Have you ever wondered how it feels like to fly with the new Italian national carrier, ITA Airways? Let’s see how my experience with ITA from Milan Linate to London Heathrow back in January was like.
Customer Service
ITA Airways’ customer service was an extremely positive experience. I originally booked my flight for the 15th of January, but I anticipated it to the 11th. If you book your ticket with ITA Airways, as it was with Alitalia, you cannot change the flight online, but you have to call the customer service. Calling a hotline might be a stressful and frustrating experience, but this was not the case. I waited for ten minutes, after which a very friendly and efficient customer service operator changed my flight. It was a matter of seconds.
The day before leaving for the UK, I contacted customer service again since I wanted to add a piece of checked baggage to my booking. Similarly, I could not do this online because I had already checked in for my flight, so I had to get in touch with customer service. Once again, the agent who picked up the call was extremely friendly and efficient.
In-flight experience
My flight to London was scheduled at 8:25 a.m. We left the parking position earlier than the scheduled time and landed in London perfectly on time (we had to fly over London for 15 minutes because of heavy traffic at Heathrow).
The crew still wears the Alitalia uniforms, designed by the Italian fashion designer Alberta Ferretti. As was the case with Alitalia, once you board an ITA flight, you immediately feel a sense of comfort and safety. The professionalism of the crew is what helps the airline stand out from the competition.
Biscottini o salatini?
A pleasant surprise was the onboard service. Alitalia has always been famous for its intra-European onboard service, based on a salty (salatini) or sweet (biscottini) snack and a hot or cold refreshment. As it was a morning flight, I went for a cup of (delicious) Italian espresso and biscottini. A bottle of water accompanied everything. Considering I paid the so-called light tariff, which is the most convenient tariff you can get when purchasing an ITA ticket in economy class, it is surprising you still get such a great complimentary snack.
Concluding comment
Flying with ITA Airways has been an extremely positive experience. The professionalism of the crew really makes you feel at home. Moreover, the small details, like the complimentary refreshment, do give you the idea that flying is still a romantic and magical experience. Low-cost business models aim at cutting costs, which often means cheaper flights but also poorer service. Although most passengers consider the price of the ticket the most important variable when choosing an airline over another, flying still is a beautiful moment for us, aviation lovers. Not only was my flight with ITA a remarkably positive experience, but it was also the most convenient choice in terms of price!
I would definitely recommend you guys ITA Airways for your next trip, and I wish the NewCo blue skies ahead and always happy landings!
