ITA Airways
What an American traveler needs to know before booking.
ITA Airways
Economy · Airbus A350
ITA Airways is the Delta of Italy — same aspirational rebranding energy, same unfinished edges that remind you the old carrier is still in there somewhere.
The real deal
The booking page sells you a sleek European flag carrier fresh off a rebrand; what you actually get is a carrier still mid-construction, where the hardware can be genuinely modern but the soft product and operational consistency haven't caught up to the price tag.
Seat
Modern widebody hardware gives you a fighting chance on an overnight, but economy configuration is standard-issue — nothing that makes the fare feel like a bargain.
Lounge
Economy gets no lounge access at FCO unless you're buying it separately — the rebrand did not change this math.
Food
Italian carrier, disappointing food — the meals are recognizable as airline catering without any of the cultural credit you were quietly hoping for.
Screen
The IFE on the newer aircraft is a solid screen with a functional library — not a reason to choose the airline, but not a reason to load your tablet either.
BagsEconomy checked allowance is competitive for a transatlantic ticket — this isn't where ITA will surprise you with a painful fee, so at least pack without anxiety.
GotchaRome Fiumicino is a beautiful airport that will cheerfully blow your connection: terminal walks are long, passport control queues are unpredictable, and ITA's own gates are not always where the app says they are.
vs US EconomyThe seat hardware beats a United or American domestic-spec widebody, but the full experience — food, service rhythm, reliability — lands closer to a mid-tier transatlantic product than the premium European operator the price implies.
Secretly goodThe A350 cabin environment on long-haul — humidity, noise, air quality — is genuinely better than flying the same route on an aging widebody, and that matters on an overnight across the Atlantic.
Watch outITA is still rebuilding its operational DNA post-Alitalia collapse — irregular ops handling (rebooking, communication, compensation) is where the unfinished renovation shows most painfully.
Watch outStar Alliance membership is real but loyalty integration is still catching up; don't assume your existing partner miles will post cleanly or that status benefits will apply exactly as advertised.
Watch outFCO ground staff and ITA cabin crew can be outstanding or indifferent with no advance warning — the variance is wide enough that you should not count on proactive help if something goes sideways.
as of 2026-06-19