Alitalia MilleMiglia - Recent Alitalia experience..

Flew AMS-FCO-ATH-FCO-AMS last week. The experience was...stressful.

Initial checkin was redirected to KLM. Was able to check in for the first two segments, but for FCO-ATH I was assigned 30B. Unable to change online until at the airport.

The way back was a new experience. Received an email for online checkin, which resulted in a 'general error'. Contacted KL and they were able to check me at least in for the FCO-AMS segment (KL operated, AZ ticketed).

Arrived at the airport early, 10:30AM for a 14:10 departure. Went to check in and get an invite for the lounge..but no. The staff told me to buzz off until 12, as they were not allowed to give out my BP until the previous AZ flight would take off. (12:30 departure). Without BP i cant enter the secure area and therefore cant visit the lounge. So 1.5 hours of waiting outside.

At 12 I come back, huge queues. They have not at all finished checking in people for the 12:30 flight. I wait 20 minutes until they finish. Then there is a group of non-revs that they have to print BP's for, they run off to catch the flight. Then they see me waiting at the Business checkin and gesture me to come. Im told, not asked, that I take the 12:30 flight instead. BP is already printed. Run run! Ridiculous.

After doing the security checks and a sprint to the gate, I hear my name announced telling me that the flight is closing and I need to hurry. Great. I get on the plane, no space for my luggage. After figuring out to stow it in the business cabin (while my seat is all the way in the back) we wait. 12:30 passes...12:45 passes...and more people board. No announcements. At 13:00 we leave and the captain announces a late arrival in FCO. No apologies whatsoever for a 45 minute delay.

In FCO I decide to take a chance and get in line for the transfer desk. Thankfully they allow me to take an earlier flight to AMS, since my original flight now leaves in 6 hours due to me arriving almost 3 hours earlier than planned.

So the day, which was tiring due to the fact I had to leave for the airport at 4AM (!), was a true hectic mess. Not being able to check in from home and choose proper seats. No lounge access. Not being told that they were planning to put me on an earlier flight. Having to sprint through ATH airport to make a flight which would leave in 5 min. 90 minutes delay without apologies. Being seated in the worst last available seats in the back of the plane. No food served at either flight, while I had to skip lunch due to time constraints and denied lounge access. A very bad experience.

Lets just say that Im thankful for KL to allow the crown lounge to be used for arrivals in AMS, allowing me to at least have lunch at 6PM. The *only* good point about the whole thing is that I was home an hour earlier than planned, due to the fact they let me take an earlier flight out of FCO as well.

Any chance (as non Milemiglia member) to get any sort of compensation for this kind of thing? Or is it as simple as accepting the worst and just avoid them from now on?

Thanks :)

Initial checkin was redirected to KLM. Was able to check in for the first two segments, but for FCO-ATH I was assigned 30B. Unable to change online until at the airport.

The way back was a new experience. Received an email for online checkin, which resulted in a 'general error'. Contacted KL and they were able to check me at least in for the FCO-AMS segment (KL operated, AZ ticketed).

? Online check-in is obviously not available for code-share flights.

Arrived at the airport early, 10:30AM for a 14:10 departure. Went to check in and get an invite for the lounge..but no. The staff told me to buzz off until 12, as they were not allowed to give out my BP until the previous AZ flight would take off. (12:30 departure). Without BP i cant enter the secure area and therefore cant visit the lounge. So 1.5 hours of waiting outside.
So the day, which was tiring due to the fact I had to leave for the airport at 4AM (!), was a true hectic mess.

It looks like you only got up early so as to arrive at the airport 3 hours earlier than necessary (?), which is certainly not Alitalia's fault. Check-in for short-haul flights is always opening 2 hours before take-off.

At 12 I come back, huge queues. They have not at all finished checking in people for the 12:30 flight. I wait 20 minutes until they finish. Then there is a group of non-revs that they have to print BP's for, they run off to catch the flight. Then they see me waiting at the Business checkin and gesture me to come. Im told, not asked, that I take the 12:30 flight instead. BP is already printed. Run run! Ridiculous.

After doing the security checks and a sprint to the gate, I hear my name announced telling me that the flight is closing and I need to hurry. Great. I get on the plane, no space for my luggage. After figuring out to stow it in the business cabin (while my seat is all the way in the back) we wait. 12:30 passes...12:45 passes...and more people board. No announcements. At 13:00 we leave and the captain announces a late arrival in FCO. No apologies whatsoever for a 45 minute delay.

It was only a thirty minute delay according to what you yourself have said, and it was really a 1 hour anticipation, which you seem to be annoyed about even though it saved you much of your 4 hour wait at the airport, which was caused by yourself.

In FCO I decide to take a chance and get in line for the transfer desk. Thankfully they allow me to take an earlier flight to AMS, since my original flight now leaves in 6 hours due to me arriving almost 3 hours earlier than planned.

Incoherent with your previous statements as your flight only left one hour earlier than you were expecting and also it was you who chose to take a huge 3 hour layover. They put you on the earlier flight, you should be happy about that.

