panecott

I'm interested in hearing some recent experiences with changing planes at Rome's Fiumicino/DaVinci Airport, and specifically, whether your luggage arrived at your ultimate destination the same time you did.

Last time I changed planes there, my luggage arrived two days after I did, (and the wheels were broken). The customer service people in Milan, my ultimate destination, were completely unconcerned and said it happens all the time. That was about 12 years ago.

This time I'm heading to Palermo and have the option of changing at Fiumicino, or flying into Milan Malpensa, collecting my luggage and then shuttling to Linate for the connecting flight. It's not very convenient but at least I'd know my luggage was with me.
Also, if the layover at Fiumicino is a few hours, is there a better chance the luggage transfer will be on time?
I appreciate any thoughts.

rs899

I have NO relevant recent experience at Fiumicino, but it seems to me that the prospect of shuttling airports to try to anticipate an issue like this is a bit much. It can't be that bad or nobody would fly through there.

MmePerdu

I, too, have no specific information for you, but my habit in general, because I always check a bag, is to have what a need for a day or 2 in a day pack I carry on. The habit began when I started taking trips that required specific clothes & shoes at my destination and finding replacements would be difficult or impossible. Hard-to-fit feet, for instance. Except for a bit of weight to schlep, there really is no downside.

So in your case I'd just check your bag, make your connection at 1 airport, unless there's another reason to change airports, and bring a few things with you as insurance. You'll have the things you need "just in case" and because you don't need the checked bag as urgently, it won't be delayed. Isn't that how things work?

bvlenci

I change planes there fairly often when returning from the US, with the final destination at Ancona airport (AOI). I've never had a problem with luggage arriving at Fiumicino, although my daughter did once. We usually have a rather tight connection at Fiumicino, because there's only one morning plane to Ancona.

When our luggage didn't make the connection, it was delivered to our home the next day, with nothing broken. It's possible that the broken wheels were the cause of your delay, if they got caught in some baggage offloading mechanism.

This can happen at any airport, although in many years of travel it hasn't happened very often to me. That I can remember, there was the one time at Fiumicino, once when transferring in Munich and once at London Heathrow. The time it happened at Heathrow, the plane took off, after a long delay waiting for luggage, with less than half the luggage. They didn't tell us this until we got to the baggage carousel in New York, probably to avoid a mêlée on the flight. There were two BA employees waiting for our flight, with envelopes of cash to hand out right and left.

bvlenci

I said Fiumicino in the post above when I meant Milan Malpensa. We had luggage miss the connection once when we transferred at Malpensa. My daughter was the one who had luggage go astray at Fiumicino.

massimop

Most of the time I do carry-on only, but my two experiences within the past 8 years of checking luggage & flying through FCO to connecting with other flights, no problems, even with tight connections.

Having shared my experience, I will also share my knowledge that (a) you could have a terrible experience at any airport with your luggage and (b) your belief that if you book through Malpensa that this guarantees you will have retrieved your luggage in time to catch the flight to Linate is only a belief -- it might not work out in reality. That's not because Malpensa is worse than other airports. It's just that every airport mishandles some luggage some times -- and that could be your unlucky day.

My advice to you is twofold: Do carry-on only if at all possible and use the Italian airport that has the most flights to Palermo later in the day. Not only does booking that airport mean that if your initial flight arrives late and you miss the connection you have multiple chances to get to Palermo anyway the same day, it also means that if your luggage is temporarily misplaced, you have more chances of it making it onto one of the next flights.

But carry on is really your only guarantee you and your luggage will arrive in Palermo together.

massimop

One other thought:

By using 2 airports in Milan you are taking twice as many risks your luggage with be lost, and also immensely complicating your chances of getting your luggage sent to you in Palermo if it is lost en route to Milan or in Milan. If you land in FCO with a ticket that connects you to Palermo, I would think it gets taken more seriously that the airline has an obligation to get your luggage to Palermo. But if you ticketed your luggage to Malpensa, then left the airport without it to fly from Linate to Palermo, not sure whose responsibility it is to send your luggage to Palermo.

panecott

Thank you for the responses. I'm glad to hear that some people have had okay experiences.

I really didn't like the Milan option and hadn't thought of what you mentioned, massimop.

I will probably book a flight with a 2 or 3 hour layover in Rome, which I hope will give them enough time to transfer my bag. And yes, I'll pack some necessities in the carry on, just in case.

Thank you all again.

TDudette

DH and I transferred from Rome to Palermo with no problems EXCEPT that our London plane was REALLY late. We hot-footed to catch our Palermo plane with minutes to spare. Amazingly, our luggage came with us!

Once in a while on our trips, a suitcase limped along later--no matter where we visited. We learned never to check anything crucial.

panecott

Thanks, Dudette, I never check anything important except my clothes!

