Trip report BRU-BCN-BRU on Vueling... or should it be Delay-ing...

[Stij]

Good morning,

I'm writing this on behalf of my sister and her family who flew BRU-BCN-BRU for the weekend on Vueling...

On Friday evening their delay was 3:20, of which they spent 1:30 in the aircraft in BRU. That day all flights from BRU to BCN were delayed, but nobody as much as Vueling.

They returned on Sunday evening, flight was announced punctual, but check-in in BCN was a total chaos. They were called out of the line for an urgent check-in. But when they passed security, surprise: a 2 hour delay was announced. To late to change to FR or SN (if they had known, they would have). Over the evening, it became even worse: they arrived with a delay of 4:10... a lot of other flights were delayed, but again, nobody such as Vueling.

Needless to say: she's not to happy about IAG's low cost subsidiary...

Does it happen a lot on Vueling? I never flew them, my low cost experience is limited to Easyjet and mostly Ryanair and I never experienced such astronomous delays...

Stij

[sean1982]

Vueling has a very bad trackrecord when it come to ont time performance. Flag carriers have a lot to learn about how to run an LCC :/

[koninckske]

If you like to go to BCN I would book Jetair from ANR (or OST) and avoid most troubles. They are also delayed many times due to slots at BCN, butmost of the times just 30 min late returning to Belgium and then it would take me 5 min to get outside of the airport...

BTW most of the times they are cheaper than any other airline flying between Belgium and BCN. Many times in the last days before travel they sell last minute tickets for only 29,99 EUR

[sn26567]

If you like to go to BCN I would book Jetair from ANR (or OST) and avoid most troubles. They are also delayed many times due to slots at BCN, but most of the times just 30 min late returning to Belgium and then it would take me 5 min to get outside of the airport...

BTW most of the times they are cheaper than any other airline flying between Belgium and BCN. Many times in the last days before travel they sell last minute tickets for only 29,99 EUR

€29.99? You forget the 15€ surcharge on every dossier! JAF is the only airline applying such a surcharge.

Back to Vueling: I experienced them earlier this year for the first time. My two flights (STR-BCN and BCN-BRU) were punctual, but seating was cramped, more than on Ryanair. Even if seats are wider on their A320s than on the FR 737s. Stij, didn't your sister complain about legroom?

My trip on Vueling: https://www.aviation24.be/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=58435

[Stij]

She didn t talk about the pitch...

Cheers

Stij

[Homo Aeroportus]

.....On Friday evening their delay was 3:20, of which they spent 1:30 in the aircraft in BRU. That day all flights from BRU to BCN were delayed, but nobody as much as Vueling.
....
Does it happen a lot on Vueling? ...

Stij

I was returning from BCN to BRU on that Friday pm.
The incoming SN was indeed delayed by one hour courtesy of Swissport @ BRU.
An unusual B47 gate was announced for the return SN flight but there a Vueling bird was occupying the stand, apparently already for a while before I arrived. Door closed an bridge disconnected. The gate crew told me there was a slight problem : missing Captain. I guess this is a MEL issue.
I asked them if they had no reserve crew and the answer was : Si, pero lo que falta es la reserva de la reserva !
Another thing they were probably short of is a push-back and its driver : connected to the A320 and hot ready but STBY for 2 hours ...

A couple of weeks before I had an early Vueling from BCN to LIS.
STD : 07:20
Bussed out to a remotely parked A321. At 07:20 : boarding complete. Off blocks at ... 08:13 due to "bad weather at destination".
True it was rainy and windy at LIS but the only two flights suffering a significant delay were 2 Vuelings, MAD and BCN.

Well the meeting was at the airport anyhow (where does an Homo Aeroportus go, hey?) so no harm. Another day in paradise.

H.A.

[EBAW_flyer]

Well, did your sister think about EU compensation for her delayed return flight? This might soften her pain a little bit:

Financial compensation
In addition, if you are denied boarding, your flight is cancelled or arrives more than 3 hours late on arrival at the final destination stated on your ticket, you may be entitled to compensation of EUR 250 - 600, depending on the distance of the flight:

Within the EU

1,500 km or less - EUR 250
over 1,500 km - EUR 400

[Stij]

I know she filed a complaint...

Stij

[Charlie Roy]

I have never had a positive experience with Vueling

[MSS658]

Did not have any issues on my Vueling flight last year
and.... we where even early