Alitalia airline

[filthiestfis]

They are really cheap but have an awful reputation if one takes a look at passenger comments on www.airlinequality.com

Has anyone travelled with them and what was the experience like? Should this airline really be avoided at all costs?

[vehelpfulguy]

Well alitalia does stand for:

Always Late In Takeoff, Always Late In Arrival.

[auntiebertie]

Flew with them last weekend - LHR to Naples with a change of plane in Milan. both ways The planes were fine, service OK, you got free sandwich and glass of wine - but yes late taking off from LHR, two hours sitting on runway in Milan because of technical failure in Naples; on the return they were on time leaving Naples but then 1 hr sitting on runway in Milan because of air traffic problems back at LHR! Arugably both delays were outside their control.
My only word of warning is that they do not give you enough time to tranfser - I lieterally had to run through the terminal on both trips to make the connection. In Milan you had to go through the whole security screening process again even though you were a transit passenger.

[drchasuble]

It depends on where you're going really. I flew with them to Argnentina and they were great but I used to fly to Milan a lot with work and they were a pain in the proverbial bot. You can't check in online unlike most of the "bigger" airlines and delays quite common.
I did sit behind Giorgio Locatelli once though. I was surprised when he ate his inflight meal.

[filthiestfis]

who is this giorgio?

[henneth]

Alitalia lose passengers bags rather too frequently. I've done a few 'meet and greets' at various airports for Italian language school kids this summer and their arrival has always been delayed as some of the students have to fill in lost baggage reports after immigration.

[drchasuble]

He's a chef. ttp://images.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=http://www.northcotemanor.com/images/press_rel ease/latest_press/livingedge1.jpg&imgrefurl=ht tp://www.northcotemanor.com/reviews/latest_mar 2004.htm&h=842&w=612&sz=54&hl=en&start=1&tbnid =tdSU4sUGSmetVM:&tbnh=145&tbnw=105&prev=/image s%3Fq%3Dgiorgio%2Blocatelli%26svnum%3D10%26hl% 3Den%26lr%3D%26client%3Dfirefox-a%26rls%3Dorg. mozilla:en-US:official_s%26sa%3DN

[1sleepychik]

if i recall correctly, i think their policy is you must wait five days to file a lost luggage claim... i had an experience with a guy stranded outside catania italy with the clothes on his back and no funds to purchase a whole new wardrobe. i think in the end he came back one day to the hotel and his bags were sitting there, he had no knowledge of any porters bringing them in or the airline finding them and delivering them. in any case he blew an important biz presentation he had to give because he had none of his documents...

cross your fingers!