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Rating = 1.0 (very poor) to 5.0 (excellent) |
Alitalia - by Pat Frigo
12 January 2007
Chicago to Milan - 767 was dirty. The crew existed to serve food
and disappeared. Go to the galley and help yourself to the beverages including the wine if any is
left. The return trip was worse, with a passenger behind me without a seat cushion when we
boarded - and my daughters seat did not recline nor did the headphone jack work. Warning: the jets
are old and the seats need repair but the price was cheap.
Alitalia - by Leo Miliades
12 January 2007
Chicago – Milan – Athens. A Boeing 767 for this transatlantic flight -
was fairly clean and seat was comfortable. There was neither light nor
air available per seat. This is a “unique” configuration, which I have
not encountered before. The toilets were semi-clean and one of them was
not functioning at all. The staff attentive and friendly. The dinner
from ORD to MXP was terrible - however, dinner from MXP to ORD was
great. I liked the long/recliner type seats at MXPairport, where you
can get some sleep comfortably while waiting. I have not seen such seats
in any other airport. Be advised that the 10:40am flight from Milan to
Athens is tricky and more often than not it does not depart on time.
Frequent fliers told me that the airline sometimes purposely
delays/cancels this flight if it is not filled to capacity. This is
because there is a subsequent flight to Athens (few hours later) and is
expected that passengers from both flights will occupy the plane to
capacity. In my case, the airline claimed that the scheduled plane (an
old and dirty MD-80) had technical difficulties as repeated repair
attempts failed to correct the issue! They finally brought a replacement
plane from Vienna and the flight finally departed around 3:00pm. In the
mean time, the airline distributed to each passenger a voucher for free
lunch at the airport. I would travel with Alitalia again if nothing
else is available or if there the company offers a significant price
advantage.
Alitalia - by Alan Thompson
4 January 2007
LHR-BRI via MXP. Check in 0800 for 10:30 flight. Fog in Milan so have to
join ticket queue to go via Rome. Check in at last at 1045. Rome flight
delayed - plane in Milan! So late connection at Rome to BRI arriving
20:30 - only to find our luggage which got the earlier flight! No food
available thank goodness. Surly check-in staff, helpful ticketing staff
- only an hour late coming home. Cheaper than Ryanair, reserved seat,
good legroom and drinks and same duration (usually) door to door.
Alitalia - by Trey Turner
3 January 2007
We did get from point A to point B, but otherwise this is a terrible
airline, with poor service and old planes. They handed out earphones
for the movies that did not fit in the jacks in the seats, so no one
could watch the movies. They lost our reservation and we had to wait
for an hour, while walking back and forth to multiple agents, before we
got a seat, and barely made it onto the flight. Then they failed to
reserve seats on the second leg of the flight, so we had to wait in two
lines for another hour in between flights, again barely making it onto
the flight. The plane seemed very old, with a cracked tray table that
almost fell off during flight and a seat arm that looked about ready to
fall off as well. One can only hope the rest of the plane were better
maintained. The worst part is that the agents and the stewards have
such a negative attitude.
Alitalia - by Martin Chandler
31 December 2006
London to Palermo via Rome/Milan. Would not fly Alitalia again. Old
planes, poor cabin crew and check in staff, lack of choice and quality
in food and beverages, lost luggage. In fact the only thing they did do
was get us there and back (not on time!).
Alitalia - by Nabil Alizai
27 December 2006
MAN-MXP-YVR, EWR-MXP-MAN. MAN-MXP and MXP-MAN sectors were on a little
Embraer 170 - comfortable but the breakfast has to be questioned. MXP-
YVR sector an old B767-300ER - average and there was nothing to make me
want to fly them again. The return was much better thought : EWR-MXP on
a new B777-200. The inflight entertainment was very good and comparable
to other popular airlines. It was an interactive PTV system with a large
choice of movies, music and games. The food was horrible and my chicken
was served cold. The cabin crew were friendly.
Alitalia - by Quoc Tran
27 November 2006
FRA-FCO-NAP-MXP-FRA in Economy. Alitalia offers an average standard of
service, not worse than other European airlines. Check-in both ways was
quick but not particularly friendly. All flights departed on time.
Catering onboard is average: small sandwich, yoghurt, mineral water. But
coffee tastes very good, as one would expect from an Italian airline!
