The Spanish airline Vueling was founded in 2004 and is now the second largest carrier in Spain after Iberia. The original shareholders of the airline included the successful US airline JetBlue, as well as a number of financial investors. In mid 2009, Vueling merged with the Spanish low-cost airline Clickair. The two airlines combined their operations under the Vueling brand.
Iberia currently has a 46% share in Vueling. The parent company of British Airways and Iberia, the International Consolidated Airlines Group (IAG), plans to take over the Spanish low-cost carrier.
In 2004, the year the company was founded, Vueling's first flight took off from Barcelona bound for Ibiza. Since the summer of 2013, Vueling has also flown from Dortmund to Barcelona, where connecting flights to a number of destinations in Europe and North Africa are available.
The company's home base at El Prat de Llobregat Airport is not far from the capital of Catalo-nia. With more than 70 destinations in Europe, North Africa and the Middle East and more than 14 million passengers in 2012, Vueling is one of Europe's fastest growing airlines. Vueling offers travellers affordable flights and a high-quality service. Alongside its strong social responsibility and environmental awareness, the airline also has very high safety standards. The airline's flight safety has been certified by the highest supervisory body in the aviation industry, following a comprehensive and globally recognised operational safety inspection. Vueling uses the well known company Lufthansa Technik to maintain its aircraft. In the summer of 2012, its fleet consisted of a total of 59 planes, of which 57 were Airbus A320s and two Airbus A310s with an average age of around eight years.
The company's attractive bonus programmes, Punto and Iberia Plus, allow passengers to gain valuable points for flights, including those from Dortmund Airport, and to redeem them against flights or other services. Vueling's award for the best loyalty programme indicates a high level of customer satisfaction and demonstrates the success of its services.
When booking a flight, passengers can choose from one of three different fare types. The Basic fare offers low-cost flights and bonus points. The Optima fare includes an item of luggage up to 23 kilos and the choice of the front and back rows of seats in the aircraft, together with the option of rebooking onto an earlier flight on the same day. The Excellence fare offers passengers a specially tailored programme, including a seat in the first row with no one in the adjacent seat, total flexibility on changes and cancellations, snacks and drinks on board and immediate online check-in.