Vueling flights to Rome – the details

Further to our recent post about new Vueling flights from Malta to Rome, Vueling now has the flights on sale and they are flying on Tuesdays, Thursdays (evenings) and Sundays (mornings), starting 24 June.

The prices are very competitive. As a sample booking, we tried a peak season fare for the start of the summer holidays, leaving 01 July 14 and returning 6 July 14 – the prices are below:

Air Malta – €140.54 (down to €104.54 2 July 14 – 7 July 14)/ €636.54 (economy flexible)/ €698.54 (business flexible)
Alitalia – €218.54 (down to €128.54 2 July 14 – 7 July 14)/ €542.54 (economy flexible)/ €874.54 (business flexible)
easyJet – €82.09 (no checked bags)/ €114.73 (with checked luggage 20KG)/ (flexi fares not available) (2 July 14-7 July14 as easyJet does not fly on the above dates)
Vueling – €89.98 (no check bags)/ €123.98 (with checked luggage 23KGs & Avios points)/ €364.98 (business flexible)

Here’s a little background to this new route. Vueling’s opening of a new base in Rome, is no coincidence. It’s a strategic move as Europe’s 4th largest low-cost carrier, one well backed by the International Airline Group (IAG, owners of British and Spanish national airlines British Airways and Iberia), to target struggling Alitalia and go head on with fellow competitors easyJet and Ryanair which both have bases in Rome. The Rome market has also had a number of the European airlines circling like vultures for years, waiting for the seemingly inevitable demise of Alitalia.

Parent IAG wants to make Vueling its second largest airline brand behind BA, even surpassing its own former parent company, Iberia. It seems set that the new Vueling route to Rome will be here for the long term, to satisfy the ever present demand for short city breaks in one of the Maltese travelling public’s favourite destinations.

(Input from DW much appreciated)