review: what was business class on alitalia like?

I had never flown on Alitalia before.  And I’ve never paid for business class seats on my own dime before (ouch).  Unfortunately we didn’t have sufficient miles or points for the tickets.  However, since this was for our honeymoon, my husband and I agreed to splurge.

Was it worth the hefty price tag?
 
Check in - I was a bit concerned when we arrived at the airport and Alitalia seemed rather disorganized.  When we got to the line, the representative told us we had to check in ourselves at the kiosk before coming into the line to check in luggage (weird).  After we did that (including scanning in our own passports without manual verification), we got into line behind 50 school children.  The representative asked us if we were willing to give up our seats "for compensation" since they were overbooked. Considering we paid dearly for business seats, we thought the question was quite odd.  Then after waiting in the super long line for about 10 minutes I asked him why there wasn't a separate line for business class.  He looked perplexed, asked us to show him the boarding passes again, and then announced that we were in the wrong line - but he said it like it was our fault.  Anyways, we got into the correct line and check in went pretty smoothly after that.  (But note that Alitalia, Air France, KML? and Delta apparently partner up and are able to sell each other's seats and check each other in, which can lead to some confusion and overbooking.  We overheard many angry customers who were bumped or couldn't get the seats they chose, etc.  Tip - Remember to re-confirm after you book online.  Also, if you are booking for a particular airline, do it directly with that airline and not through an affiliate.  Most of the complaints we heard were booked through Delta and not Alitalia itself.) 

Service – Once we got onto the plane, service was absolutely lovely.  It's quite a grand feeling to be able to board first, put away your luggage and settle yourself into the big loungey seat without feeling rushed.  Then you are offered prosecco or juice while others are boarding.  Then at each meal time, you are plied with wine and liquor.  At all times, service is cordial and attentive.  Essentially you are treated like a guest on the plane.

Seat/Space –  OMG - If only I could afford to fly business or first class all the time.  It's so nice to be able to spread out comfortably and recline (or lay down).  The seat even came with massage options, a foot rest, your own TV and side table, etc.  Most importantly, it felt super private.  I didn't even see my neighbors in front or behind me (except for the poor soul who was coughing throughout the flight, but my noise cancelling headset took care of that).  I also had enough room to perform my beauty treatments in peace, although, I'm pretty sure I scared the flight attendant when I put on my face sheet mask on.  (He did a nice job of hiding his surprise.)

Also, you weren't really required to have your seat belt on all the time.  The only time they asked me to put on the seat belt was at take-off and landing.  Otherwise, I was reclining or utilizing my massage options. 

Video/Audio – There were several choices of movies and music, but you couldn't access the entertainment until the plane had taken off and stabilized.  It wasn't like Emirates which gave you 50+ choices of movies and you could watch them as soon as you sat down.  I ended up watching Philomena, which was quite sweet, and Ocean's Eleven (as I drifted off to sleep). 

Food/Drink – The food was quite good (but I still prefer food on asian airlines).  There were several courses - served separately - after they set your tray with linens and utensils.  First we had a cheese mousse and an artichoke pie.  Then we had a selection of pastas (quite good) and then a secondi (I had stuffed chicken but it was a little dry).  Dessert consisted of a rolled pastry and fruit, accompanied by dessert wine.  And of course, all the wine you can drink.  At the end they offered digestifs.  I think the flight attendants were a bit horrified when I asked for whiskey straight up.  



In the small galley area, there was also a setup of snacks and beverages.  It was nice to be able to get up and stretch and eat and drink whenever you felt like it. 

Restroom – Nothing super special but since less people were using it, it didn't turn into a nasty mess as the flight progressed.  There were also plenty of facial wipes and lotion.  In addition, everyone got a Salvatore Ferragamo bag of toiletries, socks, face mask, etc.  It actually came in quite handy.

Other perks -  In addition to boarding first, you also have faster lines for security and your check-in luggage is tagged specifically as "priority".  When we picked up our luggage, we did notice that it seemed to arrive more quickly (both when we got to Italy and when we arrived home in the U.S.).

We paid approximately $4200 for each roundtrip ticket which is pretty crazy to me.  Would I do so again?  Perhaps if I won the lottery…But was it worth it?  Considering I was able to relax and feel semi-rested when I arrived in Rome after 10+ hours on the plane, I have to say yes.  It was worth every penny.