Not being able to check in from home and choose proper seats. No lounge access.
Lounge access was of course available and online check-in apart from being a non-necessity is never available for code-share flights.

Not being told that they were planning to put me on an earlier flight.
Of course you were told, otherwise how would you have known to get on it.

Having to sprint through ATH airport to make a flight which would leave in 5 min. 90 minutes delay without apologies.

No one was forcing you to sprint and also we have already said that the delay was 30 minutes only and due to passengers arriving late.

Being seated in the worst last available seats in the back of the plane.
All the seats are the same, and when asking at check-in they will change your seat if another one is available

No food served at either flight,
Incorrect, unless I am missing something here.

while I had to skip lunch due to time constraints and denied lounge access. A very bad experience.
You could have used the lounge in FCO.

Any chance (as non Milemiglia member) to get any sort of compensation for this kind of thing?

????????????????????????????????????????????????

Thanks :)

Sorry if I was a bit harsh but your complaint seems almost nonsensical to me.

The above experience from Xandrios goes to prove my personal theory concerning the Italian carrier i.e. if anything goes wrong then you're basically up for a proper nightmare.

As regards to compensation: I asked and got compensation a couple of times (I have to say that my complaint was even promptly addressed), but I was Freccia Alata Plus at the time and I had to write a letter because they ignored my emails so my advice is: do complain but put it in writing and address it to the local Alitalia office.

? Online check-in is obviously not available for code-share flights.

Are you sure? I thought you could check in through the Air France or KLM website for flights operated in code-share [such as MAN-CDG or MAN-AMS] on AZ issued tickets.

Of course you were told, otherwise how would you have known to get on it.

According to Xandrios, he was left with no choice and forced to get on the earlier flight. It happened to me once for a FCO-CDG, I have to say.

Are you sure? I thought you could check in through the Air France or KLM website for flights operated in code-share [such as MAN-CDG or MAN-AMS] on AZ issued tickets.

That is really nothing other than a loophole in the system that occaisonally works, and in any case it seems a very minor annoyance to want compensation for.

Hi bungler, please dont take my posts personal. Nobody attacks you...

? Online check-in is obviously not available for code-share flights.
Obviously it is, because in both cases Alitalia sent me an email saying that I can do online-check in. With a link. Which resulted in a page with an error message.

Furthermore even the cheapest of the cheapest airline offers online checkin nowadays. Are you saying Alitalia is so incredibly behind that they are unable to offer such a basic service?

It looks like you only got up early so as to arrive at the airport 3 hours earlier than necessary (?), which is certainly not Alitalia's fault. Check-in for short-haul flights is always opening 2 hours before take-off.

I got up early because the public transport in Greece does not let me get at the airport at a more convenient time. I tried to show why this experience was tiring, hence my remark about 4AM.

Where does it say this rule about 2 hours before departure? Online check in should be available 24 hours before departure...why not at the airport like any other airline?

It was only a thirty minute delay according to what you yourself have said, and it was really a 1 hour anticipation, which you seem to be annoyed about even though it saved you much of your 4 hour wait at the airport, which was caused by yourself.
We left a little after 13:00 hours. I was annoyed for not being able to use the lounge, for having to run to make the flight. For being hungry. For alitalia putting me in an INVOLUNTARY REROUTE while I did not ask nor was asked for that. And while there didnt seem to be a valid reason for the situation in the first place. Why couldn't I fly the ticket I paid for? Which was actually more expensive than what I flew due to their changes?

Furthermore, I much rather wait in ATH than in FCO. The lounge in FCO is nowhere near the quality of the one in ATH.

Incoherent with your previous statements as your flight only left one hour earlier than you were expecting and also it was you who chose to take a huge 3 hour layover. They put you on the earlier flight, you should be happy about that.
I did not want to leave earlier. I wanted to have lunch and take it easy. I wanted to get what I booked and paid for.

Lounge access was of course available and online check-in apart from being a non-necessity is never available for code-share flights.
It was not available as they did not want to provide my BP when I asked, which means no lounge access. When they did give me the BP the flight would leave in 5 minutes, leaving no time to use the lounge.

Of course you were told, otherwise how would you have known to get on it. I would appreciate to know the flight times a bit earlier than 5 minutes before take of. If they were planning to move people to earlier flights they should have called them long before boarding to ask if they whould actually want that. Some people actually oppose to running through the airport like an animal.

No one was forcing you to sprint and also we have already said that the delay was 30 minutes only and due to passengers arriving late.
Yes they did. They told me to run because the flight would leave in 5 minutes. The airport announced my name just minutes after i got the BP for a last call of boarding.

All the seats are the same, and when asking at check-in they will change your seat if another one is available
If you read the above you will realize check-in was not quite in the mood / having the time to do any such request. And I am sure you also know that not every seat is the same. Otherwise I am sure you would not mind flying the B or E seats from now on?

Incorrect, unless I am missing something here.
Food, as in something else than 3 crackers, was not served. Mind you, I was early at the airport expecting have a proper warm lunch at the lounge. I had not eaten since the (very early) morning.

