PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 13812 times:
MUC-MAD-BCN: Spanair's Short Mad Dog & The Joy (Pain) of Vueling
Intro
Some months ago, reports about a possible demise of Spanish LCC Vueling were increasing - so I decided it would be about time to try that carrier. I had always found the airline somehow appealing: a LCC serving major airports, being creative with individual aircraft names and emphasizing high standards.
After checking VY's route network and fares I decided to focus on the MAD-BCN run. Some days later I found an itinerary which would include even three other new carriers (Air Europa, Swiss & Swiss European), one new type (RJ100) plus a rather rare type (MD-87): MUC-MAD (JK MD-87), MAD-BCN (VY A320), BCN-MAD (UX 738), MAD-ZRH (LX A320) and ZRH-MUC (LX RJ100).
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Munich (MUC) - Madrid (MAD)
Spanair, JK154
13:15-15:45 (13:26-16:11)
Flying time: 02:26 (hrs)
McDonnell Douglas MD-87
EC-KJE (s/n 1569), first delivered to SAS in 03/1989 as SE-DIF
Seat 20A
Web Check-in
After booking the MUC-MAD and MAD-ZRH-MUC combo on Expedia I received a Lufthansa reservation number so I could check in online on the evening before departure. I picked seat 20A on the MD-87 and printed the boarding pass - fast and easy. On the next day I could go straight to the gate at Terminal 2.
Star Alliance Bird
Out of 12 MD-87s in the Spanair fleet, only three ones are painted in standard colors - two planes wear SAS' livery and no less than seven birds are painted in Star Alliance colors. One of the latter ones showed up this afternoon - EC-KJE, a 1989 model once operated by SAS.
What I first noticed was that the seats on the Mad Dog aren't bad. I particularly liked the leather cushioned armrests.
Legroom wasn't generous - but still better than on the JK Airbus planes. And you even get a cupholder!
Cabin view (picture taken later in the flight):
The MD-87's cabin was quite clean (in contrast to the A321 last year) - and another positive aspect was the friendly crew: All FAs smiled a lots and seemed to enjoy their jobs (in contrast to some FAs last year). After doors were closed I knew the aisle seat would remain empty and I could stretch out (load factor some 85 percent).
Into Gray Skies
We were pushed back a bit late and taxied through the rain to runway 26L...
...where we finally took off powerfully at 13:36. No doubt, I will miss these Mad Dogs in a few years!
Engine right behind:
While the plane was still climbing one FA made a longer announcement, but I couldn't understand anything because of the engine noise. Not a good timing...
Only some 20 minutes later I could enjoy pretty views of the Alps:
Snack & Drinks
Last year Spanair had still offered free drinks and a snack on the international sector (BCN-MUC). I was interested to see what would happen one year later - and I wasn't too optimistic when I discovered the menu with prices on the last page of the inflight magazine. But surprise - the friendly FAs handed out free sandwiches and offered cold and warm drinks. The sandwich with ham and cheese wasn't a great culinary delight and the coffee tasted a bit strange - but still better than nothing (like on Iberia).
The remaining flight was uneventful until we passed some stunning cloud formations on approach to Madrid.
After the usual bumpy approach...
...we touched down after 2 hours and 26 minutes and taxied to our gate at Terminal 2.
Transfer to Terminal 4
Most aircraft landed on the close runway 33L so I preferred to stay at the old Terminal complex for a while. I spotted some interesting birds, e.g. Swiftair MD-80s, Pullmantur 747-400, MK Airlines 747-200F. Some 2,5 hours prior to my departure I decided to move over to Terminal 4 - unfortunately you can't stay in the transfer zone to do so. After a quite long walk I arrived at a bus stop where I had to wait some 20 minutes. The journey took about 10 minutes, so in the end it lasted about 40 minutes to switch to terminal 4. It was my first visit to the new terminal and I was quite impressed by the architecture. I'm not so sure whether it was a good decision to use lots of orange and yellow, but tastes are different.
