Alitalia

✅ Trip Verified | Catania to Tel Aviv via Rome. I booked a flight a few months in advance, with a 12 hour stopover in Rome on my way back from Catania to Tel-Aviv. On the day before my return flight, while attempting to check in online, I found out that Alitalia has changed the time of my CTA-FCO flight from the morning to the evening, thus reducing my layover in Rome to two hours. They did this a few days before the flight, without alerting me to the fact that they're changing my itinerary (my understanding is that an Airline is not allowed to change the itinerary within 14 days from the flight, and that they must notify the passenger). Since I had plans in Rome, I contacted Alitalia by phone. From here on my experience was truly unbelievable. The first representative I spoke to, told me that my original flight was canceled, and there's nothing she can do. But I had reasons to suspect that the flight was not canceled (it was possible to purchase tickets for the flight online). Since she refused to acknowledge this, I asked whether I could be placed on some other morning flight. The representative responded that she can't find any available flight. Then she told me that there is a regional problem and all morning flights from Catania are canceled - which, as I found out after the call ended, had no connection with reality. I called again, after verifying online that it's possible to book my original itinerary on the Alitalia web site. I also spoke with several colleagues who attended the same conference as me, and none of them were notified of any flight cancellations. The same representative got my call. She told me now that she simply cannot offer me my original itinerary, even though the flight was not canceled, and that the airline has the right to do this (which is incorrect). She offered me some other choices which were completely irrelevant to me, and explained to me that I must accept one of these offers. I asked to speak with a supervisor but she refused to let me do this (claiming that all supervisors are away, or in a meeting, depending on the time I asked). She also kept demanding that I check availability online once more, but as I was traveling I wasn't able to talk on the phone and access the web at the same (this, she said, was 'my problem'). After 45 minutes of futile attempts to get this representative to help me, I ended the call and called again. This time I reached another representative. This one started by repeating the incorrect claim that my original flight was canceled. But I confronted her with the fact that the flight was being sold on the Alitalia web site. She then acknowledged that the flight was not canceled, but claimed that she cannot put me on my original itinerary anyway. I insisted. After a lengthy discussion she asked that I wait (probably seeking assistance from a more senior team member), and finally placed me on the itinerary that I booked. I wasted overall an hour and a half on this, and missed several talks in the conference that I attended. By the way: there were a number of empty seats on the flight, so there was absolutely no logical incentive for refusing to put me on it. The whole experience felt like pure harassment. Seems like Alitalia representatives are simply trained to do as little as possible to assist passengers. This is either a policy of the airline, or perhaps the representative are super lazy and incompetent, and nobody in this airline cares.

✅ Trip Verified | Rome to Buenos Aires. I had to run to the gate as my Alitalia connecting flight from Milan arrived late (they did wait for us though). The plane cabin was relatively well maintained, IFE was working properly (even though the screens and the choice could be improved). The service was quite quick and the food quite tasty (as you would expect by an Italian airline). There's definitely room for improvement but overall I was pleasantly surprised.

✅ Trip Verified | Mexico City to Rome. Seats were very uncomfortable. The screens didn't work during the flight. The crew didn't answer when the button was pushed to call them. I asked for gluten and lactose free meal, and my meal had lactose products which i didn't noticed and made me feel awful during the flight.

✅ Trip Verified | Rome to London. Historically my flights with Alitalia have never been pleasant, most frequent occurrence the lost baggage. Surprisingly, regardless of its financial position, Alitalia has improved. Flights were on time, baggage wasn't lost, and service was decent. The pre-flight auction for business class is also a great idea. Well, the lack of politeness of an Italian cabin crew, and the ridiculously narrow seat pitch are not a surprise at all.

✅ Trip Verified | Barcelona to Istanbul via Rome. Check in was appalling. A customer service staff was so rude that a colleague of his came to my assistance. I could not remove my old airline tag from my check in luggage,& his reply was that it was my problem,& wouldn’t even help me, after asking him several times, & informing him that I couldn’t remove it. He refused to check in my luggage & then his colleague ignored him & helped out. I will not fly Alitalia again.

Not Verified | Montenegro to Cairo via Rome. Worst airline I've ever taken and the rudest staff on and off the plane. I heard so many bad things about Alitalia before but never thought it would be this bad. After a 6 hour delay, they didn't even bother to do anything about it, no one cares. My grandma needs to be on a wheelchair and there was no assistance what so ever, in fact, after they got her a wheelchair they left her at the rome airport at a random gate without even checking where she wanted to go and they took the wheelchair away from her after we explained she couldnt move without it! They were extremely rude and impolite, and couldn't care less. Not recommended even if it is the cheapest flight available, you will be frustrated the whole time, it's not worth it at all. Huge disappointment, never flying Alitalia again.

✅ Trip Verified | I took this flight from London to Delhi via Rome. Airline did not give any information about the terminal and the gate for the connection from Rome. Crew was extremely rude. Flight was delayed by 2 hours because of detour it had to take. Captain/crew did not provide any information on the delay. There was delay in baggage arrival and it was mixed with other airlines luggage. Ground staff had no information on delay.

Not Verified | Boston to Rome (Fiumicino) with Alitalia. We paid for a premium economy seat and just 72 hours before the flight they changed the plane and kicked us to economy without any explanation. They were rude when we tried to call them and offered no help when we were very confused. When we got to the airport the checkin staff were extremely rude and just wanted us to go away. I kid you not the was the most uncomfortable flight I have ever been on. The crew only wanted to serve you on their schedule and woke me up to "Chicken or Beef?" I never received an explanation why we were kicked out but we were partially refunded.

✅ Trip Verified | Rome to Athens. This must be the worst flight I have ever had. One of the most uncomfortable planes I have ever been on. Rude air hostesses which where talking down to passengers and giggling all through the flight at the back of the plane. I am surprised they are still allowed to fly with such service and state of aircraft. Only positive in the whole trip was the ground staff service at transfer desk.

✅ Trip Verified | Sao Paulo to Rome via Milan. I had no problem during the flight, but the after sales is terrible. I sent an email asking to transfer the miles to a Alitalia's partner air company and since January I got no reply from them. I tried to call Brazilian branch but they said I should send an e-mail to Alitalia and wait a reply. Now my time to request the miles has expired and I just lost it because Alitalia did not reply any of the e-mails.