For my 200th flight report, I'm delighted to share with you an exclusive on FR, with the discovery of the business cabin of ITA Airways' brand-new A321neo.
After the LHR-FCO route, the aircraft is now positioned on CDG, much to my delight. And to make matters worse, AZ business fares are quite reasonable. It's a good opportunity to treat yourself and discover a cabin that we're not used to seeing on our European medium-haul routes, where the norm is now an ironing board and a neutralized middle seat.
I therefore manage to choose times that allow me to catch the A321neo on both the outward and return trips.
Last but not least, the fare is the same whether the destination is Rome or any other Italian domestic destination. So I'm taking the opportunity to book a short weekend in Trieste, which will give me another exclusive, as this airport has not yet been featured on the French version of the site.
Up until the day before departure, I was dreading an aircraft swap, but fortunately it didn't happen, and it was indeed one of the airline's 4 A321neo aircraft that lined up.
And off we go!
Arrival at CDG
I decide to arrive early at CDG, not least to take advantage of the new Extime lounge, which I'm not yet familiar with. The RER journey is trouble-free, which is worth noting (except that the direct train advertised on the official timetable never arrived at Gare du Nord).
The queue you see on the left is the one for buying an RER ticket. It's an ordinary Friday morning in March, and we're wondering how things are going to work out for the Olympics in 5 months' time…
The Grand Charles is still there, true to form.
We head for terminal 2B/D, since ITA, although part of Skyteam, is apparently not welcome at 2F. The company's position with regard to the alliance is not very clear, even though Flying Blue members have at last been able to earn miles and XP on AZ flights (I'm still waiting for the corresponding credit).
Work is in full swing, and we hope that one day we'll have an airport that's no longer a permanent construction site.
Work is going on inside…
… and outside.
I'm not a big fan of this terminal, you have to walk a long way to get to the boarding point.
The FIDS is colorful, even if orange predominates. Czech Airlines is the only other Skyteam airline relegated to 2B/D. The mark of the pestiferous, no doubt?
I arrive at the AZ counters, which are deserted.
If there's one thing Skyteam has succeeded in imposing on even the most recalcitrant, it's the signage and the SkyPriority route.
The reception desks look more like self check-in kiosks than human check-in counters, but it's a real-life (and very smiling) agent who will receive me and issue my BP for Trieste.
For some reason, there's a quick visual check of POs to pass airside and join the PIF. This is all the more pointless as automatic gantries take care of the PO check. This creates a long queue for access.
Then it's upstairs to the PIF.
I'm pleasantly surprised to find it deserted.
I tell myself that this will be a quick and easy formality, especially as ADP has finally installed scanners that mean you no longer have to empty your bags.
Well, that's the theory, because in practice, the system isn't really up to scratch. Virtually all bins are checked manually, and the agents are indolent, taking their time with their checks. One of the attendants, in a flash of lucidity, realizes that there's a problem, and comes to collect some of the bins to run them through the scanner again. Miraculously, this time my belongings pass through without a hitch. All in all, this little merry-go-round lasted a good fifteen minutes. Only CDG manages to make the checks take longer with these new machines. Once again, I wonder what it will be like in 5 months' time…
So here I am, airside, and I can finally enjoy the trip, with the hardest part behind me.
The PIF exit is graced by a beautiful view of the runways, with the Air France headquarters in the background. Croatia at the push-back.
Aegean A320neo on contact.
I pass through the duty-free area without lingering too long, as the prices are no longer attractive.
The rotunda is pleasant, with many lively stores and restaurants.
Access to the lounge is directly opposite.
Head for the 3rd floor.
The Extime lounge
The entrance is pleasantly appointed, with plenty of natural light.
The entrance is neat and tidy.
I'm invited in. The first impression is very good, with the vestibule separating the living room from the entrance.
The "Parisian apartment" atmosphere is pleasant, with quality decoration and furnishings.
After an initial resting area, we arrive at the main area, with the catering section on the far right.
The decor features a large number of orchids.
There's a final area at the far end of the lounge.
It's pretty, well laid out, well decorated and has plenty of seating.
This is the catering area. I like the lighting fixtures.
This is the breakfast menu again. Hot.
And cold.
Nothing but classic, but very correct.
Alcohol is available on a self-service basis.
The good news comes from the presence of a champagne, which I also know. The guests will make no mistake about it, and the flow of champagne bottles will be incessant throughout my stay at the salon.
For the more reasonable, a number of softs are also available, including these handy little bottles.
A sweet Italian appetizer with these tiramisu.
Around midday, the lunch offer takes over.
Wishing to reserve myself for in-flight catering, I'll settle for a light snack.
Cheers to all FRists!
I'll also have some more sober Italian bubbles.
The toilets are modern, which is fine.
In short, a very successful and pleasant lounge, all the more so as it wasn't very full during my stay. The only downside was the staff, who were certainly present but not very affable. They were more occupied with a visit from one of their chefs, who got their full attention, than with customers.
