As a disgruntled customer of what was previously Alitalia – an airliner I'd sworn never to use again after a disgraceful experience dating several years ago – I had little expectation of its successor ITA Airways. The experience was just fine: short flight poorly managed at source – departure time changed twice well ahead of the travel date, boarding was needlessly chaotic and slow – and the flight upgrade option was ludicrously expensive, but overall the flight per se was all right.
ITA does not allow free seat selection even in business class, if you don't want to pay extra for the seat they assign it to you during check in. For me it was seat #8 in both ways. It's last seat in business class with smaller space, close to kitchen, toilets and closets for supplies. WiFi didn't work at all. ITA is lower coaster, better to buy premium economy in regular company (AirFrance, Delta, Lufthansa, United, etc) than business in ITA Airways. ITA - never again
The flying experience is excellent. The seats are very comfortable and spacious. The staff is professional, attractive and efficient. The ITA business class lounge in Rome is poor. There are no comfortable seats for long layovers. It’s too crowded. The showers are too few and the towels are of extremely poor quality.
What occurred during this flight was far beyond an ordinary inconvenience or dissatisfaction with the onboard service. There were multiple failures involving the aircraft’s passenger-seat systems, the ability to summon cabin crew, sanitation, cabin crew responsiveness, food and beverage service, and the overall standard of passenger care. The circumstances were particularly serious because I am diabetic, and during the flight I experienced a situation in which I needed assistance while essential passenger-control functions at our seats were not working. I am requesting that ITA Airways treat this as a formal complaint requiring individual investigation, rather than responding with a generic customer-service apology. 1. All three seats had significant equipment failures Seat 46F: The entertainment screen was completely non-functional for the entire flight. Seats 46G and 46H: The screens themselves displayed content, but the following controls did not function: Cabin-light control Flight-attendant call button Flight-tracker button These were not merely entertainment-system failures. The malfunctioning controls affected our ability to control the lighting at our seats and, more importantly, our ability to summon a flight attendant when assistance was required. I specifically request that ITA investigate the maintenance records for the aircraft and these specific seats and determine whether these defects were known before departure, reported during the flight, or documented by the cabin crew. 2. The defective equipment directly affected my ability to manage my diabetes I am diabetic and require insulin. Because the cabin-light controls at our seats were not functioning, I was unable to properly illuminate my seating area when I needed to administer my insulin during the flight. More seriously, when my blood sugar became low, I was unable to use the attendant-call button to request assistance because the button was not functioning. This transformed what might ordinarily be considered an entertainment-system problem into a much more serious passenger-care issue. I was on a long transatlantic flight, unable to properly illuminate my seating area when necessary and unable to summon a member of the cabin crew through the designated call system. 3. My daughter repeatedly attempted to obtain assistance when my blood sugar was low When my blood sugar became low, I needed juice or another rapidly available source of carbohydrate. Because I could not use the attendant-call button, I sent my daughter to ask the cabin crew for juice. She made multiple attempts to obtain assistance. Despite these repeated attempts, the cabin crew did not appropriately respond to her request. After multiple attempts from my daughter, the curtain was closed. I ultimately had to obtain candy from passengers seated nearby because I could not obtain the assistance I was seeking from the cabin crew. I consider this one of the most serious incidents on the flight. I am not suggesting that cabin crew were required to provide medical treatment. However, when a passenger is seeking assistance because of low blood sugar—particularly when that passenger’s designated call button is not functioning—I believe a reasonable standard of passenger care requires the request to be acknowledged and handled appropriately. I therefore request that ITA investigate this incident specifically, including: Which crew members were assigned to our cabin/section; Whether any crew member observed my daughter requesting assistance; Whether any crew report was made concerning this incident; Whether the crew knew that the attendant-call buttons at our seats were not functioning; and What ITA’s procedures require when a passenger reports that they are experiencing low blood sugar or otherwise needs assistance. 4. The circumstances caused significant distress and interfered with my ability to manage my condition.The combination of the defective lighting controls, inability to use the attendant-call system, and failure to obtain timely assistance caused me significant distress.I was particularly distressed because I was unable to properly manage my medical needs in the manner I normally would during a long flight. My blood sugar subsequently remained elevated for an extended period. I believe the prolonged stress and circumstances surrounding this incident contributed to the difficulty I experienced managing my blood sugar during the flight. I am documenting this because I do not want ITA to reduce this complaint to a complaint about an entertainment screen. The equipment failures directly affected my ability to manage my medical needs and obtain assistance. 5. Unacceptable restroom conditions. One restroom was completely out of service for the entire flight.The remaining restrooms were extremely dirty with visible urine stains and no toilet paper. 6. Unprofessional and dismissive cabin crew behavior. Throughout the flight, the attendants were unpleasant and appeared irritated
My son was served a muffin which had broken pieces of glass in it. Thank god he didnt swallow them and spit them out. i did let the crew member know and took pictures but nothing they could do. This could have been a very dangerous situation.
The flight was long and offered very little comfort. The seats were exceptionally small and quite uncomfortable, making it difficult to rest on a long journey. The onboard meals were below expectations, although the cabin crew was excellent throughout the flight—professional, attentive, and courteous. I understand the commercial pressures airlines face, but maximizing capacity by reducing seat size and comfort has become an industry-wide concern. While many travelers will continue to tolerate these conditions out of necessity, an increasing number of passengers will choose alternative airlines whenever possible in search of a more comfortable travel experience. Investing in passenger comfort is not only appreciated—it is also an important factor in long-term customer loyalty.
Inside plane needs to be updated, the lady sitting behind me was saying the frame from the window fell on her lap right before taking off and seats are very uncomfortable, cushioning is need of repair ASAP.
Awful cold sandwich, pizza was bad and coffee was extremely cold I expected better quality in wines on the way to Rome I order red wine and could not drink it ! Bad quality of wine . Being an European airline’s wine are inexpensive so could have better selección of wines . So on the way back a settle for water with is a pity . The crew disappear and didn’t pick up the trays after meals or the garbage of the snacks . Iberia has better service and other airlines
Poor. The airlines left my luggage in Miami. It took 2 1/2 days to get my luggage at my destination. I was forced to buy clothes and daily items for days. There was little concern to get my bag to me which highly impacted my trip. Seats were cramped as well. Would not recommend this airline to anyone.
Experience was terrible. No communication and no sense of urgency dealing with literally hundreds of passengers stranded due to cancelled flights.
