Review of ITA Airways flight from Rome to Paris in Economy

INTRODUCTION

Hello dear FlightReporters,
The last months have been very busy with university. I’ve finished my last year of Architecture and hopefully I’ll graduate next December. Since I couldn’t get any vacation during my last term I decided to make something special during Summer.

Fortunately, it happened that a cousin of mine usually leaves his house in Paris to relatives and friends during summer days. Having visited Paris when I was 8 years old, I didn’t think twice to ask him. The house is in the 2e Arrondissement, in the heart of city.

I decided to stay there the first days of August, since he told me the house would have been free until the 8th of the month.

BOOKING OPTIONS

Around the 20th of May my cousin confirmed that I could get the house from 31st July to 8th August.

I checked on SkyScanner and the best solution appearead to be flying to Orly with Vueling

31st July VY6253 FCO - ORY 13:30 - 15:40
8th Aug VY6933 ORY - FCO 21:35 - 23:25

Total price: 280 euros
Bagpack and checked bag included, no cabin baggage

Unfortunately I was kinda busy that days and when I came back on Vueling website the 3rd of June the ticket had risen to 325 euros
So I started to explore other solutions with Vueling
I skipped immediately the 6:50 flight from Rome since I didn't want to ask my parents to bring me at the airport so early (moreover the flight wasn't so cheaper)

A good solution seemed this:

31st July VY6253 FCO - ORY 13:30 - 15:40
8th Aug VY6250 ORY - FCO 9:35 - 11:40

Total price: 310 euros
Bagpack and checked bag included, no cabin baggage

Even if the price was good, I wasn't really sure about leaving in the morning from Orly, considering it would have take me one hour to get there from my accomodation

Just for curiosity I took a look to Italian State-owned rail company, Trenitalia, which offers a six-hour high speed train from Milan to Paris-Gare de Lyon
Even if the price was fair (270 euros) the journey between Rome and Paris would have taken 10 hours with a change in Milan.

I got on ITA Airways website and I finally found this itinerary:

31st July AZ324 FCO - CDG 15:10 - 17:20
8th Aug AZ313 CDG - LIN 16:55 - 18:35
8th Aug AZ2075 LIN - FCO 20:00 - 21:10

Total price: 266 euros
Bagpack, cabin baggage and checked baggage included

I decided to go for this solution since the price was the cheaper, the time were fine and the stopover in Milan didn't pose an issue for me

Since I was booking in such an advance I add ITA Airways insurance, which costs 20 euros

Being under 35 I was able to use a discount from European Youth Card
This brought the flight price from 266 to 250 plus the insurance, for a total of 270 euros.

ROUTING

BEFORE THE FLIGHT

ITA Airways allows passenger to check-in 48 hours before the departure time.
Two days before the flight I logged-in on their website and was able to print my boarding pass
Since last time I've flown with AZ (November '22) the design of the BP had been improved, with important infos highlighted
Moreover my Volare frequent flyer number had been inserted correctly

My fare didn't allow me to choose the seat
I was lucky to get a window seat in the back of the plane
Changing it would have cost me at least 11 euros

Arriving to FCO and check-in

With the flight departing at 15:10 I decided to be at the airport no later than 13
This would have allowed me to check my bag and print my BP

My parents and I left home around 12:30 since at that time the motorway is not very busy
A few minutes before 13 we arrived at Rome "Leonardo Da Vinci" International Airport

ITA Airways is based at Terminal 1
T1 hosts other European carriers while T3 is mainly dedicated to extra-Schenghen operations

The bright check-in hall was quite crowded

Even if my flight was still not shown on FIDS I made my way to desks 11-20, which seemed to deal all ITA's European flights

No separate lane was available for bag drop
The queue was quite big, but only 3 desks were opened

It took me 35 minutes to get to the counter
While I was waiting I heard many stanger passengers complaining about ITA and its ground service. By the way handling was managed by Swissport
During that time three additional desks were opened