There weren't long queues at security, but it took quite long, nevertheless. The problem is that many people still aren't aware at all of the "no liquids" rules...
Anyway, I finally made my way to the gate area and found out that my flight would from the main building and not from the satellite, called T4S. Views were limited, I missed many aircraft landing on 33L and even numerous planes going to and from T4. That airport is simply too large for spotters!
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Madrid (MAD) - Barcelona (BCN)
Vueling, VY1021
19:25-20:35 (19:19-20:21)
Flying time: 00:46 (hrs)
Airbus A320-214
EC-JGM "The joy of vueling" (MSN 2407), delivered in 04/2005
Seat 24F
Web Check-in, Volume 2
Vueling offers to check-in online seven days prior to departure which is outstanding - actually I had checked in about 24 hours in advance. I had pre-reserved a seat at the time of booking for 2€ which is a reasonable price.
The joy of vueling...
From my spot in the Terminal I hadn't noticed any Vueling plane arriving, so I was surprised to discover two of them parked next to each other while walking to my gate. The aircraft bound for BCN this evening was EC-JGM, a 2005 model named "The joy of vueling". The picture quality could be better - but I can tell it's not easy to take a picture through a dirty window.
Smiles not Included
The crowd at the gate was quite large so I concluded the flight would be full. Shortly after boarding was started, one of the gate agents stopped a passenger with a large carry-on. After a short test by the agent it was clear the bag would have to go into the belly but the passenger didn't want to accept. He took out a sheet of paper and after a loud argument he was finally allowed to proceed with the bag. The two agents apparently hadn't been in good mood even before - I'm quite sure their motivation was even worse now...
As so often, passengers with seats in the front of the aircraft slowed down the whole boarding process and the queue was stuck for a while in the jetway. When I finally entered the cabin, the male FA next to the door didn't even bother to say ANYTHING, he simply looked somewhere with a neutral face expression, but definitely not at the (unwelcome?) pax. Another (female) FA didn't bother to behave differently...
Cabin Comfort & Seating
The plane was equipped with gray leather seats and colorful headrest covers - that was the first and last positive impression on that aircraft...
When I finally arrived at my seat in row 24 I was shocked about the minimal legroom - actually that seat pitch is one of the worst I have ever experienced.
One problem is the conventional seat design - certain kinds of slimline seats really make a difference. The question is how the XL seat rows (10 Euro extra per seat) with slightly more legroom affect the pitch in the regular rows - considering that Vueling has installed the maximum of 180 seats on the A320s.
The flight wasn't completely full, some seats remained empty - including the middle seat in my row. Actually Vueling charges an extra fee of 25 Euro if you want to book a so-called Duo Seat (middle seat empty). I got that for free, but it still felt terribly cramped in that row - and the leather cover of the seats already looked quite worn. "The joy of vueling"? I'm sorry to say that "The pain of vueling" would have been a more appropriate name...
The Missing Flap Hinge Fairing
When I had just found a somehow acceptable seating position I discovered this - a missing flap hinge fairing on the wing:
As an experienced flyer I couldn't care less about such a missing cover, but I'm not sure how unexperienced travellers or even people with fear of flying react to that...
Crew Introduction & the Stream of Music
Pop music from the charts had been played all the time since I had boarded the plane - actually not the best choice of tracks, in my opinion. Finally the music was stopped when the purser introduced the crew to the passengers. I didn't hear the whole speech, but according to her, the first officer was from Toulouse and most FAs from Madrid. Nice idea, I must admit. The safety demonstration was done manually due to the lack of video screens on that aircraft. Some minutes later EC-JGM turned in and lifted off into bumpy skies after a rather long takeoff roll.
That looks like a nice neighborhood:
Short Inflight Sale
Like many LCCs, Vueling offers a wide range of food and snacks for sale. I would rate the prices as average, not cheap, but not overprized either. Anyway, the inflight sale only lasted a few minutes until the captain announced turbulences for the rest of the flight.
Goodbye, blue skies - there was a layer of thick clouds ahead on approach to Barcelona:
What a scenery: Really dark sky over the sea...
