Update from Fiumicino, ITA Airways lounge is finally in full service
Several months after my last visit to this lounge and more than a year after the review, it is [...]
ITA Airways
SkyTeam
FCO
Several months after my last visit to this lounge. and to over a year since the review, it is time for an update, also because the situation has improved.
Location
In this article:
The lounge is in Terminal 3, or Pier E (I never understood why this dual designation which only confuses passengers). We are in the terminal designated for non-Schengen flights, the one from which long-haul flights depart and those to London and other destinations outside Europe.
Access
The first big news, the most anticipated: You can finally get into the lounge thanks to Skyteam status, I have no idea if all programs are recognized, but in my case I tried to use my Flying Blue card, of which I am Platinum, and I had no problem getting in. It's about time.
Access is then granted to ITA Airways business class passengers and (probably, I have no confirmation) also to business travelers on Delta and the other Skyteam carriers, e.g., Saudia. It is possible to gain access by flying in economy with elite status Flying and with Skypriority privileges With the status of other carriers.
The hall
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Aesthetically, nothing has changed from before and, color aside, not even from the days when it was Casa Alitalia. So if you don't know it, I recommend you read the previous review.
What's new
The full buffet is back, pizza makers included. The hot offerings today included, excluding pizza, some cacio e pepe ravioli and trofie with tomato sauce.
It is just a pity that there is no seating in front of the kitchen area, otherwise tourists might kill to watch the show cooking of pizza makers and cooks preparing dishes and flood Instagram and Tik Tok with "made in ITA" content
Pizza has always been the hallmark of this lounge, but when it had reopened after the covid, ITA had not rekindled the fires. Today, however, it is operational at 100%.
In addition to pizza, a variety of pasta dishes are also freshly baked. On the day of my visit there was cacio e pepe ravioli and trofie with tomato sauce.
Wi-fi has begun to peep on planes, and a dedicated line for lounge guests has arrived in the lounge as well. Off for good, then, was the "Casa Alitalia" access point, which for months kept getting noticed by PCs and cell phones.
The only problem is the wi-fi quality: I re-tested a couple of times during my visit and this was the connection speed. Needless to say, I chose to use my cell phone as a hotspot.
In conclusion
Slowly, day by day, all the pieces of ITA Airways' services and products come together. Getting a new airline off the ground is a complex matter. Now we wait for the hot offer in the lounge at Terminal 1, although I get the impression that it will have to wait until the new lounge opens in the spring.
