PattieM

I booked tickets from JFK to FCO for a trip the end of September 2008. Later I discovered that Alitalia is doing a swan dive. Any thoughts on their continued flights through October? I've put any other arrangements on hold until I'm comfortable they will still be flying then.

ekscrunchy

http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35133842

kerouac

Apparently Alitalia is now losing 3 million euros a day, so the 300 million euro Berlusconi bailout will only last 100 days. His promised Italian investors have not at all materialized.

If Air France/KLM deign to pick up the pieces the next time around, they are going to get it much much cheaper than the price they offered a few months ago. (Many Italian economists have said that any price over 1€ to buy Alitalia will be a godsend.)

Carta_Pisana

I bought my ticket back in January and didn't start sweating until about April when the Alitalia doom+gloom really was thick here at Fodors.

Flying to Milan from NYC on June 30th - the plane was a 1/4 full.

Flying back to NYC from Milan on June 15th - the plane was 100% full.

Alitalia is advertising numerous flights to Rome daily from the US. I think I would only buy a ticket on Alitalia if I was going to use it rather soon. Of course - a really good sale might make me fore go that.

Guenmai

I flew with them once and they were horrible. It's TOTALLY understandable why they're going under. They were worse than the old airline SABENA...which my Flemish friends used to, jokingly say, stood for...Such A Bad Experience Never Again! Happy Travels!

sacc

Pattie, I've flown a few times with
Alitalia and they were not horrible, in my experience. Not always great, but then I haven't yet found a perfect airline.

Anyway, if you've already bought and paid for your tickets, I suspect you don't have much choice now, but to cross your fingers and hope for the best. In my opinion, you might as well continue making the rest of your trip arrangements, because Alitalia could very well continue to lurch along despite all of its financial woes. Mind you, if you're booking hotels and such, you might want to very carefully check their cancellation policies so if the worst happens and you can't make the trip, you can cancel your hotel reservations without penalities.

As Carta noted, Alitalia is still flying and people are clearly still buying tickets. Italy's Prime Minister Berlusconi seems intent on keeping the company alive, one way or another, at least for the time being. The tumoil could continue for a very long time to come.

But the tumoil is hard on Alitalia staff and they could stage more strikes than usual in the coming months, to protest all of this. So you might also want to keep a close eye on strike announcements -- Alitalia personnel do strike fairly often, but usually give some notice so you can make alternate arrangements.

Here's a website I watch for strike info: http://www.summerinitaly.com/planning/strike.asp

Best of luck!

molker

The Italian Aviation Agency has summoned Alitalia management to testify about airline finances and how they plan to cope with the peak summer season.

The annual stockholders meeting is scheduled for June 28th.

perhaps these events will provide better understandings of the dire situation.
I believe more than 50% of the 300 million gift from the government is already gone.

sacc

Yeah, Alitalia management has said that the 300 million euro gift/loan/subsidy/whatever euphemism it chooses, will cover its fuel costs for roughly 3 months. It needs a lot of help.

Berlusconi drove away the one airline that was interested in bailing out/taking over Alitalia, so now he'll have to make things right!

Cymraeg46

I agree with everything said above. The Italians are masters at brinksmanship and they may even get out of this one. However, the famous government "loan" is being contested by other European airlines as being illegal state aid and the EU may eventually decide it has to be paid back. In which case Alitalia would be illiquid and would presumably have to stop flying. Other European flag carriers have gone under: Sabena and the old Swissair even. The brinksmanship may simply be a ploy to pressure the union into accepting drastic staff cuts etc. In Italy politics comes into everything. If you are coming to Italy and have not yet booked, then I'd find another airline. If you are already booked on Alitalia, cross your fingers.

PattieM

Thanks to everyone for the good advice. I've been receiving Google alerts daily for some time. It sounds like the EU investigation into the loan can take as long as 18 months, during which time Alitalia can continue to use the funds. I think the government is red faced, having driven off the KLM deal, and will do just about anything to salvage Alitalia.

I've also been in contact with my credit card company. If Alitalia becomes insolvent and cannot provide the services for which I have paid, I believe I can protest the charge and maybe get my money back, or at least some of it.

I still haven't made any other arrangements, but I've been doing my research so I can make more of a last minute effort to book accomodations from a list of choices I have found.

kmp3007

My wife and I had reservations w/Alitalia for a flight from Venice to Naples. Alitalia cancelled the flight and put us on a different flight at a time we cannot make. So they agreed, after much discussion, to refund my money but charged me $20 to process the refund. ALSO, they told me it would take between 3 weeks and 3 MONTHS for me to see the credit on my card! I told them I could not understand how it would take up to 3 months when it takes only 3 minutes for them to charge my card when I purchase a ticket! They told me it was their policy and there was nothing they could do.

Cymraeg46

Exactly kmp3007! The message ison't fly Alitalia unless you really have to. The news today (Wednesday) is conflicting, as usual in Italy. The Italian Civil Aviation Authority says Alitalia has funds to allow them to fly for 12 months. On the other hand there are rumours, emanating from government circles, that Air France/KLM has started legal proceedings against Alitalia. What exactly for nobody seems to know!