CO's BF vs. Alitalia's Magnifica Class
Dec 17, 2004, 6:26 pm
#1
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Location: New York NY USA
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CO's BF vs. Alitalia's Magnifica Class
I'm planning a trip to FCO in November '05 and am looking for a little advice to help make some decisions. Thanks in advance. 
1) Can I use OP miles for reward travel on Alitalia?
2) Can I use OP miles to upgrade to MC on Alitalia?
3) Has anyone tried the MC product recently? How does it compare to BF?
4) or how bout I fly Virgin Upperclass to London and take the overnight train to Roma?
1) Can I use OP miles for reward travel on Alitalia?
2) Can I use OP miles to upgrade to MC on Alitalia?
3) Has anyone tried the MC product recently? How does it compare to BF?
4) or how bout I fly Virgin Upperclass to London and take the overnight train to Roma?
Last edited by Elite Nomore; Dec 17, 2004 at 6:30 pm
Dec 17, 2004, 6:43 pm
#2
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I've never been on long-haul AZ but I can try and help with some of the questions.
Yes
No.
The overnight train from London to Rome? Even if such a beast exists (doubtful), it would probably take about 3 days to get you there.
I am pretty confident you can combine Skyteam carriers on one award ticket.
So you could fly CO to, say, MAD then hop on AZ to get to FCO.
Originally Posted by Elite Nomore
1) Can I use OP miles for reward travel on Alitalia?
Originally Posted by Elite Nomore
2) Can I use OP miles to upgrade to MC on Alitalia?
Originally Posted by Elite Nomore
4) or how bout I fly Virgin Upperclass to London and take the overnight train to Roma?
I am pretty confident you can combine Skyteam carriers on one award ticket.
So you could fly CO to, say, MAD then hop on AZ to get to FCO.
Dec 17, 2004, 6:59 pm
#3
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Originally Posted by Elite Nomore
4) or how bout I fly Virgin Upperclass to London and take the overnight train to Roma?
Dec 17, 2004, 7:02 pm
#4
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Originally Posted by BenjaminNYC
Or perhaps a FLIGHT from LON to ROM?
Dec 17, 2004, 7:05 pm
#5
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Originally Posted by graraps
but that'd have to be on separate tix as VS isn't a skyteam member.
Dec 17, 2004, 7:09 pm
#6
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Originally Posted by channa
Not true. Virgin is a CO partner, so you can combine both on one ticket.
But still it makes more sense (routing-wise) to go via MAD.
Dec 17, 2004, 7:14 pm
#7
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Originally Posted by graraps
hm I didn't know that. So it's possible to combine non-ST partners and ST partners in one ticket? cool!
But still it makes more sense (routing-wise) to go via MAD.
But still it makes more sense (routing-wise) to go via MAD.
EWR-LHR-FCO = 4,346 miles
EWR-MAD-FCO = 4,427 miles
It's actually shorter to go through LHR.
Dec 17, 2004, 7:35 pm
#8
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Originally Posted by Elite Nomore
4) or how bout I fly Virgin Upperclass to London and take the overnight train to Roma?
__________________________________________________ ______
London Waterloo Int. dep 09:09 EST 9012 EUROSTAR
Subject to compulsory reservation, Special ticket or supplement required, Please observe check-in times, Non-smoker train, Bistro Cafe
Paris-Nord Eurostar arr 12:53
Paris-Nord Eurostar dep 12:53 transfer 80 min.
Paris Lyon arr 14:13
Paris Lyon dep 14:24 TGV 9247
EC 9247 TGV
Subject to compulsory reservation, Global price, Bar coach, space for wheelchairs
Runs as TGV 9247 up to Oulx-Cesana-Claviere, then as EC 9247
Torino Porta Susa arr 19:46
Torino Porta Susa dep 20:43 IC 624 InterCity
space for wheelchairs
Torino Porta Nuova arr 20:55
Torino Porta Nuova dep 21:45 D 1665 Schnellzug
Roma Ostiense 19.12.04 arr 04:37
__________________________________________________ ______________
So 9AM to 4AM the next day.. well it would be overnight once you reached Torino, IT.