...and a few sunny spots:
The final descent was not as bumpy as expected - it seems we touched down just moments before the thunderstorm really got started.
We reached the gate more than ten minutes ahead of schedule and while the crowd was blocking the aisle I could enjoy listening to the chart hits again...
Anyway, I got off soon and quickly walked to the exit - where I was surprised about the very heavy rain and the masses of water on the streets. What a thunderstorm - not the kind of weather you would expect on a short trip to Barcelona...
Frontair Congress Hotel - Surprise Included
When searching for hotels in April I found the new Frontair Congress hotel in Sant Boi de Llobregat (opened in June) - actually quite cheap (60 Euro) compared to many others - and it offered a free shuttle service. I booked a room after I had been told via e-mail that they would pick me up - even though they said the shuttle timetable wouldn't be finalized yet. One day prior to departure I had written again to remind them, also mentioning flight number and arrival time...
Well, after seeing the masses of people waiting in front of the terminals, with endless rows of cars moving slowly through the rain I wasn't very optimistic about finding the shuttle. First of all, after asking at an info desk, I walked to the shuttle bus stop in front of Terminal B (Vueling flights arrive at Terminal C). It wasn't a long way, but enough to get totally wet in the heavy rain. I finally called the hotel and they promised to be there in ten minutes - which actually happened. At the front desk I asked about the shuttle on the next morning - and the answer was priceless: "The shuttle doesn't run on Sundays because it's the driver's day off."
Of course I was prepared for such a case and had a printout of the e-mail conversation ready - but I didn't need it. I told them about the front desk manager's promise and after a short discussion in Spanish one of the two ladies said: "We will call a taxi for you and pay for it." Good news, considering that the taxi journey costs about 15 Euro.
Finally, after the first key card hadn't worked, I entered my room. I must admit the interior was not to my taste...
Even though there was a non-smoking sign on the desk, the smell indicated it was a smokers' room. Anyway, instead of complaining again I went straight to the supermarket some minutes before closing time - due to the lack of a minibar and vending machines in the hotel.
Conclusion
Flying Spanair was better than expected - friendly crews, a clean cabin and free snacks and drinks are good arguments in these days. Of course, the quality of catering could be better, but as I said before - the large rival Iberia doesn't offer anything on European flights. The lack of sufficient leg room is a negative aspect, even though it was better than on the company's A32X models. I don't mind much about the lack of IFE on European flights - and that is even less important to me when flying on a Mad Dog.
Other than expected, flying on Vueling wasn't a pleasure at all. Booking flights and checking in is very convenient - but that's about it. The cramped seating is terrible - and unfriendly crews can make the overall experience even worse. Vueling is not a special LCC as it may seem - it's just another very average one in the LCC crowd. I once read that Vueling has been treating passengers well after cancellations, but I can't comment on that. It will be interesting to see what happens to the product after the merger with clickair.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 2, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 13639 times:
Quoting OHLHD (Reply 1): I was planning to go with Vueling as well but decided to take Clickair ( which was no pleasure at all!)
I also checked Clickair when I was searching for flights, but fares were simply to high. Nevertheless, I might try to get a flight on clickair before the merger.
Quoting OHLHD (Reply 1): Can I ask you how tall you are just get an impression how narrow the seats are.
Aviator86 From Australia, joined Jul 2008, 45 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 8 hours ago) and read 13122 times:
Great report PlaneHunter! I can now see why you reffered yourself as a "veteran trip reporter." I am looking forward to seeing more of your reports!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The lack of sufficient leg room is a negative aspect, even though it was better than on the company's A32X models
May that have been because it originally belong to SAS? I have flown with them a few times and in general (from what I can remember), they tend to have very little leg room.
Rogerbcn From Andorra, joined Sep 2006, 1135 posts, RR: 19 Reply 6, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 7 hours ago) and read 13100 times:
Hola PH!
Thanks for this intersting TR.
That Saturday we had a terrible storm that blew BCN right before 21.00. It lasted about 20 minutes and I think you were just lucky to have landed by then. I think operations were stopped for a while at the airport, it was a typical summer thunderstorm with lots of wind and rain.