You could have used the lounge in FCO.
The main lounge for Shengen flights is closed and the only available one (Boromini or something?) does not offer proper food from what I understand. The only way was to get to AMS as quick as possible and use the lounge there.

????????????????????????????????????????????????
As a skyteam elite plus I expect to not be treated like an animal. Is that strange?

Sorry if I was a bit harsh but your complaint seems almost nonsensical to me.
I think you should try flying another airline to see what you have been missing. Sorry if that sounds harsh ;-)

Obviously it is, because in both cases Alitalia sent me an email saying that I can do online-check in. With a link.

Yes, that automatic e-mail was a mistake because online check-in is only for AZ-operated flights (occaisonally you can succeed in checking-in on the operating carrier's website).

Apart from that however your comments seem exaggerated and out of place. Of course I have flown other airlines, and had some worse "experiences" than yours without asking for compensation.

Also the check-in staff will have been assigned by Athens airport, which is regrettable as AZ used to hire their own check-in agents, however their behaviour can't be blamed directly on AZ. You will have met AZ staff on the plane and in FCO only.

Flew AMS-FCO-ATH-FCO-AMS last week. The experience was...stressful.


Some people really make up for their own private hell when travelling.

Initial checkin was redirected to KLM. Was able to check in for the first two segments, but for FCO-ATH I was assigned 30B. Unable to change online until at the airport.

The way back was a new experience. Received an email for online checkin, which resulted in a 'general error'. Contacted KL and they were able to check me at least in for the FCO-AMS segment (KL operated, AZ ticketed).


Check in online for skyteam flights with codeshares or a ticket plated by a different airline does not work properly. That's why it should be avoided (same issue will happen to you with DL and AF, to make an example).

Im told, not asked, that I take the 12:30 flight instead. BP is already printed. Run run! Ridiculous.


Did it happen to you that, if flights were delayed, this "run run" avoided you to spend a night in Rome?


In FCO I decide to take a chance and get in line for the transfer desk. Thankfully they allow me to take an earlier flight to AMS,


So, you arrived at the airport early, there was a line, you were put on the earlier flight instead of leaving you to rot with a delayed flight, you were placed on an earlier flight in Rome... and you are complaining about what, exactly? :rolleyes:


No lounge access.


You could access the lounge in Rome, and have lunch there as well.


No food served at either flight


This was known to you when you booked.

The only thing that would PROBABLY have made your experience better would be communication, at check-in in Athens, that they were putting you on an earlier flight for your own protection. But besides that, really, you have been treated fairly well :-)

Furthermore, I much rather wait in ATH than in FCO. The lounge in FCO is nowhere near the quality of the one in ATH.

The lounge in Rome at D pier is way better than the lounge in ATH. Which is, additionally, an airport lounge, which is why you would need an invitation in the first place.

As regards to compensation: I asked and got compensation a couple of times (I have to say that my complaint was even promptly addressed), but I was Freccia Alata Plus at the time and I had to write a letter because they ignored my emails

CFP members have their own private e-mail for complaint, with a turnaround of about 48 hours. Tried and tested multiple times. Just sayin'.

CFP members have their own private e-mail for complaint, with a turnaround of about 48 hours. Tried and tested multiple times. Just sayin'.

I'm afraid that does not apply to UK based members. In fact, the relevant section on the Alitalia website clearly says Customer Service at your local Alitalia Office with no mention of telephone numbers nor email contacts.

Yes, that automatic e-mail was a mistake because online check-in is only for AZ-operated flights (occaisonally you can succeed in checking-in on the operating carrier's website).

Apart from that however your comments seem exaggerated and out of place. Of course I have flown other airlines, and had some worse "experiences" than yours without asking for compensation.

Also the check-in staff will have been assigned by Athens airport, which is regrettable as AZ used to hire their own check-in agents, however their behaviour can't be blamed directly on AZ. You will have met AZ staff on the plane and in FCO only.

The email should not have been a mistake. And again, if even the cheapest airlines can do Online Check In, even on codeshares, why can't Alitalia offer this?

I am sure that you have had worse experiences. However this was not a cheap flight. We are talking about an almost 400 euro economy roundtrip within Europe. I expect better service than what I received for that kind of money, and secondly, because I am Skyteam Elite plus. I am entitled to use the lounge. And I am entitled to fly the routes at the times that I paid for.

Check in online for skyteam flights with codeshares or a ticket plated by a different airline does not work properly. That's why it should be avoided (same issue will happen to you with DL and AF, to make an example).

And where does it say this? Alitalia says on their website that they offer Online Check In. I booked my Itin on Alitalia.com. And in fact I could not even check in online for the Alitalia segments.

I am sure that some Alitalia fans here know all the little details about which flights do and dont work for online check in, but the fact stays that it is stated to be offered for all flights departing from AMS, FCO and ATH. But it does not work.

