Alitalia

I flew with my wife from Thessaloniki to Rome and back. Both flights were delayed. Plane could be cleaner. As it is an international flight almost 2 hours the only thing you get is a drink and a small bag of biscuits. The coffee is awful. The staff could be more polite. The worst impression was on the return flight. We had only one suitcase which weighed 25 kg. Staff told us that we had to take 2 kg out because only 23kg was allowed. When we told her that we were 2 people but had only one suitcase much less than allowed (23x2 = 46kg) she insisted that we should take 2 kg out of the suitcase. So we had to open our suitcase at the airport. We will never choose this airline again.

Alitalia check in at Heathrow were superb but after that the whole experience was the worst we've ever experienced on a long haul flight. Staff in Rome airport were rude during our delayed connecting flight and when we eventually got onto the plane to Buenos Aires we all sat waiting in our seats for over an hour for the flight to commence no refreshments boiling hot and no explanation to what the delay was. Staff were indifferent to the passengers requests that's when they could be bothered to work. Finally the inflight entertainment to help us forget this nightmare was a disaster in as much the screen would randomly switch off during movies. Avoid at all costs until Etihad take over.

7/7/2014 ORD-FCO AZ0629. 17/7/2014 FCO-ORD AZ6028. I would never recommend flying Alitalia! Plane was very old. Plane was very dirty food all over floor when we boarded. Only 3 out of 6 restrooms were in working order and those were filthy. Not cheap tickets so I expect much more. Heard lots of complaints from the passengers so we weren't the only ones who were very disappointed.

Boston-Rome July 2014. Don't book extra comfort seats (this is not economy plus). The seats that are near the exit on the window sides are looking right into the bathroom. Food was bad but movies and drinks were fine.

AZ1426m 8 Julym TRN-FCO. AZ1733 8 July FCO-CTA. AP862 (AirOne) 13 July CTA-TRN. Excellent service! Passengers were welcomed on board with smiles by all staff. The seat was quite comfortable. A snack was provided which was ok - reasonable given the relatively low cost fare. This service was also provided with a smile. I was very pleased with Alitalia. The check-in staff also goes beyond the call of duty. Highly recommended.

Milan to JFK/New York. The smoothest flight in recent memory (and I am a frequent traveler). There was no turbulence and a perfect landing. Inflight entertainment had a nice assortment of movies and games. There has been much said online about airport staff and flight staff for this airline not being ideal. As for airport staff not sure if their demeanour is 100% their fault. Check in was not clearly explained in Milan. There was a line for "baggage drop of" and "economy check in" as well as kiosks. This makes for grumpy passengers. As for flight attendants the ones on my flight were businesslike and polite. They were not rude or happy. It was fine with me.

It pains me not to give Alitalia a high mark. Their inflight experience in Business Class is impressive. But it's everything leading up to the flight that is a disaster. Their website is outdated and nearly impossible to use. Their call center is a joke with incompetent agents who read off a script. And Alitalia will change flight times on a whim and penalize the traveler financially. In our experience after paying over $8000 for a ticket they charged an additional $850 for change fee and $1500 for fare difference when I asked for an earlier flight after they changed flight times from the original booking and shortened my connection time in Rome. They also changed my booking from Business to Economy and I had to make innumerable calls to their idiotic call center to try and resolve it. Once in the air the service was lovely from a friendly sharp-looking crew. The food is a showcase of the best of Italy with delicious pastas and breads served course-by-course. I don't drink but the wine list was extensive. They provide a high-end Ferragamo amenity kit. And the seats are lie-flat and great for a long sleep. The only drawback from the inflight experience is a poor IFE system with limited options and a dirty Business Class bathroom. If Alitalia can get their act together on the ground they can become a well-rounded and competitive airline. But until then despite a great inflight product I will avoid them.

AZ703 IST-FCO connecting onto AZ 630 FCO-MIA Business Class/29 June. On boarding in IST the forward attendant was busy in the galley on her cellphone with no greeting or attention to the boarding. Her service was minimal and after the light breakfast she brought a pass-riding co-worker to the jumpseat and closed the curtain where she remained for the rest of the 2 hour flight. FCO-MIA was the exact opposite. The purser (and the entire Magnifica Class crew) was/were attentive cordial available willing to help and grateful for passengers choosing AZ. On approaching MIA the purser came to my seat acknowledged my frequent flyer status (DL) and offered enrolment into the AZ program. I really like AZ when a crew is good; the problem is the inconsistency of AZ crews! They also tend it seems to focus more on co-workers than revenue passengers.

Flew from Rome to Tokyo. We were told that we could not sit together due to the plane having only 4 seats left (wrong). We were told we could sit together if we paid 85 Euros for a "Comfort Seat" so we paid it. We sat together ok but the seat was just a standard seat and an uncomfortable one at that. I was told all sorts of lies by the cabin staff who tried to get my receipt off me presumably so I had no proof I had been ripped off. We will never fly again with Alitalia!

Flew from Rome to Lamezia Terme and back. A modern airbus. The interior was immaculate. The staff were very smart in appearance. They were courteous and attentive. The flight was only one hour but we were served a red orange or peach juice and snacks. All were good. The flight itself was smooth and the announcements clear and helpful including from the captain. Alitalia is a good airline and I would not hesitate to fly with the airline again. There's an air of sophistication and smartness that you rarely find with other airlines.