Vueling delay & cancellation compensation

In short: On Vueling flights on every route you are entitled to €250–600 compensation for an arrival delay of more than 3 hours, a cancellation notified less than 14 days before departure, or involuntary denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. You can usually claim for flights up to 3 years back.

IATA code: VY
Headquarters: Barcelona
Hub: Barcelona El Prat (BCN), Rome Fiumicino, Paris Orly
Type: Low-cost
EU261 scope: all flights

Vueling flight delay: when is compensation due?

If your Vueling flight reached its final destination at least 3 hours late (counting from when the doors opened), and the cause was within the airline's control – a technical fault, staff shortage, a delay on the previous flight, a strike by its own staff – you are entitled to compensation. It is not due if the airline proves extraordinary circumstances (weather, an air traffic control strike, an airport closure). Read the full conditions here.

Typical Vueling routes: Barcelona–Palma, Barcelona–Ibiza, Barcelona–Lisbon, Barcelona–Paris Orly, Barcelona–Budapest.

Vueling flight cancellation: what are you entitled to?

If your flight is cancelled, Vueling must offer you a refund of the ticket price (within 7 days) or re-routing on the earliest available flight – including another airline's, if that is quicker. If you were told about the cancellation less than 14 days before departure and the re-routing offered differed significantly from the original flight, you are also entitled to compensation. More on the 14-day rule.

How much compensation for a Vueling flight?

Flight distanceDelay on arrivalCompensation per passenger

Up to 1,500 km
e.g. London–Paris, Berlin–Rome, Dublin–Amsterdamover 3 hours€250UK261: £220

1,500–3,500 km, and every flight within the EU over 1,500 km
e.g. London–Athens, Frankfurt–Tenerife, Rome–Tel Avivover 3 hours€400UK261: £350

Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EU
e.g. London–New York, Frankfurt–Dubai, Paris–Bangkokbetween 3 and 4 hours€300UK261: £260 (reduced by 50%)

Over 3,500 km, to or from outside the EUover 4 hours€600UK261: £520

How punctual was Vueling in the UK in 2025?

Vueling operated 23,391 flights at UK airports in 2025. 0.33% were 3 hours or more late and 0.78% were cancelled – see how that compares with the UK average below and in our UK delay statistics.

Flights operated: 23,391
On time (≤ 15 min late): 75.0%
3 hours or more late: 0.33%
Cancelled: 0.78%
Average delay: 13.0 min

Source: UK Civil Aviation Authority punctuality statistics 2025 – departures and arrivals combined, measured against the schedule at the UK airport. How we use this data

UK airport	Flights	On time	3 h+ late	Cancelled
London Gatwick	17,740	75.6%	0.31%	0.79%
London Heathrow	3,238	74.0%	0.37%	0.86%
Manchester	1,013	64.5%	0.78%	1.27%
Cardiff	551	78.0%	0.18%	0.36%
Birmingham	465	79.6%	0.43%	0.00%
Edinburgh	378	75.9%	0.00%	0.00%

What to know when claiming from Vueling

Vueling sends an automatic rejection e-mail in response to almost every claim: do not leave it there – most delays in Barcelona are caused by the airline's own aircraft rotation problems.

About Vueling

Vueling is Spain's largest low-cost airline and a member of the IAG group. At Spanish airports Vueling receives the most passenger complaints – in the summer peak, delays of more than 3 hours are almost an everyday occurrence.

A Spanish EU airline with full EU261 protection. The Spanish enforcement body (AESA) also deals with claims, but slowly.

How to claim directly from Vueling

Official online form: vueling.com
Vueling handles compensation requests through an online assistant (chat) – you need the booking code and e-mail; expenses go through /en/customer-services/assistants/expense-claim. For flights from Spain the enforcement body is AESA. Not in a CAA-listed UK ADR scheme.
Our complaint letter generator writes the letter for you – filled in, as a printable PDF.

We checked these claim channels on the airline's own website (10 November 2026).

Frequently asked questions

Am I entitled to compensation if my Vueling flight was at least 3 hours late?

Yes, if the flight departed from anywhere (it is an EU airline) and the delay was not caused by extraordinary circumstances. The amount depends on the distance: €250, €400 or €600.

How do I submit a claim to Vueling?

Directly through the airline's customer service form (https://www.vueling.com/en/customer-services/assistants/compensation), or through our partner AirHelp, which checks the flight data and, if the airline rejects the claim, takes the case to the enforcement body or to court – for a fee of 35% only if it succeeds.

How long do I have to claim for a Vueling flight?

Limitation periods vary by country and are set by national law – for example 6 years in England & Wales, 5 years in Scotland and Hungary, and 3 years in Germany (from the end of the year). AirHelp typically accepts claims for flights up to 3 years old.

Vueling offered me a voucher instead of compensation. Do I have to accept it?

No. Under the Regulation, compensation is paid in money; the airline may only give you a voucher with your written agreement. If you want money, do not accept it.

Flew with another airline?

The Vueling name and trademark belong to their owner; EU261 Flight Delay is an independent information site with no connection to the airline. The content is for information only and is not legal advice. We receive a commission when a claim submitted through our partner links succeeds.

Sources

Vueling – official claim / complaints page – Vueling
UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 – UK Civil Aviation Authority
Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – EUR-Lex
Delays and cancellations – your rights – UK Civil Aviation Authority

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.

Vueling flight delay and cancellation compensation