Did it happen to you that, if flights were delayed, this "run run" avoided you to spend a night in Rome?
My original flights were not delayed. Perhaps overbooked, and that would explain why they put some people on the earlier flight. Which I did not want but was forced anyway. The fact that they overbook is not my problem.

So, you arrived at the airport early, there was a line, you were put on the earlier flight instead of leaving you to rot with a delayed flight, you were placed on an earlier flight in Rome... and you are complaining about what, exactly? :rolleyes:
Again, my flights were not delayed. No night spending in Rome would have been required.

You could access the lounge in Rome, and have lunch there as well.

I paid for a flight at a certain time. I chose that flight to have time at the airport. To have lunch at the ATH lounge because I prefer that one. Why are you defending Alitalia for not offering me the services I paid for?

If you order duck at a restaurant, would you accept chicken? Just because it kinda looks like duck anyway? Right?

This was known to you when you booked.
It was also known that I would fly at 14:10, and I could use the lounge.

The only thing that would PROBABLY have made your experience better would be communication, at check-in in Athens, that they were putting you on an earlier flight for your own protection. But besides that, really, you have been treated fairly well :-)
I would like to know your definition for 'bad', if you consider this fairly well. What happened is borderline a scam for not following guidelines and putting me on an earlier, cheaper flight for no reason whatsoever.

That is really nothing other than a loophole in the system that occaisonally works, and in any case it seems a very minor annoyance to want compensation for.

Not really, I'm afraid. Such enhancement was actually announced by the airline among a few other improvements following the 'integration' with Air France/KLM. I know this for certain because I used to fly a lot on the MAN-CDG-FCO route [with AZ issued tickets] and was never able to check-in on the Alitalia website, until the above came into effect.

I'm afraid that does not apply to UK based members. In fact, the relevant section on the Alitalia website clearly says Customer Service at your local Alitalia Office with no mention of telephone numbers nor email contacts.

It applies to all members. If you qualify, you should have received an email with instructions. If you didn't, let me know and I'll PM you the instructions :-)

And where does it say this? Alitalia says on their website that they offer Online Check In. I booked my Itin on Alitalia.com. And in fact I could not even check in online for the Alitalia segments.


You cannot check in for single segments in an itinerary, because of the IATA rules. But let's leave it at the fact that web-check-in is messy, that's fair to say.

My original flights were not delayed. Perhaps overbooked, and that would explain why they put some people on the earlier flight. Which I did not want but was forced anyway. The fact that they overbook is not my problem.

Again, my flights were not delayed. No night spending in Rome would have been required.


No, you could have spent a night in Athens instead. Woo-hoo :rolleyes:

What was the day of travel, out of curiosity?


I would like to know your definition for 'bad', if you consider this fairly well. What happened is borderline a scam for not following guidelines and putting me on an earlier, cheaper flight for no reason whatsoever.

Overbooking is a quite good reason for putting you on an earlier flight.

Once again, I think you have no reason to complain, save perhaps some more communications and verbal apologies would be due.

If you didn't, let me know and I'll PM you the instructions :-)

That'd be helpful - thank you.

No, you could have spent a night in Athens instead. Woo-hoo :rolleyes:

Why would I have to spend the night in Athens? I have paid a ticket. A contract to take me from ATH to AMS on that specific day. The fact that they overbook is not my problem - its a scheme they try in order to make more money off a flight.

If they would deny me access to the flight due to overbooking I would be entitled to the maximum compensation for denied boarding, which is 300-600 euros I believe.

What was the day of travel, out of curiosity?
Tuesday. My original flights AZ715 and AZ7728 had plenty of time for an easy connection in FCO.

Overbooking is a quite good reason for putting you on an earlier flight.
I strongly disagree. If I paid more to be on the later flight, I do not accept to take an earlier, cheaper, flight just because Alitalia messed up the passenger numbers.

Tuesday. My original flights AZ715 and AZ7728 had plenty of time for an easy connection in FCO


AZ 715 landed 4.26 PM, 41 minutes late. AZ 7728 departed 5.26 PM.

You would definitely make it, but my guess seeing the numbers for that day is that they didn't know if you would make it because there was some huge delays going on in FCO, and changed your flight proactively to make sure you would make it.

I find some of the reactions above rather surprising!

First, it's very annoying not to be able to checkin more than 2 hours ahead of the flight leaving. Some airlines (e.g. BA) do impose a time limit for non-elites, but it's very poor to do so for elites. Basically, the OP was being made to check in during a short time window which clearly increases the chance of queues for him.

Second, it's astonishing to be told (not asked) to take an earlier flight. Athens in the summer isn't somewhere where sprinting through terminals is any fun. And presumably the OP had worked out his schedule to include a little relaxation and lunch in the lounge. OK if he had been offered the option to go on the 12.30, but it's very poor form for the airline just to tell him to do so, without explanation or choice. Just because it's convenient for AZ is no excuse at all.

Third, yes, the lack of communication on board regarding the delay to the 12.30 is also poor. Fair enough, planes are late sometimes, but if no-one says why or for how long, it doesn't help.

