If you’ve ever flown in Spain on a budget you’ve most likely heard of Vueling Airlines! The popular low cost airline connects all the major cities, popular holiday spots, and Spanish islands with the rest of Europe. While you might be drawn in by the inexpensive tickets, there are some things to know first before booking a Vueling Airlines flight. Here are 5 helpful tips and all about our experience in a complete Vueling Airlines Review.
Our Vueling Airlines Review
We should point out that we’ve flown Vueling several times now over the years. However, this Vueling Airlines review is based on our most recent experience flying from London Gatwick to Alicante Airport in Spain. The short flight of 2.5 hours gave us an in-depth look at the low-cost airline.
Booking Our Vueling Airlines Flight
There was one simple reason that we booked with Vueling Airlines… The price! When comparing different companies on Skyscanner around our dates we found that it was the cheapest to fly with Vueling to Spain.
After spotting the best flight, we then went directly to the Vueling Airlines website to book. This is always the smart move in case you have any issues instead of going through a third party website.
We started out flying with Norse Air from Boston to London and had a few hours to make our connecting flight. Once we looked at the different options, we decided to go with the cheapest ticket over one of their bundle packages. We then added two 25 kg checked bags in addition to the piece of hand luggage allowed to go under the seat.
While we always try to never check a bag if possible, for this specific Vueling Airlines flight it was cheaper to do it this way. We ended up paying $108 USD each to fly from England to Spain. Here are a few more easy tips to know before we continue with our Vueling Airlines review!
→ 11 Best Ways to Save Money on Flights with Skyscanner
5 Things to Know Before Flying With Vueling Airlines
1. Spain’s Low Cost Airline
Vueling is a Spain budget airline and as such, it can offer crazy inexpensive fares! While the most popular routes are in Spain it also connects many popular European destinations.
You should know one of the ways Vueling makes its money (along with other low cost airlines) is by charging for add-ons. This can be everything from baggage to drinks, snacks, and seat selection. The planes are basic, but certainly fine for short flights.
2. Compare Dates for the Best Price
The first thing you should do when searching for flights is check the Vueling Airlines price calendar. If you are at all flexible with your travel dates you can save a lot of money by adjusting it to a day before or after. The calendar will show you the lowest price on every day to your destination so you can compare it to other dates to find the best price.
→ Vueling Airlines Price Calendar
Even though this is a Vueling Airlines review, you should always check different companies during your flight search. It’s definitely worth it to see if another low-cost carrier in Spain has a better departure time or price.
We’ve found that Vueling typically has the best deals when traveling around Spain, but it never hurts to look. Use the Skyscanner App to see all the airlines pricing and figure out what works for you.
3. Watch Out For Vueling Airlines Fees
The price that you see when searching the Vueling Airlines website will be the cheapest fare. Then once you click through to the booking screen you’ll then be given a breakdown of what is included in each fare type.
We’ve booked the basic fare in the past then added additional luggage before checking in for our Vueling Airlines flight. However, with the cost to add a bag it sometimes makes sense to book the Optima fare unless you are traveling EXTREMELY light. Get an idea of the different categories when flying this Spain budget airline below.
Basic: Just a seat and one small personal item to take with you.
Optima: Free seat selection, hand baggage, and 25 kg checked bag.
Family: Underseat bag, seat selection with family, 25 kg checked bag, and priority boarding with 2 children or more.
Timeflex: 10kg carry on, underseat item, seat selection, free cancellation, unlimited flight changes, and priority boarding.
4. Vueling Airlines App and Check in
We recommend downloading the Vueling flight app to monitor your upcoming trip and to check in. That way you’ll have your mobile boarding pass directly on your phone. Also, it will inform you of any updates, gate information, or time changes for your upcoming travel.
5. Get a Window Seat
If you are traveling through Spain or around Europe during the day make sure to get a window seat! The entire country is beautiful and we loved the amazing views when landing in Alicante.
You may have to pay an extra cost to pick your seat depending on which Vueling fare you choose. Still, when checking in you can always ask them to switch your seat for the views.
Checking In For Our Vueling Airlines Flight
Okay, back to our Vueling Airlines review! The check in process with Vueling went smoothly overall. We did receive an email prior to checking in that grabbed our attention. Our Vueling Airlines flight was actually overbooked and they were looking for volunteers to switch dates in exchange for compensation.
To be honest… The 250 Euros was appealing! Yet, we would find out the next flight wasn’t until two days later and the compensation was only in the form of a flight credit. For these reasons, we decided to pass on this offer and stick with our original international flight plan.