VY service can vary from very friendly to the one you described. I think you were really unlucky.
Glad to hear that service to the airport from the hotel got solved so easily.
Salut!
Roger
"At reise er at leve" H.C. Andersen (Travelling is Living)
UPPERDECKFAN From Spain, joined Jun 2007, 992 posts, RR: 1 Reply 7, posted (4 years 9 months 3 weeks 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 13025 times:
Nice TR
IMO, VY overall flying experience is much worse than XG's. Let see what the merge brings.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Reply 2): Shortly after boarding was started, one of the gate agents stopped a passenger with a large carry-on. After a short test by the agent it was clear the bag would have to go into the belly but the passenger didn't want to accept.
Seems to me that there are always issues with carry-on sizes on VY, some people that have flown them frequently believe that they have a smaller than standard fitting case so more people have to check their luggage
FLIEGER67 From Turkey, joined Sep 2003, 4387 posts, RR: 57 Reply 8, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 6 days 3 hours ago) and read 12873 times:
Hi, PH,
real interesting story and pix, but nothing else expected from your point of view.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): McDonnell Douglas MD-87
EC-KJE (s/n 1569), first delivered to SAS in 03/1989 as SE-DIF
Congrats, not that easy to catch the MD87 these days.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): The journey took about 10 minutes, so in the end it lasted about 40 minutes to switch to terminal 4.
Isnt there a subway line extension between the old terminals and T4?.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): At the front desk I asked about the shuttle on the next morning - and the answer was priceless: "The shuttle doesn't run on Sundays because it's the driver's day off."
Whisperjet From Germany, joined Nov 2007, 552 posts, RR: 9 Reply 9, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 5 days 14 hours ago) and read 12794 times:
Hi,
thank you for posting this interesting trip report. Even though Vueling's product does not seem to be too good, I really like their low fares and I think I will try them next year in combination with LAN's FRA-MAD flights.
The interior of the Spanair MD-87 is the still the same you can find in Scandinavian' MD-87. They didn't change anything when they overtook this plane from SAS.
Although the Spanair sandwich doesn't look like a culinary delight, it is good to hear that they at least try to make a difference to what Iberia offers.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 10, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 4 days 7 hours ago) and read 12653 times:
Thanks for all your comments!
Quoting Aviator86 (Reply 5): Great report PlaneHunter! I can now see why you reffered yourself as a "veteran trip reporter." I am looking forward to seeing more of your reports!
Thanks, Amir. I hope to see more of yours, too.
Quoting Aviator86 (Reply 5): May that have been because it originally belong to SAS? I have flown with them a few times and in general (from what I can remember), they tend to have very little leg room.
Not necessarily. The A320 and A321 I had were delivered factory new.
Quoting Rogerbcn (Reply 6): That Saturday we had a terrible storm that blew BCN right before 21.00. It lasted about 20 minutes and I think you were just lucky to have landed by then. I think operations were stopped for a while at the airport, it was a typical summer thunderstorm with lots of wind and rain.
Yes, I saw several lightnings some ten minutes after landing. Do you often get similar thunderstorms in summer?
Quoting UPPERDECKFAN (Reply 7): Seems to me that there are always issues with carry-on sizes on VY, some people that have flown them frequently believe that they have a smaller than standard fitting case so more people have to check their luggage
Interesting...
Quoting UPPERDECKFAN (Reply 7): JK have the even more rare 717, I flew it a while ago on VLC-BCN.
True, but I guess those won't be retired anytime soon.
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 8): Congrats, not that easy to catch the MD87 these days.
Yes - and soon it will be even harder to get them, considering JK's fleet plans.
Quoting FLIEGER67 (Reply 8): Isnt there a subway line extension between the old terminals and T4?.
I think so, yes. Probably I will try that next time.
Quoting Whisperjet (Reply 9): Even though Vueling's product does not seem to be too good, I really like their low fares and I think I will try them next year in combination with LAN's FRA-MAD flights.
