Vueling
Vueling flight delay or cancellation: an overview of EC 261 claims and a practical guide to getting €250-600
Fast facts about Vueling (2024)
38.1 million passengers – +3.8% year-on-year
45 lines in summer 2024
Seat capacity increased by just 2% to support punctuality
Fleet ≈ 140 Airbus A320 family aircraft
Main base Barcelona-El Prat
Vueling and EC 261/2004 rules
Even though it is a Spanish low-cost airline, the European regulation EC 261 applies to all flights from and to the EU (including the Canary Islands). This guarantees financial compensation if:
| Interruption type | Key condition | Minimal delay at destination |
| Flight delay | liability on the part of Vueling (e.g. technical failure) | ≥ 3 hours |
| Cancelled flight | notified < 14 days before departure | - |
| Denied boarding | involuntary overbooking | - |
⚠️ Extraordinary circumstances (extreme weather, closed airspace, airport staff strike) exclude the claim.
Get compensation up to €600
How much can you get?
Up to 1 500 km
250 € *
1 500 km - 3 500 km
400 € *
Over 3 500 km
Delay 3 – 4 h
300 € *
Delay over 4 hours
600 € *
Other passenger rights
Free care
refreshments, 2 phone calls/email
Accommodation and transfer
if the departure extends beyond the next day
Choice
between quick rebooking and a full refund of the ticket price.
Step-by-step complaint procedure if you do it yourself
1
Postpone boarding pass, delay notification → 5 min
2
Fill out the online form “Claim a delay or cancellation”
on vueling.com website → 10 - 15 min
3
Wait for a response / complete documents → typically 2–6 weeks
4
Rejection? Escalation to the Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea (AESA) or court → another weeks to months
A real dilemma
Self-help: zero fee, but high time investment and risk of process errors.
Professional service: works for a percentage of success; saves hours of administration and handles any legal actions for you.
How did Vueling perform with punctuality?
In Cirium's monthly reports, Vueling remained among the TOP 5 European carriers throughout 2024, routinely with an OTP above 83%.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
In Spain and most EU countries → 3 years from the date of flight.
No, EC 261 requires ≥ 3 hours on arrival
No. You can insist on monetary compensation.
Don't let airlines ignore your rights
With Flywize, the whole process is simple, stress-free and backed by legal expertise. Airlines often don't inform you of your rights - we do.