Domestic flights were operated by old and worn-out MD80 and A321, but on
the international legs I flew with brand-new and quite comfortable ERJ-
170. The same can be said for the cabin crew: unfriendly on domestic
flights, very nice on international flights.
Alitalia - by L Eames
9 November 2006
In the last fortnight, I have had to use Alitalia for five flights.
Every flight was late ranging from half an hour, to two hours. No
explanation was given nor apology. In Rome we waited (with the rest of
the flight's passengers) for over an hour at the check-in desk at the
stated boarding time, with no information. If we had been told the
flight was delayed an hour, we could have gone for a cup of coffee. In
two of the planes, seats were cordoned off because they were broken. The
international in-flight snack consisted of a dry bun with a small wedge
of dry cheese inside. Someone said that the airline is in financial
trouble. I'm not surprised.
Alitalia - by Diana Wingrove-Owens
1 November 2006
We flew to Rome on Sunday 22nd October and came back on Thursday 26th
October. Flights AZAZ 205 and AZAZ 210. I cannot express sufficient
thanks to all the staff who assisted my disabled husband on to and off
of the aircraft and took us to the waiting taxis (despite an error
meaning we had not booked an assisted package in advance). They were
all polite and helpful and I wish all other airlines showed the same
consideration. Well done. I know who I will be flying with in future.
Alitalia - by T Lapp
1 November 2006
Flew Alitalia "Ottima" or "business class" from Rome Fiumicino to
Brussels Zaventem on the afternoon of 27. Oct , 2006. The check in
should have taken place in terminal A. I was instructed to walk to
terminal B to check in. And was instructed in terminal B to walk back to
terminal A to check in, to the very same counter I first tried. No
apology for that mistake! Finding the gate was not the easiest task.
Escalator up, corridor, escalator down, corridor, turn, corridor, turn,
corridor, steps up, corridor... etc. Definitely not for those with leg
problems! The plane should have been an Airbus 321. Instead, it was a
worn out MD-80. Messy seats, sligthly wider than in coach class, and
dirty walls + ceilings. Service was non existent. After 1 hour airborne,
the two stewards pushed their trolley across the entire cabin. The
selection was coffee, tea, water, or Coca Cola. I had my portion of
lukewarm coke 1.5 dl from a soft plastic cup. Rest of the flight, the
stewards stayed behind the front curtain. On their web pages, Alitalia
define "Ottima" as follows: "The best in Italian and international
cuisine awaits you on board, with a variety of sophisticated, seasonal
menus, designed to cater for different tastes and requirements. A
delicious Italian, continental or American breakfast, accompanied by the
aroma of espresso coffee; tasty cold dishes with meat or fish, served
with vegetables and bread and, of course, pasta for lunch or dinner.".
Do not be fooled that much!
Alitalia - by Frances Barker
27 October 2006
Heathrow - Rome return in Economy. Booked a return trip to Rome for a
long Agust bank holiday weekend for myself and husband - Alitalia had
the cheapest flights and the times to suit. Not helped by Alitalia
trying to cancel our flight as another passenger with the same name as
husband (although booked through a separate flight booker, travelling
with a different partner, and returning from another airport on a
different date!). Sorted that out, only to then have the security
alerts, meaning that we would have to check in luggage, instead of
using hand luggage only as intended. Spent some time phoning on the six
different numbers I now have for Alitalia, each one of which has its own
set of menus (push 1 for..) and each of those have their own set of sub-
menus. Finally reached a person, to be told to allow 3 hours for check-
in. For some reason, I also asked what time check opened - 2 hours. "So
check in opens 2 hours before, and I should allow 3 hours to check-in?"
"Yes". Incidentally, some of the options I passed when pushing buttons
on these 6 numbers were Human resources, Wages - even the staff have the
same problem, so could explain any grumpy attendants. In the event,
everything was fine - luggage arrived on the same plane each way, found
the seats, although shabby, surprisingly comfortable, (wider than
average), check-in was quick and efficient (slightly brusque in
Heathrow, very friendly in Rome) and the cabin crew, although not
smiley-cheerful, were neither rude nor grudging, and were efficient.
The "Alisnack" cold roll was disgusting - but is this a problem on such
a short flight? The coffee was good, water/soft drinks were available
and a rather tasty pastry was also served. Flight was late departing
both directions, from Heathrow because the entire cabin crew was
delaying getting through security (why don't cabin crew have special
fast track lanes?) and from Rome because of a lost passenger from a
connecting flight (who turned out to be on the plane all along when the
crew had the bright idea to count heads). All in all, I think that
Alitalia is no worse than most other short haul airlines, and I would
have no problems about using them again if the prices and times suited.
