Alitalia MilleMiglia - Urgent Q - Guaranteed Missed Connection at FCO? get on leg one or bail?

Sorry, this should really go on AZ board, but there's not enough traffic there and I'm counting on my DL friends for some insight about AZ...

Friend is in Brussels taking a cheapo AZ BRU-FCO-IST

BRU-FCO is delayed, guaranteed a miss for the Departing FCO-IST. Both counter and city tix office have told her she has to get on, go to FCO and deal when she gets there...

Virtually guaranteeing an uncomfortable night on a bench in FCO, cuz of course they won't give her a voucher, right?

Any alternative? Seems crazy to leave the town you live in to spend night on an airport bench...does she have to do this?

Any other thoughts?

(of course it will come up - looks MX, there is no bad weather at BRU or FCO...she has no status...)

Thanks!

I believe that the AZ Forum is most appropriate for your Thread.
Obscure2k
Delta Moderator

Sorry, this should really go on AZ board, but there's not enough traffic there and I'm counting on my DL friends for some insight about AZ...

Friend is in Brussels taking a cheapo AZ BRU-FCO-IST

BRU-FCO is delayed, guaranteed a miss for the Departing FCO-IST. Both counter and city tix office have told her she has to get on, go to FCO and deal when she gets there...

Virtually guaranteeing an uncomfortable night on a bench in FCO, cuz of course they won't give her a voucher, right?

Any alternative? Seems crazy to leave the town you live in to spend night on an airport bench...does she have to do this?

Any other thoughts?

(of course it will come up - looks MX, there is no bad weather at BRU or FCO...she has no status...)

Thanks!

Depends on what the reason is. If it is due to weather or ATC, she has little hopes of help in FCO.
If it is due to mechanical or crew issues, she has options and they need to reaccomodate her. Tough call. I would tell her to push the issue at the ticket counter and fight for her rights under the EU Passenger Rights Law.

I would tell her to push the issue at the ticket counter and fight for her rights under the EU Passenger Rights Law.She can push for the KL BRU-AMS-IST routing. They do a couple flights a day on that route.

Also, AZ has two flights a day FCO-IST, departing at 10:15 and 21:40.

Thanks guys

Not sure what they're going to call it, but the equipment hasn't even arrived yet.

Looks like they've promised her a hotel voucher in FCO, but I'll remain a bit skeptical until I see it.

Also they are refusing to do any OAL bookings until she gets to FCO, which leaves the highly doubtful option of an 8:15am thy flight, but nothing sooner

Looking up EU pax rights laws now.

Thanks again for the quick response!

^


Depends on what the reason is. If it is due to weather or ATC, she has little hopes of help in FCO.
If it is due to mechanical or crew issues, she has options and they need to reaccomodate her. Tough call. I would tell her to push the issue at the ticket counter and fight for her rights under the EU Passenger Rights Law.

Depends on what the reason is. If it is due to weather or ATC, she has little hopes of help in FCO.
If it is due to mechanical or crew issues, she has options and they need to reaccomodate her. Tough call. I would tell her to push the issue at the ticket counter and fight for her rights under the EU Passenger Rights Law.

Aren't they supposed to re-accomodate her, regardless of the reason for the missed connection ?

Looks like they've promised her a hotel voucher in FCO, but I'll remain a bit skeptical until I see it.Assuming she is on a through ticket, she is entitled to under EU Reg 261/2004. If they don't do it, she should get a hotel and get reimbursement from them later.

Aren't they supposed to re-accomodate her, regardless of the reason for the missed connection ?They are (again, assuming a through ticket).

Assuming she is on a through ticket, she is entitled to under EU Reg 261/2004. If they don't do it, she should get a hotel and get reimbursement from them later.

And we all know how easy it is to collect from AZ after the fact. Not.

Get it taken care of on the spot, or prepare for months of letter writing.

Aren't they supposed to re-accomodate her, regardless of the reason for the missed connection ?

What I meant by reaccomodate her was to book on OAL, or confirm new booking, arrange everything in advance, etc.. not wait until arrival in FCO. That is a disaster. We all know that dealing with AZ for irregular ops is like having root canal surgery by a sadistic dentist who won't give any anesthesia.

We all know that dealing with AZ for irregular ops is like having root canal surgery by a sadistic dentist who won't give any anesthesia.uhh, no. My irrops with AZ have always been very straightforward, in fact rather better than on quite a few other European airlines.

Well, just to wrap this story up, it turns out that there were 5 other people chasing that same connection on the flight and the outbound mysteriously was delayed as well. In fact, they all ran like hell to the gate, got there and then were told of further delays so they could have sauntered.

Could have just been a bad day at FCO, but got me thinking.. with the EU fare rules guaranteeing compensation, would AZ have delayed it on purpose?

6x250Euro x how ever many delayed flights a day x 365.... could be an interesting formula to save some money?

Sure not all crews can swallow a delay and stay legal, and not all flights have the overnight in an outpost, but what other downsides are there's gotta be a subset that do.