When I got to my counter the lady told me the plane was full and ask me if I could check the second baggage too. Having already one checked bag I didn't hesitate

I finally got my boarding pass at 12:40, forty minute after being left at the kiss and ride

After a short stopover at the pharmacy I made my way to the security checkpoint

AT THE AIRPORT

Of 15 lanes 11/12 were opened, making the queuing quite fast
FCO is equipped with new generation X-ray machines that allows passenger to keep their electronic devices in the bag and to bring liquids over 100mL
The whole process took less than 15 minutes
I got airside around 14, half a hour before scheduled boarding time

Obliged passage through the massive duty free

The T1 departure lounge was expanded last April, opening large windows on the apron

From 12nd April to 31st August 2023 the seating area would host the Salvator Mundi, by Gian Lorenzo Bernini
This marble statue, dated 1679, usually lies inside San Sebastiano church in Rome

Since my BP didn't show any gate I took a look to the FIDS
My flight would depart from gate A50, located at the far end of pier A31-52

I went upstairs to explore the new food court, equipped with many italian and international food counters

The largest food point in the area is represented by Eataly, which sells any kind of italian specialities

One last pizza before 9 days of French cuisine

Time for some spotting
The pier A31-52 seen from the departure lounge

ITA Airways A320

Two Ryanair Boeing 737s parked at pier A1-10

Eurowings A320 taking off from runway 25

The apron got busier
Ryanair Boeing 737, Wizzair A321neo, ITA Airways A319 in old Alitalia livery and Lufthansa A320

Having some spare time I decided to visit the new eastern departure lounge and the pier A61-83

This part hosts many shops

The apron between piers A31-52 and A61-83 (the newest)

ITA Airways A320neo

Vueling A320neo

The connector bridge is enriched with ancient roman statues

The pier A61-83 still smelled new, having opened in May '22

Stored Alitalia Boeing 777 and A321

The white stored A340 in the background is probably I-TALY, a plane leased from Etihad Airways in 2014-2015 that was supposed to become the Italian State plane

Since schedule boarding time was closed I made my way to gate A50

The gate was being prepared to board

10 minutes after scheduled the gate was opened
The plane had arrived from AMS on time

At the end of the queue an agent checked if the name on the BP was the same on the ID
Once cleared this step it was possible to use the e-Gate

A bit of waiting in the glass jetway

Our today ride:
ITA Airways Airbus A320neo, EI-INB, delivered to Avolon in December '22 (0.7 years old) and leased to ITA since February '23
It's equipped with 180 seats in mixed C-Y configuration
The plane is dedicated 1984-Giro d'Italia's winner Francesco Moser

Mandatory (blue) door shot

Once onboard I gave the Purser the flight report form
He asked me which website I write reviews for and accepted it
I then made my way to my seat, 26F
The cabin looked so new

Legroom was OK

The view from my seat as boarding continued

The plane still carries old A320 safety chart
Moreover they were ruined and dirty
Not a great touch to be 100% honest

Some spotting from the plane

ITA Airways A330 bound to Dehli

British Airways A319

Lufthansa A320 and Wizzair A321neo leaving the apron

Boarding was completed at 15:20, ten minutes after planned departure
Doors were closed and armed minutes after

The crew made a welcome announcement
Flying time would be approximately one hour and 50 minutes and the weather in Paris would have been cloudy/rainy with 17°C

At half part three we left our stand

Mood lighting turned from white to blue
I like the overhead compartments design

More spotting on our way to the runway

Swiss Air A320

Stored Alitalia Boeing 777s
So sad to see those beauties "without wings"

Poste Air Cargo Boeing 737F

Wizzair A320

Lauda Motion A320

As usual in FCO we'd depart from runway 25, pointing Tyrrean sea

I've done this taxiing countless times

THE FLIGHT

32 minutes after scheduled the two Pratt & Whitney PW1000G went full thrust with an enjoyable hiss