Alitalia - by Edward Martin
22 October 2006
Munich to Rome and back. Both flights terrible and I don't consider
myself a complainer. My luggage was lost on both legs of the flight,
which was eventually delivered to my hotel in both Munich and Rome, but
still an inconvenience- especially when trying to deal with retrieving
my belongings in Rome-Fumicino where staff are not particularly bi-
lingual and the Alitalia amenity kit given as compensation which
included feminine hygiene products wasn't of use as a male traveller.
Also, being told to turn off my ipod on a two and a half hour flight by
the snooty stewardess wasn't appreciated either.
Alitalia - by Matteo Bertoni
22 September 2006
MXP-BOS round trip in economy, friendly and efficient service with
plenty of smiles from the crew. Meals were good and fresh. Only bad
point was the non existant drink patrol during the cruise time: the
passenger had to go at the rear galleys to serve drinks theirselves,
just in Magnifica class each pax was provided by personal bottle of
water. Anyway AZ recommended on this route.
Alitalia - by Mark Shilkrut
22 September 2006
TLV-LHR and return via MPX economy. All 4 flights left late and every
time it was claimed to be because of security reasons. Planes were old
A320's with worn ulphostery and very uncomfortable armchairs. On some
reasons they don't switch on airconditioning during takeoffs. It
reminded me some former Soviet airlines. Catering to MXP nothing to
mention - made from fresh ingredients but in really tiny quantities.
IFE - "Lost in translation" which was shown month ago on cable TV. Music
is not bad. MPX airport is really a nightmare: for some reasons they
transfer passengers by buses,like in old times. Moreover, we spent in
queue in poorly ventilated area for 30 min just to enter the terminal.
MPX is small (nothing to compare to TLV) and has very limited shoping
and dining facilities. On way to LHR they served "Alisnack" - cold dry
bread with unindentified filling. The did serve wines free of charge.
Alitalia - by P Carter
22 September 2006
Flew return to Milan from Heathrow with Alitalia and found them to be
fine. Very helpful and pleasant check in staff both ends. The aircrew
were ok, just got on with their job - they weren't overly cheerful but
were not grumpy either. The bread roll snack was a bit heavy and
indigestible both ways but generously filled. Inside decor was bright
and the seats comfortable and with plenty of legroom. Both flights were
delayed over an hour but on the outward journey we were just glad the
flight was not one of the several cancelled due to sudden industrial
action in Italy. The inbound flight was late due to a delay earlier in
the day and once you've lost your take off slot you are at the mercy of
air traffic controllers! Certainly far better flights than my last trip
with Alitalia and would be happy to use them again.
Alitalia - by Nicolas Gerard
16 September 2006
I usually avoid Alitalia as much as possible if not totally. This time
though, it was the only possible connection that day to Tokyo. True
enough, Alitalia cancelled the GVA-MXP flight completely, thus I lost
the JAL connection to NRT. Alitalia, through their local Gva agent (I
pity that person), were extraordinarily unhelpful and of course all
other Japan-bound flights that day were full. Thanks to JAL, certainly
NOT Alitalia, I left the day after through ZRH. This was the second GVA-
MXP cancellation of that day (couldn't repair the aircraft apparently).
Thanks to this incompetent airline I lost one day and people waiting for
me in Tokyo had to re-arrange their schedule. Mark my words: never ever
again Alitalia. Hope AF and KLM chuck AZ out of the SkyTeam alliance !
Alitalia - by R Griffiths
28 August 2006
Just returned home having flown London Heathrow to Athens, via Milan two
days after the security scares and back again on the bank holiday
weekend. Going out no problems, food poor but not expected as price we
paid. Due to return home on 26th Aug. Technical problems with plane
meant late departure from Athens and missed connection at Milan. No
criticism of Alitalia who provided meal vouchers at Athens at check in
and had hotel sorted on arrival at Milan together with new tickets for
flight next morning. Only complaint - could not get our luggage at
Milan and it did not arrive at Heathrow. Mostly staff were helpful.
