Review of ITA Airways flight from Los Angeles to Rome in Business

Hello everyone

During this short stay, we managed to combine three days of conventions in Las Vegas with a visit to Disney World, and the pleasure of driving a Tesla FSD (full self driving) for 6 days, a totally amazing experience (no disengagement of the system in over 1000 km, even in complex city situations with construction zones). I can't wait for the European Commission to give the go-ahead for deployment in Europe.

I had booked transport to get to LAX, so I was a little stressed when the hotel reception phoned us at 10 a.m. to tell us that a driver was waiting for us. But we weren't ready and, after checking the reservation, it was the driver who was almost an hour early!

We'll be leaving 20 minutes early, with traffic jams at the start (it's Saturday).

Then, once on the freeway with the Car Pool lanes, everything went smoothly.

We arrived within sight of the airport 45 minutes later

LAX

Our driver will drop us off at the right terminal and in front of the right gate

I can't believe it, $8 to take a cart.

Okay, you need staff to take care of it (to bring the carts back, for example), but what's 8 bucks!!!! (That's more than an hour's work compared to the US minimum wage).

Here's a little trick to get some for free: go to the shuttle departure point for parking lots or hotels.

By the time I'd made the 150-meter round trip, Madame had collected a cart, and I gave mine away for free to a French couple who were grumbling when they saw the price.

Off we went to the check-in counter,

the signage at LAX is really very clear,

The hostess in charge of check-in was French, and was surprised to see French people on an ITA flight. When we explained the price difference to her, she quickly understood our choice, and made a note of it for her family, who were due to visit her soon.

If you've read our previous reports, you'll have noted our disappointment with ITA, and here we're starting off on the wrong foot again, with no bag available to protect the stroller in the hold. Seeing that Air France was checking in zone C, I kindly asked for a bag, which I was given with a smile.

Once we've unloaded our suitcases, which we pick up directly in Tunis, we head up to the second floor for security checks, where, as is often the case, an agent walks around with a dog looking for drugs.

It will take us 15 minutes to find Airside.

Heading for the lounge, for us it's the Korean Air lounge, noted on the left-hand side of the sign.

It's very simple, just take the escalator to the right,

then follow the long corridor

The little girl pulls her own suitcase

the lounge

We'll be welcomed with a smile

We will be given a card with the password for WIFI

The flow is correct

Only 4 PAX in the lounge on arrival

This is the lounge used by Air France before the COVID.

The offer isn't very appealing, either in terms of heat or cold.

Not to mention the noodles

As well as cold

It's not bad, but it's not interesting

At maximum occupancy, around a dozen PAXs, while the Business class on our flight had 33 seats!
Surely they have access to a better lounge!

No one clears the table after the PAXs leave.

The selection for the little one and for me (the Coke is for me)

To take a shower, you have to go through reception

Spotting time

With time to spare, I wander around the airport trying to find specimens that are rare in our part of the world.

It's off to a good start with a 380 KAL at take-off

A BA

Three Japan Airlines (on the second photo) you can see the drift of the third one

One to Osaka, another to Haneda and the last to Narita

Philippines Air Lines, rarer for us

An Austrian

An arriving Lufthansa 747

Then parking

And a close-up on the registration for Stephan

A Delta taking off

A spirit (I almost took this airline for a LAS,/SFO in 2022 but ended up on a Southwest flight)

Singapore Airlines

Boarding in progress. That's a lot of people

A VIVA

Emirates in A380

On a departure from LAX in 2019, I seem to have spotted 8 380s from memory.
- AF
- BA
- LUFTHANSA
- EMIRATES
- KAL
- ASIANA
- SINGAPORE
- QANTAS

It seems so long ago…

I chatted for a few moments with a young Japanese woman who was taking pictures of everything that moved.

