no seatback screens. Passengers should come prepared with their own devices to connect with the in-flight entertainment system (or go retro and bring a book), and have a credit card for anything they want to consume, as even water comes with a charge. If you’re departing from an airport with solid food options, such as BCN, you can also bring something on board.

Vueling’s dining options

All that said, Vueling’s onboard menu does have some decent offerings at not-exorbitant prices. Menus (which you can view online before your flight) change seasonally, but I can personally recommend the tortilla español (Spanish omelet), a generous portion served warm in a cute metal container. Paired with a glass of cava, it was surprisingly tasty and filling, especially compared to the basic offerings budget airlines usually rely on. Another unique culinary selection: free refills for coffee and tea (and even a discount if you bring your own cup).

Bring sanitizing wipes

I also highly recommend bringing sanitizing wipes for the tray table and armrests. On my most recent flight with Vueling, the aircraft was the dirtiest I can recall ever seeing: trash and food bits all over the floor in our row and across the aisle and wrappers stuffed into seatback pockets. (A flight attendant was somewhat helpful in taking it away but didn’t offer any apology.) Unfortunately, that experience seems to be on par with that of other travelers, according to online reviews citing dirty aircraft.

Join the Vueling Club

Vueling’s loyalty program offers some distinct benefits. Members earn Avios points, which they can then use on future Vueling flights or move to British Airways, which is a big bonus for frequent flyers of that airline. In addition, you can also credit your flight to Iberia Plus, the loyalty program for Iberia, or Aer Lingus’s AerClub. This flexibility is a welcome perk for travelers who may not fly Vueling often.

You can also earn Avios points by shopping with Vueling’s partners or through the Vueling eStore, a perk also offered by other airlines and an easy way to rack up points for reward redemptions.