However were assured bags still in Milan and would arrive later. Was
told that we would be contacted on the 28th to advise when bags would
arrive. No call received and their number carries recorded message
advising due to amount of lost luggage being processed they are not
taking calls. We have been sailing and are yacht racing on the 31st Aug
and all equipment and gear in the bags! The baggage hall at Heathrow
was strewn with unclaimed baggage, although not all Alitalia, a high
proportion was. Had to wade through piles of baggage to see whether
ours were there. We could have easily have left with any of the
unclaimed baggage!
Alitalia - by Maximillian Bertrand
28 August 2006
LHR-FCO return. Alitalia business class. Apart from the under-stocked
lounges, this is what economy class was like within Europe ten years
ago. The LHR lounge is adequate but the Rome Giotto lounge was a noisy,
windowless basement with derisory snacks which ran out within 5 minutes
and basic drinks. The showers were out of order and CNN was blaring out,
making work almost impossible. On board there was no welcome drink on
either leg (despite being held an hour on the ground at LHR due to
congestion), and the first bar service was in a plastic cup. When the
hot meals came they were the same tasteless chicken and spinach on both
in and out-bound legs - all served in plastic. They don't even give you
a sachet of salt and pepper anymore! The on-board staff didn't seem to
care much, although they were friendly on the return trip and provided
my companion and I with several drinks which we did not have to ask for.
However, this is such a basic part of business class flying that I'm
embarrassed to have to cite it as a desperately-needed plus point for a
very dissapointing airline.
Alitalia - by Kay Andrews
28 August 2006
Following last comment, all luggage turned up, minus small tent, so to
be fair to Alitalia, they did get baggage back in 2 days.
Alitalia - by Sylvie Tillier
26 August 2006
I am avoiding as much as I can Alitalia - which is quite difficult,
being based in Rome. Experienced repeated problems. Unscheduled strike,
no information given in Rome where I was checked just to be stranded in
Milano - then 48 hours to reach Tehran after rerouting through Turkish
airlines - lost luggage upon arrival and Alitalia saying I should deal
on this with Turkish airlines. Next occasion, it took me 12 hours Paris-
Rome, with rerouting through Venezia - no explanation given. I think
they canceled the flight to fill better their other flights. And they
have been most unfriendly. My mileage (frequent flyer) is not taken into
account although I give my number before checking. NOTHING GOOD, waiting
impatiently for their bankruptcy so that another airline fills in.
Alitalia - by Mak Doric
26 August 2006
6 flights with Alitalia within 5 weeks. It was the cheapest airline
around. Milan to London and Athens with an A321, and the flights to
Sarajevo on a small Embraer 145 I think. The seats were cramped and
pretty uncomfortable. Their 'Alisnacks' are the worst thing I ever ate
on a plane. The on-board entertainment is okay, but nothing special. I
would not recommend to transfer in Milan because the queues at security
are very long so you could miss your connection, as we nearly did. The
environment in the airport is depressive. During flight and on ground,
the crew was really unfriendly. They don't understand the meaning of
smiling. I wouldn't recommend but if you want to save money, then fly
with Alitalia.
Alitalia - by Matteo Bertoni
26 August 2006
BCN-MXP in Business Class. Although the ground VIP services (AF) such as
lounges and separate check- in were good, the onboard experience was
mixed. Airplane was a very old and tired Airbus 321, the worst I've ever
seen, with the seats broken and not comfortable. No welcome drink before
take off and too basic meal service - little tray with plastic plates
containing cold food, only the bread was served warm. Alitalia catering
on european flights has drastically gone down. For 600€ is totally a
waste of money: if you mind the service choose AZ, if you mind the
cuisine and the food, definitely fly Iberia.
Alitalia - by E Mufarej
22 August 2006
Milan-Sao Paulo on Business Class. The business lounge in Milan is a
joke, by far the worst I have ever seen. No food, beverage or any kind
of normal entertainment. Only a tv was on and that was about it.
The seats are starting to get old, at least two of them were broke
(including mine), and I tried to fix it myself as no flight attendant
was concerned about helping the passengers. Food was ok, and as other
passengers said the crew disappear after serving anything. Not
recommended.
Alitalia - by Paul Hamill
22 August 2006
LHR-FCO-CTA return. First and last trip with Alitalia. Outbound leg OK,
exit seats on FCO-CTA as we checked in at LHR, food & service below
average, tired interior, dirty toilets, surly staff. Return leg on
12/08/06 during security alert, made to put hand luggage in hold as we
were travelling to LHR. Onward leg from FCO (exit seats again), no
restrictions on taking hand luggage on board! Needless to say, all our
luggage was lost in transit, damaged hand luggage returned 4 & 5 days
later - still waiting for suitcases. The worst bit? The total lack of
response from Alitalia baggage & customer service. Totally impossible to
speak to a human being, no response to e-mails, phone calls or faxes.