This would probably deserve a rail pass of some kind.. might cost $300 or so. However a round trip flight from London to Rome on Easyjet (weekend fares) costs around $80 USD and takes around 3.5 hours.
Personally I think I would take the flight. ^
Dec 17, 2004, 8:22 pm
#9
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Originally Posted by channa
Why?
EWR-LHR-FCO = 4,346 miles
EWR-MAD-FCO = 4,427 miles
It's actually shorter to go through LHR.
EWR-LHR-FCO = 4,346 miles
EWR-MAD-FCO = 4,427 miles
It's actually shorter to go through LHR.
hm true but still LHR is a dump. (trying to come up with other pointless excuses)
Dec 17, 2004, 10:34 pm
#10
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Originally Posted by Elite Nomore
Has anyone tried the MC product recently? How does it compare to BF?
On the trip over, my footrest was broken and did not stay up until the FA put some kind of crate under it so that it was permanently up for the entire flight. Since I sleep the whole way, this was an adequate fix for me.
Additionally, there were no inseat movie screens and the movies were shown on a large central screen in the front of the section. I don't know what played on the way over, but on the way back only one movie was shown for the entire nine hour flight. The headsets were about as flimsy and uncomfortable as any I have ever seen, so music and movies were essentially out of the question anyway.
The food service was far inferior to CO. Again I have no knowledge of what was served on the way over, but on the way back the pastas for the primi piatti were acceptable but the main dish served on single hot plates like we used to get in coach, was inedible.
The lounge in MXP waiting for our connection to VCE was inside the Schengen area and had hi speed connections, plenty of nibbles and drinks, and some great chocolates in a bowl in front. The lounge at FCO in the morning awaiting boarding was a dungeon with bright orange chairs, virtually nothing to eat, a fair selection of drinks, no hi speed, and only one telephone line for local calls in the entire place. This was of course occupied by computer users sequentially checking their e-mail and getting off quickly so the next person could dial up.
Don't even think about AZ if you can get BF for the same money or miles.
Dec 18, 2004, 9:55 am
#11
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Originally Posted by monitor
After at least a dozen BF trips to Europe, last month I took AZ 767s in Magnifica EWR-MXP-VCE and FCO-EWR. This was a substantial step down from CO, because Alitalia has not kept its service up in the throes of its recent cash shortage.
On the trip over, my footrest was broken and did not stay up until the FA put some kind of crate under it so that it was permanently up for the entire flight. Since I sleep the whole way, this was an adequate fix for me.
Additionally, there were no inseat movie screens and the movies were shown on a large central screen in the front of the section. I don't know what played on the way over, but on the way back only one movie was shown for the entire nine hour flight. The headsets were about as flimsy and uncomfortable as any I have ever seen, so music and movies were essentially out of the question anyway.
The food service was far inferior to CO. Again I have no knowledge of what was served on the way over, but on the way back the pastas for the primi piatti were acceptable but the main dish served on single hot plates like we used to get in coach, was inedible.
The lounge in MXP waiting for our connection to VCE was inside the Schengen area and had hi speed connections, plenty of nibbles and drinks, and some great chocolates in a bowl in front. The lounge at FCO in the morning awaiting boarding was a dungeon with bright orange chairs, virtually nothing to eat, a fair selection of drinks, no hi speed, and only one telephone line for local calls in the entire place. This was of course occupied by computer users sequentially checking their e-mail and getting off quickly so the next person could dial up.
Don't even think about AZ if you can get BF for the same money or miles.
On the trip over, my footrest was broken and did not stay up until the FA put some kind of crate under it so that it was permanently up for the entire flight. Since I sleep the whole way, this was an adequate fix for me.
Additionally, there were no inseat movie screens and the movies were shown on a large central screen in the front of the section. I don't know what played on the way over, but on the way back only one movie was shown for the entire nine hour flight. The headsets were about as flimsy and uncomfortable as any I have ever seen, so music and movies were essentially out of the question anyway.
The food service was far inferior to CO. Again I have no knowledge of what was served on the way over, but on the way back the pastas for the primi piatti were acceptable but the main dish served on single hot plates like we used to get in coach, was inedible.
