Vueling- Just DONT do it
May 30, 2018, 3:15 am
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Manhattan Beach, California
Programs: BMI Diamond Club Gold forever
Posts: 6,367
Vueling- Just DONT do it
i know things can happen with any airline, but i witnessed a complete lack of leadership on my Vueling flight last night that made me question the safety of this airline. I will never fly them again.
TLDR version, the company doesnt train its crews to handle out of the ordinary situations, they are like robots waiting for the next command. And when it doesnt come you eill just sit and wait. God forbid these crews had an actual emergency, I am not sure they would have any idea what to do.
In more detail... we were delayed due to a mechanical on BCN-ORY yesterday evening by about 90 minutes. By the time we took off, anyone with a brain in their head could see the anvil shaped clouds across the french countryside and have a good guess that we were going to have at best a slight chance of landing. Anout half way up to Paris, the pilot let off the throttles and we began circling for a half hour before diverting to Lyon.
Once in Lyon, the captain stayed locked in the cockpit and the unempowered and uninformed crew struggled to keep peace among even spanish speaking passengers. Their french was nonexistant and their English pretty poor and they kept saying things like “we hope a bus will eventually come to get us off the plane.”
Two hours later, with passengers starting to make threats, we were finally let off the plane and allowed to retrieve our luggage but then left to fend for ourselves. We booked a room at the NH airport hotel but today found that apparently there was an announcement in spanish thay passengers were to walk to another terminal and find a coach there to Paris. Hah, many people didnt hear or understand this and so are waking up here in Lyon confused. You couldnt pay me enough to get back on this airline so we will just buy onward tickets on our own.
Bottom line, probably fine when things work, but when they dont work this airline has abysmal service recovery.
TLDR version, the company doesnt train its crews to handle out of the ordinary situations, they are like robots waiting for the next command. And when it doesnt come you eill just sit and wait. God forbid these crews had an actual emergency, I am not sure they would have any idea what to do.
In more detail... we were delayed due to a mechanical on BCN-ORY yesterday evening by about 90 minutes. By the time we took off, anyone with a brain in their head could see the anvil shaped clouds across the french countryside and have a good guess that we were going to have at best a slight chance of landing. Anout half way up to Paris, the pilot let off the throttles and we began circling for a half hour before diverting to Lyon.
Once in Lyon, the captain stayed locked in the cockpit and the unempowered and uninformed crew struggled to keep peace among even spanish speaking passengers. Their french was nonexistant and their English pretty poor and they kept saying things like “we hope a bus will eventually come to get us off the plane.”
Two hours later, with passengers starting to make threats, we were finally let off the plane and allowed to retrieve our luggage but then left to fend for ourselves. We booked a room at the NH airport hotel but today found that apparently there was an announcement in spanish thay passengers were to walk to another terminal and find a coach there to Paris. Hah, many people didnt hear or understand this and so are waking up here in Lyon confused. You couldnt pay me enough to get back on this airline so we will just buy onward tickets on our own.
Bottom line, probably fine when things work, but when they dont work this airline has abysmal service recovery.
May 31, 2018, 1:02 pm
#4
Join Date: May 2012
Location: Munich, Algarve, Sussex or S.F Bay Area
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More. I would expect them to follow their own rules and procedures and take care of their passengers. I would expect it from bus and train companies as well as airlines.
OP, you are entitled to duty of care from Vueling, that includes your hotel and onward travel costs. And, I agree, never fly Vueling again.
OP, you are entitled to duty of care from Vueling, that includes your hotel and onward travel costs. And, I agree, never fly Vueling again.
May 31, 2018, 2:20 pm
#6
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If the cause was mechanical, OP is entitled to more than duty of care under EC261.
May 31, 2018, 2:51 pm
#7
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Join Date: Aug 2010
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Posts: 50,262
The delay was occasioned by a mechanical issue and the flight was cancelled. Thus, you are entitled to EC 261/2004 cancellation compensation.
Collecting for a duty of care will be hard given that a bus was put on to complete the trip. You certainly made a rational choice, but it was yours. Your travel insurance, however, ought to cover it.
Collecting for a duty of care will be hard given that a bus was put on to complete the trip. You certainly made a rational choice, but it was yours. Your travel insurance, however, ought to cover it.
Jun 18, 2018, 2:34 am
#8
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,826
Flew for the first time with VY this weekend (AMS-BCN-AMS) and it's definitely a mixed bag.
The positives are definitely the crew and the check-in staff, very helpful and nice both in AMS and BCN. Btw in BCN there is a dedicated family security check point accessible to all passengers travelling with young children that is an absolute delight.
The main negative to me was the space on board. I've never been this uncomfortable on a plane, and I've flown my fair share of LCCs before.
We had a delay on the return due to the French ATC strike and we received a lot of information from the crew, so nothing to complain there.
Also on the outbound I had a neighbour who was supposed to fly AMS-PRG (not sure with whom) and was rebooked on AMS-BCN-PRG, so there might be some level of customer care at work.
Would I fly them again? Only if they are significantly cheaper or the only option.
The positives are definitely the crew and the check-in staff, very helpful and nice both in AMS and BCN. Btw in BCN there is a dedicated family security check point accessible to all passengers travelling with young children that is an absolute delight.
The main negative to me was the space on board. I've never been this uncomfortable on a plane, and I've flown my fair share of LCCs before.
We had a delay on the return due to the French ATC strike and we received a lot of information from the crew, so nothing to complain there.
