Alitalia MilleMiglia - How are the 777-200 upgrades coming?

Curious if anyone has heard anything on how the upgrades to AZ's 772's are coming. I know this is the metal I'll be on in June, but haven't heard if they've entered service yet.

Curious about this as well. I'm looking at JFK-FCO in early August. It is listed as a 777 with 8 rows of 1-2-1 in Magnifica and 3 rows of Classica Plus.

So, it appears this is the new config, but is it safe on this route? What are the chances of an equip swap? Is a route with the A330 a better bet?

Curious if anyone has heard anything on how the upgrades to AZ's 772's are coming. I know this is the metal I'll be on in June, but haven't heard if they've entered service yet.

Yes the first units are already flying and by July all refitting will be completed.

A very good product especially in Magnifica.

It's not for sure that everything will be completed by July. The pace is very slow at the moment. However if you have a seat map for your flight selling Y+ seats, it is probably a plane which they are sure will be reconfigured by then.

It's not for sure that everything will be completed by July. The pace is very slow at the moment. However if you have a seat map for your flight selling Y+ seats, it is probably a plane which they are sure will be reconfigured by then.

At least that's what AZ is declaring to the Italian media of the sector

It's not for sure that everything will be completed by July. The pace is very slow at the moment. However if you have a seat map for your flight selling Y+ seats, it is probably a plane which they are sure will be reconfigured by then.

Well, that's what I'm afraid of. When DL refitted their Business Elite cabin with flat bed seats, they loaded several flights with new seat maps with the expectation that they would be completed by the flight date. As usual, the pace was slower than expected and they changed the seatmaps back to the old config closer to departure. I want to avoid that same scenario as much as possible.

Curious about pace of 772 business upgrade as well for LAX-FCO in October.

3 out of 10 are reconfigured currently, and two more should be finished by the end of the month. After that it may not be possible to continue for a while because flights are taking up their peak summer frequencies again, so no planes can be stopped for reconfiguration.

Check when booking your flight if premium economy is also being sold, this means Alitalia expect the plane to be reconfigured by then.

3 out of 10 are reconfigured currently, and two more should be finished by the end of the month. After that it may not be possible to continue for a while because flights are taking up their peak summer frequencies again, so no planes can be stopped for reconfiguration.

Check when booking your flight if premium economy is also being sold, this means Alitalia expect the plane to be reconfigured by then.

Just checked my LAX-FCO on May 15, return June 1. Both show Classica Plus being offered for sale - soooo - think I'm looking forward to my Business class ticket....

Am I reading this right.

Yeah, any thoughts on what happens if AZ sells me a Y+ ticket at a premium but I am on a non-reconfigured 772? The only reason I chose to fly with AZ is because of this product - and the direct LAX to FCO route. Otherwise, I would have flown on AF's A380 routing through Paris.

..Check when booking your flight if premium economy is also being sold, this means Alitalia expect the plane to be reconfigured by then.
Doesn't seem so easy: on the flights I've booked they sell Classica plus on 772 with this seat pattern:
Row 15 3 middle seats
Row 16 9 seats (3/3/3)
and classica is still 3/3/3.

What should we think of that :confused?

Are we all looking at the 772 flights from LAX - FCO?

Are we all looking at the 772 flights from LAX - FCO?

I know I looked at that on the Alitalia web site. Showed 3 classes for sale.... for my May 15 departure.

I've lived long enough in Italy that dates often mean little and I say that in the kindest of ways.

I know I looked at that on the Alitalia web site. Showed 3 classes for sale.... for my May 15 departure.

I've lived long enough in Italy that dates often mean little and I say that in the kindest of ways.

Yeah, I'm a little nervous now. I looked on their website at their passenger right's. Didn't make any mention of class availability. Hope they have something figured out - otherwise they're going to have a lot of pissed off travelers coming out of LAX who aren't getting what they paid a premium for.

I know I looked at that on the Alitalia web site. Showed 3 classes for sale.... for my May 15 departure.

I've lived long enough in Italy that dates often mean little and I say that in the kindest of ways.

