Find cheap ITA Airways flights

ITA Airways is the reference carrier for Italy, co-owned by the Italian Ministry of Economy and Finance and Deutsche Lufthansa AG. The airline has modernized its fleet with a bold blue livery with red, white and green accents that represent the Italian flag.

ITA operates from its main hub at Rome Fiumicino, with regional operations in Milan Linate. From these bases, you can fly across Europe and beyond. Following Lufthansa Group’s recent investment, the airline left SkyTeam and is set to join Star Alliance.

ITA Airways route map

ITA Airways no longer serves Milan Malpensa, one of the country’s major airports. The carrier restructured its route map, cutting unprofitable routes to address years of financial losses.

All long-haul flights operate through Rome Fiumicino and many regional cities are served from Milan Linate airport, which is convenient to the city center.

ITA flies to numerous cities across the Americas (including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Miami, Chicago, Washington, Toronto, Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo), Africa and Middle East (including Cairo, Tunis, Tripoli, Algiers, Jeddah, Riyadh and Dubai), and Asia (Tokyo, Bangkok and Delhi).

Within Italy, it covers approximately 20 domestic destinations with flights to Rome and sometimes Milan, including cities such as Bologna, Florence, Genoa, Turin, Venice and Verona.

With the Lufthansa investment, the carrier has expanded its network. Bangkok and Dubai are among the current destinations.

ITA Airways fleet and cabins

ITA has ditched its former Boeing planes to concentrate on an all-Airbus operation. Its cabin interiors have also seen a refresh to make them more modern and match the new brand identity. The experience you’ll have varies by route and aircraft.

Long-haul flights

The bigger planes are the A350, A330-200 and A330neo aircraft that ply its long-haul routes around the world. They feature an impressive business class product setup in a 1-2-1 configuration with ample space and privacy.

The A330s have a staggered setup where some seats are closer to the aisle and others closer to the window. I always choose the window seats for more privacy. On the A350, all seats face away from the aisle toward the window.

I absolutely love the meal service in business class. Everything is laid out like a restaurant on table linens (no trays during the main meal). The Italian wine list is excellent, and the pasta course is my favorite for its authentic al dente preparation.

The main course comes next and includes hearty meat or seafood recipes (usually no vegetarian option though so pre-order a special meal). You’ll soon get dessert with the option for an Italian cheese plate with cordials. Economy class also enjoys complimentary wine and two choices for meals, albeit with less service fanfare.

Business class passengers enjoy amenities including Ferragamo-designed amenity kits and other comfort items. If you’re curious what’s on the menu for your flight, the airline posts inflight menus for business class on its website.

ITA offers premium economy on all long-haul intercontinental flights to the Americas and Asia, and on some Middle East and Africa routes when operated by A321neo. These seats have extra legroom with ergonomic reclining seats plus leg- and footrests. You’ll get priority check-in, boarding and baggage claim.

Premium economy also offers more substantial food and drink service including a welcome drink and dedicated catering with porcelain, steel and glassware. I like the small touches like a welcome drink and larger TV screens that make it feel truly premium.

Short-haul flights

The airline operates Airbus A220, A320neo and A321neo planes on short and regional flights. Business class uses economy-style seats with limited legroom, but the seat next to you is blocked for extra space.

If traveling in economy, I try to choose flights using the A220 since these have a 2-3 seating configuration in economy (with the forward business/superior rows in a 2-2 setup where the adjacent seat is blocked) versus the 3-3 seating of larger planes like the A320 and A320neo.

You’ll find individual 4K seatback entertainment screens on the A321neo, while the A320neo has free wireless streaming via onboard Wi-Fi.

While long-haul service and amenities are quite impressive, short-haul ITA flights are a disappointment. Business class usually gets just one meal choice (pasta or a few small cold sandwiches). On flights of three hours or more, there may be a warm, second choice. My personal hack is to request a special meal because these are often better on short flights.

While I find business class on these short flights to be rather average, kudos to ITA for offering complimentary drinks and snacks in economy class on short and long flights. Many European airlines have shifted to a buy-on-board model.

