The Spanish airline with the cheapest tickets is Vueling Airlines. The head office is in the Spanish city of Barcelona. The company in terms of passenger traffic takes an honorable second place after Iberia Airlines.
According to passenger reviews, Vueling Airlines is a low-cost airline, that is, an airline offering a low flight fee in exchange for refusing a number of traditional passenger services.
History of becoming
Vueling Airlines was created fourteen years ago, in 2004, on the basis of two aircraft. The feedback on Vueling Airlines, whose business then consisted only of flights from Barcelona to Ibiza, was mostly positive. Company management continued to engage in carrier development. After a year and a half, Vueling Airlines, according to owners, began to generate revenue.
The company occupies a leading position among low-cost airlines in Western Europe.
Extreme situations
In the spring of 2011, communication was lost with the Vueling Airlines in the skies over France. The aircraft was instantly intercepted by a fighter of the French Air Force, since at that time the summit of the G8 countries was taking place.
In the summer of 2012, the Vueling Airlines board was forced to land at Amsterdam Airport, accompanied by the Netherlands Air Force fighters. The reason for the emergency landing of the aircraft was the suspicion that there were terrorists on board, as the crew of the aircraft crossed the country's airspace without notifying the ground services.
Flight destinations
The geography of the Spanish low-cost airline is extensive; there are flights to thirty-eight countries in one hundred thirty-four directions.
To Russia, Vueling Airlines operates flights to St. Petersburg, Moscow, Kazan, Samara, Krasnodar, Kaliningrad.
Company fleet
Three years ago, Vueling Airlines fleet, according to reviews, consisted of the following aircraft: Airbus A319-100, Airbus A320-200 and Airbus A321-200. The average age of the company’s aircraft is just over six years.
Hand baggage rules
Vueling Airlines has developed certain features for carry-on baggage:
- Only baggage weighing up to ten kilograms, not exceeding the dimensions 55 × 40 × 20 centimeters, may be carried on board an aircraft.
- In addition to hand luggage, according to passenger reviews about Vueling Airlines, you can take a bag or a package with souvenirs from port stores to the cabin. The dimensions of the extra bag should not exceed 35x20x20 centimeters.
- Briefcases and small bags should be placed under the front seat.
- The upper shelves on the plane exist for large carry-on baggage.
- For the safety and comfort of the flight of all passengers, the permissible dimensions of hand luggage must be observed. If the sizes are more than the established restrictions, then the passenger needs to hand over the luggage, having paid extra. Customer reviews in a review of Vueling Airlines and its services indicate that co-payments can only be made with credit cards.
- On the plane it is allowed to carry liquids up to 100 ml. The maximum volume of liquid per passenger should not exceed a liter. All bottles with liquids are placed in a sealed transparent bag. One person can carry one bag.
Features of baggage
Vueling Airlines, like a low-cost airline, has certain features of baggage transportation:
- The price of a ticket for flights never includes payment for checked baggage.
- All baggage must be paid extra (except for hand luggage).
- The cost of baggage transportation depends on the time of its payment: when buying a ticket or when registering it before departure.
- The maximum weight of one piece of baggage is thirty-two kilograms, and the maximum height is 2.7 meters.
- The maximum baggage weight per passenger is fifty kilograms.
- It is possible to register transportation of non-standard baggage (skis, snowboard kit, surfboard, windsurfing equipment, musical instruments, golf equipment, bicycles). According to passenger reviews about Vueling Airlines, customers very often use this service. One passenger can take one seat of non-standard baggage, which must be packed and protected. According to the reviews of passengers, most of the airports where Vueling Airlines is based have special baggage tapes for packing non-standard baggage.
- On connecting flights, where one of them is operated by another carrier, the highest prohibition rates apply.
- When traveling with children, you can check in two luggage for free (stroller, cradle or crib).
Baggage Insurance
Passenger baggage insurance is necessary in case of theft or loss of baggage. According to reviews of Vueling Airlines services and according to the company's management, for a relatively small fee the client gets the opportunity:
- Operational baggage tracing.
- Payment of losses in case of theft, damage to passenger luggage.
- Payment of expenses due to delayed luggage, loss or theft of a passport.
Special passengers
Women in an interesting position can use Vueling Airlines flights without providing medical documents authorizing the flight, up to the twenty-seventh week of pregnancy. From the twenty-eighth to thirty-fifth weeks of pregnancy, women must present the medical certificate of the doctor authorizing the flight when making the flight. From the thirty-sixth week of pregnancy, women are not allowed to fly Vueling flights. When booking airline tickets, you do not need to indicate that the passenger is pregnant.
Passengers with a large weight and volume can reserve an extra seat on the plane.
Traveling with children
Vueling Airlines has developed rules for flights with children:
- Children aged seven days to two years are considered infants. The baby should be in the hands of the accompanying passenger. If a passenger wants a child under the age of two years to sit in a separate seat, then he needs to have a certified child seat with him or discuss the possibility of providing it with company employees.
