Review of Alitalia flight Rome Amsterdam in Business

Airline Alitalia
Flight AZ 132
Class Business
Seat 3A
Aircraft Airbus A321
Flight time 02:35
Take-off 09 Oct 16, 15:20
Arrival at 09 Oct 16, 17:55
AZ 301 reviews
jetsetpanda
By 2225
Published on 16th October 2016
Hi and welcome to this connecting flight to AMS. My schedule so far:

SFO-MSP on DL Y - click here
MSP-YYZ on DL Y - will not report.
YYZ- FCO on AZ J - click here
FCO-AMS on AZ J - you are here.
AMS-IST on TK J - click here.
IST-ATH on TK Y - click here.
ATH-CPH on A3 J - click here.
CPH-ARN on SK J - click here.
ARN-HEL on AY Y - will not report.
HEL-JFK on AY Y+ - click here.
JFK-SFO on AA J - clcik here.


Once in FCO I followed the signs to connecting flights and took the train to the main terminal. After going through a quick and friendly security check I tried to find the closest Casa Alitalia lounge near my departure gate. I stopped by a AZ transit desk to inquire about my flight and the agent said that he didn't work for AZ and that the agent should be back soon. Ok, so I checked again and the desk was labeled AZ, there was an agent there but he didn't work for AZ. I thought of the title of a Magritte painting at this point. "Ceci n'est pas un …."

So I used this experience as an opportunity to exercise my resourcefulness and once I found the flight screens I located my flight and went to the "B" gates. I had to go through passport control and once at the other side there was an AZ agent standing to assist passengers. She directed to the lounge near the "D" gates and once I arrived I was welcomed by an efficient agent. I asked for a shower and she took me there right away. However, she did not have the keys to the shower rooms and asked me to wait for a minute with a smile. Then the person in charge of cleaning came up and she used the end of a fork to pry the door open. OK…that is reassuring!

i entered into this "closet" of a shower room and was surprised that there was not a toilet, just the shower.

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An assortment of toiletries was available on top of the sink counter and a pair of open plastic slippers were placed by the shower. i did not use the slippers.

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After cleaning up I decided to visit the WC's. So I went into the first one and there is a toilet seat missing along with evidence on the floor of people missing the mark while urinating. At this point I thought that the public WC's outside were exponentially better than these ones found at an "exclusive" lounge. So I went into the other toilet and at least this one had its seat still attached.

The lounge was full and I had to go all the way to the back by the individual desks to find somewhere to sit. This was a small lounge with a few partitions to offer some sort of privacy. I did not bother taking pictures of the sitting area since it was so crowded.

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There was an interesting display of figurines with the history of AZ uniforms at the entrance.

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There was a small buffet with a few items and a salad bar. One annoying thing was that the refrigerators containing the water and soft drinks were on top of the buffet and one had to wait until the person piling up his plate with this sumptuous feast finished before accessing the drinks. Of course, since there were so many people hungry at this time and every time food was replenished there was a swarm of people hovering like locust it was slightly frustrating getting the drinks. There has to be a better arrangement.

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My snack.

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I decided to browse the internet and when I came across the news of traffic control strike in Greece I nearly had a heart attack. I was going to connect there in a few days and my master plan will be doomed. Thankfully I kept reading and it actually stated that the strike was cancelled and flights will resume as normal. Oh i needed to wake up and stay alert after this long flight.

So I left the lounge and decided to get to my gate earlier, even it that meant standing there instead of spending one more minute in this crowded zoo.


A quick visit to the WC's around the terminal confirmed my earlier suspicions.

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Gate area.

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The agents eventually show up and I must say that the new uniforms look sharp. You could also tell and some of the staff wore them with pride. Why can't U.S. carriers invest in some good uniforms? let alone ones that "itch" according to the latest complain from FA's of one of the big 3 U.S. carriers.

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Embarking was done orderly with priority given to people in wheelchair and elderly passengers followed by J. Stepping into the plane I was greeted by the purser and took my seat. The cabin looks really pleasant and AZ did a great job with upgrading the cabin.

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My seat with the whole row for myself. ;)

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View from my seat.

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Pre-dept. drink was offered. I just had water. Come to think of it, I never saw the bloody orange juice on this flight neither. Did AZ discontinued it?

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Door closed and taxiing out to the runway.

Old AZ - new AZ.

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Luxair.

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Lining up.

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Ciao FCO.




After leveling off the service starts with the distribution of packaged towels. The flight attendant giving them out reminds me of Giuletta Masina from "Nights of Cabiria".

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The purser asked me if I want to have the snack. I replied with an affirmative.

The catastrophic snack! What happened?

First, the serving is small.
Second, the presentation with "exploding" bits around the plate is awful.
Third, the chicken brochette is a little burned and dry.
Fourth, the whole ensemble is tasteless including the small tomato stuffed with rice.
Fifth, the dessert is very industrial tasting and I cannot discern what flavor it is.

The only good thing about this snack was the peach juice .




The purser was very good and made frequent passes with drinks. I asked for hot tea and he inquired if i wanted lemon on it. Before arrival he offered some chocolate or candy from a tray.

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Descending into AMS.




Taxiing to the gate.




Plane at the gate.

