Schooled by my earlier caffè americano mistake, I ordered an espresso, a sound idea. I have never taken a long-haul Alitalia flight that did not begin with having to wade through a throng of passengers who did not have access to the priority boarding lane but had been camping there for a while, amid indifference from ground staff. Good seat and legroom. “Alitalia’s newly announced year-round service to Rome further enhances the connectivity and choice available for business travelers and tourists on both sides of the Atlantic.” Dulles International will become Alitalia’s sixth passenger service gateway in the United States. It was already full, with unruly kids running around the small 17-seat cabin. And while 150 movies, TV-show episodes and lifestyle videos might seem like a lot, there wasn’t much that I wanted to watch among the bland, mainstream selection. It was fine on a sunny June morning, but would have been miserable in the rain or in Rome’s stifling high summer. The bathroom was just in front of the premium-economy section, ensuring it was shared only passengers in that cabin. Responses have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by the bank advertiser. Thursday’s Alitalia launch is the latest new air service route from Dulles International in 2019, which saw passenger activity increase by more than 5 percent in 2018. After going bankrupt, the airline actually expanded its long-haul fleet, leasing that stretch-model 777 at a. of a million dollars a month. Alitalia will offer direct flights between Virginia's Dulles International Airport and Rome's Fiumicino International Airport five times per week on the … That’s because tickets bought on and flown on Delta partner carriers earn qualifying dollars as a percentage of distance flown. After dinner, the usual trays with tea or coffee were presented. The priority line for business, premium economy and passengers with elite status was clearly marked in SkyTeam’s signature red, indicating SkyPriority lines. Editorial Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are the author’s alone, not those of any bank, credit card issuer, airlines or hotel chain, and have not been reviewed, approved or otherwise endorsed by any of these entities. On the flight back to Dulles I deferred to order until several hours into the flight as it departs between standard meal times and I wasn’t hungry just yet. Los Angeles (LAX) – Rome (FCO) New York City (JFK) – Rome (FCO) mostly on AZ 609 and AZ 611; Alitalia A330-200 Economy Class. Search for Rome flights on KAYAK now to find the best deal. Alitalia will offer direct flights between Virginia’s Dulles International Airport and Rome’s Fiumicino International Airport five times per week on the Airbus A330-200, which carries 249 passengers. Weird, another positive review https://www.airlinereporter.com/2017/04/lucky-flying-aer-lingus-business-class-airbus-a330/ (revenue work travel, upgrade comp’d) Weird, another positive review https://www.airlinereporter.com/2016/07/thomas-cook-airline-youve-probably-never-heard/ (review flight) Weird, another positive review https://www.airlinereporter.com/2016/04/party-like-1999-flying-klms-fokker-70-747-combi/ (revenue work travel) Weird, another positive review https://www.airlinereporter.com/2016/02/getting-taste-good-life-187-miles/ (revenue work travel, paid upgrade) Weird, another positive review https://www.airlinereporter.com/2015/12/british-airways-a318-new-york-pretending-like-private-jet/ (review flight) Weird, another positive review https://www.airlinereporter.com/2015/10/flying-first-class-british-airways-787-9-dreamliner/ (review flight) Weird, another positive review https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2019/05/14/uniteds-elevated-service-on-shuttle-like-route-is-worthy-of-praise/ Weird, another positive review https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2019/04/29/united-777-200-domestic-short-hop-shines-brightly/ (revenue work travel, paid upgrade) Weird, another positive review https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2019/04/12/icelandair-over-the-atlantic-perfectly-fine-but-im-left-wanting-more/ (revenue work travel, paid upgrade) Weird, another positive review https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2019/03/24/delta-takes-main-cabin-consistency-seriously-and-it-shows/ (revenue personal travel) Weird, another positive review https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2019/02/21/alaska-verses-jetblue-a-study-in-transcon-paxex-outside-the-big-three/ (revenue personal travel) Weird, another positive review https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2019/02/10/delta-hits-a-home-run-with-airbus-a220-passenger-experience/ (revenue personal travel) Weird, another positive review https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2018/12/08/peeling-back-the-paxex-on-mango-from-lanseria-reveals-sweet-surprises/ (revenue personal travel), They have too many concurrention of Quantas and Quatar Airlines, Your email address will not be published. FCO is the airline’s home base. Alitalia has a mixed reputation, which my experience with the airline confirms: Its cabin crews can be a delight or occasionally downright rude, but on AZ603 that day they were neither, and delivered an efficient if minimalist crew-interaction experience. All would have looked fantastic on a better display. It was blissfully quiet and the warm pizza slices on offer at the buffet were excellent. This is the second Magnifica review I have read recently, and they’ve made me think I should book a flight. Per Delta’s partner-airline earnings chart, flying premium economy on Alitalia yielded an amount of redeemable SkyMiles equal to 150 percent of miles actually flown. This is a dramatic reduction in seat pitch that puts this economy product in second place. While the Wi-Fi did not work at all on the flight to Rome, it worked well enough for the return flight to Dulles. https://www.TravelsWithSheila.com It is unfortunate that if we want to stick with United, our carrier of choice, we must fly Chicago-Rome via Washington Dulles Airport. The credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. While pasta is often a disappointing dish on board aircraft, with the sauce burnt onto the plate and noodles nuked to oblivion, Alitalia has somehow managed to perfect the art. My seat sported 38-inch legroom and 19-inch width plus the ability to recline with impunity, since I only had the coach-class divider behind me. Both flights had delicious pasta starter dishes with excellent presentation. CORRESPONDENT - NEW YORK, NY. That big jet is another of Alitalia’s bizarre incosistencies. The same goes for the center section seats, where some offer much more privacy than others. , because of privacy laws and security issues. Email: [email protected]. Find flights to Rome from $207. This flight in premium economy from New York JFK to Rome’s Fiumicino airport was the return leg of a round trip from Italy to the US. That’s Alitalia, Italy’s flag carrier and member of the SkyTeam alliance which, despite its dire financial straits (and culturally insensitive advertising), is still very much a presence in the US. The inflight entertainment was a low point: The content wasn’t very exciting and presented on a low-resolution display that felt very early 2000s. Well, nobody really knows, actually. Delivered new in 2012, it bore an Irish registration, EI-EJO, for tax reasons — again like almost all of the Alitalia fleet. During boarding, flight attendants brought out a tray with blood-orange juice, prosecco or still water, followed by American or Italian newspapers. With no crew staffing the galley, I could also roam at will, inspecting the coffee maker (espresso on the left, standard coffee on the right.). Neither was true. Yet there was no jetway for us, and we had to take a bus. From Rome you will fly out from Fiumicino (FCO) and you will be landing at Washington Dulles International (IAD). What airline has been bankrupt since 2017, but keeps flying thanks to government loans and might even end up getting an investment from Delta? We paid a cash fare of $1,309 for the return ticket and put the fare on the Platinum Card® from American Express, which earns 5x Membership Rewards points on airfare booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel. That manifest was sitting on a shelf next to the water bottles that Alitalia always leaves in galleys for passengers to help themselves. Due to the staggered nature of the layout, four of the window seats are substantially more private than the rest, which are quite exposed to the aisle and afford little privacy. The strawberry-jam croissant was excellent as well, despite the shoddy presentation. One can only wish those rambunctious kids would have gotten the same memo about keeping the cabin undisturbed. “Ehh, caffè americano,” he replied in a tone that said he understood her unexpressed concern. Each seat had its own power plug. Per Alitalia’s lounge-access policy, premium-economy flyers cannot get in, but I did, thanks to SkyTeam Elite Plus status as a Delta Platinum Medallion. The sports-video section was shockingly devoid of any soccer content, but what the IFE lacked in the Italian national pastime it made up for in another, perhaps less-known area of Italian excellence: space exploration. Many of the credit card offers that appear on the website are from credit card companies from which ThePointsGuy.com receives compensation. From May 2, 2019, fly nonstop to Rome from the beating heart of the United States with our new flight Washington-Rome. But before we go further, you’re probably wondering: Should I fly a bankrupt airline? Things devolved rapidly once I got to the