The poor level of service is breathtaking, I never say never but in
Alitalia's case I'll make an exception - NEVER AGAIN. I look forward to
their total demise, which will surely be the outcome of their
indifference to their customers.
Alitalia - by Philip Keulemans
30 July 2006
EZE-MXP-DUS on AZ in Y. EZE-MXP was operated with 772, nice a/c but
pretty worn from the inside. IFE of Alitalia on the 772 is the only
thing that really stands out in a positive way. Crew was very rude;
after first meal (which was OK-ish, but nothing more) was served crew
disappeared to the rear galley. Fasten seat-belts sign was on all the
time, justified during the first hours of heavy turbulence but
completely unnecessary during the rest of the flight. Cabin crew did not
come to the cabin a single time on this 13 hr flight to serve drinks,
apart from the meal and breakfast – instead they put some bottles and
glasses for use in the rear galley; resulting in a lot of passengers
getting up and walking thru the cabin, making sleeping impossible.
Breakfast served was average, nothing to get excited about. Cabin crew
was extremely tired and rude with bloodshot eyes. Connecting in Malpensa
was the usual mess, gate changes at the last moment in this very poorly
designed airport resulting in long walks and a lot of confusion and
eventually a completely unnecessary delay of 20 mins. The flight from
MXP to DUS was operated with the E170, comfy airplane. Snack was
horrible but drinks were offered plenty. Never again on Alitalia long-
haul, although their regional service on the Embraer is fine.
Alitalia - by Alan Watt
30 July 2006
Budapest-Milan-Malta. Two ice-creams on 2 flights totalling 3.75 hours,
and as the first flight was late there was no time to get food in Milan
on the outbound trip. I've become used to the gradual cutbacks in
catering over the years but that was the most pathetic ever. Why can't
they at least have some real food for people who want to pay for it,
like the low-cost carriers?
Alitalia - by T McClenaghan
30 July 2006
Pisa - MXP - Brussels, 22 July 2006. Flights delayed, as usual, with no
explanations given. Many passengers transferring onto the second flight
were assured that bags would be transferred. Did not happen and there
were many passengers who found that their bags did not arrive after
waiting almost 90 minutes in the arrivals hall at Brussels. No Alitalia
staff on hand to address the issue, only the local handler for several
airlines - perfunctory and minimalist approach taken. After one week,
still no satisfactory outcome or explanation or any semblance of action
from Alitalia - bags remain unlocated. What is unacceptable is
Alitalia's cavalier attitude towards its customers. It is by far the
worst experience I have had with an airline. Never use Alitalia if you
can avoid it. This airline deserves to go under.
Alitalia - by Andrew Baxter
24 June 2006
Cairo to Manchester via Milan in ecomomy. First sector A321 Cairo to
Milan - light meal served. Inflight entertainment limited, cartoons and
'just for laughs' show but no earphones provided. On time arrival into
Milan. Second sector to Manchester on a Embraer 170 by Alitalia Express.
Tasty snack and comfortable seating on this express jet. No IFE. On time
arrival into Man. Very impressed with this regional jet service.
Alitalia - by G Wittenborn
18 June 2006
On a flight from Newark to Milan, we were given seats in the last row of
the 767, right next to the toilets. Alitalia sat us next to an Egyptian
woman who was clearly flustered for some reason. It turns out that
Alitalia had seated her two kids (age 4 and 7) in the front of the
airplane, and her in the back. So not only would passengers have to
deal with young kids who wanted to be seated next to their mother for
eight hours, we'd have to deal with an uncomfortable mother who's
constantly worried about her young kids, and rightfully so! Alitalia
never thought to ask my wife and I if we'd consider moving, so 30
minutes into the flight, we volunteered, but the flight attendants
disapproved as it would "mess up their meal selection card". We moved
anyway. When we changed seats with the young kids, we found out the
electronics in their seats did not work. In fact, they didn't work for
an entire section of the airplane. This meant no listening to music or
the audio for the movie, and we couldn't even turn on the overhead
lights to read. The seats were in tatters, and the electronics were a
joke. We flew a total of 5 legs with Alitalia, and not one flight left
on time. Consequently not a single flight arrived on time, including
our international connection in Newark. The airline representatives
were less than helpful when they asked if they could call our connecting
gate and tell them we were coming, or even help us out in line to get
through customs faster. They even tried to deny the fact that we were
late until I showed them my ticket! Then they blamed the travel agent
for selling us an illegal connection. Always finger pointing it
appears. Alitalia's service is terrible, their equipment is old and
broken, and they can't take care of their passengers. A terrible choice
for travel, but as someone else said, you get what you pay for.