My own recent experience of AZ short-haul has been very good in the air (plenty of new aircraft, reasonable catering all things considered, etc), but service on the ground does fall short. (Example : I'd booked CTA-FCO-LHR on two separate PNRs and asked at CTA to check my bags through to LHR; the first reaction was "not possible" which really meant "not really so convenient for the agent" and it was only by repeatedly arguing, explaining that I'd done this many times before including twice in the previous two weeks, and asking for a supervisor, that it transpired that the agent needed to call somewhere else in AZ for authorisation; so two issues need sorting out here, the rather convoluted procedure itself - much easier on many other airlines including BA and LH - and also making the check-in agents aware of it.)

(Example : I'd booked CTA-FCO-LHR on two separate PNRs and asked at CTA to check my bags through to LHR; the first reaction was "not possible" which really meant "not really so convenient for the agent" and it was only by repeatedly arguing, explaining that I'd done this many times before including twice in the previous two weeks, and asking for a supervisor, that it transpired that the agent needed to call somewhere else in AZ for authorisation; so two issues need sorting out here, the rather convoluted procedure itself - much easier on many other airlines including BA and LH - and also making the check-in agents aware of it.)

I can agree with that. Since Alitalia has removed their own check-in agents from most European airports other than FCO, I often get the impression that the airport check-in agents are used to dealing with U2 and similar airlines' passengers/policies, asking you to get in a different queue or being unfriendly and uncooperative in certain situations. AZ should probably at least explain a thing or two to these people (there are still AZ staff at ticketing desks in most airports) before letting them check-in passengers.

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (BlackBerry; U; BlackBerry 9800; it) AppleWebKit/534.1+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/6.0.0.246 Mobile Safari/534.1+)

(Example : I'd booked CTA-FCO-LHR on two separate PNRs and asked at CTA to check my bags through to LHR; the first reaction was "not possible" which really meant "not really so convenient for the agent" and it was only by repeatedly arguing, explaining that I'd done this many times before including twice in the previous two weeks, and asking for a supervisor, that it transpired that the agent needed to call somewhere else in AZ for authorisation; so two issues need sorting out here, the rather convoluted procedure itself - much easier on many other airlines including BA and LH - and also making the check-in agents aware of it.)

I can agree with that. Since Alitalia has removed their own check-in agents from most European airports other than FCO, I often get the impression that the airport check-in agents are used to dealing with U2 and similar airlines' passengers/policies, asking you to get in a different queue or being unfriendly and uncooperative in certain situations. AZ should probably at least explain a thing or two to these people (there are still AZ staff at ticketing desks in most airports) before letting them check-in passengers.

+1. Also add some explanation of the value of status and of how bending some rules for status-holding passengers is actually good.

I find some of the reactions above rather surprising!

First, it's very annoying not to be able to checkin more than 2 hours ahead of the flight leaving. Some airlines (e.g. BA) do impose a time limit for non-elites, but it's very poor to do so for elites. Basically, the OP was being made to check in during a short time window which clearly increases the chance of queues for him.

Second, it's astonishing to be told (not asked) to take an earlier flight. Athens in the summer isn't somewhere where sprinting through terminals is any fun. And presumably the OP had worked out his schedule to include a little relaxation and lunch in the lounge. OK if he had been offered the option to go on the 12.30, but it's very poor form for the airline just to tell him to do so, without explanation or choice. Just because it's convenient for AZ is no excuse at all.

Third, yes, the lack of communication on board regarding the delay to the 12.30 is also poor. Fair enough, planes are late sometimes, but if no-one says why or for how long, it doesn't help.

My own recent experience of AZ short-haul has been very good in the air (plenty of new aircraft, reasonable catering all things considered, etc), but service on the ground does fall short. (Example : I'd booked CTA-FCO-LHR on two separate PNRs and asked at CTA to check my bags through to LHR; the first reaction was "not possible" which really meant "not really so convenient for the agent" and it was only by repeatedly arguing, explaining that I'd done this many times before including twice in the previous two weeks, and asking for a supervisor, that it transpired that the agent needed to call somewhere else in AZ for authorisation; so two issues need sorting out here, the rather convoluted procedure itself - much easier on many other airlines including BA and LH - and also making the check-in agents aware of it.)

Agreed. I think the OP raised fair points - there seems little doubt that AZ messed this up

Agreed. I think the OP raised fair points - there seems little doubt that AZ messed this up

+1

Pathetic response from AZ, as usual. That's why I say avoid AZ like the plague... All this about new and old AZ in this context is all BS. Yes they now serve better pasta, apparently, and have improved their J cabins on a minority of routes. But they just don't know how to handle IRROPS don't have the systems or global standards to be judged on par with major players and have as big an attitude problem as they ever did, which brought them on their knees to bankruptcy... The majority view continues to be that AZ is not a reliable airline.....

What amazes me is the defense of AZ in this context.