On domestic flights, Superior is a special fare product that comes with an extra blocked seat next to you (except on the A220 where aisle/window access is prioritized), two 23 kg checked bags and SkyPriority services including priority check-in, boarding and security.

You’ll also get lounge access depending on fare, and dedicated onboard catering such as Italian breakfast or aperitif.

Aside from the blocked seat next to you, I don’t see much value in this fare since elite status often includes many of these perks already. But, if you don’t have status, this could be a nice way to improve the trip with a few extras.

Another key consideration is that the airline does offer some discounted versions of its traditional Superior and economy fares. You’ll face additional restrictions with Economy Light fares (such as no included checked bag) in exchange for saving a little extra cash. These could be worth it if you don’t have time to use the lounge before boarding or aren’t traveling with a checked bag.

Loyalty program

Volare is the frequent flyer program for ITA. Many travelers with other loyalty programs may prefer to credit their miles elsewhere. If you have elite status with another alliance partner, here’s a great tip for testing out Volare.

Volare recently ran a status match campaign (for members registered with non-Italy addresses). This could be a great way to instantly secure elite status if you normally fly with other airlines. That way, when you do fly ITA or its partners (including Lufthansa Group airlines, as well as bilateral partners like Delta and Air France), you can still enjoy benefits.

Now that ITA has left SkyTeam and is moving to Star Alliance, you would then get Star Alliance elite status, which could prove equally valuable.

Lounges

ITA really excels at airport lounges. You’ll find fresh Italian delicacies including salads, pastas, pizzas and sandwiches, plus baristas who prepare made-to-order coffee and cocktails. The wine list is almost exclusively Italian.

Enjoy other specialties like an Aperol Spritz or limoncello to savor the real Italian experience. The airline operates its own branded lounges at Rome Fiumicino (Hangar Lounge and Piazza di Spagna), Milan Linate (Runway Lounge), and Catania (Piazza Vincenzo Bellini), but also cooperates with third-party lounges in other airports to give premium and eligible passengers a place to relax before the flight when there is no ITA lounge.

Since ITA exited SkyTeam, lounge access now follows the airline’s policy, including Volare tier members and some Miles & More tier members. SkyTeam Elite Plus entitlements no longer apply to ITA lounges.

Onboard entertainment

ITA offers onboard Wi-Fi on its entire long-haul fleet (A350, A330-200, A330neo) and on the A320neo, A321neo and A220. Free messaging is available on the A330-200 for the entire flight, with availability varying by aircraft and route. Paid packages are offered for other connectivity needs. The airline is rolling out Wi-Fi on the A320neo fleet, stating it will be active on all these aircraft soon.

I find that the fee to connect on long flights just to check email or surf the web is quite reasonable for those that want to stay productive. If you don’t want to pay, you can enjoy a long list of Hollywood films, short subject programs and TV shows, and music free of charge on the seatback screens of widebody flights (A330, A330neo, and A350).

Other tips for flying ITA

Here are some other ways to enjoy more flexibility when flying with ITA.

Bidding for an upgrade

I love getting a good deal. When ITA has extra space in business class, it may email eligible customers with an offer to bid for an upgrade if you booked at least 10 days before departure with a valid email address. I don’t wait for the email though. I go to the airline’s “Upgrade with an Offer” section to make my bid. It’s a nice way to score more space and better food at a discount if you’re one of the highest bidders.

You can upgrade four ways: place a bid through “Upgrade with an Offer” (my recommendation), accept the flat rate through “Instant Upgrade” (bidding for an upgrade is often cheaper), get an “Upgrade at the Airport” or secure an “Upgrade Onboard.” The latter options are risky because other passengers may have already snagged upgrades using the auction system by then.

Time to think

If your plans are still up in the air but you want to lock in a low fare, the “time to think” option lets you hold it for 24, 48 or 72 hours (duration depends on departure window and region) for a fee. I wish more airlines offered this option during the booking process.