What to do if you miss your connecting flight with Vueling?
Missing a connecting flight can be a stressful experience, but knowing what steps to take can help ease the situation. In case of a long delay or last-minute cancellation, you may be entitled to flight compensation. If you miss your flight, you are also entitled to a new connecting flight and care from Vueling.
It doesn’t matter where you’re from, the ticket price, or if you have travel insurance—these laws apply in the European Union, and Vueling must comply.
Check your compensation online.
What to Do if You Miss Your Connecting Flight With Vueling?
If you miss your connecting flight with Vueling, it’s important to stay calm and follow these steps to ensure you understand your rights and what flight compensation you may be entitled to.
1. Contact Vueling Staff Immediately
Speak to a Vueling representative at the airport or call their customer service as soon as you realize you’ve missed your connection. Let them know what happened and provide your booking reference along with the details of your original flights.
If you were booked on an official connecting flight with Vueling (both flights on one ticket), the airline is responsible for getting you to your final destination. In this case, rebooking must be free of charge, and Vueling will place you on the next available flight.
However, if your trip was a self-transfer — meaning you booked two separate Vueling flights on separate tickets — the airline has no obligation to rebook you. A self-transfer, even when both flights are operated by Vueling, does not provide connection protection, through-checked baggage, or guaranteed rebooking. In that scenario, you would need to purchase a new ticket yourself.
2. Find Out About Vueling Alternative Flight Options
Ask about alternative flights to your destination and whether you can be rebooked on the next available flight.
If a person misses a connecting flight due to delay or cancellation, there won’t be any extra fees for rebooking on a new flight because it was a connecting flight with Vueling.
If there’s no suitable Vueling flight available soon, the airline may rebook you on a later service or, if necessary, place you on a flight operated by a different airline.
3. Check Your EU Air Passenger Rights Under EU Regulation 261/2004
Determine if you’re eligible for compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004, which may apply if the missed connection was due to Vueling’s delay, cancellation, or overbooking. The disruption must be the airline’s fault. If it’s due to extraordinary circumstances (for example, bad weather), compensation is not due.
It is also stated in the EU regulation that you have the right to care.
In air travel, you have a right to care when your flight is significantly delayed, cancelled, or you miss a protected connecting flight. This care may include meals and refreshments, usually provided as vouchers when the wait becomes long, and accommodation if you’re stranded overnight. Airlines must also arrange transport between the airport and the hotel, and give you access to basic communication, such as phone calls or email.
Unlike compensation, the right to care still applies even when the delay or cancellation was caused by extraordinary circumstances.
4. Arrange Accommodation
If you’re stranded overnight, inquire whether Vueling can provide a hotel or cover accommodation expenses.
As mentioned above and in the EU Regulation 261/2004, passengers are entitled to accommodation if they miss a connection due to a flight delay or cancellation, especially if an overnight wait is involved.
Ask about meal vouchers or other assistance that may be offered while you wait for your new flight.
5. Get Food Vouchers
If your flight is significantly delayed or you miss a connection, you could get meal vouchers under EU Regulation 261/2004.
Take note: If you wait over 3 hours, you should get complimentary meals and drinks.
6. Keep All Documentation
Save your boarding passes, receipts, and any communication with Vueling for potential claims or future reference.
This documentation will be important if you need to file a compensation claim or seek reimbursement for expenses (if right to care is not provided for some reason).
Check your compensation online.
What to Do if You Miss Vueling Self-Transfer Flight?
If you’ve booked flights separately for your trip, known as self-transfer, these rules don’t apply. If one flight gets cancelled or delayed, you won’t get compensation for the other flight.
For example, if you book with Vueling and Wizz Air separately and Vueling cancels, you might get compensation for just the Vueling flight.
Vueling won’t be responsible for the Wizz Air flight or help if you miss it.
Keep this in mind when booking flights separately.
Check your compensation online.
Vueling Connecting Flight Compensation
Yes, you can get compensation if it is the airline’s fault.
This includes issues like technical or operational problems.
If your Vueling connecting flight is delayed by over three hours or cancelled last minute (2 weeks before the departure date), you might be eligible for EU flight compensation.
The compensation amount depends on the flight distance.
When your destination is within the EU/UK:
€250
If the distance of your flight is
up to 1,500 km
€400
If the distance of your flight is between 1,500 – 3,500 km
When your destination is outside the EU/UK:
€250
If the distance of your flight is
up to 1,500 km
€400
If the distance of your flight is between 1,500 – 3,500 km
€600
If the distance of your flight is more than 3,500 km
Vueling Self-Transfer Flight Compensation
When it comes to Vueling self-transfer flights, compensation rules are different.
If your self-transfer flight is delayed, cancelled, or overbooked, you can only seek compensation for that specific flight and not the whole journey.
Each ticket is treated separately, so it’s important to keep this in mind.
If any flights in your itinerary are delayed by 3 hours or more, cancelled, or you’re denied boarding, you might be eligible for compensation for that specific flight. However, none of the airlines will take responsibility for your whole journey or any missed connections.
For example: Let’s say you have two flights booked separately. The first is with Vueling, and the second, 4 hours later, is with Wizz Air. If your Vueling flight is delayed and you miss the Wizz Air flight, you may get compensation from Vueling if the delay is 3+ hours.
In case of a last-minute cancellation, you might receive a new flight (or a full refund), and compensation from Vueling for the first flight, following Regulation (EC) No 261/2004.
But you won’t get a new flight for Wizz Air. It’s not a protected connection by the airlines, so Vueling isn’t responsible for your Wizz Air flight.
If you have flight insurance, contact your insurance company for possible assistance.
If you miss your connecting flight with Vueling, you’re entitled to several protections — including the right to care, the right to a new flight, and potentially even flight compensation.
Featured photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels