Save 25% when you redeem Avios points on Vueling flights

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• MadeUpName says:

  15 Dec15 December 07:00

  Interesting that the Buenos Aires flights are dropped but Santiago seems to be continuing. I was expecting Santiago to be dropped as it’s a newer route for BA and never seemed too busy.

  • Jonathan says:

    15 Dec15 December 07:36

    I’d guess it’s related to crew hours. Santiago is the longest route BA fly so to stretch it further with a stop would require a full crew change & the expense of keeping additional people down route to cover it.

  • paul says:

    15 Dec15 December 09:55

    I was expecting this too and am currently booked to travel next April. There is also a downside to EZE operating via GRU in that GRU did have F cabin and that seems to have been dropped.

    • flyforfun says:

      15 Dec15 December 14:54

      Lets not forget this means one whole less aircraft plying it’s way to South America and therefore (in normal times) less redemption seats available.

      I went on a 2-4-1 redemption back in 2012 and had fun booking an into GIG and out GRU and wanting to add connections to get to EZE and more. Thankfully seats opened up on EZE outbound and in from GIG that made the journey great. Perfect timings for me.

      Would they release seats per sector or one lot to GRU and another lot to EZE?

  • Nick says:

    15 Dec15 December 19:56

    I don’t know how many times it has to be spelled out… but it’s not about how busy a flight is, but about how much people are willing to pay for it. EZE is a very low yield route, SCL is a high yield one. Hence one is safer than the other.

• ChrisBCN says:

  15 Dec15 December 07:48

  I know you write that Vueling does not have a stellar reputation in every single article you have written about them over the years, but that’s from several years ago when punctuality was dire. For the last couple of years pre covid they have actually been very good, and I would rank them above the likes of easyJet. Shockingly, I’m struggling to think of an economy European short haul experience that would beat then.

  • Rhys says:

    15 Dec15 December 08:52

    I’m booked on a vueling flight in May so we’ll see!

    • ChrisBCN says:

      15 Dec15 December 09:20

      Good luck!

    • lashious says:

      15 Dec15 December 16:51

      worst airline ever, flew to BCN last July and never again. They were really late, really rude and I did try an emulate the business class ticket from Rob’s article. Go elsewhere if you “enjoy” air travel

  • Rob says:

    15 Dec15 December 08:58

    Our review of business class was positive – then they scrapped it!

    • ChrisBCN says:

      15 Dec15 December 09:19

      I do miss that first row business class option!

  • ChrisW says:

    15 Dec15 December 09:56

    I’ve found Vueling staff to be particularly unpleasant, both on the ground and in the air across multiple flights.

  • RussellH says:

    15 Dec15 December 10:16

    I have never flown with them, but we did have BHX-BCN booked for last May. They offered a cash refund right from the start, and paid up quickly.
    By far the most painless refund from that planned trip.

    • Isherwood says:

      15 Dec15 December 10:24

      You were fortunate. Our biggest battle to obtain a refund for a cancelled flight this year has been with Vueling. The customer service experience was so bad we will never use them again. BA, Virgin and Easyjet for all their faults seem reasonable in comparison. It took a combination of chargeback and IAG Head Office to resolve our refunds ( we bought the flights using card and Avios). One to avoid if you have a choice.

      • RussellH says:

        15 Dec15 December 12:43

        I have to admit that I was expecting a fight, but it just did not happen.

        On 22 April they e-mailed me:- “If you prefer to be refunded the price of your cancelled booking, you must call us so we can process your request*. Due to the current situation, this process may take up to 8 weeks.”
        Phone is a standard London 020 number. I cannot remember when I phoned, but it was sometime in May.
        Waited maybe three minutes to speak to someone. CS staff polite and helpful.
        Got an e-mail on 21 May “we have now refunded the corresponding flight/booking. You will receive the reimbursement on the same account used to make the purchase.”
        Money received back on my Marriott M’Card one week later.
        All took much less than the predicted 8 weeks.
        Still waiting for one of the hotels involved to pay up; another has required a chargeback as it has been “closed” since before the trip.
        A separate trip in September refunded part of the cash promptly, but we are supposed to wait until march before we can claima refund.

  • Lady London says:

    15 Dec15 December 12:14

    Are you travelling in their regular or premium seats?3

    • Rhys says:

      15 Dec15 December 12:19

      Me? I’m in the front but I think the seats are all the same….

      • ChrisBCN says:

        15 Dec15 December 18:10

        Seats are the same, but the first few rows have extra legroom, which is good for us tall boys

• Number9 says:

  15 Dec15 December 07:59

  I have to book flights to BA next February, how much longer does that add to journey time 3 hours or so?

  • Paul says:

    15 Dec15 December 08:12

    Not that much extra fortunately. Published times are 14h for the direct flight; 15h40m with the stop in GRU

    • Number9 says:

      15 Dec15 December 11:07

      Thanks Paul.

• JMA says:

  15 Dec15 December 08:22

  I’m booked into Santiago and out of Buenos Aires in March, no changes showing in MMB – when does the route change take effect? And inbound as well as outbound?

  • Rob says:

    15 Dec15 December 08:56

    31 March with the Summer timetable

• Hanif says:

  15 Dec15 December 08:27

  Do you know if this will this become a fifth freedom opportunity?
  Sao Paulo > Buenos Aires.

  • Rhys says:

    15 Dec15 December 08:44

    Would require government approval. Might depend on how long BA intent to operate this – might just be a stop gap until loads pick up

    • Paul says:

      15 Dec15 December 10:01

      KLM have 5th freedom SCL to EZE. Good option and great for picking up some miniature Delft blue houses.

    • Marcin says:

      15 Dec15 December 11:13

      QR had an EZE to GRU fifth freedom until recently. Got operational upgrade from Y to Qsuites last time around. Not bad for a 2h flight!

• Dave says:

  15 Dec15 December 08:59

  The flight is still a direct flight, however it is no longer non-stop.

  • Rob says:

    15 Dec15 December 09:52

    Technically correct – however as you will be forced to pack up in Sao Paulo, get off the plane and reboard it doesn’t make a lot of practical difference. If they let you stay on the plane that would be different.

    • Tom says:

      15 Dec15 December 10:22

      I’m sure we never used to have to reboard when the 747 did LHR-GRU-EZE/GIG

    • Aaron says:

      15 Dec15 December 10:50

      Why do they make you get off the plane and re-board on these tag flights? Do you have to go through immigration and security again and all that faff? I presume your seat on the second leg is still the same as the first….do they also tidy up and give you fresh seat amenities?

      • Rob says:

        15 Dec15 December 11:07

        Because it would be easy for someone to leave the aircraft and leave their explosives-filled bag behind, is the logic.

        That said … I am guessing it is down to local regulations and may vary by route.

        • planeconcorde says:

          15 Dec15 December 11:44

          Many years ago before BA started flying direct to Buenos Aires, I flew on BA LHR to EZE service with a refuel and change of crew stop at GRU. At that time we did not have to leave the plane and re-board at GRU. Of course regulations could have changed since then.
          At that time BA also had fifth freedom rights and there were some passengers who only flew the short sections GRU to EZE or EZE to GRU. The majority of passengers were LHR to EZE or EZE to LHR.
          The outbound from LHR to EZE was an overnight flight. We were served a dinner on departure from LHR and breakfast prior to landing at GRU. Then we got a second full breakfast on the GRU to EZE sector. Similar on the return, with an afternoon departure from EZE we had a three course late lunch. Then from GRU to EZE a three course dinner and breakfast prior to landing in LHR.

• Lady London says:

  15 Dec15 December 12:18

  that was for @ChrisBCN but Wordpress lost positioning again

  • ChrisBCN says:

    15 Dec15 December 21:14

    Ah, I take the premium seats for the leg room. If you take the last row of the front extra legroom seats, they are cheaper and also often devoid of other people, as the other people take the rows just in front – don’t tell everybody 😉

• Tayo says:

  15 Dec15 December 16:37

  Hi Rob & Rhys
  I had flights booked for London to Lima for 14th July 2021. BA just emailed to say the flight has been cancelled. I cannot find any flight either side of this date on BA. Do you have any information if BA have fully suspended this route. This cancellation sucks royally because I booked the long haul sections with two 2-4-1 in club world and my routing is actually DUBAI- LONDON- LIMA- CUSCO – RIO- LONDON-DUBAI. All flights except the LIMA-CUSCO-RIO are with BA. I am BA Gold, any thoughts on how I can discuss with BA to help or show some flexibility and rebook us on a MADRID – LIMA flight?

  • Jill ( Kinkell) says:

    15 Dec15 December 17:51

    BA stopped their Lima flights over winter , so I had booked 241 to MIA and then separate AA to Lima and return from Quito to MIA . It can all be done with Avios, although I did a cash booking with AA .I think I I did that because the taxes and charges etc with Avios on AA was just as bad as paying cash, so with cash, got Avios and TPs! Needless to say our grand autumn trip didn’t happen!

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