As an airline passenger, it is good to know your rights when your flight is delayed or canceled. There are many factors that affect passenger rights regarding compensation and refunds. So how should one behave in these situations?
It can be that you had to encounter a few additional expenses during your flight delay or because you missed your connecting flights. Air passenger rights can be hard to understand, and many airlines tend to take advantage of this. However, we at Air Delay can help you by informing you about your rights. Below you can find the answers to your questions and become wiser about what your rights are in the event of a Vueling flight delay or cancellation.
About Vueling
Vueling is a Spanish airline headquartered at Barcelona El Prat Airport. The airline was established back in 2004 and merged in 2009 with the airline Clickair – but it is still under the Vueling brand. As the airline has grown, they have gone from having only 4 aircrafts and as of 2022 they have around 120. for the summer 2022, they will operate over 320 routes across 30 countries.
What are air passenger rights?
Air passenger rights are rights that you have when traveling with different airlines within the European Union countries. In the case of traveling with Vueling, you are traveling with a Spanish airline, thus a European airline. This means that your rights are under the EU Regulation 261/04. The EU Regulation applies:
- To all passengers departing from a country of the European Union
- To all passengers arriving to a country of the European Union, if the airline is European.
EC 261 is regulated under EU law and is applicable when flights are delayed, canceled, or overbooked. Under EC 261 travelers have the option to make claims on previous flights.
Vueling flight delays
As mentioned above, Vueling is a European airline and thus it is applicable under the EU regulations. If you experience a flight delay, there are various factors to look into, such as the flight distance and how long the flight delay occurred.
If the flight is delayed by 3 hours, you will be entitled to flight delay compensation. On the other hand, if your flight has been delayed by 5 hours or more than the scheduled arrival, then you may be entitled to a full refund or rebooked to an alternative flight, in addition to the flight compensation. The flight compensation is dependent on the flight distance:
- The flight is 1,500 km or less (250 EUR)
- The flight is between 1,500 km and 3,500 km (400 EUR)
- The flight is outside the EU and more than 3,500 km (600 EUR)
In addition, you will also be entitled to reimbursement for your extra expenses. What does it mean when you have extra expenses? For example, when your flight gets delayed and you have to book a hotel night or where you have to buy food, clothing, drinks, or transportation. This also counts if you have missed your booked hotel accommodation due to a flight delay. If you have any of these extra expenses then Vueling will have to have to compensate you according to the EU regulation.
Nevertheless, passengers are not entitled to compensation if the delay is caused by extraordinary circumstances, which are considered out of the airline’s control. These extraordinary circumstances can include bad weather, air traffic control strikes, terrorist attacks, etc.
Vueling flight cancellation compensation and refund
You are entitled to compensation, in cases of flight cancellations. However, you are not eligible for compensation if:
- You have already been informed about the cancellation 2 weeks before departure time.
- You have already received a rebooking, which still adheres to time limits.
- The cancellation is due to extraordinary circumstances (such as storms or strikes that are not expected and outside of the airline’s control).
To begin with, it is important to look into your flight details and what caused the flight cancellation. If you decide to cancel your flight you will have to pay a Vueling cancellation fee, while on the hand, if Vueling decides to cancel your flight you have the right to receive a Vueling refund and compensation. If you are entitled to a refund you can choose one of these options:
- You can get the amount from the flight ticket refunded.
- You can rebook the ticket for the next available departure.
- You can rebook the ticket for another time.
On the other hand, if you are entitled to a Vueling flight compensation there are some factors to look into because the amount of compensation will increase according to the distance of your Vueling flights. These are the compensations you can get according to the flight distances:
- The flight is 1,500 km or less (250 EUR)
- The flight is between 1,500 km and 3,500 km (400 EUR)
- The flight is outside the EU and more than 3,500 km (600 EUR)
In addition, you will be entitled to reimbursement from the airline if a flight cancellation causes you to buy new flight tickets, or if you have unused hotel nights due to the cancellation.
Denied boarding
Airlines like Vueling normally overbook their flights. This is done in order to avoid unused seats on their airplanes since many customers do not show up for their flights. However, if your flight is overbooked and they have too many passengers wanting to check-in and they decide to deny you boarding, then you will be entitled to canceled flight compensation.
How to get help with your Vueling delayed or canceled flight
If you have any questions regarding your canceled or delayed flight, then feel free to contact us. We will do a free analysis of your case with Vueling and will give you an answer if you are entitled to compensation and a refund, within 24 hours. To look at your case, all we need from you is your Vueling flight details.
Are you wondering what other people on your same flight or other flights with Vueling did in these situations? Look at the Facebook group Bad Experiences with Vueling – Refund and Compensation, and you can get in contact with other people that have been in the same shoes as you.
