ahappyelite

Certainly one highlight of the end of the Star Alliance is that Alitalia goes away and never inflicts its "service" on any of our members. Alitalia (and Rome) has done the impossible creating a level of antagonism towards customers that excels Air France-and, amazingly, created a bigger disaster than CDG- and that would be Rome.
From Italy on Alitalia on a recent flight
First flight: 20 minutes late, people packed onto buses like Veal, ride to airplane (at an unnamed Southern Italian airport)
Flight arrives Rome, huge wait, people packed onto buses like (dead) Veal and driven quickly and jerkedly to terminal.
Passengers not advised they must reclear a huge customs and security line to re-enter to connect back to NYC (total wait 20 mins-1/2 our-which is quite a wait); Arrival at gate and a stadium type crowd and waiting for 45 minutes to clear a gate line (with looks of panic because even though they see plane, they have horrors of not making it on.) No announcements, no updates, no nothing
Passengers back on packed buses, long ride to a plane which then leaves very late.
Total flying time from Rome to NYC: almost 11 and one half hours (LIke NY-Auckland.)
No apologies, no explanations, no updates. People surely missing connections
And if you've flown them you know the way they handle customers and let's just say it is a human rights violation
When you see the horrors of an airline like this, you appreciate CAL even more
Im sure the employees hate this too, but this airline needs a lot of help top be kind

ralfp

There's an SST flying between NYC and AKL?

elitetraveler

I don't think AZ operates the busses at FCO. Flying time is going to be the same whether its AZ or CO. The only variable is if you were on a non-ETOPs flight (three or four engine) as the route might be a bit more direct. Also, AZ doesn't use 757s TATL which sometimes require a refueling stop Westbound. The new AZ business class product is on par with the new BE. Other than that, as you note AZ has a lot to be desired. I'm not a big fan of most airports in Italy except VCE.

theblakefish

zzz....................

I kinda liked the sandwich they served CDG-FCO a few years back.....

MarkXS

You gotta love Italia. It's not a country for people who expect everything to work. Why should their national airline?

Try being in Venezia during the Biennale, hoping to get a train to Roma, when the Trenitalia computers go down. "La maccina e rota."

Or on the isla de Ponza, when the ferry back to the mainland stops running for 2 days for "maremosa".

It's actually part of what I love about the country.

For the record, the one time I flew Alitalia about 8 years ago, BOS-MXP in Y, it was fine. And better than on a lot of the CO flights I'd earned the miles for the trip.

pbarnette

Not the biggest AZ fan, but they aren't the end of the world. If you don't like them, though, I would suggest avoiding SK and, especially, Spanair for any future *A needs. Heck, even LH in Y can be miserable, even if it is a bit more professional. The one thing I liked on AZ was the seats on the A321. The middle seats are massive. Gives you plenty of room when traveling as a pair.

FWIW, some of your complaints are more about TATL flying, in general, rather than about AZ. I believe you have to clear secondary security before boarding any US-bound flight, something I have had to do at AMS, CPH, CDG, LHR, and ZRH within the past year. You also must go through passport control whenever you leave the Schengen zone. I don't think this has been specifically mentioned to me at any time or by any carrier, though I may just not have been paying attention, as it is a given (I find the European airports less proactive in communication, in general - boarding calls are rare, for example). Nothing AZ can really do about it, frankly, and your experience will be typical, no matter who you are flying, at least from FCO. Those airports where the secondary screening is at the gate (CPH and AMS, for example) are better in some ways, as the lines can be shorter, but it also means you are in a holding pen until boarding. I would note that the area behind passport control at CPH is pretty bleak generally so even waiting to go through security won't do much for you there.

Hate the buses, but I doubt LH Italia manages to avoid that any more than AZ does. Also note that buses are relatively common at ZRH, so be prepared when connecting through there.

