AJPeabody

Mrs. Peabody and I have Alitalia vouchers for a trip to italy. We want to get to Naples from JFK, which means a change at FCO. Alitalia is offering a connection with an arrival in Rome at 12:05 and takeoff at 13:15. Our ultimate destination is Sorrento.

Does anyone have actual experience with such a tight connection in Rome? Will checked bags make it? Will we? Any help would be appreciated. I also posted this on the Air Travel board to get a full audience.

Thanks!

AJ.

nytraveler

Very possibly not. Since this is where you are entering Schengen you will have to go through Immigration. This can take anywhere from 15 minute to an hour in my experience. If it's much more than the 15 minutes and you have to go back through security your chance of making the next flight is not great. If this is a single ticket all you are risking is aggravation - since they must get you to Naples. If separate tickets you are risking losing the fare to Naples.

Have you looked at when the next flight out is? You might want to consider going for that one.

zeppole

I do connections like that from NYC all the time, but to Genova, not Naples. My checked bags always arrive in Genove with me. I might think hard were I flying at the beginning or the end of the Easter holiday season, in which case I would pack carryon.

Sounds like you have a Alitalia voucher for the whole trip, and it includes a connection. If Alitalia doesn't land on time, Alitalia will put you on the next available flight. If it makes you feel better to book a later flight, do so, but I doubt I would bother If you book a later flight and your flight from NYC arrives on time and you have carryon, you might be able to go to the gate and be put on the 13:15 flight.

AJPeabody

I am getting a flashback to a long-ago trip to Nice via Paris on Air france, where despite speaking the language and having no carry-ons and being in excellent sprinting condition and having an Air France employee guiding our dash through CDG, we still missed our connection. Now we don't run, and carry-ons will not speed us up, and we have no useful Italian. Sounds like either a risk of a very long day in transit with the next Alitalia flight at 17:40, especially since Naples to Sorrento is another added chunk of time. I forgot the possible delay at passport control. We will look for a revised plan, I think.

zeppole

I never fly Air France.

If the next flight isn't until 17:40, you might as well just take the train from FCO to Napoli (change at Termini) and then witch to the commuter train to Sorrento.

zeppole

PS: I should add that I would book the flight as is, and if I missed it, take the train.

GAC

Even if you make the 13:15 flight to NAP, your checked luggage might be placed on the later flight, and be delivered to your hotel in Sorrento the next day.

If you miss the connecting flight, check with Alitalia BEFORE taking the train, because otherwise, your failure to show for the later connecting flight might cause a cancellation of your return ticket!!! Also, your luggage will already have been checked through to NAP, whether or not you make a spur- of-the-moment choice to take the train.

zeppole

Good point, GAC. I forgot the passenger was checking luggage.

Since GAC is saying your luggage might not make the 13:15 flight even if you do, then looking for alternatives where you and your luggage all arrive at your ultimate destination at once sounds like the right approach to me.

AJPeabody

We hear you. Time to ditch this and find plan B.

Thanks to all!