Vueling delay compensation
Compensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time. It is the arrival that counts, not the departure: a flight that leaves four hours late but makes up time and lands 2 hours 50 minutes late is not covered.
Which Vueling flights are covered
Vueling is registered in Spain, so it counts as an EU carrier and its flights are covered in both directions.
- Departing an EU airport: covered by EU261.
- Departing a UK airport: covered by UK261.
- Arriving in the EU from outside Europe: covered by EU261, because Vueling is an EU carrier.
- Arriving in the UK from outside Europe: covered by UK261, which also protects arrivals on EU carriers.
Worked examples on Vueling routes
| Route | Distance | Rules | Per passenger |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barcelona (BCN) → Madrid (MAD) | 483 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Barcelona (BCN) → Paris (ORY) | 826 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Madrid (MAD) → Paris (ORY) | 1,030 km | EU261 | €250 |
| Barcelona (BCN) → Paris (CDG) | 858 km | EU261 | €250 |
What Vueling is likely to say — and the answer
“Extraordinary circumstances” with no detail — ask which circumstance, and for the evidence.
“A technical problem” — not an extraordinary circumstance, and settled by the Court of Justice.
“The inbound aircraft arrived late” — a knock-on delay only counts if the original cause was itself extraordinary.
A disputed arrival time — ask for their recorded on-blocks time and compare it with yours.
Specific to Vueling
Vueling has a long-standing reputation for slow and unresponsive claims handling, and AESA has received a high volume of complaints about them. Document everything and escalate promptly once the 14 days pass.
Barcelona is their main base and their summer schedule is dense, which produces heavy knock-on delays. "The aircraft arrived late" is not an extraordinary circumstance on its own.
Spain’s five-year window means an old Vueling claim is very often still live, and passengers who gave up in year one can still write.
AESA will issue a formal opinion on the merits, which is a genuinely useful escalation with this airline in particular.
Time limit: Vueling is based in Spain, where claims run for 5 years from the date of the flight. How that works
Check it free, then send the letter yourself.
If your Vueling delay appears eligible, the claim letter is £15 flat, with Vueling’s likely objection answered in advance. You keep 100% of what they pay. If the airline rejects your claim on eligibility grounds, we refund the £15. Forward us their reply and we refund within five working days.
Vueling delay: common questions
How much can I claim from Vueling for a delay?
Between €250 and €600 (or £220 and £520 under UK261) per passenger, depending on distance. The worked examples on this page show the figure for some of Vueling’s routes.
My Vueling flight left more than three hours late but landed less than three hours late. Can I claim?
No. The test is how late you arrive at your final destination. If the flight made up time and landed under three hours late, the fixed compensation does not apply — though you may still have been owed meals and refreshments during the wait.
What reasons does Vueling give for refusing delay claims?
The most common are: Extraordinary circumstances with no detail; A technical problem; The inbound aircraft arrived late; A disputed arrival time. Most of these do not hold up against the Regulation or the case law.
How long do I have to make a Vueling delay claim?
Where Vueling is based, the limit is 5 years. You can usually also claim in the country your flight departed from or arrived in, which may give you longer.
Other Vueling claims
- Vueling: delayCompensation is due when you arrive at your final destination 3 hours or more after the scheduled arrival time.
- Vueling: cancellationCompensation is due unless you were told at least 14 days before departure, or were told later but re-routed on a flight that fell inside the timing windows set by Article 5(1)(c).
- Vueling: denied boardingCompensation is due immediately when you are refused boarding against your will — most often because the flight was overbooked — provided you checked in on time with a confirmed reservation.
- Vueling: missed connectionWhere all your flights were on a single booking, a delay that makes you miss a connection is measured at your final destination.