Post deleted repeat

+1

Pathetic response from AZ, as usual. That's why I say avoid AZ like the plague... All this about new and old AZ in this context is all BS. Yes they now serve better pasta, apparently, and have improved their J cabins on a minority of routes. But they just don't know how to handle IRROPS don't have the systems or global standards to be judged on par with major players and have as big an attitude problem as they ever did, which brought them on their knees to bankruptcy... The majority view continues to be that AZ is not a reliable airline.....

What amazes me is the defense of AZ in this context.

being "super partes" I do agree that this "AZ is always right" attitude is one of the reasons that AZ remains an airline with a somewhat uncertain future..

AZ desperately needs to get more customers from overseas - they cannot and must not rely on their domestic routes (LIN / FCO) for making ends meet

Customer Service is one of the aspects that AZ needs to think about. Its all very esay to say the OP is overreacting but ultimately that just means AZ loses another client...

No point buying new planes and starting new routes if service isn't perfect. Its like opening a new restaurant with a new cook and excellent food but only one waitor so all the food arrives cold and clients are muffed...

I'm glad you guys agree - Perhaps the initial post was written while in an upset state of mind, but I do stand behind the points made.

I fly the AMS-ATH route often, in fact I fly in and out of ATH about 4 times a month...and have been doing so for the past 2-3 years. I have no prejudice against any airline. I try them all, and fly the one that suits my needs the most.

So in the past I have often used KLM, AF and CSA until they started to reduce frequencies. This year I started flying AZ because I had heard both good and bad points - which I wanted to see for myself.

The first few flights out of AMS and through FCO, were fine. Out of the three times I was delayed twice for almost an hour but the service was reasonably good. I was somehow impressed by the red orange juice they serve - its the best OJ I have tasted in the air, period.

But like I said I value certain elements of a flight, and that is what I base my ticket purchases on. And on this last flight with AZ I feel that they did not meet the things that are important to me. For example:

- I want to do OLCI, and have access to the first rows behind Business Class. Perhaps the seats are the same, but when you fly a lot you get tired of waiting in the isle for the tourists to gather their stuff out of the overhead bins. I wanna be able to leave as soon as possible. Also I often have to leave quickly simply because I have a bus or other transport waiting / leaving in a few minutes.

- I want to be able to use the lounge and enjoy lunch there. In this case I had been travelling the whole day, and besides a quick snack headed straight to the airport for lunch. Call me cheap but I feel that I should not have to buy an expensive lunch in the terminal - That is what the lounge is for.

- I want the agents and crew to listen to what I want. I hate the situation where they ramble on for 5 minutes in Italian (Which I do not understand) and then have decided what is best for me. They failed miserably in this respect. And yes one can say that this is airport staff, not Alitalia staff...but I do fly out of ATH often, and have not experienced this with any other carrier.

Probably some people might take this in the wrong way, but a good example of customer service is KLM. After I was unable to do online checkin at the Alitalia website I contacted KLM on Twitter. Mind you, this was in the evening, way past office hours. I gave them my details and my preferred seat. In minutes they had manually checked me in for the FCO-AMS segment on KL metal (AZ codeshare). They are not supposed to do this. But as said above: That little bit of extra service (bending the rules if you will), which doesn't cost them anything, makes me already having booked the next 5 roundtrips with KLM.

- I want to do OLCI, and have access to the first rows behind Business Class. Perhaps the seats are the same, but when you fly a lot you get tired of waiting in the isle for the tourists to gather their stuff out of the overhead bins. I wanna be able to leave as soon as possible. Also I often have to leave quickly simply because I have a bus or other transport waiting / leaving in a few minutes.

- I want to be able to use the lounge and enjoy lunch there. In this case I had been travelling the whole day, and besides a quick snack headed straight to the airport for lunch. Call me cheap but I feel that I should not have to buy an expensive lunch in the terminal - That is what the lounge is for.

- I want the agents and crew to listen to what I want. I hate the situation where they ramble on for 5 minutes in Italian (Which I do not understand) and then have decided what is best for me. They failed miserably in this respect. And yes one can say that this is airport staff, not Alitalia staff...but I do fly out of ATH often, and have not experienced this with any other carrier.

Fair points there, well done. One of the reasons why I switched to AF-KL for my frequent leisure trips UK->Italy is not only the complete lack of customer service from AZ, but also the fact that they do not value frequent flyers' business i.e. you can fly twice a year or 4 times a month with them without any difference in terms of treatment (it only takes a small problem to be left on your own devices, basically). So far I truly enjoyed flying KLM thanks to their excellent service both on the ground and on board: I was impressed, for instance, to see such good [Y] catering in a relatively short flight [AMS-FCO]: 2 decent sandwiches plus a good variety of drinks and, shortly after, a yummy little biscuit together with coffee/tea ^

- I want the agents and crew to listen to what I want. I hate the situation where they ramble on for 5 minutes in Italian (Which I do not understand) and then have decided what is best for me. They failed miserably in this respect. And yes one can say that this is airport staff, not Alitalia staff...but I do fly out of ATH often, and have not experienced this with any other carrier.

