This will be just a brief review, but I want to point out what service is like on shorthaul Alitalia flights in business class.
I arrived quite early into Madrid and found the Alitalia check-in counter was closed. Unfortunately, I also received an error when trying to check-in online. It meant I had to sit around in a café for more than two hours before finally obtaining a boarding pass.
Check-in was efficient. While the economy class line was 50-people long, I had no wait for business class check-in. An agent addressed me in Spanish but instantly switched to English when I handed her my U.S. passport. She directed me to the Puerta del Sol Lounge.
> Read More: Puerta del Sol Lounge Madrid (MAD) Review
Boarding began 30 minutes prior to departure. I was in the middle of a phone call so was late to the gate to board and among the last passengers onboard.
Alitalia 61
Madrid (MAD) – Rome (FCO)
Thursday, August 24
Depart: 11:25AM
Arrive: 1:55PM
Duration: 2hr,30min
Aircraft: Airbus A320
Seat: 1A (Business Class)
Business Class on Alitalia is like most European carriers, a regular economy class seat with the middle blocked. A center console provided a second tray table and the armrests were adjustable.
FAs were quite friendly and dressed in Alitalia’s chic uniforms. Pre-Departure beverages were offered.
We pushed back a few minutes early and were in the air by 11:30AM. The captain welcomed us onboard in both Italian and English, mentioning we would land about 20 minutes early in Rome.
Although it wasn’t exactly a short flight like Rome to Milan, FAs sprang to action quickly and within minutes of hitting cruise altitude my meal was served:
Lunch was lasagna and no choice was given. Sides include a green salad, bread, and cake.
The lasagna was exceptional for an airline meal.
One fairly friendly FA insisted I try some limoncello for dessert, an Italian liqueur. I wish I had not…
The coffee wasn’t bad though.
There is no IFE, in-seat power, or internet onboard the Alitalia shorthaul fleets. FAs did not make an appearance after the initial service unless prompted by the FA call button.
Lavatories remained clean, as I used it just before landing:
CONCLUSION
While nothing special, Alitalia offers a reasonable intra-European business class product with good onboard meals.
Limoncello and grapa…two memories of Italy I wish I could erase from my mind…
Matthew an honest feedback, I normally never notice mistakes in texts but I do quite frequently in yours. I saw several other comments like this before here. I do really enjoy your reviews but maybe a bit more careful proofreading would not hurt 🙂
“One fairly friendly FA instead I try some limoncello for dessert”
They served the meal quickly because the flight attendants wanted to disappear and not work for the duration of the flight. Was there any wine?
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