How to check in online with Vueling

If you're flying with Vueling, you can check in online free of charge on the airline's website or in its app. When you can do it depends on the fare you bought: with some fares you can check in as soon as you've booked, with others only 24 hours before departure. Checking in at the airport is free too, and in some cases it's the only option.

In this guide we explain step by step how to check in online with Vueling, when it opens and when it closes, how to get your boarding pass, and when you have to go to the check-in desk instead.

Before you start, make sure you have the following ready:

• Your booking code, which you'll find in the email you received when you booked

• The passenger's email or last name, or the airport and the flight date

• A valid travel document (ID card or passport, depending on your destination).

If you can't find your confirmation email, you can ask for it to be sent again from the Vueling website. If you have a Vueling Club account, you can log in there and find your booking without entering the details manually.

Vueling online check-in takes just a few minutes and can be completed on the official website or in the airline's app. Once you're done, you can print your boarding pass or keep it on your phone.

To check in online with Vueling:

1. Go to the Vueling website and open the online check-in section, or open the app.

2. Access your booking by entering your booking code and the email address used to book, or log in through your Vueling Club account.

3. Select the flight and the passengers you want to check in.

4. Check the passenger details and, if asked, enter your travel document details.

5. Choose your seat, if your fare includes it, or accept the one assigned automatically.

6. Confirm your check-in and get your boarding pass, to print or save to your phone.

As mentioned above, online check-in can be completed on the web or in the app. Below you'll find the differences between the two options.

With Vueling, when you can check in online depends on the fare you bought, while the closing time depends on the airport and the destination of your flight.

When you can check in online depends on your fare: with the Fly Light bundle it opens 24 hours before departure, while with higher fares it's available as soon as you book, up to 365 days in advance. Other things can change when check-in opens: the seat you choose, the add-on packs you buy and whether you're a Vueling Club member. You'll find the full, up-to-date details on the official Vueling online check-in page.

The standard closing time is 50 minutes before departure, but there are exceptions depending on the destination and the departure airport, and in those cases check-in closes more than an hour earlier. At some airports, online check-in closes 4 hours before the flight, among them Birmingham, Geneva, Milan-Bergamo, Budapest, Oslo and Split. You'll find the full list on the official Vueling page.

If you don't check in online you can collect your boarding passes free of charge at the check-in desk on the day of your flight, showing your ID card or passport, depending on your destination. You can also check your baggage in at the same desk. At Barcelona, Rome Fiumicino, London Gatwick and Paris Orly airports there are also Vueling self-service kiosks, which print boarding passes and check baggage in without going to the desk.

In some cases, though, online check-in isn't available and going to the check-in desk is compulsory. That's what happens if you're travelling with a pet, if you've bought an extra seat, or if you're a minor departing from an Italian airport without an adult. There are also some airports that aren't set up for online check-in.

Flights operated by other airlines are a separate case. If you've booked an Iberia or British Airways flight through Vueling, check-in opens 24 hours before departure and takes place on the website of the airline operating the flight, which you'll be redirected to.

What to do at the airport

Once you've completed online check-in, what you need to do at the airport depends on your baggage.

• If you're travelling with checked baggage, you'll still need to go to the check-in desk to drop it off, even if you already have your boarding pass.

• If you're travelling with hand luggage only and you already have your boarding pass, in most cases you can go straight to security.

One last thing to remember: you must be at the boarding gate at least 40 minutes before your flight departs. Check-in and baggage drop-off opening and closing times vary by airport, so always check the times for your departure airport on the Vueling website. Make sure you stick to these deadlines to avoid being denied boarding.

You checked in on time, well within the deadline, and you were at the gate exactly when you should have been. And yet a cancellation, a delayed flight or overbooking can still get in the way of your plans, even with a confirmed booking.

In these cases, if the airline is responsible, European Regulation EC 261/2004 entitles you to compensation of up to €600 per passenger. The right to compensation applies to arrival delays of more than 3 hours, to cancellations announced without sufficient notice (more details here) and to denied boarding due to overbooking.

Working out whether you're entitled to compensation, and how to claim it from the airline, isn't always easy. To find out more, read our guide to Vueling compensation. Alternatively, you can check for free with AirHelp: just enter your flight details to find out in moments whether you're entitled to financial compensation.

Track your Vueling flight after check-in

Once online check-in is done, the wait for your flight begins. From that point on it's always a good idea to keep an eye on your flight status, especially if you have connections or someone picking you up when you land.

On the Vueling website you'll find the tool for checking your flight status, while the airline's app lets you view your booking and your boarding passes even without a connection. There's also the free AirHelp app, which adds one more feature: if your flight is delayed by more than 3 hours, is cancelled, or you're denied boarding, the app automatically checks whether you're entitled to compensation under Regulation EC 261/2004 and alerts you directly.

With the AirHelp app you can:

• receive real-time notifications about delays, cancellations, gate changes and baggage carousels;

• scan your boarding pass to add your flight quickly;

• share your flight status with whoever is picking you up;

• automatically check whether a disruption entitles you to compensation of up to €600;

• start your compensation claim straight from the app, with no paperwork.

The app is free and available on iOS and Android.