As you can imagine, right up until the last minute, I was dreading an aircraft change, so I tracked my flight. The A321neo is confirmed, albeit with a slight delay.
Before noon, all doubts are dispelled: it will indeed be an A321neo, which has already taken off from Rome.
Boarding was scheduled for 1.05pm, i.e. an hour before departure, which is of course a huge delay for an MC flight. I'm in even less of a hurry as our bird of the day is on approach to CDG at 1pm.
Boarding
Time always flies in a nice place, and eventually it's time to reach my boarding gate.
Who's that?
You either love or hate the ITA livery, but personally I think it's superb, especially in this beautiful sunshine.
It's 1.15pm when our little fellow pulls up to the gate, which means that boarding isn't going to start just yet.
Yet a long queue has formed.
All the passengers are crowding in from the SkyPriority entrance, and we have to wait until the last moment before an agent comes to sort things out by directing the passengers into the appropriate queue.
Boarding begins at around 1:35pm, 30 minutes before the theoretical departure time.
The glassed-in jetbridge allows us to take full advantage of our beautiful aircraft.
The livery lends itself perfectly to the shot fuselage.
As was often the case with Alitalia, we'll have a senior crew on this flight. The chief purser requires each passenger to see the carta d'imbarco. A strange request, especially on an MC flight.
Discovering the cabin
So here's the object of this trip, the brand-new cabin of the ITA Airways A321neo.
Going against the grain of the competition, ITA has chosen to equip its A321neo with a true business cabin, in a 1-1 configuration and equipped with 6 rows, and a dedicated Premium Eco cabin, configured as a 2-2 with 3 rows. SkyteamCHC recently postponed the latter cabin.
These aircraft are not (unfortunately) intended for short flights to CDG or LHR, but for long-haul MC or short-haul LC flights, in particular to the Middle East or Africa. An interesting alternative for a company that may not have the economic strength to deploy its wide-body aircraft there.
At the time of writing, ITA has received 4 aircraft, the very first in October 2023 and the most recent in January. So today, I'll be flying EI-HXB, just 3 months old.
Well, let's face it, the first effect is really wow, especially with the first row offering XXL space.
I was lucky in that 1F was still available for booking, so I didn't hesitate.
The overall effect is very flattering, especially as the aircraft is brand new.
The absence of a seat in front of the first row makes for an impressively large bench.
Let's explore this beautiful space. There's storage above, with a vanity mirror and a place to hang a helmet (not present on this flight).
On the side, a small light, the remote control and seat controls.
The seat is well finished, with a reminder of the airline's name and Italian colors on the headrest.
However, the configuration means that the IFE obscures one of the two windows. Not dramatic in itself, but there's a slight loss of luminosity.
The most observant will have noticed that the bad surprise comes from the shelf, which is already broken. I'm obviously annoyed and ask the cabin attendant about it, who confirms and apologizes. I ask her if I can change seats, but cabin J is full. The CC tells me later that there's quite a bit of breakage already.
Well, I can't let that stop me from enjoying the moment.
The bench really invites you to invite a neighbor.
But the instructions are clear: it's not designed for sitting.
I take advantage of the fact that boarding is over to get up and take a few wider shots. It really is a cocoon.
There's plenty of privacy, and the partitions are high enough so that you can't see your neighbors. The blue moodlighting is activated. This aircraft is also equipped with the latest Airbus Airspace cabins, with a slightly greater width and optimized luggage compartments (provided passengers remember to put their luggage on the edge).
The forward bulkhead also ensures privacy with cabin crew seated during landing and take-off.
The PSU is modern, as befits a new aircraft.
All the necessary connections are also available (a classic socket is also located on the tray table).
All these emotions almost made me forget my FRist duties. So here's the vomitobag and the safety instructions.
Let's take a look at the IFE. It's not available in French, but what surprises me more is that it's available in Portuguese (?) and not in Arabic (even though the device is intended for the Middle East).
The content is well-filled, in any case far too much so for a flight of less than 2 hours, although in the absence of the headphones supplied by AZ, it was difficult to take advantage of them on this flight.
Disappointingly, geovision is not available. Failure or budget savings?
Wifi is also available, but you have to pay to use the Internet, even for messages. You'll have to pay €4.66 (sic) to be able to check your messages, but I'll do without it for 2 hours.
The flight report
Once boarding is complete, the purser passes by to offer a welcome drink. I can't remember ever having had this offer on a European MC flight before - bravo AZ! Choice of water or fruit juice only and a plastic glass, but the intention is to be commended.
It's time to leave. Next to us, a Royal Jordanian A320 has just arrived.
Then a Czech Airlines A320 pulls up beside us. Despite the 100-year "venerability" of the company's livery, CZA doesn't really tempt me.
Departure is now imminent and it's time to fasten the seatbelt. The seat has a 3-point system, but I haven't seen my neighbors use it, nor have the cabin crew forced them to.
The safety instructions are launched on the IFE. These are dynamic, in Olympic Games mode.
