ITA Airways, Flying is still lame: impossible to take advantage of SkyTeam benefits or accumulate points
For a frequent flyer, the choice of airline is a kind of engagement, a relationship that, in exchange for the [...]
ITA Airways
SkyTeam
For a frequent flyer, the choice of airline is a kind of engagement, a relationship that, in exchange for loyalty to the carrier, repays the traveler with status-related benefits regardless of the class of travel.
In this article:
ITA Airways is on the eve of a momentous change. In less than 10 days the first new planes will enter service, A350s taking off for the United States and Argentina. New flagships will mark the true rebirth of Italy's new flag carrier, while the rest of the fleet just received a blue repaint., the best seller made in Airbus is the first new arrival in decades.
In the same days, or shortly thereafter, the future owner of the majority share will be known of the carrier: will it be MSC with the partnership of Lufthansa or the investment fund Certares with Delta and Air France.
Flying is still a work in progress
Meanwhile, ITA Airways has been operating since October 2021 and the Volare loyalty program, after initial delays, took off in March this year. To date, however, it is a lame duck: the two status match campaigns brought in many frequent flyers, but it is the base that is missing, namely the benefits for those who have the status and want to take advantage of it when traveling with ITA or when flying with SkyTeam partner airlines.
ITA is part of the historic alliance in which Alitalia has always participated., however, it has not yet been fully integrated into the systems of the various companies. It is impossible today, May 25, to credit an ITA flight to the Flying Blue profile, and vice versa. As well as to see status recognized when you fly with Delta or Vietnam Airlines for SkyTeam Elite+ status holders. also, as announced in recent days, Rome Fiumicino's main hub lacks even a lounge For ITA passengers.
No benefits, no points/mileage credit
In the next few days I will be flying with ITA to Buenos Aires, although it has the status Premium with Flying, I would have preferred to accumulate points and miles on my Flying Blue profile and get a nice pile of XP useful to renew my Platinum level. FB support confirmed to me that there is currently no integration between the systems, same answer given by SkYTeam to American bloggers looking for the same information.
Want to be informed about the Volare program and discuss with other members? Join our dedicated FB group.
The point is precisely that status has a reason to exist if it brings benefits, especially at this stage of risky network with ITA Airways reaching very few destinations. Those traveling for business or pleasure to places not served by ITA have no opportunity to take advantage of status such as lounges, priority boarding, and everything else in the package.
In conclusion
I personally decided to let my status in ITA Airways die., too many uncertainties and especially I see no use in accumulating Volare points. However, I am sorry to miss the flights I will be doing with the Italian company in the near future. A couple on Rome, Buenos Aires and Athens. All tickets that would have allowed me to accumulate a fair amount of XP points for Air France's loyalty program. Thanks to the new Mooncard credit card in Italy, you can directly earn Flying Blue points, and this is also an advantage since at the moment there are no alternative means of accumulating ITA points In large numbers, without flying.