Sounds like a nice combination.
Quoting Whisperjet (Reply 9): The interior of the Spanair MD-87 is the still the same you can find in Scandinavian' MD-87. They didn't change anything when they overtook this plane from SAS.
SandroZRH From Switzerland, joined Feb 2007, 3382 posts, RR: 51 Reply 11, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 4 days 6 hours ago) and read 12629 times:
Hey PH
Thanks for the interesting read, and the nice pics to go with it.
You might be surprised, but i had a great experience on Vueling on CDG-AMS last year. The F/As were friendly, and i don't recall the cabin being cramped. Did they change the seating arrangement in the meantime? I also found the BOB selection pretty good, with reasonable prices.
Three years ago on our "Abireise" to Lloret del Mar, we flew BSL-BCN-GVA on U2, and on the day of our return journey, there was a MASSIVE thunderstorm at BCN, much like you described it. The streets turned into rivers, there was about an estimated 10cm layer of water on the apron and the airport was on a groundstop. Our flight was delayed several hours and in the end we almost gor stranded at GVA because we almost missed the last train to ZRH around midnight. But since the girls of our class were not bad at all, I wouldnt have minded
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): "The shuttle doesn't run on Sundays because it's the driver's day off."
BA319-131 From United Kingdom, joined Jan 2001, 8263 posts, RR: 56 Reply 12, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 3 days 2 hours ago) and read 12530 times:
Great stuff PH, thanks!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I found an itinerary which would include even three other new carriers (Air Europa, Swiss & Swiss European), one new type (RJ100) plus a rather rare type (MD-87): MUC-MAD (JK MD-87), MAD-BCN (VY A320), BCN-MAD (UX 738), MAD-ZRH (LX A320) and ZRH-MUC (LX RJ100).
- nice routing, when are you sharing the return?
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Legroom wasn't generous - but still better than on the JK Airbus planes
- Wow, they must be real bad!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Last year Spanair had still offered free drinks and a snack on the international sector (BCN-MUC). I was interested to see what would happen one year later - and I wasn't too optimistic when I discovered the menu with prices on the last page of the inflight magazine. But surprise - the friendly FAs handed out free sandwiches and offered cold and warm drinks. The sandwich with ham and cheese wasn't a great culinary delight and the coffee tasted a bit strange - but still better than nothing (like on Iberia).
- Interesting, I assumed they had dropped food/drink like IB, ie you gotta pay!
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I had pre-reserved a seat at the time of booking for 2€ which is a reasonable price.
- Very good when compared to U2 & BE.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): I entered my room. I must admit the interior was not to my taste
- How Gastly!! - Who on earth tohough of those shocking colours??
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 13, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 12455 times:
Thanks for your comments, Sandro and Mark!
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 11): You might be surprised, but i had a great experience on Vueling on CDG-AMS last year. The F/As were friendly, and i don't recall the cabin being cramped. Did they change the seating arrangement in the meantime?
Strange - where were you seated?
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 11): Three years ago on our "Abireise" to Lloret del Mar, we flew BSL-BCN-GVA on U2, and on the day of our return journey, there was a MASSIVE thunderstorm at BCN, much like you described it. The streets turned into rivers, there was about an estimated 10cm layer of water on the apron and the airport was on a groundstop.
Sounds really familiar!
Quoting SandroZRH (Reply 11): But since the girls of our class were not bad at all, I wouldnt have minded
I'm sorry for you!
Quoting BA319-131 (Reply 12): - nice routing, when are you sharing the return?
Contact Air From Germany, joined Apr 2001, 1154 posts, RR: 14 Reply 14, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 12339 times:
Hi PH,
as usual a very informative report; nice to read with great pictures. It's a pity that Vueling didn't meet your expectations. On the other side, Spanair seemed to be better than expected.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Actually Vueling charges an extra fee of 25 Euro if you want to book a so-called Duo Seat (middle seat empty).
That's an interesting concept - I have never heard of something like that. So they won't be able to sell all seats on an aircraft if several people have booked this service.
