My experience with Italy’s national flag carrier, Alitalia, which is partially owned by the Italian government, is a very mixed one. In total I have flown four times with this airline - two business class trips on the Kuala Lumpur/Singapore /Rome sector and two economy class trips Rome/Pisa.
The two business class flights on Boeing 747 Megatop aircraft were, I must say, excellent. The ground service at Kuala Lumpur(KL) was good , as was the service for the return flight from Rome. The seating arrangements were first class and I found I had plenty of space.
There was ample reading material on board, the in flight cabin crew exuded great charm and they were ever so helpful. The food too was very good and did justice to the fine reputation that surrounds Italian cuisine-which I think is one of the finest in the world. My two breakfasts were very tasty, the food was piping hot and the Italian cheese delightful. The coffee served at both breakfast and dinner was just superb. Dinner in business class was also excellent and the Italian red wine was of very good quality.
The in flight magazine tucked into the seat pocket was an interesting read and the in flight entertainment was also good, if not outstanding.Perhaps my only complaint about the in flight service was the somewhat poor English language comprehension of one or two of the stewardesses.
In sharp contrast my two economy class flights on the Rome/Pisa sector were not good. The flight from Rome was late and the return flight from Pisa was delayed by several hours. Believe me Pisa is not one of the world’s best airports and there was little or no communication from the airline. All in all several boring hours were spent at Pisa.
The short flight on this sector was rather bumpy and the in flight service far from remarkable. Naturally I did not expect a large meal but even the cup of coffee served seemed more than a bit tepid. The space was cramped and the cabin crew were not particularly helpful.
So all in all my impression of this airline is a very mixed one. The two domestic flights in economy class were nothing to shout home about although I would admit I have experienced worse service. On the other side of the coin the two business class flights were excellent: with good food, wine and in flight service !