Also on the outbound I had a neighbour who was supposed to fly AMS-PRG (not sure with whom) and was rebooked on AMS-BCN-PRG, so there might be some level of customer care at work.
Would I fly them again? Only if they are significantly cheaper or the only option.
Aug 2, 2018, 11:43 am
#9
Join Date: May 2002
Location: OAK
Programs: AS MVPG; WN A-List; Marriott Plat; IHG Plat; HH Diamond; all the rest
Posts: 650
"adult" vs "child"
First time VY flier next month, BIO-BCN. So, one hour in the air, booked basic tickets, carry on only. Only nonstop carrier on the route.
We wanted a seat for my 22-month-old son, vs. flying him as a lap infant, a no-brainer since VY charges 15 euro for a lap infant and tickets were only 29.99. However, due to his age (< 2), the web site would only let me purchase the ticket if I ticketed him as an "adult."
I called into VY the next morning to make sure this was ok, and the agent said I had to pay a 30 euro change fee just to change the designation of his ticket from "adult" to "child" even though it 1) was within 24 hours (I am in the US and VY appears to qualify to have to comply with the USDOT 24-hour-change rule (long story but I researched it)), and 2) a ticketed seat for a person is a ticketed seat for that person. So I didn't make the change.
So, question: if I check in online, print boarding passes, don't check bags... when the gate agent scans our boarding passes, is s/he likely to raise a stink that he's plainly not an "adult"?
The other glitch I could see is if as a matter of seat assignments at check in, all three of us get scattered around in middle seats as if he is an adult. I'll take that risk.
Yes, it's only 30 euros. It's the principle.
We wanted a seat for my 22-month-old son, vs. flying him as a lap infant, a no-brainer since VY charges 15 euro for a lap infant and tickets were only 29.99. However, due to his age (< 2), the web site would only let me purchase the ticket if I ticketed him as an "adult."
I called into VY the next morning to make sure this was ok, and the agent said I had to pay a 30 euro change fee just to change the designation of his ticket from "adult" to "child" even though it 1) was within 24 hours (I am in the US and VY appears to qualify to have to comply with the USDOT 24-hour-change rule (long story but I researched it)), and 2) a ticketed seat for a person is a ticketed seat for that person. So I didn't make the change.
So, question: if I check in online, print boarding passes, don't check bags... when the gate agent scans our boarding passes, is s/he likely to raise a stink that he's plainly not an "adult"?
The other glitch I could see is if as a matter of seat assignments at check in, all three of us get scattered around in middle seats as if he is an adult. I'll take that risk.
Yes, it's only 30 euros. It's the principle.
Aug 2, 2018, 12:15 pm
#10
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,826
We wanted a seat for my 22-month-old son, vs. flying him as a lap infant, a no-brainer since VY charges 15 euro for a lap infant and tickets were only 29.99. However, due to his age (< 2), the web site would only let me purchase the ticket if I ticketed him as an "adult."
So, question: if I check in online, print boarding passes, don't check bags... when the gate agent scans our boarding passes, is s/he likely to raise a stink that he's plainly not an "adult"?
Aug 8, 2018, 2:55 pm
#13
Join Date: Jun 2011
Programs: AA EXP, UA 1K, DL GM, AS MVP75K
Posts: 72
They are terrible in terms of reservations staff - you can call UK numbers and the office is closed, call Spain and take the English options although they don't often speak it very well. They don't seem to know how to update to different seats, offer accurate information, and other serious deficiencies like not wanting to order a wheelchair if not ordered more than 48 hours in advance [very difficult via the website especially if not done at the time of initial booking] and agents refusing to order on the phone.
There's a lot of inconsistency by station as to how strict they are about carryon. I'd recommend paying for the exit seats as they really are cramped otherwise. Their flight information is not really very up-to-date, and they usually preclude any US citizen from getting an advance pass.
All that said - I think they're still better than RyanAir, which obviously isn't a very high bar to clear.
There's a lot of inconsistency by station as to how strict they are about carryon. I'd recommend paying for the exit seats as they really are cramped otherwise. Their flight information is not really very up-to-date, and they usually preclude any US citizen from getting an advance pass.
All that said - I think they're still better than RyanAir, which obviously isn't a very high bar to clear.
Aug 9, 2018, 12:18 am
#15
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: AMS/RTM
Posts: 2,826
You make it sound like VY is a charter airline 
I see your point, but let's be honest, on short haul most legacy carriers are now just as impenetrable as LCCs with all sorts of unbundled crap that was once part of a ticket, and of course with fares that are just as high as they used to be.
And similarly, it's an illusion that customer service of legacy airlines are better than LCCs. If you have done your homework and tell an agent exactly what you want using the correct terminology (say, reservation vs booking) you are generally fine, but most people are not on FT and most agents just follow the script.
I have been travelling with a child for a year now, and the amount of things I used to do online that now requires a call or a check-in agent is staggering. I don't want to imagine what it's like if I needed specific assistance or services, maybe booked through third parties.
I see your point, but let's be honest, on short haul most legacy carriers are now just as impenetrable as LCCs with all sorts of unbundled crap that was once part of a ticket, and of course with fares that are just as high as they used to be.
And similarly, it's an illusion that customer service of legacy airlines are better than LCCs. If you have done your homework and tell an agent exactly what you want using the correct terminology (say, reservation vs booking) you are generally fine, but most people are not on FT and most agents just follow the script.
I have been travelling with a child for a year now, and the amount of things I used to do online that now requires a call or a check-in agent is staggering. I don't want to imagine what it's like if I needed specific assistance or services, maybe booked through third parties.