BTW, I just checked Delta.com - they don't show a 3 class 772 for the LAX-FCO AZ flight on 5/15.

Doesn't seem so easy: on the flights I've booked they sell Classica plus on 772 with this seat pattern:
Row 15 3 middle seats
Row 16 9 seats (3/3/3)
and classica is still 3/3/3.

What should we think of that :confused?

You're right. Later LAX-FCO flights (from mid-June onwards) show the 2-4-2 configuration in Classica plus, however I doubt AZ have programmed precisely which aircraft will be reconfigured and when, so it may well be up to luck if you get a reconfigured plane or not. If you've booked Y+ and there's no Classica Plus seating you'll still get the correct miles and perhaps an upgrade into Business or some other compensation - ask at check-in.

All I can say in the end is that you have currently a 30-50% chance of getting a reconfigured 772 on any random 772-operated flight. In any case Alitalia have a system of changing aircraft routings each day depending on arrivals, so it is never sure which plane you'll get, short of it being the right type (in this case B777).

You're right. Later LAX-FCO flights (from mid-June onwards) show the 2-4-2 configuration in Classica plus, however I doubt AZ have programmed precisely which aircraft will be reconfigured and when, so it may well be up to luck if you get a reconfigured plane or not. If you've booked Y+ and there's no Classica Plus seating you'll still get the correct miles and perhaps an upgrade into Business or some other compensation - ask at check-in.

All I can say in the end is that you have currently a 30-50% chance of getting a reconfigured 772 on any random 772-operated flight. In any case Alitalia have a system of changing aircraft routings each day depending on arrivals, so it is never sure which plane you'll get, short of it being the right type (in this case B777).

Do you think AZ will be sufficiently motivated to ensure it is the newer 772's on the LAX-FCO route since they're just reintroducing this routing?

That said, I've checked my flights which are next month and I would estimate F and Y to be 40% or so empty. Only cabin near capacity is Y+. I'd have a hard time thinking they're going to risk upsetting that many passengers who paid for premium service - but I guess I will find out. Good thing I like to get to the airport early - hopefully this helps my chances of a bump up to the front in the case there is no Y+ on my plane.

UPDATE from ac.com:

5 upgrades already completed, two more on the way, and completion date for all 10 aircraft is scheduled for 30 June.

So starting mid-July or at the very most early August all 777's are certain to be upgraded. ^

As the 3 or 5 remaining A330's on order are delivered the old 767's (3 are still being used) will be removed from the fleet, and if the AP A330's remain it is probably only for charter. Which means the entire long-haul fleet will be of the upgraded type by the end of the year!

Remains to be seen when DEL will be opened, initially forecasted for W12/13, however AZ seem to be getting more and more "summer seasonal" to save costs nowadays.

Likely long haul fleet at end of this year:
*12 A330 (of which two may or may not be ex-AP)
*10 B777

Now to start increasing the fleet with options or new orders??? The A330's and B777's can both stay in the fleet for at least 15 more years now, so any new orders will mean increase in fleet size.

FURTHER UPDATE:

All the B777's will likely be reconfigured by the first week of July, so no more worries!

I'm looking to take a flight in business on 8/18 from FCO-LAX Flight AZ620/DL8191, AlItalia, Expert Flyer, and Delta's sites all say the old configuration. I know everywhere i've read says that late July/Early August should be the final configuration changes, but at what point do they update the seating charts on the websites?
Thanks,

I'm looking to take a flight in business on 8/18 from FCO-LAX Flight AZ620/DL8191, AlItalia, Expert Flyer, and Delta's sites all say the old configuration. I know everywhere i've read says that late July/Early August should be the final configuration changes, but at what point do they update the seating charts on the websites?
Thanks,

It is the new configuration. Both AZ and DL's sites show that. Just look for the Y+ section - that is the giveaway. BTW, I just flew this flight last week - new configuration.

It is the new configuration. Both AZ and DL's sites show that. Just look for the Y+ section - that is the giveaway. BTW, I just flew this flight last week - new configuration.

Great! thank you for this update.