They're starting to go electric here too

I found the terminal quite calm

I passed a crew all in red, but I couldn't make out which airline they were

our boarding gate

Not an easy working position for the technician

Back to the lounge, the corridor even more deserted

From the lounge we have a direct view of our steed

a small view of the First Class lounge

We wanted to wait for boarding to begin before leaving the lounge, but no, the lounge is closing.

BOARDING

We're off to join the pack in the starting block for boarding.

Original: an agent passes by with the boarding rows (5 minutes after the doors open for PAX in Business).

let me introduce you to our steed of the day

His name is Valentino Rossi

4 years old

Traffic jam in the jet-bridge

Door and PS moment

OUR PLANE

Shot front fuselage for a change

I won't go into detail about the seat, a presentation is available in the previous FR

the footbox

The only difference is the foam that fills the gap between the seat structure and the skin of the fuselage, an undeniable plus.

in natural light, it shows numerous scratches

A small technical problem is announced and an Air France technician arrives!

In less than 5 minutes, the technician leaves us.

The welcome drink is served, and I'll be sticking with the Mimosa from the outbound flight.
Cheers

Off the catwalk 10 minutes early

Always the original safety instructions, illustrated by sportsmen and women

I really love this one

the blue moodlight before taxiing

To reach the runway, we take a tour of the terminals

which allows us to see again some of the companies that are more or less rare in our skies.

The American corner

An intruder in the Alaska corner

United with an old livery

a Jet Blue

We let a Jet Blue land

before taking off past the cargo area

THE FLIGHT

Take-off

We quickly reach low-level clouds

then climb above them

Half-turn over the Pacific to rejoin our route to FCO

Over Long Beach the weather clears

we fly over Los Angeles' main container port

before looking out over the beaches of Long Beach

our route

Still snow-covered peaks

we soon reach arid zones

The crew takes over the controls, still on paper in the old-fashioned way

Here's the map

Nice contrast

The aperitif is served

Here's to you (for the second time)

Being at the back of the Business, and therefore the last to order, we're either very lucky or a bit spoiled, as our choices were available.

Hot Oshibori offered before the meal

The starter was a step down from that served at the start of the FCO.

The pastas were fine, but the Gruyère cheese was served with a spoon and on request.

The second course was the same as the starter, correct but one step below the one served on the outbound flight.

Skip the cheese platter and go straight for dessert

Not forgetting the macaroons

After the meal, I chatted a little with the purser, who had been smiling since boarding, but quickly lost her smile when I explained how we felt about the attitude of the cabin crew on the outbound flight. She apologized on behalf of the company, as this is not the image they want to project.

We talked about the aurora borealis, and agreed that she would come and wake me up if any were visible.

I watched a film: el Machina
A futuristic film that raises questions about humanoids and artificial intelligence.

Gradually daylight fades

And we can watch the sunset

The cabin settles into a certain torpor (after more than 4 hours in the air), when two rows ahead of a certain agitation and a crowd forms.

At first I thought it might be a passenger feeling unwell, but fortunately it was not to be. The PAX had dropped his phone under the seat (it took almost 10 minutes for the cabin to calm down again).

For the little one, all's well, there's Pat Patouille, the film

Twice, as agreed, the purser came to wake me up to witness the fabulous spectacle of the northern lights (I was so enthralled, I forgot to take a video).

A few photos from the flight over Canada

The last time the purser flew over, here we are

Over Geneva, the cabin is relit for breakfast

With distribution of a warm Oshibori

The hot dish was really very good, but the pastries and bread were too dry.
No complaints about the fruit bowl

The little one is still asleep

We arrive over the Adriatic Sea, and slowly begin our descent.

Like the flight, the service was impeccable: you ask for a glass of water with bubbles, and they bring you a bottle in a minute.

It's good to see green again

FCO

Smooth landing

5 minutes to the gate and 3 more to disembark

One last photo of our steed, who did a great job!

We follow the connection route

Pass the PAF

To meet up in the lounge for our next flight, 15 minutes after disembarking

Thank you for reading all the way to the end.