Travel
Is Vueling Worth it for Türkiye Flights?
A review of my Istanbul-Barcelona flight with Vueling
As we near the end of our second year abroad, we’ve had the opportunity to try several airlines for our flights to Turkey. Recently, we added Vueling to our list, and I wanted to share our detailed experience.
Vueling, one of Barcelona’s budget airlines, began flights to Istanbul in late October. Prior to this, we had flown with Pegasus, Sun Express, and Air Serbia. Naturally, the addition of a new airline brought more competition and potentially better prices for consumers. However, based on our experience, there are some important details to consider before choosing Vueling for your journey.
When we booked our round-trip Barcelona-Istanbul tickets for November departure and December return, Vueling offered the best price compared to other airlines.
The Outbound Flight
Two days before our flight, we attempted to complete online check-in through the Vueling app, only to be met with a surprising message:
While some other Turkish airlines allow online check-in for similar routes, it remains unclear whether this limitation is genuinely route-related or a system quirk.
We encountered a similar issue with Air Serbia, which also lacks online check-in for certain routes, as I detailed in my previous post:
This means you’ll need to arrive at the airport much earlier than usual, as check-in must be completed at least 40 minutes before departure.
Although we only had cabin baggage, we still had to wait in line for 30 minutes, which felt like a waste of time. If online check-in had been available, we could have gone straight to the gate.
Initially, we thought this requirement might be due to practice of checking visas or residence permits like Air Serbia did. However, during check-in, we learned that this policy is route-specific, as stated in their guidelines. Regardless of whether passengers are EU citizens or not, everyone flying to Istanbul must complete check-in at the airport.
I’d like to share a comment from one of my readers about the online check-in issue: The staff mentioned that since this was a new route and Vueling was flying to Turkey for the first time, the systems on both sides were not yet integrated. They believed that integration would happen over time, and online check-in would likely become available in the future.
2025 Update: One of my readers who recently traveled to Turkey with Vueling was able to check in online, but it would be useful to confirm.
For passengers heading to Ankara…
Landing at Istanbul Airport can be inconvenient for those traveling to Ankara. As you may know, budget airlines like Pegasus don’t operate from Istanbul Airport. If you plan to continue your journey by bus, it means additional time and expense.
The Inbound Flight
Despite arriving at Istanbul Airport 4 hours before our flight, we couldn’t proceed through passport control since we didn’t have our boarding passes due to the lack of online check-in. The departure screens only showed the check-in section (R in our case, located toward the end of the hall).
When the specific counters were announced 3 hours before the flight, we joined the line. Even though we queued early, we still waited for 40 minutes, and the line after us grew significantly longer.
Unexpected baggage fees
We were charged extra for our backpacks, which hadn’t caused any issues in Barcelona. One of the bags was specifically designed for cabin use, while the other was only slightly larger. Despite having flown across Europe multiple times with these bags without any problem, this was an unpleasant surprise. Both bags fit easily under the seats.
To avoid paying €70 per bag, we removed some clothes we had packed to avoid carrying by hand. This adjustment allowed the bags to fit the airline’s measurement frame, but it cost us an additional 15–20 minutes.
Fortunately, the passport control line wasn’t long, although the Fast Track for biometric passports wasn’t working. Ultimately, we reached the gate 1.5 hours before departure. Had there been only a 3-hour gap between our flights, we might have missed it altogether, as boarding gates close 20 minutes before departure.
Staff attitude and inconsistencies
While waiting to board, we overheard other passengers sharing similar issues. One mentioned that a different airline (Pegasus) had charged extra for bags on the Turkey-Barcelona route, even though the same bags had caused no issues on the return flight.
Make sure your backpack fits the standard dimensions, and avoid overpacking. Our experience with these same backpacks on Pegasus flights had always been hassle-free.
Additionally, the staff questioned why our residence permits were expiring in two weeks and whether we planned to renew them in Spain. We found this unnecessary, especially since we were already in the renewal process. In Spain, renewal can be completed up to 3 months after expiration with a Regreso permit.
Final thoughts
The flight itself departed 30 minutes late.
Overall, our experience was disappointing due to the lack of online check-in and the staff’s attitude. Unless absolutely necessary, we wouldn’t consider flying with this airline for Türkiye again.
We hope these issues are addressed in the future, and that this article helps you make an informed decision. Safe travels!
For more travel content, feel free to follow me on or check out my other articles here:
