Vueling delay compensation: how much and how to claim

Vueling is a Spanish airline based in Barcelona, and most UK passengers fly it to or from Spain, often changing in Barcelona for somewhere further on. Because Vueling is an EU airline, the compensation rules cover nearly every flight it runs. Here's how a Vueling claim works.

Can I claim compensation from Vueling?

You can claim if:

• your flight left a UK or EU airport (any Vueling flight from London to Barcelona, or from Barcelona to anywhere, for example), or it arrived in the EU on a flight Vueling operated;
• you arrived at your final destination three hours or more late, or the flight was cancelled with less than 14 days' notice, or you were denied boarding;
• the cause was within the airline's control.

The three-hour test is about arrival, when the doors open at the gate. A flight that leaves three hours late but makes up time in the air may not qualify. One that leaves two and a half hours late and loses its slot on landing may.

Which rules apply, UK or EU?

It depends on where you took off.

• Flights from the UK (say, Gatwick to Barcelona) are covered by UK261, and the amounts are in pounds.
• Flights from Spain or another EU country (Barcelona to Gatwick, or Barcelona to Rome) are covered by EC261, and the amounts are in euros.

The rights are the same in substance. Our guide to UK261 vs EC261 explains the details.

How much does Vueling have to pay?

The amount depends on distance, not on the fare.

Flights between two EU airports over 1,500 km are always €400.

Some Vueling examples, measured airport to airport:

• Gatwick to Barcelona, about 1,110 km: £220.
• Barcelona to Gatwick, the same distance: €250, because the flight left the EU.
• Barcelona to Rome Fiumicino, about 845 km: €250.
• Barcelona to Athens, about 1,905 km: €400.

Every passenger on the booking gets the full amount, including children with their own seat. A family of four delayed three and a half hours from Barcelona to Athens would be owed 4 × €400 = €1,600.

What if I missed a connection in Barcelona?

Vueling sells a lot of journeys that change planes in Barcelona. If both flights were on one booking, what counts is how late you reached your final destination. The first flight doesn't need to be three hours late itself. This was settled by the EU Court of Justice in Folkerts v Air France (2013).

The amount is based on the straight-line distance from your first airport to your last. A journey from Gatwick to Athens via Barcelona is judged on Gatwick to Athens, not on the two flights added together.

If you bought the flights separately, each one stands alone. Our guide to missed connecting flights goes through it.

How do I claim from Vueling?

You can claim from Vueling yourself, free of charge. Or we can do it for you. When you claim through Skyfare, we send the claim to Vueling ourselves from day one, with your booking reference, the flight details and a signed authority to act. You don't deal with the airline at any point.

We'll need:

• the booking reference and names of everyone on the booking;
• a boarding pass or booking confirmation;
• photo ID, so the airline can match you to the booking;
• a signed authority (we prepare it; you sign on screen).

How long does Vueling take to reply?

We allow Vueling 28 days to respond. If it hasn't, we chase. If it refuses and we think it's wrong, we reply in writing with the law and the evidence and set a deadline.

For honest ranges at each stage, see how long flight compensation takes.

What does Vueling say when it refuses?

"Extraordinary circumstances." The defence is narrow, and the airline has to prove it. In Wallentin-Hermann v Alitalia (2008), the EU Court of Justice held that a technical problem arising in the normal running of an airline is not extraordinary. See our guide to technical fault delays.

"Air traffic control restrictions." Flights in and out of Spain cross some of Europe's busiest airspace, and air traffic control restrictions are a genuine cause of delay. They can count as extraordinary. But the airline has to show the restriction actually caused your delay. A slot delay of 40 minutes doesn't explain a four-hour late arrival on its own.

"The aircraft arrived late from its previous flight." Short-haul aircraft fly several routes a day, so a morning problem can spread to the evening. A knock-on delay is only extraordinary if the original cause was.

"Strike." An air traffic control strike usually counts as extraordinary. A strike by the airline's own staff usually doesn't. See airline strike compensation.

What if Vueling still won't pay?

If the reply doesn't change Vueling's position, there are two routes.

• A complaint to an independent body. For flights from Spain, that's the Spanish aviation authority, AESA. For flights from other EU countries, it's the enforcement body of the country the flight left. For flights from the UK, we check which body can take the complaint before escalating.
• Court. In England and Wales, a claim of this size goes on the small claims track and can be started online.

How long do I have to claim?

For flights from the UK, you have six years in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, and five years in Scotland. For flights from Spain and other EU countries, the limit depends on the country where the claim is brought. See claiming for a delay from years ago.

What is Vueling obliged to do on the day?

While you wait, the airline has to provide food and drink once the delay passes two hours on a short flight, and a hotel and transfers if you're stuck overnight. That applies even when the cause is extraordinary. If it didn't happen, keep your receipts. See what the airline owes you during a delay.

You can see how we handle Vueling claims on our Vueling airline page.

Frequently asked questions

Does Vueling pay compensation for delays over 3 hours?

It has to, if you arrived three hours or more late and the cause was within its control. The amount depends on the distance: £220 or €250 for most short Vueling routes.

My flight was from Barcelona to London. Am I covered?

Yes. The flight left the EU, so EC261 applies, whoever the airline is. The amount is in euros.

Can I get a refund and compensation from Vueling?

If the flight was cancelled at short notice, yes. A refund or a new flight is one right; compensation is a separate one. See refund vs compensation.

Does a cheap fare mean less compensation?

No. Every passenger on the same delayed flight is owed the same fixed sum for the distance, whatever they paid.