TOMORROW is the deadline!!!! But things are looking up, according to the Italian Press. Alitalia just might survive after all, at least in the short term.

Saw this today on WSJ.com, sounds promising:

EU Welcomes Alitalia Agreements With Trade Unions
September 16, 2004 8:00 a.m.

BRUSSELS -- The European Union Commission Thursday welcomed Alitalia SpA's (AZA.MI) agreements with trade unions and said it could review the Italian airline's restructuring plan very quickly.

The embattled Italian flagship carrier signed a deal earlier Thursday with its ground staff, paving the way for 2,500 job cuts. This comes on top of an earlier deal clinched with pilots who agreed to longer working hours and a pay cut.

"It is good news for the Commission," said Amador Sanchez Rico, spokesman for E.U. transport commissioner Loyola de Palacio. He said Alitalia still had to notify its restructuring plan to E.U. regulators but that it would be quick to check there was no element of state aid.

"It can be very quick - it can take one, two, or three weeks," Sanchez said.
-By Steve de Bonvoisin, Dow Jones Newswires; +32-2-285-01-37; [email protected]

Hi - I dont know what is going on, but I just flew JFK - Milan on a spanking brand new Alitalia plane. Gorgeous! most comfortable seats, little fold down foot rests, individual tv's with loads of movies, tv shows, everything! Food was actually very good also!?!?
Am I missing something?

Alitalia's four daily flights out of JFK and EWR to MXP and FCO are all on brand-new 777-200s, each seating 249 coach and 42 Magnifica class.

In winter, the daily MIA-MXP flight is also on a 777-200. During the rest of the year, equipment is the older and smaller 767-300.

All flights to BOS, ORD and IAD use the 767-300.

GAC. We plan to go to Venice in Feb. What are the chances of an old banger of a plane?

Thanks for all this information. I have been wondering for a while about Alitalia's situation.
Parfym

Aine: if you're taking the nonstop Delta flight from JFK to VCE, it will certainly be a 767-300. Delta's planes are not exactly brand new (as are Continental's), and the 767-300 will not have personal TV monitors, as on the newer models. It flew the Delta plane to MXP, and it was certainly acceptable, even w/o the monitors.

If you fly AZ out of JFK to MXP or FCO, there is a chance that the 777-200 will be replaced by the 767-300 during the month of February, which is dead season.