This was published 1 year ago
Airline review: Vueling Airbus A321, economy class, Barcelona to Paris
By Kristie Kellahan
Vueling was crowned Europe's best low-cost airline in the Skytrax 2021 awards.Credit: Alamy Stock Photo
THE ROUTE
Flight VY8244, Barcelona (BCN) to Paris (CDG)
THE AIRCRAFT
Vueling's Airbus A321 seats 220 passengers in economy. No pointy end. With 124 aircraft in an all-Airbus fleet, Vueling is Spain's largest airline.
THE LOYALTY SCHEME
Vueling Club members earn Avios points on flights, hotel stays and shopping. It's possible to earn Avios on Iberia, Aer Lingus and British Airways flights.
CLASS
Economy, seat 22C. The entire aircraft is economy class, with some variations. Rows 1-4 afford slightly more space, for a fee.
DURATION
Scheduled two hours, non-stop. We board on time, then sit on the tarmac for almost an hour. Even so, arrival is just 20 minutes later than planned.
FREQUENCY
Daily, departing Barcelona at 11.25am.
CARBON EMISSIONS
0.195 tonnes for one economy class passenger flying Barcelona to Paris. Pay to offset emissions at myclimate.org
HEALTH
No COVID-19 testing or vaccination requirements. Wearing of masks is not obligatory in Spanish airports, but it is mandatory during the flight.
CHECKING IN
Barcelona Airport (commonly known as El Prat Airport) Terminal 1 is packed on Sunday morning when I arrive two-and-a-half hours ahead of take-off. I'm able to check in online, but must join the queue to drop off my checked bag. It takes 45 minutes to reach the counter.
There is no immigration process or passport control for this intra-EU flight.
As I arrive at the airport I receive an email from Vueling. There may not be enough seats for all the passengers and they're seeking volunteers to go on a later flight, in exchange for 100 Euro airline credit.
THE SEAT
There are 220 economy seats in a 3-3 one-aisle configuration. Seats are 17.7 inches (45cm) wide with 29-inch (73.7cm) pitch. I'm in 22C, an aisle seat. Decked out in Vueling's signature grey and yellow colours, the seat is comfortably unremarkable for this short flight. There are no charging outlets for USB or power cords. The seatback is used for advertising: get clear orthodontic aligners from 49Euro per month.
BAGGAGE
When booking, I choose an Optima fare so I can check one bag up to 25 kilograms, plus bring a cabin bag up to 10 kilograms and one personal item that must go under the seat. The Basic fare type permits only an underseat bag.
The regulations are rigorously enforced. Boarding passes are checked at the gate and only those with Optima fares may bring on cabin bags to be placed in the overhead compartments.
ENTERTAINMENT
You're on your own. No seatback screens, no magazine. There is Wi-Fi available at 5.99 euro ($A8.90) for an hour, 7.99 euro for the flight duration.
SERVICE
The team of Spanish attendants is dressed in dark grey and white uniforms, with splashes of sunny yellow. They are friendly, efficient and firm when they have to be. We are instructed to disembark five rows at a time, which seems reasonable. Rule-breakers are firmly told to sit back down and wait their turn.
FOOD
No complimentary bites or sips on this flight. Refreshments for sale include organic wine, Negroni, Serrano ham, pizza and lemon poppy seed cake. Another option is to buy snacks at the airport's duty-free store, where an excellent array of Iberian ham, salami, cheese, nougat and chocolate is available.
ONE MORE THING
Vueling was crowned Europe's best low-cost airline in the Skytrax 2021 awards.
VERDICT
Good flight, good price, happy customer.
OUR RATING OUT OF FIVE
★★★½
Kristie Kellahan travelled at her own expense.
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