Alitalia - by Andrew Coogans
18 June 2006
EZE-FCO-LHR in Economy Class. Checked in at Business Class counter at
EZE and used Amex Business Lounge due to SkyTeam Elite card. Lounge
alright but only one cleaner so a bit messy. Onboard in front row of
Economy with 4 infants in the row. Business cabin only separated by a
divider on this 777. If I had paid for it, would not have appreciated
all the children crying and running through the curtains (adults did not
respect the divider either). Seat belt sign off for around 30 mins of
this 12 hour 30 min flight even though no real turbulence. Crew
occasionally rudely told people to sit down but sign mostly ignored. In
fact announcement made to sit down followed by "Alitalia boutique is
open in the rear galley"! At 0230 Rome time all the lights were switched
on, disturbing everyone including all the babies, and they served dinner
which included a dessert of prunes! Most disturbed long haul flight I
have ever experienced. FCO-LHR leg operated by an ancient MD80 delayed
40 mins but crew friendly and snack acceptable. Would not fly long haul
again by choice.
Alitalia - by Biagio Rocco
15 May 2006
LHR to Milan Linate in Economy. Check in was smooth, and staff smartly turned out and pleasant.
A320, bit dated but the green interior is a
soothing colour. Crew, professional but not overly friendly. Seats comfortable
and cabin clean. Newspapers handed out on boarding. Breakfast was a disappointment, piece of cake,
some awful yogurt, improvemnt on the food needed. On return we left on time and arrived 5 mins
early! Return journey on old MD80s very old planes - they need to replace them, but nonetheless clean.
Crew less friendly, need some improvement. Food - in the the form of
Alisnack is a waste of time and money - it cannot be difficult to put together an edible piece of
bread and cheese together.
Alitalia - by D Seid
10 May 2006
I've flown Alitalia in coach New York to Tokyo via Milano and it was a
very good experience on clean Boeing 767 to Milano and 777 to Tokyo.
Since I was Northwest Silver Elite I was invited to use the Delta Lounge
and as I was flying all the way to Tokyo, the gate agent changed my seat
to a completely empty middle row in the back so I could sleep flat all
the way to Milano. The cabin crew provided fine attentive service. and
then the female cabin crew to Tokyo was equally professional and
attentive. I fly a lot internationaly on American, Asian and European
carriers and Alitalia is better than most US international coach flight
experiences. In fact, the Alitalia coach seats seem more comfortable
than some airlines that are changing to lighter and thinner seats. The
bathrooms were kept clean.
Alitalia - by Rod Munro
9 May 2006
Heathrow to Miami via Milan. Average cabin condition if somewhat old
looking on both planes covering this journey. Staff were average in
service but poorly turned out in appearance. Food was dreadful,
especially the breakfast - big, fat tasteless sandwich with a slither
of cheese in the centre. Horrible coffee. Flight back was just the same!
Alitalia - I'd give it 2 stars!
Alitalia - by Chris Lalor
6 May 2006
Economy BRU-FCO-EWR and back. The flight from Brussels to Rome was on an
MD-80, aircraft well turned out, on time, good snack, a nine out of ten
for this segment of the trip. Within an hour of landing we were boarding
a 767-300ER to Newark, the plane was about 60% full, and I managed to
get the centre row all to my self. The flight was about 30 minutes late
in departing but the journey was very relaxed, food good, no skimping on
the alcohol and 2 films to watch. On the return leg a 95% full
777-200ER. The seat given was 15D, an aisle with the entertainment box
taking more than half the leg room and at 6ft 3 inches this isn’t funny.