- One adult passenger can accompany no more than two babies. At the same time, one of them should be at least one and a half years old, and he should sit in a specially equipped chair in a separate place.
- Airplanes have a special place for changing clothes for babies.
- Children from two to fifteen years old need to purchase separate tickets. A child aged two to three years can sit in a child seat in a separate seat if the passenger has one. Do not use boosters in an airplane. Failure to comply with the rules for purchasing tickets leads to the removal of children from the flight and negative customer reviews.
- A review of Vueling Airlines services across countries shows differences in document requirements for travel by minors. If the child has his own document, the attendant needs to have it with him. All documents must be kept in hand luggage.
- According to the rules of the airline, it is possible to transport food for a child in hand luggage (cereals and mashed potatoes in containers of no more than 100 ml). According to Vueling Airlines reviews, this is convenient for parents.
- Barcelona Airport has a pre-flight inspection line for customers with children. Even in the case of a connecting flight through Barcelona, a port is provided at the port for the duration of the connecting flights.
- Vueling Airlines aircraft have seats for passengers traveling with children under two years of age equipped with two oxygen masks. If the passenger wants to change the seat, he must ask the cabin attendant for permission. An employee of the company will certainly offer the client another suitable place, if available.
- Flight attendants will necessarily give the adult passenger special belts and a safety vest for children.
- A child over two years old uses a standard seat belt.
- According to company employees, it is better to have children in a central position in a row or near a window.
- On airplanes, you can order a special children's menu.
- As a sign of respect for other people, company employees recommend using headphones when watching children's cartoons and movies. Do not forget to take the headphones.
Privileges for corporate clients
Regular customers of Vueling Airlines, according to reviews, have several advantages:
- Managing all orders in one section is comprehensive.
- Specially designed rates and offers for premium customers.
- More than a hundred directions of direct and connecting flights.
Advantages of the company
The passengers who have chosen Vueling Airlines as the air carrier reviews the following about Vueling Airlines:
- Low (sometimes lowest) airfare. The cost of the flight Moscow - Barcelona at the nearest competitor is six thousand rubles more expensive.
- Professional work crew. Pilots make soft takeoffs and landings. Flight attendants are very friendly, polite and smiling. Before the flight starts, the flight attendants conduct a flight safety briefing, verify compliance with the seat-belt fastening technique for all passengers, and help place children in special seats. In case of problems or difficulties for passengers, cabin crew will immediately respond and solve all problems.
- There is the possibility of a paid purchase of food and drinks on the plane, ordering baby food for the child.
According to Vueling Airlines reviews, the rating of the airline in the field of passenger services on board is high and growing every year, because the company is doing everything possible to win the love and loyalty of its passengers.
Cons in the work of the company
Passengers who have chosen Vueling Airlines as their carrier note the following negative points:
- Frequent and long (more than two-hour delays) delays in flights. There are many cases of flight cancellations without due notice to company customers. In the case of the transfer of flights, passengers are often denied the provision of free accommodation and meals until the next flight.
- Long and painful check-in for Vueling Airlines flights due to insufficient check-in counters. As a rule, registration for all Vueling flights occurs simultaneously, confusing passengers of different flights with each other. Reception staff rarely speak Russian, mostly they speak Spanish and English.
- Spanish airports do not advertise in Russian, even on flights to Russia (not all citizens of our country speak and understand a foreign language well). If you listened to the announcements in Spanish and English and did not understand anything, then this is your problem, even if you are late for the flight or do not hear information that the flight is delayed or rescheduled.
- Complex interaction with company employees in case of lost or stolen luggage. It is especially difficult if the client has not issued paid insurance.
- Frequent cases of damage to baggage, including non-standard, during its transportation and handing over to passengers. The client has the right to write a complaint to the company in this case and subsequently apply to the court to recover his losses. There are very few cases where passengers bring the case to court. Basically, people satisfy their desire to achieve truth and justice by writing negative reviews on the company's website or travel forums. Writing a competent claim, drawing up a lawsuit, lengthy litigation and the actual execution of a court decision requires a lot of effort, money and nerves of passengers. Generally, frustrated customers try to never use the Vueling services again. This is not always easy to do, as, for example, on domestic Spanish flights, Vueling is a monopoly of aviation services.
- Lack of food and drinks, according to the tariffs of the company. This, most likely, is not even a minus, but the conditions of the flight without the provision of additional services.
Summary
One gets the main feeling from passenger reviews of the Vueling Airlines company: whose problem solves it. Yes, a European low-cost airline makes it possible to fly at a very low cost and even offers its customers a number of additional services (for example, when traveling with children), but if a passenger has difficulties or problems, then most likely he will decide them on his own.