gate. I’ve seen Alitalia do pasta spectacularly well on flights from Italy or badly on flights from the USA, so I got the beef. Wines were the same midrange bottles available in the lounge. omeone less innocuous than a curious journalist might easily have gotten hold of the list. I got a seat with very good legroom for a relatively good price. Alitalia’s economy class cabin on the A330-200 consists of seats that are 17 inches wide and 31-32 inches in pitch. This flight in premium economy from New York JFK to Rome’s Fiumicino airport was the return leg of a round trip from Italy to the US. Premium economy, a separate class between biz and coach, offers legroom akin to domestic first class in the US and wider seats than economy, but not the lie-flat beds and personalized service found in business. I had better luck with the excellent music section, an eclectic mix of around 100 CDs presented with pithy and informative blurbs, obviously the work of a savvy music writer. AZ619 Washington Dulles to Rome departing 4:15PM arriving 7:00AM (+1 day) The flight will cover a distance of 4,495 miles in each direction, and is blocked at 8hr45min eastbound and 10hr westbound. I also noticed that the TV selection suffers from the usual airline issue where there are three episodes of a random season for shows, which is just frustrating. During flight, it’s separated by heavy curtains from the economy section behind and the galley in front. I liked the unobtrusive service that maximized sleep time, but expected a marked differentiation from economy. I found it clean throughout the flight. While all seats have aisle access, not all seats in the cabin are created equally. 10 °C Friday 01/08/2021. It’s a big airport. I was happy to join the airline for a flight in Magnifica Class on its newly added Dulles to Rome route, one of a small handful of new routes Alitalia has added to its map this year. We look forward to welcoming you on board. Aviation and film buffs would appreciate detailed captions: Where was Moore coming from, in full James Bond mode, on a Douglas DC-9? Alitalia has an excellent safety record and is known for strict maintenance standards and top-notch pilot training. I was in seat 9J, in a block of two seats, ideal if you’re traveling as a couple, which I was not. After a few lounge drinks it was time to board EI-EJL, an Airbus A330-200. Disclaimer: The responses below are not provided or commissioned by the bank advertiser. My seatmate was an elderly Italian lady, who crossed herself on the takeoff roll and again after we landed. Tempted by a tantalising one-way fare of just £808 ($1,010), I recently took Alitalia from London to Delhi, via Rome. (The Americano I requested out of curiosity proved that my seatmate’s concerns were justified.). I ignored the worn, wobbly footrest at my seat and stretched my legs under the seat in front of me all the way to Rome. Although Alitalia has recently shifted to a dine-on-demand style of service, the meal service isn’t really executed as such. Upon finally boarding, I got a glimpse of business class. Alitalia Launches Rome-Washington Flight as Financial Struggles Linger. Jason Flies Alitalia’s New Dulles Route & Eats Pasta. Get notified of all new comments. the only miles that count to qualify for elite tiers. After settling into my seat, I was offered a pre-departure beverage and we pushed back exactly on time, despite the nasty weather that had been occurring all morning. After going bankrupt, the airline actually expanded its long-haul fleet, leasing that stretch-model 777 at a rate of a million dollars a month. The Casa Alitalia lounge is usually not my first choice when flying SkyTeam carriers out of JFK’s Terminal 1; the Air France lounge next door is better, although it’s been known to turn away partner-airline passengers on occasion. The mesclun salad with chicken was to the same standard. While all of that is sorted out, however, Alitalia continues to provide a surprisingly good business class experience. Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) announced Tuesday that Italian airline Alitalia will begin five weekly nonstop flights to Rome Fiumicino International Airport (FCO) on May 2, 2019, providing a new option when traveling between the U.S. Capital Region and Europe. Once the entertainment system booted, I browsed the content selection and found roughly 80 movies, but not a ton that I actually wanted to watch and few recent titles. This post contains references to products from one or more of our advertisers. Wow! Flights from Dulles will leave at 4:15 p.m. and arrive at 7 a.m. the next day in Rome – an almost 9-hour flight. The Italian government today is going out of its way to help sell the airline. As if to illustrate Alitalia’s uneven soft-product standards, the croissant was the same as in coach and came in its cellophane wrapper with no plate, but the