We got up early in the morning to catch our shuttle to the airport in Rome. It was very sad to say goodbye to our new friends and especially to Francesca our Globus Tour Director because she was so good to us. Then it was off to the airport.
We arrived at the airport and checked in at Alitalia. The representative at Alitalia was gruff and not very friendly. So we checked in, went through security and waited for our plane. We got on the plane and settled in for a long flight back to Chicago. The first thing I did was clean my seat and the area around me with disinfectant wipes because it was gross. The cleaning wipes were grayish brown and black when I was done because the seat was so dirty. I also cleaned my brother Tom’s seat, I think it embarrassed him but hey what are sisters for? I should have known it would be dirty, I remember walking by first class on my way to my seat and I thought boy am I glad I didn’t pay for first class, it isn’t that nice and the seats are dirty. Guess I should have thought of it as a sign of what my seat would look like and how bad the Alitalia service was going to be.
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| Graphic borrow from: http://crankyflier.com/2006/12/14/alitalia-strikes-again/ |
Right after takeoff we realized we were on a plane with the worst flight attendants ever! It was flight AZ 628 just in case any Alitalia folks ever stumble upon my blog. My mom says the crew reminded her of the Capital One Vikings. They didn’t look like the Capital One Vikings but their behavior was like them, the attendants were mostly young good looking people but their behavior was so rude and their personalities sucked. I don’t remember exactly how long the flight was, I think it was 9 to 10 hours, but from Rome to Chicago is a long way to go with no customer service.
About a half hour into the flight they gave everyone a drink, and then they disappeared. We saw them cordon off a row of empty seats on the plane, and then they put up curtains and apparently had a nap or a private party. It was very awkward for the passengers to witness this strange event. In the meantime there is no one to help if you need a drink or have an issue. The moment that really pissed me off was when I saw an elderly lady in her 80s having issues. She needed a drink and she had to get up and walk around with help from the people around her. It would have been nice if the flight attendants were around to help this woman. The other passengers began helping themselves to drinks and helping this woman because it was as if there was no flight crew on the plane.
At one point my mom wanted a glass of water so I got up and went to the kitchen of the plane to ask for a drink. One of the attendants was there watching a movie on a portable DVD player. I asked her for help. She looked at me and listened to my request, gave me a dirty look like I interrupted her, then went back to watching her movie. So I picked up the bottle of water, poured a glass and I made sure she saw me helping myself, and then I went back to my seat. I just couldn’t believe how rude she was.
The whole flight went on like this. They did get up and feed us at one point but then they disappeared again and didn’t offer us drinks or help us dispose of our trash after we ate.
I don’t think I am that high maintenance when I fly, but I need a little service to make it bearable when it is such a long flight. I know this is pretty common because there are a lot of websites and blogs dedicated to the poor service of Alitalia.
After we arrived in Chicago we had to go to Customs. While standing in line I saw the crew walk by so I counted them. There were 12 flight attendants and 4 or 5 people that looked like pilots. I couldn’t believe with such a big crew they did such a horrible job.
So the lesson of the story is Alitalia sucks, don’t expect much from them and you won't be let down. After this flight we were so glad that we missed the original Alitalia flight from Chicago to Rome when we were on our way to Italy. I feel blessed that I didn’t have to experience this on my first flight to Italy and that I experienced the wonderful customer service of Air India instead.
My advice to you if you have to fly Alitalia.
- Bring disinfectant cleaning wipes so you can clean your seat, it made a world of difference.
- Bring some snacks and beverages, maybe a bottle of water or two.
- Make sure you are up to date on all vaccines before traveling
After Chicago we jumped on another flight to Salt Lake City, then another to Reno. It felt like it took ages to get home but we finally made it. We loved our Italian adventure and had a great time but we were happy to be home.
Looking back at it a year later I feel like it was yesterday that I was on this trip. It was an amazing vacation and it began my new love/addiction for international travel.
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