Vueling

[CWL94]

According to VY's website, it appears to be two extra flights added in April

Fri 20th BCN 06:30 - 07:40 CWL
CWL 08:20 - 11:25 BCN

Mon 23rd BCN 20:15 -21:25 CWL
CWL 22:05 - 01:10 BCN

 

[Jerry]

That would make it 5 weekly just for that week. Is there anything happening in Cardiff or Barcelona on that week or the weekend to warrant the extra flights?

 

[Jerry]

According to VY's website, it appears to be two extra flights added in April

Fri 20th BCN 06:30 - 07:40 CWL
CWL 08:20 - 11:25 BCN

Mon 23rd BCN 20:15 -21:25 CWL
CWL 22:05 - 01:10 BCN

Looking at the prices of the CWL-BCN leg on the 20th and the BCN-CWL leg on the 23rd it looks like a charter or for some sort of event as the prices are like £350 a flight.

 

[Jerry]

Someone has added Paris Orly as a seasonal destination to the VY section of Airlines and destinations on the airport's Wikipedia page. I thought it might mean they had rugby flights on sale but there is nothing on sale at all.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

No slots in system at the moment. It is a first time in a while Vueling hasn't done a Paris flight for Six Nations.

 

[Jerry]

Considering as well this time around it's the French coming over I'm surprised they haven't got some flights on sale. Same with the Italy game the week before.

 

[mathers_wales_uk]

Vueling only tend to sell Italy when Wales are playing in Rome. Sometimes the only Six Nations flight we have from Italy is the team.

 

[Jerry]

News

18 JANUARY
Vueling summer flights from Cardiff take off
Flights have been released for Vueling’s seventh summer of flying passengers from Cardiff. From April to October, 188,000 seats are available with the low-cost Spanish airline on flights to four popular Spanish destinations. The figure represents an increase of 235% more capacity since Vueling started flying from Cardiff in summer 2012, which is testament to the airline’s continuing success at Wales’ national airport since its launch.

Welsh customers can enjoy summer holidays in stunning mainland resorts including Marbella, Torremolinos, Benidorm and Torrevieja with five weekly services to Malaga and Alicante – using these destinations as gateways to the Costa del Sol and Costa Blanca regions.

For sun seekers searching for short break options there are three flights a week to Barcelona, which offers access to Sites, Tarragona and beautiful resorts on the Costa Brava.

With four flights per week to Palma Majorca, there are many choices available for customers searching for a short break with friends or a family holiday in the Balearics.

Even more destinations in southern Spain, the Balearic Islands, the Canary Islands and Africa are also accessible via a wealth of Vueling’s connecting flights from its Barcelona hub.

Vueling Summer 2018 schedule from Cardiff:

Route

Starting

Fares from*

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

MALAGA

26 March

£28.99

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

ALICANTE

25 March

£44.99

5

5

5

5

5

5

5

BARCELONA

27 March

£34.99

3

3

3

3

3

3

3

PALMA MAJORCA

26 March

£32.99

4

4

4

4

4

4

4

*Fares quoted are one way. Flights are on sale now at vueling.com, via the Vueling app, on the m.vueling.com mobile site or via your local travel agent. For more information and reservations, see www.vueling.com.

Vueling in the UK and Ireland

A member of the International Airlines Group (IAG), Vueling operates from 8 airports in the UK and Ireland, including Cardiff. Part of the IAG group, the low cost Spanish airline offers customers the opportunity to collect Avios points. For more information visit https://www.avios.com/gb/en_gb/collect/collect-avios-on-flights/vueling

About Vueling

Vueling was founded in July 2004 with two Airbus A320s, four routes, and a commitment to offer excellent customer service at highly competitive fares. Thirteen years later the Barcelona-based airline operates on more than 320 routes and 130 cities in Europe, the Middle East and Africa, with a fleet of more than 100 aircraft and more than 30 million passengers transported last year.

 

[Jerry]

I believe that is only 1 extra weekly flight on last year. With Malaga and Alicante i'm surprised they aren't each 7 weekly by now.

 

[Jerry]

My belief that it was 1 extra flight a week was wrong. It's actually 1 less flight a week.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I remember saying earlier last year that I thought that ALC and AGP would be daily in summer 18. There is obviously more than enough passenger traffic to fill that sort of schedule in the summer months - history tells us that - so it would appear to be the case that although a daily ALC and AGP might be profitable Vueling sees greater profitability elsewhere. Operational reasons might also play a part given that all CWL flights are from other bases.

I haven't followed Vueling's progress across all its networks very closely. Does anyone know where, if anywhere, Vueling has been expanding and will expand for the coming summer? I think they've cut back at other UK airports from their zenith.