Quoting PlaneHunter (Thread starter): Finally the music was stopped when the purser introduced the crew to the passengers. I didn't hear the whole speech, but according to her, the first officer was from Toulouse and most FAs from Madrid. Nice idea, I must admit.
I like that idea as well. Makes travelling more personal.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 15, posted (4 years 9 months 2 weeks 7 hours ago) and read 12258 times:
Quoting Contact Air (Reply 14): That's an interesting concept - I have never heard of something like that. So they won't be able to sell all seats on an aircraft if several people have booked this service.
Thanks for the feedback, Christoph. True, not a common concept. Would be interesting to know how long they have been offering that service and how's the passenger acceptance.
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 17, posted (4 years 9 months 1 week 1 day 3 hours ago) and read 12007 times:
Quoting Taichen (Reply 16): That free sandwich snack on JKK is really a shame -- they are an *A carrier, after all. But still, far better than nothing, as you say.
Well, there are many carriers and almost even more different standards in that alliance...
Quoting Taichen (Reply 16): They really try to make them appear as "hip & trendy", but I don't really see what's the fuzz all about.
Exactly - actually not much behind the cover of marketing.
Airbuseric From Netherlands, joined Jan 2005, 4015 posts, RR: 52 Reply 18, posted (4 years 9 months 1 week 13 hours ago) and read 11944 times:
Hi PH,
I totally agree with that narrow pitch on Vueling; although I've found the crew nice on my single flight on them (EC-JPL). I was seated in row 4 or 5, if I remember correctly.
Although I've had 1 cancellation flight one them, and with another booking they totally ruined their schedule, not fiitting my needs, so I had to issue myself a pair of standby tix on AF/KL (It was the CDG-AMS run). Vueling will not see my business again...
The MD80's with JK are indeed good, I also found the seats comfortable and an ok pitch. Seated more to the front will enable you to hear the conversations from the crew
Gruß
Eric
"The whole world steps aside for the man who knows where he is going"
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 19, posted (4 years 9 months 5 days 4 hours ago) and read 11784 times:
Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 18): I totally agree with that narrow pitch on Vueling; although I've found the crew nice on my single flight on them (EC-JPL). I was seated in row 4 or 5, if I remember correctly.
Hi Eric, good to hear you had a better crew. Do you remember whether they already offered the XL seat rows?
Quoting Airbuseric (Reply 18): Although I've had 1 cancellation flight one them, and with another booking they totally ruined their schedule, not fiitting my needs, so I had to issue myself a pair of standby tix on AF/KL (It was the CDG-AMS run). Vueling will not see my business again...
DALCE From Netherlands, joined Feb 2007, 1581 posts, RR: 7 Reply 20, posted (4 years 8 months 3 weeks 2 days 9 hours ago) and read 11342 times:
Hi Ph,
As usual a very nice report, with some interesting flights included.
JK seems to offer a decent product to their pax. Obviously they are not the best in the market, but this level of service is acceptable.
I really hope they will survive the current trouble they are going through.
Vueling is an airline which I wanted to try out aswell, but if you are 171cm and those legs are yours.....I rather walk to spain....... With my 1.93mtr there will be no way to sit on board a Vueling 320.....
As Airbuseric stated, they will not see my business...
Thanks for sharing your report of high standard!
Viele Grüsse,
Joost ( D-ALCE )
flown on : F50,F70,CR1,CR2,CR9,E75,143,AR8,AR1,733,735,736,73G,738,753,744,319,320,321,AB6. Next flights AMS-ZRH-AMS on
PlaneHunter From Germany, joined Mar 2006, 6190 posts, RR: 79 Reply 21, posted (4 years 8 months 2 weeks 13 hours ago) and read 11041 times:
Hi Joost, thanks for your feedback.
Quoting DALCE (Reply 20): Vueling is an airline which I wanted to try out aswell, but if you are 171cm and those legs are yours.....I rather walk to spain.......
Well, 178cm, but I guess that doesn't make a big difference for you. 193cm is simply too much for that pitch!