Be careful (Alitalia)

Member Name: Antani78

Product:	Alitalia
Date:	31/12/08 (131 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Fly cheaper than BA to Italy

Disadvantages: Strikes

Alitalia is in many ways a symbol of Italy, and, I should say, of the worst of that country, and this said from somebody like me who was born and raised there.

It is a loss making venture and for many years there have been talks of the company completely folding up. It is massively overstaffed, primarily with people from Rome and the neighbouring area, because for many years the only way you could find a job there was by knowing somebody else either a politician, or a former worker.

The financial troubles of Alitalia have an impact on the passengers satisfaction, strikes are very common and the thing you need to know with Alitalia, is that you are never sure you can fly, because the threat of a strike is never too far away.

I have used Alitalia in 2007 for a good part of the year because I was working in Italy and never got caught up in any strike, which I think it is as lucky as you can be.

In terms of service and punctuality, food on board could surely be better for an Italian company and the planes are ordinary.

Staff speak Italian and English, although some of them do nto seem to be that fluent in Italian.

If you need to fly around Italy, Alitalia offers a good network of cities but recently few fast trains have been introduced between major cities in Italy, making the airplane connection not that faster any more.

In conclusion, if you can avoid them, do so, they are cheaper than BA if you go to Italy and have a decent network in the Middle East too, but remember that the possibility of a strike and you being stranded is more than real!

Summary: Fly only as last resort