Review of Vueling Airlines flight from London to Rome in Economy

INTRO

Hello everyone! Ciao a tutti!
Last November my sister turned 18, therefore I decided to buy a plane ticket for both as b-day present. After evaluating many different European cities (Paris, Bruxelles, Barcelona…) I chose London. Having spent two months there last Summer, it would have been an occasion to be her "guide".
By the end of October I searched the flights. Thanks to SkyScanner I found the best solution: British Airways for the outbound flight to London-Gatwick and Vueling for the return flight.
I chose the first weekend of March to be free with university exams.

7th March Roma Fiumicino - London Gatwick with British Airways A319
10th March London Gatwick - Roma Fiumicino with Vueling A320 (YOU ARE HERE)

Even if Vueling allows online check-in, they asks a small payment even for the worse seat. Having planned to get to LGW early, we decided to make the check-in at VY counters.
As we would discover later, this has been the right choice.

AT THE AIRPORT

After spending 3 wonderful days it's time to come back home
Being the flight around half-past-seven in the evening, we decided to be at the airport around 5:30 PM
Just to be sure we left the hotel in Bayswater around 3:30 PM
Queensway tube station, on the Central Line

To get to Victoria Station, it's necessary to change in Oxford Circus Tube Station
Victoria Line's train

We reached Victoria Station around 4:20PM
From this station it's quite easy to get to LGW, using the Southern service

Crossing river Thames

Battersea Power Station, under renovation

The train took around 40 minutes to reach LGW

Gatwick station is close to South Terminal, the one we would depart from

The check-in hall, a bit dark and old-style, seemed to be under refurbishment

Vueling check-in is handled at row E, quite close to the entrance

When we get to the counter the agent told us that the plane was full
This meant that we had to board our baggages
Since I had bought a vinyl record in Brick Lane Market, I asked him if it was possible to bring the baggage onboard
Moreover me and my sister didn't want to wait for them once arrived at FCO
To help us the very kind agent gave us seats in the third row, 3E and 3F, so in the first boarding group

Having nothing to do we proceeded upstairs for the security checkpoint

Even if there was almost no queue, the control took around 10 minutes
Some lines were closed and people had to rush to prepare their baggages
Maybe just one more line would have relieve the congestion

As other UK airports, the obliged passage through the duty free shop

FIDS showing our flight to be on time
We had around one hour before gate announcement

Since we had to buy a marmalade we went to Harrod's shop

The departure lounge

Going upstairs to the food mezzanine

We spent most of the time at Wondertree restaurant, the only place to get a view of the apron
South Terminal pier: Aer Lingus A320, British Airways A319s, Vueling A320 and Ryanair 737

TUIFly 787 waiting for departure around easyJet A320s

Corporate pic

Being close to the boarding time we went downstairs

The gate was finally shown: 13, at the beginning of the long pier

A lot of italian people rushing to the gate as us XD

Time to go home…

We were quickly enough to be boarded among the first people
Gate agents let us to keep our baggages
The holdroom

Our plane just arrived from Rome
EC-MFK, an A320 equipeed with sharklets, delivered in March 2015 (4.0 years old)

Being in boarding group 1 we were among the first to get onboard

THE FLIGHT

Flight details
Airline: Vueling
Flight Number: VY6229
Departure: London Gatwick - LGW
Scheduled Departure Time: 19:35
Actual Departure Time: 19:47
Arrival: Roma Fiumicino - FCO
Scheduled Arrival Time: 23:05
Actual Arrival Time: 23:14
Flight Time: 2h 27m
Travel Date: Sunday March 10th
Class: Economy Space Plus
Seat: 3E
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Registration: EC-MFK

Cabin door

Thanks to the kind check-in agent we seated on 3E and 3F, in SpacePlus area
The legroom was great

Norwegian 787 next to us

Doors were closed on time

Bye bye London!

Being very tired I felt asleep immediately after the takeoff
I woke up while flying over Liguria Region
Even if the landing was a bit bumpy, some passengers clap their hands…
We were parked on a remote gate, next to a Ryanair 737

Goodnight EC-MFK

R(H)ome Sweet Home

The glass "bubble" containing the food court of the new boarding lounge

Passport control made in no time thanks to eGates

The baggage hall

We proceeded straigh to the exit, where we met our parents
Thank you for your attention!