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See more

Verdict

Alitalia

6.5/10
Cabin9.0
Cabin crew9.0
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Meal/catering3.0

Casa Alitalia Piazza Venezia

5.8/10
Comfort3.0
Meal/catering7.0
Entertainment/wifi5.0
Services8.0

Rome - FCO

7.0/10
Efficiency6.0
Access7.0
Services6.0
Cleanliness9.0

Amsterdam - AMS

9.8/10
Efficiency9.0
Access10.0
Services10.0
Cleanliness10.0

Conclusion

FCO can be an overwhelming airport to connect and the layout is somewhat confusing but the security and passport control were fast and efficient.

AZ has a few lounges at its hub, but the one at the "D" gates that i visited was not up to par and it was crowded, stuffy and small. Catering is fine but the layout is not very user friendly, especially with the cold drinks and water contained above the buffet. The staff was fine and professional with a friendly attitude (both customer service and cleaning).

The flight itself was fine. Cabin was very stylish and felt welcoming. Having a row to myself was a big plus and I like the colors of the seats. The purser was friendly and professional which makes the flight more enjoyable. Catering was the low point here and the snack was just horrendous. At least there was an attempt to serve a hot dish instead of a cold one.

Information on the route Rome (FCO) Amsterdam (AMS)

Les contributeurs de Flight-Report ont posté 13 avis concernant 3 compagnies sur la ligne Rome (FCO) → Amsterdam (AMS).


Useful

La compagnie qui obtient la meilleure moyenne est KLM avec 7.4/10.

La durée moyenne des vols est de 2 heures et 29 minutes.

  More information

13 Comments

If you liked this review or if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to post a comment below !
  • Comment 370732 by
    757Fan 632 Comments
    Nice report, jetsetpanda! Looks like you had a good afternoon for flying up to AMS. The cabin interior looks quite nice, but I'd agree with you in regards to the snack; it doesn't look all that appealing.

    Thanks for sharing!
  • Comment 370744 by
    NGO85 SILVER 1955 Comments
    When did this AZ rebranding start? None of this existed a year ago. Love the wood paneled bulkhead though. The old crusty grey seats needed to go, so I'm glad they did something. Do they still have the little 3" IFE screens that don't work?

    Which lounge is this? I only visited the little closet of a lounge by the non-Schengen gates (next to BA's Lounge). The food looks the same, but I don't remember the same issue with drinks being on top of the buffet. I'm surprised they didn't just pull out a credit card to break into the shower for you ;)

    I'm speechless on the catering, that is really bad in terms of presentation and quantity. At least they don't serve it with plastic still on top like IB ;)

    Thanks Adan for sharing!
    • Comment 371048 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      Hi Michael.

      I think this new refurbishment started months ago if I am not mistaken. Anyways it really looks elegant and classy.

      The lounge that I visited was the ex-Borromini one. There was a plastic lid on top of the dessert but I removed it for the pic. This was really one dreadful meal.

      Thanks.
  • Comment 370787 by
    KL651 TEAM 4534 Comments
    Thanks for this FR.
    It seems the revamp on AZ lounge mostly implied changing the name.
    It was pretty much the same with limited food and drinks available and lack of intimacy when I visited them 3 years ago.
    The new cabin looks reallt good, but the new catering doesn't unfortunately!
  • Comment 370835 by
    aussenrist 225 Comments
    Thanks for sharing this trip report to us!
    The cabin looks decent which AZ installs the wood texture wall while the seats are in good conditions. For this flight length, the crew services are good. Their new uniform reminds me the EVA Air one^^
    The catering of this flight was so… even the AZ Lounge has better food as shown in pictures. The quality between international and regional flight has such a huge contrast (I really like your orecchiette on last leg which looks delicious^^)
    Look forward to your next report.
    • Comment 371054 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      Hi ashleyyau

      Yes, quite a contrast in the catering between the long haul and intra-European segment. It almost looks like 2 different carriers. Not too many airlines use green as a color for uniforms - it's a bit "daring".

      When the food at the lounge is better than the onboard one, something is wrong.

      Thanks.
  • Comment 370872 by
    indianocean SILVER 7572 Comments
    No toilets inside the shower room?
    No Bulgari or Salavatore Ferragamo toiletries either?

    The snack you had is such a shame. Everyone knows that italian is one of the greatest cuisine in the world. Why on earth isn't it possible to have a decent meal onboard this AZ flight?

    Although I have to admit that IB is getting better, I'm not yet convinced about AZ.

    Thank you for sharing my friend.
  • Comment 371468 by
    Rl 777 802 Comments
    Thank you for sharing this FR with us!

    "There was an interesting display of figurines with the history of AZ uniforms at the entrance."
    - Very interesting indeed!

    Cabin looks really nice, especially with that wooden finish on some parts.

    Nice spotting shots while taxiing out.

    Absolutely fantastic aerial shots throughout the flight.

    The meal looks like an unfinished meal, unfortunately it was the whole thing this time.

    Nice to have a great crew at least.

    Beautiful shots before landing :).

    The rebranding looks good but I guess there is still some work left (especially in the catering department).

    Have a good one, see you later!
    • Comment 372100 by
      jetsetpanda AUTHOR 2283 Comments
      Hi RI 777.

      Just when you thought that AZ made a big leap for improvement, the meal on this flight brings you back to reality. :P For a country with such a great culinary tradition, it's really disappointing to be served something this bad.

      I was lucky to spot some interesting airplanes at FCO.

      Thanks for your comments.

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