TWA Fan 1

I have often taken a bus when arriving at CDG on CO (when they arrived at Terminal 2)

Renard

Aeroflot would bring a tear to my eye after flying Alitalia.

I'll be flying CDG-FCO later this month on there to spend Christmas in Rome (I know...but it was so cheap...but I reap what I sow, I suppose)... I'm hoping they can manage not to loose...errr misdirect... my luggage on this short no-connection route.

Does anyone know of a good place to store a bag while in Paris? I seriously would be interested rather check a bag on AZ.

ahappyelite

re: SST- meant, of course, west coast USA to Auckland.
I think its offensive when you make a cultural argument that people anywhere who fly don't mind missing manhandled, mistreated, kept in the dark, having their connections missed and being very late to important and unimportant events.
Overriding issue with AZ is that is is operated for the benefit of the employees who take the plane over-on duty employees are unbelievably rude while off-duty employees take seats of paying customers. They seem assured of continued employment no matter what. Of course the loser in this is the Italian taxpayer.
I assume many people flying this airline are not revenue passengers.
I love Italy also, but I've flown a couple of million miles, with 130 carriers and other than Ryanair, this is the worst (with DeGaulle) a second.
There is no experience like having to somewhere and running a 20 step obstacle course, knowing that the plane will be late, but no matter how late, you might still not be on it.

nova08

I completely agree. I'll add in the monthly "Scioperas" where all city transit comes to a stand still

nzqjyb

..dead veal. Scalapini Dore style.

Steve M

That being the case, it seems hard to believe that you didn't realize that secondary screening for a US-bound flight was an airport issue and that going through outbound passport checks is a government function, not something the airline has any control over (I'd also think with that much travel you would have known that that was an Immigration inspection and not Customs).

ahappyelite

It's interesting that someone would challenge my travel, when I can't believe the absurd contortions here to defend the Alitalia/airport/customers/duty free hellish gauntlet which is universally acknowledged at Rome in particular. Any of the players could have softened this horror show, but AZ has a particularly brutal way of dealing with customers so yes they are the principal stressor here. And I have cleared a lot in AMS ,Frankurt, LHR, and Dublin and they simply do not never compare to CDG and Rome ( two places where they seem to have a shortage of cusoms staff even though half the country works for the government.) I have taken hundreds of flights with CAL and the experience HAS NEVER come remotely close to a couple of flights with Alitalia (and yes, they don't drive the buses, cook the meals, clean the planes,etc.- a yeoman team effort that together makes one day feel like a week) But even on their own, AZ provides the worst consistently bad experience I have even seer. And they will not change. I heard several people say they will not return to Italy because of this experience, and they might if years pass and they forget it. It is similar to the US immigration hassles which drive so many people away (though they seem to be improving and at least they say there is a problem.) A country that gives a brutal first or last impression will lose tourists with no doubt. Please point out any typos, or minor factual errors here in continuing to defend this indefenible company.

Vermando

Alitalia: Always Late In Takeoff, Always Late In Arrival

Jokes aside, I've always liked Alitalia. Their not being run well meant you could really get amazing stuff from them that you can't get from a fiscally prudent airline. I was delayed once while connecting with them because the volcano was erupting in Sicily. Most airlines would've said "not our fault, act of God, nothing for you." Alitalia gave me a free night at the airport Hilton - a beautiful hotel - plus meal vouchers and other goodies. So, it's not financially or logistically well-run, but I knew what I was getting into so I was pleased.

I've always been split on the bus system at FCO. On the one hand it rather screams third world - you just don't see that kind of thing in AMS, for example. On the other hand, you really do walk less because of it; maybe they're smart to replace all the walking with buses? I like to think that they're laughing at us as we talk about how much better we are while we walk 20 minutes to our plane all the way at the end of the terminal.

On what I hope was the OP's exaggerated claim: anyone who would never go back to Italy because of the Rome airport should just stay home and not bother traveling internationally. I mean really now...

pbarnette

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