Vueling Airlines

LHR-BIO. Maybe I've done BIO with Easyjet too often but it all seemed to go very smoothly. 1/2 full plane helped so could spread out. Flight on time service was fine. 9.50 Euros for baguette beer and Pringles would be excessive on the ground but OK as budget airline costs go. Check-in took 5 minutes boarding was quick.

Barcelona to Ibiza return. Fine for a short flight. Clean plane and comfortable seats although leg room limited - managed to book an exit row seat on return which helped. Boarding chaotic and passengers carried more than the 10kg hand luggage which wasn't controlled and led to storage issues. Both flights arrived early. A good budget airline experience overall.

Flying Vueling is more or less a disaster. I flew them 8 times in the last 3 weeks (mostly ZRH-BCN-LPA) and no flight was on time. I always purchase the tickets online and did not receive a confirmation 3 times in the last few weeks so I had to go to the ticket counter at the airport. Yesterday (BCN-LPA) we had a delay of 79 minutes without any explanation as to why with no apology. Service is often quite unfriendly very shocking indeed that cabin crew are often unable to speak English fluently. Vueling flies with AB A320 - not very comfortable but at least quite new.

The one negative experience was that they changed boarding gates and we did not realised it until we saw no activity at the gate very close to boarding time. But that could also be because we were in a foreign country and could not hear or understand the announcements properly. Recently I travelled a lot and the one thing I really appreciated was the pilot who indicated landmarks something that did not happen on any of the other flights I undertook. Barcelona to Brussels 11.11.2012. The food and beverages were very average but in par with other airlines.

BCN to CPH. Online check-in did not work but no speakable line at El Prat and seats allocated as desired. Called early to the aircraft so we left on time. Arrival 20 minutes early into CPH. Not bad for a budget airline.

Barcelona to Venice with my wife even though it was an early flight it turned out to be very good and on time. Crew very helpful and polite.

Although the seats were a bit too close together for my comfort I found the staff at the gate and onboard very efficient and professional. Our flights between Barcelona and Palma were on time.

Avoid or ravel at your peril with Vueling. An 18 hour delay on a 2 hour Barcelona to Southampton flight. Ended up on a rescue plane that had to be chartered from the UK which diverted to a different airport at the last minute and arrived at Southampton on coaches at 3am. Barcelona Airport was carnage all day as Vueling cancelled one flight after the other and customer service agents are only landside meaning a lot of to-ing and fro-ing. It says something when an airline needs to have a police presence at a departure gate.

We booked four flights this year for CWL to BCN and return. Vueling managed to cancel one with three days notice and alter the other three. One flight they altered left us at BCN at 0130 on a Monday morning. Another they altered from Saturday to Sunday. To make matters worse we tried to rebook to different days and they wanted another 156 Euros. No reply to e-mails so eventually rang them on their Premium Rate phone line which cost £10. It cost an extra £400 to use this airline for our holidays this year in rebooked flights and additional accommodation and all without the slightest apology. I would have been cheaper to fly Club Class with BA. Use this airline at your peril. They are cavalier about their schedules and don't give a damn about their customers.

Our flight from Barcelona to Southampton was cancelled and we haven't been notified. We found it out at check in. Redirected to their main office who admitted that they have no flight scheduled to Southampton and that we had to go and purchase tickets with another airline. Spent £600 to fly to Heathrow + trains to Southampton!