espresso was served in an elegant Richard Ginori china cup on a saucer. Say “Buongiorno” in the eternal city with a cappuccino. I ate the cost, but that interaction did not go into the positive column. United Airlines and Alitalia fly this route with the same aircraft: Boeing 777. nice flight - rome to dulles Flew United flight 43 on 04/26, from FCO - IAD with a sceduled departure of 1050. *Bonus value is an estimated value calculated by TPG and not the card issuer. My choice came down to beef or pasta, described vaguely by flight attendants. The guy who flies around the world on an airlines dime and routinely bitches about it, actually enjoyed a flight. With security taken care of at 4:30pm for a 5:45 departure, I had time for a lounge. On its flights, you can earn and redeem Delta’s SkyMiles, as well as FlyingBlue miles, which can be a valuable currency for Delta flyers. There can be sound technical reasons for that, so I wasn’t upset, but I was annoyed by the paltry 10 MB of free internet offered to premium-economy customers with a scratch card distributed by the crew. If you want to fly directly from Washington, DC (IAD-Washington Dulles Intl.) I also got a bonus for being a Platinum Medallion member, bringing my total haul of SkyMiles to 9,838, worth $118 at our current valuations. The Italian airline Alitalia, the flag carrier of Italy, is launching nonstop service from Dulles International Airport to Rome next May. Either $5 or 5% of the amount of each transfer, whichever is greater. Unfortunately, Alitalia does not offer TSA PreCheck, so all of its passengers from the US must remove their shoes and take laptops out of bags. That 50 MB goes quickly, though, so usage has to be rather reserved. “Coffee how?” my Italian seatmate asked a flight attendant. Magnifica Class is configured in a staggered 1-2-1 layout, so all passengers have access to the aisle no matter which of the 20 seats they are assigned. Slightly cheesy, maybe, but effective enough in context. Find out more on Alitalia flight deals to reach Rome from Washington. And I appreciated hugely, on an overnight flight, the lack of annoying PA announcements while the lights were out. Alitalia is one of those airlines that I have always watched closely but have never had the chance to fly. Simple and practical amenity kits followed shortly. A tiny Italian flag on the adjustable headrest added a touch of class. BBC World and CNN International live feeds both streamed well. The smartly dressed flight attendants were largely absent other than at meal times, and were polite but offered no personalized welcome or attention. This site does not include all credit card companies or all available credit card offers. Other airlines serve omelets for breakfast in the same class of service. Related: The Best Credit Cards for Airport Lounge Access in 2019. Detailed flight information from Washington IAD to Rome FCO. Roger Moore, Sofia Loren and Gina Lollobrigida are easy to recognize in the photos below, but more than one face left me wondering. Why not make a quick announcement immediately after dinner? With cabin lights out from 8pm until midnight — 6am at our destination — people could sleep comfortably, uninterrupted by crew announcements. We’ve reviewed its transatlantic service in business, finding it good, and coach, with less remarkable results. You also need qualifying spend to make an elite tier, and this flight got me $1,283 in those Medallion Qualifying Dollars, or 30 percent of the miles flown. A big, cozy blanket, pillow, headphones and a small water bottle were on every seat. You can view current offers here.. Hi Travel Junkies, I recently had the pleasure of flying Lufthansa Business Class from Washington Dulles (IAD) to Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci International (FCO) for a quick trip to Italy with my wife.. We paid a cash fare of $1,309 for the return ticket and put the fare on the Platinum Card® from American Express, which earns 5x Membership Rewards points on airfare booked directly with airlines or American Express Travel. Alitalia flies from Rome and Milan to Boston, New York JFK, Washington Dulles, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles on Airbus A330s and Boeing 777s. Alitalia (AZ) is the national airline of Italy. Bottles that Alitalia always leaves in galleys for passengers to help sell the airline ’ s alitalia dulles to rome review. For any major service flaw the smartly dressed flight attendants were largely other. An Italian painter like Alitalia ’ s separated by heavy curtains from the beating of. Airlines, airplanes and travel are created equally galley in front t fault the are! Resumed operation from New York to Rome from the economy section behind and the galley in front of airline. T free after all ; a bill for $ 2 appeared in my email the... 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