Assuming she is on a through ticket, she is entitled to under EU Reg 261/2004. If they don't do it, she should get a hotel and get reimbursement from them later.

They are (again, assuming a through ticket).

Is it that obvious looking at EC 261/2004 that there is a right to care flowing from Art 6 once a "flight" has started?

A flight might be made up of directly connecting legs on the same ticket-but if this is a single "flight"-after the first leg has started so too has the flight perhaps?

What I meant by reaccomodate her was to book on OAL, or confirm new booking, arrange everything in advance, etc.. not wait until arrival in FCO. That is a disaster. We all know that dealing with AZ for irregular ops is like having root canal surgery by a sadistic dentist who won't give any anesthesia.

well it looks like you're not that frequent traveller. it's not a disaster it is simply the proceedure. if one flight is delayed and u have a connecting flight who can tell u that you're goint to miss the connecting one?100%? what if the second one is delayed as well? az has got much troubles but sorry to say when it gets to irops..well it's the best..

Let me add my voice to the chorus of people saying that the AZ IROPS care is second to none.

if one flight is delayed and u have a connecting flight who can tell u that you're goint to miss the connecting one?100%? what if the second one is delayed as well?

I don't agree. AZ says that, for instance.
With the old AZ it happened to me from time to time to miss the connection at MXP because of AZ itself (sudden strikes, work-to-rules, etc), having the first flight officially delayed or cancelled and the second officially on time.
AZ was stating that flights were delayed/cancelled/on time, not me. Clearly no connection feasible, eg the first flight arriving a very few minutes before the departure time of the second flight, or first flight cancelled and teleportation not available yet - although I guess the Sabelli has already announced that service on the FCO-LIN :D
Because of this policy, I had to flight anyway to the second airport with a far later flight, wasting time and missing a fast and better rerouting ex FCO, getting a very longer itinerary FCO-APT1(MXP, in the past)-APT2-APT3 instead that a quick FCO-APT1-APT2.

Maybe this sort of policy can be ran by an airline having a lot of its own rerouting options available, not by AZ that has only a very poor network and a few operations.

It never ceases to amaze and astound me that despite all the reviews recounting horror stories of delays and cancellations, getting money back, appalling service, bad flight information, wildcat strikes and indignant staff attitude that still some folks will take what I view is a risk and book with AlItalia, even for a "cheapie". It's not worth it. By booking with them you have to accept that there is a significant probability that things will go wrong and that your ability to put things back on an even keel and come out of the experience unscathed is limited, to the point where you could very likely have your vacation, trip or whatever the reason for your flight totally ruined if not at least significantly disrupted.

It's a calculated risk: what's more important? The cost of the flight vs. the need or wish to be where you want to be at the time you're supposed to be there. If the $$'s matter more than the airline/flight then you've answered your question. If it's the other way around, find another carrier. Otherwise find a compromise, but with Alitalia always weigh up the probability of condemning yourself to disruption of at least one kind.

The phrase "beware cheap imitations" springs to mind

Cheers

Sim

well i may agree with you ...but i don't at all.....and that's because i know how other (skyteam) companies work and so i don't find those many differencies compared to az...but anyways ppl money and miles are yours...so i can't see why creating posts that bring companies down...just chose another company..why do i find it this easy?

...just chose another company..why do i find it this easy?

Well there you go. Wholly agreed there.

No problem at all flying Alitalia!
If a flight leaves with a delay and you miss your correspondance they will refund you as the others airlines do.
Alitalia is an European company and those flying REALLY with AZ can say the same.
But you will have to complain to get something!

Personally I fly mainly intra-EU flights with AZ and when I get problems they are always solved by AZ.
So where's the problem?

Likely they will offer a stay in a hotel or a re-routing with AZ (eventually through MXP...even if less comfortable). The real problem I see is that AZ flights are not so frequent so this can worsen the situation.
That's all!
The same would happen exactly if you fly AF-KL or LH-LX!

Let me add my voice to the chorus of people saying that the AZ IROPS care is second to none.

Agreed. Especially if you know the rules. They will bend over backwards to get you to your connecting flight, including being met at the gate and driven to the next flight (even in Y), and also I suspect delaying the connecting flight by 10 or 20 minutes if there are enough pax connecting.

And if you do miss the connection, in FCO they hand out EUR 250 prepaid cards without any fuss. The only problem comes when there are too many pax for the FCO Hilton; the alternatives are usually small hotels in Fiumicino town which aren't that great. But I've had to deal with this sort of issue with many airlines, and AZ are one of the good ones. Usually.

TBH, after having been married to an Italian for 10 years and spent some time living there, I think it's probably because the whole country is run on the basis that it is highly likely that something will go wrong and therefore everyone is so used to dealing with unexpected problems on a daily basis that they become quite good at it.

And if you do miss the connection, in FCO they hand out EUR 250 prepaid cards without any fuss. The only problem comes when there are too many pax for the FCO Hilton; the alternatives are usually small hotels in Fiumicino town which aren't that great.

You just jump on the COTRAL bus to Ostia Lido, which has at least two decent hotels priced at half (or less!) the Hilton rate.