After take off I got a bulkhead seat unfortunately it was the one next
to the emergency exit with the inflatable slide so there was a big
plastic bubble taking up the leg room, in the end I fixed it myself by
finding one of the few seat rows with only one passenger. The cabin
staff were pretty offhand and disinterested and could use some training
in customer service and motivation, I guess being government employees
with jobs for life this is impossibility. We landed at Rome and again
within 60 minutes I could board the Brussels bound flight, this was a
repeat of the 1st flight so pretty good all round, once again with an
MD-80. To summarise, Alitalia have good aircraft, efficient check in
staff, are competitively priced and the short haul flights lack in
nothing. On the longer haul flights however there is a lot of work to do
before they can hope to compete with the better quality airlines.
Alitalia - by Mark Kozak
6 May 2006
MAN-MXP-ATH return in April 2006. Flights on time, seats comfortable,
cabin crew professional & friendly. Food very poor - dry cheese or ham
rolls. What's the extra cost of a bit of butter & salad? Security checks
when transferring in Milan very long. Would use again but have noticed
that the taxes have shot up dramatically.
Alitalia - by Alberto Bertoni
22 April 2006
MXP-LHR (Prima) business class on A321 a bit old, but still in good conditions and with the interior
well maintained. Seating was very comfortable, although it is not so as the MD80, with the middle
seat locked to improve the comfort between the rows. Full business class, and the F\A were very
kind, polite and efficient, during the meal service too.
The meal consisted in a very rich tray with food all served in china plates: hot muffin, croissant,
jam and a big plate with fruits, ham and cheese. All kind of drinks were available.
Alitalia - by Ian Aitchison
8 April 2006
Milan (Linate) to Heathrow. First flight with Alitalia for several years. I was unsure what the
service level would be like after the recent restructuring at the airline. Ground staff at Linate
are always "relaxed but effective". Flight on A320 departed on time and was very smooth. I got the
exit row so enjoyed business class leg room. Snack box and a glass of wine was more that adequated
for the 1hour 45min flight. All in all a faultless flight. Pity they do not fly to Stansted or
Luton.
Alitalia - by Dirk Visser
7 April 2006
Recently flew AMS-MXP-MIA and return, all in Y-class. AMS-MXP in an
A320; fairly comfortable with plenty of legroom (amazingly enough). The
cabin colour is rather flashy, but otherwise OK. The crew was far from
pleasant. Not a single smile throughout the entire flight. They were
very fast to serve the "snack" (a dry piece of cake and a small drink)
and clean up so that they could rest. A short flight, so I didn't mind.
Then came the stop-over in Malpensa (MXP) - a nightmare in itself; this
airport is already in shambles and is a disgrace (more on that later).
The sector MXP-MIA was in a Boeing 777-200. Grey interior; very subtle
compared to their regional aircraft. Wide seats for a European carrier
and the legroom was good. Again, the crew were very negative and
downright surly. The meal was served in record time (and on very cheap
plastic trays) and there was no seconds with the coffee or tea, both of
which were poor (coffee was made from powder and not freshly set,
despite what they write on their website). After the meal service they
set up small "bars" in the galley so that you do not need to bother the
crew, who literally disappear or hang out in the galley gossipping.
Half-way through the flight my partner went to ask for savouries or
something to munch on and was told there was nothing! All we could get
were miniscule rolls left-over from lunch! We were then told to hold on
as a snack would be served soon. That soon turned out to be over 2,5
hours later and was a disgrace: yet another small, white plastic tray
with very dry cake and a warm sandwich. Needless to say that upon
arrival in Miami we had to race to McDonald's to curb our hunger!
Return to AMS via MXP was a repeat of the journey to MIA. Boarding at
MIA was a mess (partially due to the airport itself and not just AZ).
Again a very sullen looking crew that shed NO smile whatsoever and who
had a very limited English vocabulary. Catering was poor, as usual. As
we were put to the rear of the a/c, there was no choice in meals by the
time the crew reached us and I presented with a problem: only salmon
left, which I cannot eat due to allergies. After haggling with the
crew, one was so "gracious" to offer me a crew meal: penne in sauce.
It was served to me later and upon receiving my meal I noticed that they
had placed the entire tray in the oven as some point as everything was
very warm...even the butter was melted. But oddly enough the pasta was
cold! Disgrace! The choice of breakfast (as they claim, once again, on
their website) was just a cold roll, a danish and coffee or tea!
Needless to say the crew didn't care and it reflected in everything that
they did. Never did anyone smile....it was just one huge attitude.
Only when we flew from MXP to AMS did we have a crew that somewhat
cared....a few smiles here and there, but nothing to write home about.
