i have flown on alitalia before and did not particularly like it.... HOWEVER I just priced for my Sept 2004 trip and found a flight for $500!!! JFK-switch in Milan-Florence... then Venice-JFK direct!!

What do you think???

Never flown Italia myself but you may want to read this article.

http://edition.cnn.com/2004/BUSINESS....ap/index.html

thanks for this article - not sure what to do now! i have to be in italy on certain dates (cancellation or re-arranging of trip is not a choice)...

Dreadful!

now i'm reading a lot about these walk-outs/strikes... i guess nothing is ever guaranteed, but i'm hesitant to book on an airline with very public issues like this! guess i'll wait it out...

If they have a strike, arent they obligated to get you to where you need to go somehow?

I do remember that with BA's strike this past summer people ended up staying at Heathrow for up to 4 days trying to get a flight.

Yes it is a bad airline from my own experience. The personnel is one of the most unpolite I have ever met. I have flown Virgin, Corsair, Lufthansa, American Airlines, United Airlines, Air One and Swiss, other than Alitalia and Alitalia has been the worse. First of all when there is a strike in the airports, Alitalia is THE first to cancel most of their flights. They hardly reprotect passengers on other airlines, and their customer service simply sucks. I am not the only italian to be disappointed by our company. Never again.