Vueling delay and cancellation compensation: how to claim and keep all of it
Vueling pays €250–€600 per passenger when a flight is 3+ hours late at arrival or cancelled at short notice, unless it proves extraordinary circumstances. It only accepts claims through its own web form, and it pushes back often. Here’s the whole process, and a tool that does it with you.
Claim channel: web form onlyTypical reply: 28–30 days
Qualifying flights, last 12 months23
Flyback claims paid by Vueling0
On a €250 claimAgency at 35%: you keep €162Flyback: you keep €230
How to claim from Vueling, step by step
- Check the arrival delay, not departure. It’s measured when the doors open. 2h 55m late is nothing; 3h 01m is €250+.
- Use Vueling’s official channel. With Flyback you are claiming directly, in your own name, so no third-party clause applies to you.
- Paste the Flyback letter. It cites Article 7, the distance band, and the rulings on technical faults.
- Forward the confirmation to your tracking address. From then on we read every reply.
- Vouchers are optional. You can insist on a bank transfer.
- Rejected? The playbook drafts the rebuttal, then a complaint to AESA (Spain) or the regulator where you departed.
Vueling’s usual excuses, and whether they hold
| They say | Usually valid? | What to answer |
|---|---|---|
| Air traffic control restrictions | Sometimes | Ask for the specific notice; check other departures that day |
| Technical issue with the aircraft | No | CJEU: technical faults are inherent to operating an airline |
| Crew out of hours | No | Crew planning is within the airline’s control |
| Severe weather | Often | Only if it affected this flight; check whether others flew |
| Strike by airline staff | No | Internal strikes are not extraordinary (CJEU, 2021) |
General information, not legal advice.