Up to the air

Crossing runway 16R-34L

Slightly banking northward as we flyed over the towns of Fregene and Focene

Civitavecchia's harbour with two sea giants and a ferry docked

Following Tyrrean coast we encounter Montalto di Castro power plant
Prior to 1987 it was the building site of two nuclear reactors, but the referendum following Chernobyl's incident dropped the project

Argentario, a renowed holiday resort

Porto Ercole is, along with Porto Santo Stefano, one of the two main towns on Monte Argentario

Orbetello town, connecting Argentario with the mainland

Grosseto, in souther Tuscany

Outside the weather was barely clouded

Follonica, another sea holiday place

Livorno and Rosignano Marittimo

Rosignano Solvay, a planned town built in 1910s to house workers of Solvay's chemical factory

The White Beaches hold this name for the large amount of calcium carbonate wastes released by the chemical plant
Even their tropical appearance they're considered among the most polluted beaches in Europe

Livorno and Pisa

Livorno city with its harbour

Pisa with "Galileo Galilei" Airport

Lucca, famous for its preserved walls built around the city

La Spezia and Massa mark the border between Tuscany (on the right) and Liguria (on the left)

Carrara, famous for its marble quarries
The marble of Carrara has been a protagonist of Italian sculpture and architecture since centuries

La Spezia, in Liguria region

Cinque Terre (Five Lands), a piece of coastline famous for this five towns: Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso

Half a hour into the flight service started
Mood lighting turned from blue to orange

A choice of two snacks was available: salty crackers or rice and chocolate biscuits
The snack was accompanied by a selection of cold and hot beverages

I chose biscuits, which were tasty, and a sugar-free coke

As the service was going on the Pursers hand me the flight report form
No detail was missing

As we cut through Liguria's coast more clouds appeared over Northern Italy

Novi Ligure, in Piemonte region

Crossing Po river

Trino Vercellese, which hosted on of the four working nuclear power plants in Italy

Approaching cloud-covered Alps
As I'd later see on FlightRadar we flyed exactly over Mont Blanc summit

Entering Swiss airspace the sky immediately cleared

I took a short nap
Twenty minutes after I woke up over France, painted by a layer of clouds

Minutes before 17 descent was announced by the cabin crew
We expected to land in around 25 minutes, perfectly respecting our schedule

Mood lighting turned white again and the cabin was set for landing

Outside it was partially cloudy

Aligning to runway 26R
We'd land from east

Saint-Soupplets

Juilly

The interchange between N2 and N1104

Last moments on air

At 17:27, seven minutes after scheduled, we touched down at Paris "Charles De Gaulle" Airport
We overflew a lot of runway before putting gears on the ground, resulting in a rough braking

Terminal 2E - Satellite L with an Air France Boeing 777

Terminal 2E with two Air France birds

No need to say who rules here

Crossing runway 08L-26R as an Air Franca A320 departed

Air France Boeing 777 aligning for take-off

CMA CGM Air Cargo Boeing 777F

Air Austral Boeing 777

The Concorde lying in the distance
At this moment a small tear came down my eye…

Royal Air Maroc Boeing 787 Dream)Liner

Air Baltic A220

Taxiing behind another Air France Triple-777

Unfortunately it started to rain, resulting in a big difficulty to take good shots
We blocked at the gate at 17:39, next to an Air France A220

Such a long taxiing

ARRIVALS PROCEDURE AT CDG

Disembarking through the glass jetway

Our bird parked next to another Air France A220

In a few minutes I reached the baggage reclaim hall
Our baggages would be delivered from belt 27

Minutes after the first luggages emerged from the belt
I got mine less than 20 minutes after getting off the plane

After claiming my baggages I went straight to Paris CDG Station - Terminal 2, perfectly connected through covered walkways
The best way to get to Paris city center is RER B, which takes around 30 minutes to reach Chatelet - Les Halles
From there my house was 10 minutes walking
The ticket to the city center costs 11.45 euros and can be purchased at ticket machines

Stay tuned for the return flight…