The experience I mentioned was the only time I've ever had a problem and I was put off b/c they told me it happens all the time. They also told me I'd probably get the suitcase that night, but it didn't arrive in Bellagio until 2 days later - just an hour away from Milan!

So I'll give myself enough time between planes and hope for the best.

Leely2

This isn't recent, but three of us flew to Palermo about 5 years ago. Crazy flights: connected in JFK, AMS and then again at FCO. One person's luggage arrived in Palermo two days later. Of course it was the person who hadn't stowed an extra pair of shoes, underwear and top in her carryon.

Anyway, the shopping's pretty good in Palermo.

flanneruk

I did this about 18 months ago. It's important to stress that this was an all-Alitalia transfer: the procedure might be different if your booking isn't on one ticket.

I've never understood this American obsession with the risks of luggage disappearing at transfers. I've done hundreds, and had my share of luggage horror stories. Not one so far has ever involved messed-up transfers

Transferring between a non-Schengen flight and a domestic flight at FCO involves much faster immigration / outbound passport controls than non-transferring passengers get.

Just follow the "connecting flights" signs and not the "arrivals" signs. On a chaotically busy Xmas Eve, it took us about 15 mins from touch-down to the departure gate.

bvlenci

I've often made connections at Fiumicino in less than an hour, and never had luggage go astray.

I disagree with Massimop on one thing: Malpensa <b> is </b> worse than other airports in Italy. There have been several scandals there with baggage handlers pilfering stuff from suitcases, but that's not on transferring flights. Of course, sticky-fingered baggage handlers can be found anywhere; the scandal was that this was not infrequent and apparently widely known, and no one did anything about it. This happened several years in the past; I hope those responsible have been sacked.

bvlenci

I'll add something to Flanner's advice. Following the signs for transit passengers, you won't see any signs for terminals, but only for gate areas. Your domestic flight will probably depart from Terminal 1 or 2, but you won't see any signs to those terminals. You will stay airside the whole time if you follow Flanner's advice. There may be a quick security check, which is usual for transit passengers from outside the Schengen area. Then check the monitors to see if your gate has changed since the boarding pass was issued. You may have to take a people mover to the main terminals, depending on the arrival gate. Along the way, you'll pass immigration. It sounds complicated, but I've often done it all in less than half an hour.

I usually check everything except the bare essentials, especially when transferring. I move much quicker between gates if I have just a tiny carryon bag.

massimop

bvlenci, hello?

The most famous Malpensa airport scandal was nearly ten years ago. This news story about 5 luggage handlers at FCO being arrested for theft appeared just last WEEK:

https://www.thelocal.it/20170517/fiv...micino-airport

Malpensa is no worse or better than other airports. Here are recent stories of arrests of baggage handlers for theft in Paris

http://www.upi.com/Paris-airport-wor...4761374418821/

Dusseldorf
https://www.thelocal.de/20130703/50665

Miami
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/04/13/us...luggage-theft/

The world is a big big place. Going by one's limited personal experience isn't much use.

massimop

"I've never understood this American obsession with the risks of luggage disappearing at transfers."

Americans traveling to Europe typically pack more clothes than Europeans traveling through Europe. That is partly because they tend to be traveling for longer visits since they have the opportunity to travel in Europe less frequently. They are also more concerned about losing clothes because Americans tend to be larger than many European nationals, and replacing clothes & shoes can be much more dificult. They also are less familiar with where to go to shop for clothes in an emergency, and they typically don't speak a European language other than English.

Most Americans traveling in Europe who lose luggage while in transit face a lot of disruption to vacations long dreamed about planned out. It's not unreasonable for them to want to avoid to the greatest extent possible having their only European trip within the year or five years get off to a terrible start.

Wouldn't think it would take all that much imagination or intellect to understand that, but maybe if you think you know everything and aren't much interested in learning from peers, you get stuck in ignorance.

MmePerdu

Thanks for that thorough explanation, massimop, but I doubt it will make an impression given this person's inclination to regularly malign Americans. Seems unable to control the impulse, a particularly boring expression of insecurities.

panecott

That's it exactly, massimo. Not an obsession, just a concern, based on a past experience.

On this particular trip, I'm driving directly from the airport to Castellamare del Golfo for one or two nights (not sure yet) and then heading all the way south to Selinunte.

I don't want the luggage arriving late at my first destination after I have already left for the second one!

I'm glad those thieves in Rome got arrested. Maybe other baggage handlers will be on good behavior!


Thank you, flanneruk and bvlenci for the connections advice.

bvlenci

The thieves who got arrested for stealing at Malpensa (in Milan, not Rome) were reinstated in their jobs five years later, which caused outrage in Italy.

panecott

Well, it should cause outrage. What a disgrace.

But the article posted by massimo was about FCO and was dated last week. So I'm glad those guys are out of commission for a while.

But again, I never pack anything but clothes in my checked bag. All valuables, cameras etc., go in my carry-on.