Once we arrived at Gatwick Airport we found the Vueling check-in desk and handed over our luggage. The check-in agents were nice and welcoming and we were assured our bags would be waiting for us on arrival in Alicante.
As we mentioned, we try and never use a checked-in luggage option and prefer to keep our bags with us. Nevertheless, for the cheap flight price we paid it wasn’t that big of a deal.
The one thing to point out is at the airport we actually had to print our luggage tags and put them on ourselves. We’ve done this before with other airlines, but if you don’t know what you’re doing just ask for help. You’ll definitely want to make sure you have the tags on correctly so your bags make it to where you are going.
In-Air Vueling Airlines Review
Our flight boarded on time around 1:30pm and we were off to Spain! We already knew what to expect flying with budget companies around Europe such as Ryanair and Lauda Air. So it was no surprise when we boarded and saw mostly basic amenities. You won’t find any luxuries like TV seatback screens and free food with Vueling Airlines.
Keep in mind that even if you want a glass of water you’ll have to pay extra money for it. Funny enough, everyone around us seemed to be ordering drinks, food, and other items from the Vueling Airlines menu. This didn’t bother us much as we were so tired from traveling that we fell asleep for most of the direct flight of 2.5 hours.
Before we knew it, we were waking up and landing at Alicante Airport ready to hit the beach! One advantage of flying into the smaller airports in Spain (as opposed to Barcelona Airport) is it won’t be as much of a hassle to get to your final destination.
We proceeded to the small baggage claim area after landing and were on our way. Be sure to book a private transfer or rental car in advance when planning your trip.
Is Vueling Airlines a Good Airline?
So how would we rate this company overall to end our Vueling Airlines review? To be honest, Vueling does nothing special to differentiate itself from other low cost carriers. As frequent travelers, we are used to flying budget often to get around Europe. To put it simply, our Vueling Airlines flight got us from point A to point B and was the cheapest option available.
With a flight time as short as this it’s simply not worth paying more for a luxury airline. As long as you limit your expectations with the flight ticket cost then you should be as happy with your experience as we were!
The one thing to really stress if you book with Vueling is to take a good look at the luggage allowance and pre-book what you need. It’s not a secret that budget airlines make a ton of extra money because they don’t expect travelers to follow the rules.
The “free” carry on bag is super small and more like the size of a handbag or purse. When in line we saw one traveler get charged a massive amount of money because he went way over the baggage limit. If you’re traveling around Europe (and especially to Spain) Vueling Airlines is a solid budget option.
Have any questions on this article or want to share your own Vueling Airlines review? Leave us a comment below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
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Quick Travel Tips
Flights: We always find our cheap flight deals using Skyscanner. That’s how we flew from Norway to Poland for under $20 USD, and Thailand to Vietnam for less than $50!
Trains: When traveling through Europe make sure to check Omio for the best train and bus routes when traveling through Europe.
Accommodation: Compare multiple sites to get to the best deal such as Booking.com, Agoda, & Vrbo!
Rental Car: We use Discover Cars to explore when traveling. We recommend searching for a weekly rate rather than just booking for 2-3 days.
Tours: Check out Get Your Guide to find thousands of activities around the world. From street food tours to skip the line entry passes, they have it all!
Travel Insurance: Never travel abroad without protection. We’ve been using SafetyWing for the last few years on the road and they are there when we need them.
Packing Lists: Find all the inspiration you need with our Amazon packing lists. Including our electronics and camera gear, must-have medical items, and long flight essentials!
We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
Hi thank you for your review, unfortunately our experience was completely unpleasant and we would never ever use vueling airlines again. On the outbound flight we were allowed to put a case in the hold for a fee, on the return flight this facility was refused, and all luggage had to come into the cabin. The booking clerk was unhelpful and rude and refused to give us her name when we informed her that we would like to speak with her manager, This same booking clerk then refused to allow one of our party members to fly, stating shat she had to go to a spanish doctor/hospital to get a medical saying she was fit to fly because she was pregnant, this medical was not requested on the outbound flight. Then the female booking clerk sent the woman to a hospital that was closed. The levels of stress this placed on our pregnant party member potentially could have caused harm to the unborn child, as this vueling employee told her that she had to stay in spain until she had the baby because they would continue to deny her boarding one of their planes, It was a total nightmare and for those reasons I would not recommend vueling airlines to any of my friends or family. they get a massive thumbs down from me and the party I travelled with.
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Ah that’s such a bummer! So sorry you had a bad experience. That’s honestly crazy