It's under a beautiful spring sun that we pass off 2F.
Then terminal 2E.
Today, we'll be taking off from the south doublet, on 26R.
It's a CMA-CGM A330 freighter, whose strategic partnership with Air France was abruptly terminated by both parties two months ago.
Take-off will therefore be to the west. As the seat is oriented at 45° to the plane's axis, the thrust on takeoff tends to push the passenger to the side rather than the bottom of the seat, creating a strange sensation to which we are not accustomed.
View of the T1, celebrating its 50th anniversary.
On the other hand, I think it's a pity that AZ didn't logotype the winglet - they weren't that far off on the paint job, were they?
We continue our ascent. The moodlighting remains on.
I take advantage of the lights going out to get up and put the seat in bed mode. It's definitely flat.
The aisle-side armrest can be lowered (by the way, the cabin crew didn't ask for this for takeoff, as is the case in Air France's Best cabins, for example), but the window-side armrest is fixed.
A quick trip to the toilets, which are a standard size; I'd have imagined them a little bigger.
The service begins. In the absence of a functional tray table (I haven't tried it myself), the conductor places the tray as best he can on the console. It's not great, but it's good. You'll note that the welcome drink still hasn't been cleared away.
On the menu: lasagne (hot) for the main course.
Caesar salad for starter and tiramisu for dessert. The croutons in the salad were soft, which was a pity.
To accompany this very Italian meal, I wash it all down with prosecco, served in a small individual bottle.
I ask for a glass of red. I'm pleasantly surprised to see it served by the bottle. It's a good one, and the 2017 vintage is interesting.
However, the CC wants to serve me the wine in a plastic cup, so I explain that I'd still prefer a glass. He tells me he must have one left over from the previous service. He comes back from the galley with a second glass brandished like a trophy.
The cutlery is metal, but of average quality. Common sense prompted ITA to recycle the cutlery from the now defunct Alitalia.
Overall, the meal is decent. It's not very practical to eat on the console, but it's not that complicated either, especially as I'm enjoying a superb view. We're now approaching the Alps, with Lac du Bourget and the Rhône in the background.
The mountains are still covered in snow, and it's magnificent.
I stay glued to the window, which isn't easy as it's quite a distance from the seat.
Alas, the sky will cloud over by the time we reach Italy, but I'll have made the most of it. Flying over the Alps in fine weather is always a highlight of any flight between Paris and Italy.
At the end of the meal, the cabin attendant comes by to offer sweets…
… and a digestif. I opt for limoncello. Too bad it's served in a plastic cup, I don't dare ask for a glass again…
I sip my limoncello above Piedmont.
We soon reach the Ligurian coast.
Then Cap Corse and the island of Capraia, magnificent in the fading light.
The island of Elba.
Before the end of the flight, I decide to take a quick look around the back. Here's the Eco cabin, almost full. Virtually all passengers are using their personal headsets to operate the IFE. This aircraft is really configured for LC.
Then the Premium Eco, carried over by SkyteamCHC as I mentioned earlier. There's no curtain separating it from the Y. A seat like this would make all European MC business travelers happy. A priori, the W is not marketed as such by AZ; it's a paid seat option, with the same service as the Y.
Back to the front cabin. It's true that it's a bit strange to find these seats in a narrow-body. It's worth noting, however, that while the space is oversized in the front row, the passageway to access the seat is not very wide in the other rows. You have to find a few faults…
Time for this little stroll and we've arrived above Lazio.
I'm enjoying the last moments of this flight.
We're now on approach; it's a pity that the first window is obscured.
Another aircraft descends on FCO parallel to us.
Welcome to FCO!
We find some interesting birds on the tarmac, like this Aeroitalia 737, already reported on the site, but also the old Alitalia 777s.
We park off the tarmac. A pity for the fluidity, but perfect for enjoying the view of the aircraft. I don't know it yet, but this A220 is my next aircraft for TRS.
Come on, one last look at this beautiful seat, if all goes well I'll find one just like it in two days' time!
I take advantage of the cabin attendant opening the door to steal a photo of the cockpit. Beforehand, I have a little chat with him, asking if it's possible to get compensation for the inoperative tray table. He explained that the problem had been reported, that he had filed a report and that the company would get back to me, but he said that I could also contact customer service. So far, no news from AZ.
Taking leave with the crew, the bus is already here.
New fuselage shot, this time under the Roman sun.
Arrival at FCO
On the way, we pass the Alitalia 777s. I can't understand why these aircraft have been allowed to make concrete all this time, it's so sad. I think back to my first trip to Japan in 2019, with AZ. It was this aircraft that brought me back from NRT.
ITA has made good progress in renewing its fleet and redesigning its aircraft, but there are still quite a few in the old Alitalia livery.
The bus dropped us off at the terminal at around 4.20pm, just a quarter of an hour late.
Nothing to worry about for my flight to TRS, scheduled for just over an hour from now.
This is where I leave you, and I'll see you soon for the continuation to TRS in A220.
