Originally Posted by
raistlin
You cannot interline between IG and AZ on separate tickets, as far as I know. You can check with AZ but I'm quite sure it's impossible.
By the way, this means you have also foregone reprotection, so if you find a huge line at passport control, or if any leg is delayed, you will probably be in a sea of sorrow.
Why did you book it like that, if I may ask? I think those legs could be booked on the same ticket, and in that case, interline would work out as expected.
OK, thanks for the data point. I did call Alitalia (US -- I don't speak Italian) and their phone agent literally had no clue what interlining is. Even when I explained it to him. Alitalia's crappy website is also no luck. I may try calling Meridiana.
As for the risks involved ... on the outbound there is a full three-hour interval, which should suffice; failing that the change fee on the Meridiana tickets is EUR 35 and there are four flights a day, so it's an acceptable risk. On the inbound, a decision is still being made whether to fly out of OLB the night before, or chance the 75-minute connection, after having done online checkin for the FCO-LAX leg (which at least according to Alitalia's site is available) and, given your comments, having carry-on baggage only. Yes, the proverbial pooch will be $crewed if the Meridiana flight is seriously delayed (there is a 5-minute change of terminals as well) so it's worth considering whether it's worth rolling the dice on the pricier change fees in that case.
As for why it was booked this way ... where can it be booked as a single PNR? I tried on Kayak, ITA, etc., to construct it as a multi-segment single itinerary, without success. You can combine Meridiana with BA/Iberia, for example, but not Alitalia. At least I couldn't.