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

ITY

AZ - ITA Airways

Flight taken on 11 May 2024
AZ621
15:15 12h 00m 12:15
Class Business
Seat 8A

Translation Note: This review was translated from French to English.

Read in french
Jarvis
1,538 · 150 · 7 · 26

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.


Flight routing


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.


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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


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


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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).


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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,


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the signage at LAX is really very clear,


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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.


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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.


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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,


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then follow the long corridor


The little girl pulls her own suitcase


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the lounge


We'll be welcomed with a smile


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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


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As well as cold


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


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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.


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


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To take a shower, you have to go through reception


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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


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A BA


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


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


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Philippines Air Lines, rarer for us


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An Austrian


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An arriving Lufthansa 747


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Then parking


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And a close-up on the registration for Stephan


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A Delta taking off


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


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Singapore Airlines


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Boarding in progress. That's a lot of people


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A VIVA


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Emirates in A380


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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.


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They're starting to go electric here too


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I found the terminal quite calm


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


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our boarding gate


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Not an easy working position for the technician


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Back to the lounge, the corridor even more deserted


From the lounge we have a direct view of our steed


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a small view of the First Class lounge


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


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BOARDING


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


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


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let me introduce you to our steed of the day


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His name is Valentino Rossi


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4 years old


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Traffic jam in the jet-bridge


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Door and PS moment


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OUR PLANE


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Shot front fuselage for a change


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


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the footbox


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


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in natural light, it shows numerous scratches


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


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In less than 5 minutes, the technician leaves us.


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


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Off the catwalk 10 minutes early


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Always the original safety instructions, illustrated by sportsmen and women


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I really love this one


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the blue moodlight before taxiing


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


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


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The American corner


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An intruder in the Alaska corner


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United with an old livery


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a Jet Blue


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We let a Jet Blue land


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before taking off past the cargo area


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THE FLIGHT


Take-off


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We quickly reach low-level clouds


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then climb above them


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


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Over Long Beach the weather clears


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we fly over Los Angeles' main container port


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before looking out over the beaches of Long Beach


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our route


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Still snow-covered peaks


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we soon reach arid zones


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


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Here's the map





Nice contrast


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The aperitif is served


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Here's to you (for the second time)


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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


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


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


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


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Skip the cheese platter and go straight for dessert


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Not forgetting the macaroons


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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.


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Gradually daylight fades


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And we can watch the sunset


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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.


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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


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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


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The last time the purser flew over, here we are


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Over Geneva, the cabin is relit for breakfast


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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


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The little one is still asleep


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


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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.


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It's good to see green again


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FCO


Smooth landing


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5 minutes to the gate and 3 more to disembark


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


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We follow the connection route


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Pass the PAF


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


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Thank you for reading all the way to the end.

Display all

Product ratings

Airline

ITA Airways 8.1

  • Cabin9.0 / 10
  • Cabin crew9.0 / 10
  • Entertainment/wifi7.0 / 10
  • Meal/catering7.5 / 10
Lounge

Korean Air Lounge5.6

  • Comfort7.0 / 10
  • Meal/catering3.5 / 10
  • Entertainment/wifi5.0 / 10
  • Services7.0 / 10
Departure airport

Los Angeles - LAX7.9

  • Efficiency8.5 / 10
  • Access8.0 / 10
  • Services7.0 / 10
  • Cleanliness8.0 / 10
Arrival Airport

Rome - FCO8.4

  • Efficiency10.0 / 10
  • Access8.0 / 10
  • Services8.0 / 10
  • Cleanliness7.5 / 10

Conclusion

LAX: apart from the $8 cart scandal, nothing to complain about, clear signage, not too much waiting for security.
On the other hand, I didn't notice if there was a fast track.

The lounge: apart from the impeccable welcome, the rest leaves a lot to be desired. No doubt, if ITA is taken over by Lufthansa, a new lounge will be proposed.

The flight: a totally opposite impression to the previous flight, the cabin crew were available, dynamic and, above all, smiling.
At the start of the flight, when the little girl had lost her pacifier in the meanders of the seat, the steward had a bit of trouble retrieving it, but always with a smile on his face, he even cleaned it before giving it back to her.
The hard product is, of course, as excellent as on the outward journey.

Overall, the catering was one level below that of the outbound flight, which from memory was identical with Air France.

FCO: the key word is fluidity, but a bit of walking (that's good after a flight of almost 12 hours).

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