Probably some people might take this in the wrong way, but a good example of customer service is KLM. After I was unable to do online checkin at the Alitalia website I contacted KLM on Twitter. Mind you, this was in the evening, way past office hours. I gave them my details and my preferred seat. In minutes they had manually checked me in for the FCO-AMS segment on KL metal (AZ codeshare). They are not supposed to do this. But as said above: That little bit of extra service (bending the rules if you will), which doesn't cost them anything, makes me already having booked the next 5 roundtrips with KLM.

Conceded that it was astonishingly bad manner not discussing the change with you (I have said this since the beginning), may I point out that AZ offers a similar Facebook service? You may not have taken advantage of it, but it's there. And they are very helpful.

Once again, it may be just my opinion, but it seems to me that IRROPS was handled pretty well by delivering the OP home even earlier than he should be. Communication has been awful, but my opinion remains he's been protected from delays very proactively. Had things gone the other way around, he would be rightfully screaming because they didn't place him on the earlier flight, knowing that the other was delayed ;)

Once again, there's a lot that can be improved, but in my experience AZ is quite attentive in rerouting people. And status makes a lot of difference, sorry to disagree with an earlier post.

As a CFP, I have been routinely called after any IRROPS asking if they could help or if I incurred any expenses. This, consistently, over the past 2 years.

Sounds to me like some responders to OP's valid complaint have no notion of what customer service should be like, or they've seen poor customer service so often that they can't see beyond that. OP, while I've only flown AZ once, I think you should send a registered letter to Alitalia and demand compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 for being denied boarding to your original flight and an involuntary reroute.

You cannot check in for single segments in an itinerary, because of the IATA rules.
That's B.S., no such rules exist, I've done online check-in for single segments before when the full itinerary wasn't available for online checkin. Don't confuse AZ's/Skyteam integration incompetence with IATA rules, they're not one and the same.

That's B.S., no such rules exist, I've done online check-in for single segments before when the full itinerary wasn't available for online checkin. Don't confuse AZ's/Skyteam integration incompetence with IATA rules, they're not one and the same.

Don't confuse the fact that something worked for you with it being normal. It is not normal to let a passenger check in for just a portion of a flight. Try doing that at a counter ;)

Sounds to me like some responders to OP's valid complaint have no notion of what customer service should be like, or they've seen poor customer service so often that they can't see beyond that. .


+1 OPs complaint was a valid one and the involuntary rerouting is not acceptable. Compensation certainly warranted

That's B.S., no such rules exist, I've done online check-in for single segments before when the full itinerary wasn't available for online checkin. Don't confuse AZ's/Skyteam integration incompetence with IATA rules, they're not one and the same .

Again, +1
Ive just checked in online on British Airways BSB-GRU-LHR-MAD, Club world the first segment on TAM

I only checked in BSB-GRU-LHR. The LHR-MAD Club Europe segment Ive left open becuase I may try and squeeze in a meeting in London Baggage also checked in only to London It works fine even with two airlines involved!

Ive just checked in online on British Airways BSB-GRU-LHR-MAD, Club world the first segment on TAM

I only checked in BSB-GRU-LHR. The LHR-MAD Club Europe segment Ive left open becuase I may try and squeeze in a meeting in London Baggage also checked in only to London It works fine even with two airlines involved!

is that a full fare ticket, by chance? Because otherwise the airline would (rightly) reprice it to the actual itinerary flown.

I am some what surprised that we are still defending AZ on this case

AZ got it wrong - made worse by the fact they were dealing with a ST elite + passenger who expects to be treated "correctly"

An airlines balance sheet is made by Business customers - the rest are numbers. If AZ can't deal with Business customers they will be in for some (more) rough times

Competition is rife and flying from AMS - ATH you have at least 20 airlines to choose from if you are willing to stopover

is that a full fare ticket, by chance? Because otherwise the airline would (rightly) reprice it to the actual itinerary flown.

It's a "C" class ticket, would that be full fare on BA? They did not say anything ref repricing just to check in in the lounge at desks at LHR

It's a "C" class ticket, would that be full fare on BA? They did not say anything ref repricing just to check in in the lounge at desks at LHR

Yes

Cheap J tickets on BA are priced in "R" and "I"

Flew AMS-FCO-ATH-FCO-AMS last week. The experience was...stressful.

Initial checkin was redirected to KLM. Was able to check in for the first two segments, but for FCO-ATH I was assigned 30B. Unable to change online until at the airport.

The way back was a new experience. Received an email for online checkin, which resulted in a 'general error'. Contacted KL and they were able to check me at least in for the FCO-AMS segment (KL operated, AZ ticketed).

Arrived at the airport early, 10:30AM for a 14:10 departure. Went to check in and get an invite for the lounge..but no. The staff told me to buzz off until 12, as they were not allowed to give out my BP until the previous AZ flight would take off. (12:30 departure). Without BP i cant enter the secure area and therefore cant visit the lounge. So 1.5 hours of waiting outside.

