Go Back  FlyerTalk Forums > Community > Trip Reports
Reload this Page >

TLV-ATH-TLV with AZ - 5th freedom route trip report

TLV-ATH-TLV with AZ - 5th freedom route trip report

Old Mar 17, 2018, 12:34 pm
  #1  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Programs: UA 1K; LY Gold; DL Gold; BA Bronze
Posts: 2,258
TLV-ATH-TLV with AZ - 5th freedom route trip report

Hi All,
This is just a short report (no pics, etc.) on what I think is the most peculiar AZ (alitalia) route there is - flights AZ822/3, TLV-ATH-TLV. This route is operating daily (6 weekly in the winter), and the aircraft operating it is usually flying FCO-TLV-ATH (overnight)-TLV-FCO. The flights leave TLV in the evening and ATH in the following morning. This means that this route is not meant to provide another way of flying from TLV to FCO (connecting in ATH), but rather serves local traffic. As a result, ticket prices are very cheap - now the cheapest fare is $120 round trip (not including luggage), but I purchased the tickets (4 in total, for the entire family) for $100 per ticket, including luggage. So overall a very good deal However, business class sells for about $650, which I consider to be a very bad price given that these are the same seats, the flight is very short, and that there are almost no perks for business class passengers at TLV (see below). On both ways there was only 1 business class passenger.

So here is a short basic report on the TLV-ATH flight:
  • Departure is from terminal 1 at 19:45pm. I got there 3 hours before the flight, expecting the worse from the low cost terminal, but it was quiet empty. Within 7 minutes, I was thru security, checkin, and passport control.
  • AZ have seperate checkin desks in T1, for my flight there were 3 of them open with no queue at all. As per the checkin agents, there is no lounge arrangement for business class passengers, who are just given a voucher of $10 (or so, I cant remember for sure) for Aroma. Note that there were no separate checkin desks for business class passengers, and also no seperate line for the security questioning.
  • T1 does not have very much to do airside, so I don't recommend arriving very early. It has 9 bus gates (numbered 30-38). Airside there are three food stands (with very minimal offerings), a branch of Aroma (that has no seating near it, so it is all take away) and a few small duty free shops.
  • Boarding started at about 45 minutes before the departure, by bus. For my flight it was gate 38, but it seems to be changing every day. No priority enforced for business class / status passangers.
  • The flight was about 67% full, so we had an entire row for ourselves.
  • There was a full drinks service on this flight (including alcoholic drinks). They also served a snack - a bag of biscuits or cookies.
  • Landing was on time, also bus gate. There was virtually no queue for passport control, but there was only one officer present so those who were not quick got stuck in line. Bags took very shortly to arrive - they came just as we left passport control, which was vey impressive as we were the first there.
As for the return flight, everything was pretty much the same. Once again, no queue for checkin (this time there was separate queue for business class passengers), which is right near the AF desks in ATH. The flight departed from gate A20, which is a bus gate. This is the regular gate for this flight. Unlike in TLV, there was priority boarding, but since they did not fill the bus, eventually they started normal boarding and the bus only left when it was full. This flight was almost full, and due to turbulence they provided service only for about half the plane.
The ATH-TLV flight lands in terminal 3, and since the aircraft continues to FCO (which also departs from terminal 3) we had a jetbridge. The luggage took a while, unfortunately.

I decided to post this trip report even though I did not take any pics, since it is a special, 5th freedom flight. Also, it is the only flight of a "legacy" airline departing from TLV terminal 1. So I guess there are some curious travellers out there looking for some information in this flight - which hopefully I have been able to provide

Last edited by gordo6; Mar 17, 2018 at 12:42 pm
gordo6 is offline  
Old Mar 17, 2018, 5:42 pm
  #2  
 
Join Date: Feb 2015
Posts: 1,621
Thanks.

I'm looking at this trip right now.

I was surprised to see AZ.

cheers

kl
kalderlake is offline  
Old Mar 17, 2018, 10:15 pm
  #3  
BCH
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Posts: 1,316
So strange. I wonder why AZ uses T1 at TLV rather than T3, like its peers OS, KL, IB, etc.
BCH is offline  
Old Mar 18, 2018, 2:19 am
  #4  
Original Poster
 
Join Date: Dec 2008
Programs: UA 1K; LY Gold; DL Gold; BA Bronze
Posts: 2,258
Originally Posted by BCH
So strange. I wonder why AZ uses T1 at TLV rather than T3, like its peers OS, KL, IB, etc.
Only ATH flights depart from T1, probably due to it being cheaper.
gordo6 is offline  
Old Mar 18, 2018, 5:43 am
  #5  
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: Jerusalem
Programs: BA Silver
Posts: 1,281
Thanks gordo6; It is strange that the flight is operated on the outbound from T1. Also, I'm not sure this is a proper fifth freedom flight.
Innocent Abroad is offline  
Old Mar 19, 2018, 1:57 pm
  #6  
 
Join Date: Dec 2001
Posts: 3,181
Who knows how long AZ have to remain in business. It's a shame. I flew with them in 1958 from Milan to London on the Vickers Viscount and then the Caravelle. I assume Air Italia will take over some routes. Qatar invested in them.
Bretteee is offline  

Thread Tools
Search this Thread

Contact Us - Manage Preferences - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service -

This site is owned, operated, and maintained by MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Designated trademarks are the property of their respective owners.