The lounge in MXP waiting for our connection to VCE was inside the Schengen area and had hi speed connections, plenty of nibbles and drinks, and some great chocolates in a bowl in front. The lounge at FCO in the morning awaiting boarding was a dungeon with bright orange chairs, virtually nothing to eat, a fair selection of drinks, no hi speed, and only one telephone line for local calls in the entire place. This was of course occupied by computer users sequentially checking their e-mail and getting off quickly so the next person could dial up.
Don't even think about AZ if you can get BF for the same money or miles.
Dec 18, 2004, 1:02 pm
#12
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Originally Posted by monitor
The lounge at FCO in the morning awaiting boarding was a dungeon with bright orange chairs,
ROFLMAO !
Dec 18, 2004, 3:47 pm
#13
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Originally Posted by BenjaminNYC
This all rings true to me for the AZ 767. However, I think that it's much better on the 777, no? I imagine food is similar, but the seat should be MUCH better.
Dec 18, 2004, 4:04 pm
#14
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Originally Posted by Derrico
Overnight? Wow.. Well if you look at a map Rome is pretty far south. If you insisted on going this route you would be a bit grubby on arrival.
__________________________________________________ ______
London Waterloo Int. dep 09:09 EST 9012 EUROSTAR
Subject to compulsory reservation, Special ticket or supplement required, Please observe check-in times, Non-smoker train, Bistro Cafe
Paris-Nord Eurostar arr 12:53
Paris-Nord Eurostar dep 12:53 transfer 80 min.
Paris Lyon arr 14:13
Paris Lyon dep 14:24 TGV 9247
EC 9247 TGV
Subject to compulsory reservation, Global price, Bar coach, space for wheelchairs
Runs as TGV 9247 up to Oulx-Cesana-Claviere, then as EC 9247
Torino Porta Susa arr 19:46
Torino Porta Susa dep 20:43 IC 624 InterCity
space for wheelchairs
Torino Porta Nuova arr 20:55
Torino Porta Nuova dep 21:45 D 1665 Schnellzug
Roma Ostiense 19.12.04 arr 04:37
__________________________________________________ ______________
So 9AM to 4AM the next day.. well it would be overnight once you reached Torino, IT.
__________________________________________________ ______
London Waterloo Int. dep 09:09 EST 9012 EUROSTAR
Subject to compulsory reservation, Special ticket or supplement required, Please observe check-in times, Non-smoker train, Bistro Cafe
Paris-Nord Eurostar arr 12:53
Paris-Nord Eurostar dep 12:53 transfer 80 min.
Paris Lyon arr 14:13
Paris Lyon dep 14:24 TGV 9247
EC 9247 TGV
Subject to compulsory reservation, Global price, Bar coach, space for wheelchairs
Runs as TGV 9247 up to Oulx-Cesana-Claviere, then as EC 9247
Torino Porta Susa arr 19:46
Torino Porta Susa dep 20:43 IC 624 InterCity
space for wheelchairs
Torino Porta Nuova arr 20:55
Torino Porta Nuova dep 21:45 D 1665 Schnellzug
Roma Ostiense 19.12.04 arr 04:37
__________________________________________________ ______________
So 9AM to 4AM the next day.. well it would be overnight once you reached Torino, IT.
I would suggest taking the Eurostar to Paris, putting your bags in left luggage at the Gare de Lyon and seeing Paris for an afternoon. Then take the direct overnight train from Paris to Roma - a long trip but time to eat on board, then sleep in your sleeping car berth, then wake up for breakfast and final couple of hours into Rome.
You see more of the scenery than from the plane, and get to see Paris, but it will cost rather more than a cheap flight, particularly if you want a single sleeper berth (whole compartment to yourself).
Get your TA to check it out and see what you think!
JW
Dec 18, 2004, 4:17 pm
#15
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Posts: 934
AZ's 777 in Magnifica is quite good. Soft supple leather seats with plenty of room. Like night and day between the 777 and 767.
Unfortunately, it seems that for summer '05, there are only two 777 flights a day between the USA and FCO, and nothing into MXP. Of course, that might change.
Unfortunately, it seems that for summer '05, there are only two 777 flights a day between the USA and FCO, and nothing into MXP. Of course, that might change.