At 12 I come back, huge queues. They have not at all finished checking in people for the 12:30 flight. I wait 20 minutes until they finish. Then there is a group of non-revs that they have to print BP's for, they run off to catch the flight. Then they see me waiting at the Business checkin and gesture me to come. Im told, not asked, that I take the 12:30 flight instead. BP is already printed. Run run! Ridiculous.

After doing the security checks and a sprint to the gate, I hear my name announced telling me that the flight is closing and I need to hurry. Great. I get on the plane, no space for my luggage. After figuring out to stow it in the business cabin (while my seat is all the way in the back) we wait. 12:30 passes...12:45 passes...and more people board. No announcements. At 13:00 we leave and the captain announces a late arrival in FCO. No apologies whatsoever for a 45 minute delay.

In FCO I decide to take a chance and get in line for the transfer desk. Thankfully they allow me to take an earlier flight to AMS, since my original flight now leaves in 6 hours due to me arriving almost 3 hours earlier than planned.

So the day, which was tiring due to the fact I had to leave for the airport at 4AM (!), was a true hectic mess. Not being able to check in from home and choose proper seats. No lounge access. Not being told that they were planning to put me on an earlier flight. Having to sprint through ATH airport to make a flight which would leave in 5 min. 90 minutes delay without apologies. Being seated in the worst last available seats in the back of the plane. No food served at either flight, while I had to skip lunch due to time constraints and denied lounge access. A very bad experience.

Lets just say that Im thankful for KL to allow the crown lounge to be used for arrivals in AMS, allowing me to at least have lunch at 6PM. The *only* good point about the whole thing is that I was home an hour earlier than planned, due to the fact they let me take an earlier flight out of FCO as well.

Any chance (as non Milemiglia member) to get any sort of compensation for this kind of thing? Or is it as simple as accepting the worst and just avoid them from now on?

Thanks :)

Thanks for this. Just confirms why they almost went belly up two years ago and why the Pope kisses the ground on trips ourside of Italy upon arrival.

THANK GOD I MADE IT.

Thanks for this. Just confirms why they almost went belly up two years ago and why the Pope kisses the ground on trips ourside of Italy upon arrival.

THANK GOD I MADE IT.

We're talking about service not safety

And there is NO reason to doubt / question AZ's safety record

THANK GOD I MADE IT.

Too much to drink over the weekend, hey? :rolleyes:

We're talking about service not safety

And there is NO reason to doubt / question AZ's safety record

This I second and endorse! +1

aZ has one of the best safety and preventive maintenance records in the industry..I can provide empirical proof to those interested


The failure of italian companies like Alitalia is due to above the belly inadequacy, not below :)

I think you should send a registered letter to Alitalia and demand compensation under EU Regulation 261/2004 for being denied boarding to your original flight and an involuntary reroute.

Sorry, but how can you say (let alone prove) that he was denied boarding (?) or rerouted involuntarily? He could always have refused and then they would have let him on the next flight, with the possible consequences since if I have understood correctly there was a general strike in italian airports on that day.

It is quite probable that the check-in staff thought they were doing him a favour since he had been there for two hours already.

First, it's very annoying not to be able to checkin more than 2 hours ahead of the flight leaving. Some airlines (e.g. BA) do impose a time limit for non-elites, but it's very poor to do so for elites. Basically, the OP was being made to check in during a short time window which clearly increases the chance of queues for him.

This is the only point where I don't particularly agree. It is indeed annoying, but it happens with several airlines. This includes BA, and elites (try LED: no mobile boarding pass allowed, check-in machines often don't work, impossible to check-in at the counters earlier than 2hrs before departure... whether you are Blue, Silver, Gold or Prem).

It's a "C" class ticket, would that be full fare on BA? They did not say anything ref repricing just to check in in the lounge at desks at LHR

Because you already paid for it as much as you could possibly pay ;-)

Had it been a more restricted ticket, they would have inquired about it, and possibly repriced your itinerary. And/or forbidden altogether to check you in only halfway.

It is quite probable that the check-in staff thought they were doing him a favour since he had been there for two hours already.

That's what I think (and once again, for the avoidance of doubt, they messed up in communicating/discussing this with the OP!)

[QUOTE=flying_pig;17180980]This is the only point where I don't particularly agree. It is indeed annoying, but it happens with several airlines. This includes BA, and elites (try LED: no mobile boarding pass allowed, check-in machines often don't work, impossible to check-in at the counters earlier than 2hrs before departure... whether you are Blue, Silver, Gold or Prem)?.

Web check. In does not work? I've always had an excellent experience ref this on BA ...

Wife just joined me in MAD with a premium economy discounted ticket GRU-LHR-MAD (the last obviously on Eurotraveller i.e. Economy). In London, she stopped then checked in last flight LHR MAD She was told at GRU she would need to pay if she stopped in London overnight but on later flight same day was no prob... they left it open till she came to London where she could call somebody in the city and pick her departure on that basis. So it is doable --and the principle --split checkin--holds as long as you don't check bags through to final destination, obviously, for security reasons.