All in all, you can say that you get what you pay for with AZ. They
offer very competitive fares at times, but it doesn't mean that you
should be presented with an attitude and a constant chip on the shoulder
by the crew. And I know that I am not alone in my opinion as I
overheard many conversations at MXP whereby people were complaining
about the attitude and downright rudeness of the crew. Shame really,
especially since AZ used to have a good name, but now....forget it!
Alitalia - by H Brant
7 April 2006
London Heathrow to Mumbai via Milan Malpensa. My reason for choosing
Alitalia was purely the fact that they were the cheapest I could find at
the time I booked, and overall, considering this, I was reasonably
satisfied, since I saved £100 compared with the cheapest direct flight
offered at the time I booked. As well as the cost aspect, I was very
pleasantly surprised by the amount of leg room in economy class. The
plane from Milan to Mumbai was very lightly loaded, too, so I had three
seats to myself and slept like a baby! On the way back, loading was
quite heavy, but I turned up early, and the check-in staff immediately
spotted that I'm a larger than average person, and offered me a seat
with extra leg room without me having to request it. A nice touch, which
was much appreciated. Punctuality on all sectors was more or less spot
on, too. Downsides included the check-in desk at Heathrow not opening
until (I think) an hour and forty minutes before the booked departure
time of 6 am. This meant even those who turned up early faced a lengthy
queue. The food, although surprisingly good in the case of the lunch on
the Milan to Mumbai sector, was otherwise of very poor quality indeed.
Also, Milan Malpensa Airport has to be the most soulless and depressing
place I have ever changed planes. It has departure gates bunched
together for flights that depart within minutes of each other, and the
result is chaos. It seems to have very little in the way of shops, snack
bars or restaurants, which is mystifying, given the number of people who
pass through it. The latter of course is not the fault of the airline,
but was part of my overall experience. My conclusion is that I would
definitely consider flying with Alitalia again if the price was right,
but with new players such as Jet Airways and Air Sahara now flying
Heathrow to Mumbai direct, I suspect that the price of flying direct
will come down on this route, and any saving made by flying Alitalia
will be less than the £100 I saved, making the messing about in Milan
less worthwhile.
Alitalia - by James Ritter
30 March 2006
Flew Alitalia from Barcelona to Milan & on to Newark. My companion's
seat on the flight from Milan to Newark was broken, and we alerted the
cheif steward immediately. The crew's attempt to rectify the situation
consisted of having one of the ground crew come on board, take the chair
apart and stomp it (yes, literally turn it upside down and kick at it)
back into shape, which as you can imagine was less than successful. Nor
did that exercise instil much confidence in me or any of the passengers
that were in view of what was transpiring as to the condition of the
plane. I took the seat and let my girlfriend have mine naturally. I was
told by the chief steward to "make the best of it" and was grudgingly
given 2 extra pillows to sit on, as I was in for a 9 hour flight on a
full plane and had to go work the following day. To make a very long
story a bit shorter... the plane was a disgrace. The restrooms were
downright unsanitary, and I was very upset that my girlfriend was
exposed to such dirty conditions. Some of the appliances (paper towel
holder for ex.) were literally TAPED to the wall. After a very long
and uncomfortable flight in a broken chair, I learned after arrivng at
Newark that my bag (along with several other passenger's bags) did not
make the plane. Thankfully there was nothing in my bag that I couldn't
do without, because it took a week for the bag to turn up. One of my
fellow passengers was not quite as "fortunate" as me... she was an
older woman, and she was quite agitated; her missing bag contained her
medicines, which she had been told by the flight crew that she couldn't
bring on board with her. As I said the bag took about a week to show up
(after which I learned from other travellers thats not too bad by
Alitalia standards) - but during that week I will tell you that not once
was the phone at either the Newark airport baggage office or at their
Midtown Manhattan NY customer service offices ever answered by a live
person; nor were any of the messages that were left ever answered or
calls returned. In fact the only reason I believe I got any response at
all was that my girlfriend showed up at their office in person and after
an hour was finally able to speak to a customer service agent. When I
got my bags back several items were found to be broken; I am still
awaiting some sort response by Alitalia to a report I filed with them on
Jan 30th 2006. So overall - a failing grade for on board customer
service by the flight crew; a dirty and worn looking plane (and that was
only the parts that I could see); and disastrous follow up customer
service after the fact - I cannot see myself taking this airline again.
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