TRIP REPORT: Vueling, Barcelona - Ljubljana inaugural

TRIP REPORT

Written by Matjaž Nose

Finally, regular direct flights between Barcelona and Ljubljana have been established. On November 16, 2025 I was aboard inaugural flight from Barcelona to Ljubljana, and I want to share my experience during this Vueling flight in the lines below.

Most convenient way from Barcelona to El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport is Aerobus departing from Plaza de Catalunya. There are two busses, each heading to a different terminal (T1 or T2). Since my Vueling flight departed from Terminal 1, I took the A1 bus heading to T1. I had already checked in online and I had no luggage, so I walked straight to the security check. I was airside within ten to fifteen minutes.

The flight VY8670 had a scheduled departure time of 13:10 with arrival in Ljubljana at 15:15. Vueling’s fleet comprises of A319, A320 and A320 aircraft. Most of their fleet consist of A320 jets and that was the aircraft type designated for the inaugural Barcelona - Ljubljana flight too. The 10-year-old airplane, registered EC-MJB, arrived from its morning Manchester rotation slightly ahead of schedule before it had the honour to inaugurate the Barcelona - Ljubljana route.

I had some extra time to spend before departure, so I headed to Starbucks’ outdoor terrace (it is like a patio, so unfortunately you do not see any airplanes from this terrace, only the sky, blue sunny sky when I was there).

Barcelona Airport Terminal 1

The boarding gate was announced an hour before departure, A4 it was. There were three lines for three boarding groups: 1, 2 and 3. Since I wanted to be sure I have a window seat, I pre-booked it for €7 (the flight ticket itself bought at the end of September cost €41.99 basic fare with one underseat cabin bag).

Boarding was completed on time and, to my surprise, the flight was pretty full. If I must estimate the load factor, I would say it was around 80-90%. Once on board, I had immediately noticed special headrest covers advertising Vueling's new destination Ljubljana. Additionally, there was a bag with printed inaugural flight data on every seat, comprising of some Vueling branded gifts and a map of Ljubljana highlighting its key sights. A really nice surprise from the airline!

The cabin crew, as well as the pilot, didn't forget to announce that we were on the inaugural flight between the biggest Catalonian and Slovenian cities. All announcements during the flight were made in three languages: English, Spanish and Catalonian.

Contents of the gift bag

At 13:12 we were pushed back, and after standard pre-departure procedures, we took off at 13:27. After reaching the cruising altitude, we were informed that the shop on board was open. I checked the menu and ordered a small bottle of red Spanish wine to celebrate this long-awaited direct flight between Ljubljana and Barcelona.

Seats in the cabin are standard economy seats with pretty standard legroom, not much different compared to legacy carriers in Europe. The flight was more or less uneventful, though we had light turbulence some 50 minutes into the flight. We flew along the French Mediterranean cost, crossed Northern Italy before reaching Slovenian airspace and starting our descent into Ljubljana Airport.

Departing Barcelona

Shop on board menu

We landed at 14:58, fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled arrival time. It was raining when we disembarked through both the front and rear doors. In the terminal, we were greeted with chocolate lollipops with white and yellow coatings, which are also Vueling’s colours.

Approaching Ljubljana Airport

What to say at the end? I enjoyed the flight, and I have a good feeling that this route will be a successful one.

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