 

[Jerry]

I remember saying earlier last year that I thought that ALC and AGP would be daily in summer 18.

It is a surprise but i'm starting to wonder if it's down to lack of new aircraft and crew being based at Alicante, Malaga and Palma de Majorca and a focus away from the UK and expansion. Looking at the 3 bases mentioned at Alicante the only new route is Marseille, at Malaga there is nothing new and at Palma de Mallorca the new routes of La Coruna, Stuttgart and Vienna are most likely to be operated by non based aircraft. It also looks like with the exception of Orly that they haven't launched any new routes from their other bases as well.
If Vueling do decide to hold at these frequency levels for the next couple of years then that will impact the airports growth as they are important in that they are the only LCC that operates routes to Spain. I suppose this is part of the drawback in having a non based foreign airline operating 3 of the airports busiest routes. You can almost guarantee that Easyjet and Ryanair at Bristol will add extra frequencies each year and attract passengers to those routes that may have used Cardiff. Hopefully Vueling will release some more flights later in the year or Cardiff will find an airline that will add some more frequencies to those routes and keep the growth going.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

Thank you for that summary, Jerry.

easyJet and Ryanair have been pretty static in recent years when it comes to increasing frequency on the likes of ALC, AGP and PMI. In summer easyJet is 2 x daily (14 x weekly) to both ALC and AGP and 13 x weekly to PMI. In summer Ryanair is up to 10 x weekly to ALC and PMI and up to 8 x weekly to AGP. Winter frequencies are lower across the board with both airlines of course.

easyJet has increased BCN a bit in the last year or two and now operates 2 x daily (14 weekly) in summer and 9/10 x weekly in winter, depending on which part of winter.

So in reality the Vueling routes from CWL have had little impact one way or the other on the easyJet and Ryanair BRS routes to the destinations that Vueling operates from CWL.

 

[Jerry]

So in reality the Vueling routes from CWL have had little impact one way or the other on the easyJet and Ryanair BRS routes to the destinations that Vueling operates from CWL.

I've no doubt they don't effect them, CWL doesn't effect BRS at all but BRS does have a big effect on CWL and any increases from Easyjet or Ryanair will potentially effect Vueling at CWL.

 

[TheLocalYokel]

I've no doubt they don't effect them, CWL doesn't effect BRS at all but BRS does have a big effect on CWL and any increases from Easyjet or Ryanair will potentially effect Vueling at CWL.

Fair enough, but recent history suggests that it's unlikely that easyJet and/or Ryanair will increase frequencies on those routes by much if at all as they seem to have reached what might be an optimum level for the present.

 

[Marko1]

Don't forget that ba city flyer is increasing its agp offering from brs this summer to twice a week as well. At peak summer there will be 14 ezy 8 fr 2 tui and 2 ba to Malaga and 14 ezy 10 fr and 1 tui to Alicante. It's Alicante that seems static

 

[CWL94]

VY winter 18/19 flights look set to be on sale soon. AGP showing 2x weekly Tue and Sat and ALC up to 3x weekly, Tue, Thu and Sat although not bookable currently.

 

[Jerry]

If I remember correctly didn't Vueling originally look at 3 weekly for ALC and AGP in the winter for this year but cut it back to 2 weekly? Hopefully it will stay at 3 weekly for Alicante for the winter. Looking at the last 2 months for Alicante November was down 2843 for 2017 and 3369 for 2016. December was up 2968 in 2017 compared to 2740 in 2016. Hopefully December has encouraged them to go 3 weekly for next winter.

 

[CWL94]

VY winter 18/19 now on sale until 8th Jan

AGP - 2x weekly
Tue
AGP 11:25 - 13:05 CWL
CWL 13:40 - 17:10 AGP

Sat
AGP 17:35 - 19:10 CWL
CWL 19:50 - 23:20 AGP

ALC - 3x weekly
Tue, Thu, Sat
ALC 10:40 - 12:15 CWL
CWL 12:50 - 16:15 ALC

 

[CWL94]

I have been playing around with VY's booking system and have done dummy bookings based on a party of 18 pax. Out of 12 outbound flights available in March, 11 flights are sold out based on a group of 18 booking meaning all these flights will already have a minimum LF of 90% or more which is very pleasing; something im sure VY will be happy with for flights still in the 'winter season'

ALC has 5 out of 12 showing availability for a group of 18 pax.

Im sure if VY has another successful season out of CWL, Im sure we can all see the likes of AGP and ALC having a very strong case for daily flights, who knows; maybe CWL can tempt VY to base a few aircraft to make this happen!

VY has built up a good customer base here in South Wales, and has a very strong brand recognition; something which hasn't worked as well at places like EDI, MAN, BHX etc. You would think out of all the above, CWL does have a strong case for more frequencies and routes from VY.