I traveled in ITA Airways' new Premium Economy. The seat is TOP, but the cabin is too delicate
I was the first human being, not an Airbus employee, ITA and inducted, to set foot on this plane on [...]
ITA Airways
SkyTeam
IAD
United States of America
I was the first human being, non-Airbus employee, ITA and allied industries, To set foot on this plane at the handover ceremony last May 26..
In this article:
- Specifications
- Aircraft:
- A330/900neo
- Class:
- Premium Eco
- Treat:
- FCO - IAD
- Price:
- 850 €
- Book
Since that day I have done nothing but wait for the moment when I would fly for the first time. aboard this A330/900neo. And contrary to what you might think, I aimed for the premium economy cabin without any hesitation.
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The reason is simple: PE is, in my opinion, intended to be an inexpensive alternative to business class, not an upgrade to tourist.
On daytime flights, such as the FCO/IAD of less than 9 hours, this cabin can absolutely be the right middle ground for passengers looking for the best cost/benefit ratio.
I was so eager to fly in PE that when, the day before takeoff, ITA Airways called me to offer me a free upgrade In business class I said, "Thanks for the offer, but I'm staying in PE."
Reservation
As always I am a paying passenger and in this case I used my American Express (formerly Alitalia) to pay for this ticket. The reason is simple: Volare points are currently the least attractive currency on the entire planet at the level of use. There is no (And according to Lazzerini it will never exist) an award chart and points can only be used in cash and points mode with a conversion of 5 euros per 1000 points.
If with the old Millemiglia with 80k points redeem a round-trip ticket in Magnifica class To fly from Rome to Los Angeles, today the same points are only worth 400, you don't even pay us an economy.
Therefore, I decided to fly as soon as possible in this new plane, Who entered service on June 2 right on the FCO/IAD. In these 10 days he has been flying on different routes, getting acquainted with destinations and passengers, waiting for his 7 brothers to arrive by the end of the year.
The ticket bought at the end of May cost me 1350 €. with outbound PE and return, from New York always on A330neo in economy Basic. Not little, but given the current times a figure in the norm.
At the airport
As is often the case when I fly ITA, my journey began in Genoa. I had to get up early to catch the 6 a.m. flight, the only one able to get me to Fiumicino in time to board Az Flight 618.
Having a couple of hours to wait, I camped out in the lounge, first a quick cappuccino in the Terminal 1 Hangar and then in the Spanish Steps lounge at T3.
The only drawback was the SSSS. I found printed on my boarding pass., but fortunately in Italy everything is resolved with a quick baggage check and a few questions.
For operational reasons, the flight was rescheduled with a delay of just under 2 hours from the scheduled time: All in all minor inconvenience having no connecting flight to catch in Washington.
On board
Those who see my videos know very well that Are worse than children in Gardaland, I do everything to be among the first to board, and it doesn't matter what I have to do or what barbat trick I have to put in place.
And this time was no different. I crashed, thanks to the benevolence of the ITA Airways Press Office, into the small group of journalists invited for the occasion. Again, for the avoidance of doubt, this ticket as in all our reviews are the result of paid tickets (with points or cash) And we are not asking anyone for any preferential treatment.
Then, of course, the bum being highly recognizable, it is normal that a cuddle from the crew will escape, but I try not to let it influence my final judgment. And if at the finish line they ask me to take a picture together I AM SUPER HONGRY.
The A330/900neo has been flying for less than 10 days and, unfortunately, we can already see the flaws. In some ways the same ones that can also be seen on the A220 and the Carolina Kostner, the new A320neo.
The clear cabin is beautiful, but delicate. Too much. After not even 10 days, so at most 20 flights, it looks like it has been out of break-in for months. The light-colored carpet under the seats is already stained, the seats and headrests already have signs of a life lived.
Of course, if the armchairs were made of leather, or faux leather, it would be easier to keep them clean, but here they are made of fabric and, like carpet, to clean them you have to wash them and it is not easy especially if the plane has to fly, fly and fly.
Most worrisome, however, are the structural problems. As many as 3 chairs (20A/B and 22A) out of 24 were already unusable. In all three cases it was the coffee table that was broken. Impossible to use the stand that is hidden in the armrest, so impossible for ITA to sell one out of every 8 Premium Economy seats.
This is really unacceptable for an aircraft that left the factory less than 20 days ago. The Safram chair is of the latest generation, but evidently it is too delicate.
A fourth chair (21D) had the side table that could be used but did not fold up totally leaving the passenger with the inconvenience of traveling without the ability to take advantage of the armrest.
A pity, also because. the chair is really comfortable and superior to products of more emblazoned companies.
There is plenty of leg room, the chair is comfortable, the recline generous, and the leg support really helpful. Comfortable sleeping position during the flight is easily found.
Even the foot rest, of which I am not a fan, turned out to be the perfect option for this configuration.
The incline is generous, thanks in part to the trick of sliding the seat forward, but what is important is to be comfortable and enjoy the ride, and this chair fulfills its role at 100%.
The cabin temperature was just right the whole trip, although There are no personal air vents. Please someone explain to me why the decision is made not to install them.
The headrest is extendable and tiltable, Overall, the chair is promoted with flying colors.
There is also no shortage of space in the hatboxes.
The flaws
Of the air vents I wrote above. What is missing is a little bit of storage space. There is only the bag attached to the seat back, a bottle holder and stop.
A tiny bit of space is in the armrest, but a structure similar to that adopted in the KLM seat should perhaps have been installed, which would have allowed the small cavity to be used more comfortably.
To nitpick, the coffee table, which as mentioned comes out of the armrest, could have been a tad larger. It is still very good and incorporates a very convenient cell phone holder. However, it seems to be the real Achilles' heel of this product, as all the malfunctions are concentrated here.
Small sore point about the bathrooms, some of which are really small: being a brand new plane. I expected everything to be contactless activation, as I have come across on many aircraft recently. The toilets here are still push-button and not proximity-sensing.
Clear interior and rude passengers
Premise I don't have master's degree in aviation marketing, I am just a frequent flyer who has turned a passion into a job. The clear interior is beautiful, but too delicate. I got the first clue with my first flight on the "Carolina Kostner" and with this flight on "Gelindo Bordin" I got confirmation.
The fault, however, lies not only with those who decided on light shades, but also and especially with the passengers. Of course, it can happen to everyone to spill a glass of coke or red wine on the floor, as well as to drop the plate with the ravioli with sauce. This is unavoidable and no one can do anything about it, the clear carpet can only suffer in silence.
But rudeness is also rampant. People sleeping unconscious with their shoes on top of the seat, people drying their hands on the seat, passengers resting their feet on the bulkheads between cabins. Unfortunately, the airline can little, at least of not having to turn flight attendants into prison guards.
Just as in the restaurant, parents let their children roam freely among the tables and write on the tablecloths, the same happens on board airplanes. I once witnessed a discussion between an attendant and a mother who, when asked to calm her daughter who was bouncing in her seat (with shoes on) and glass in her hand, replied something that translated into Italian would sound something like this, "She needs to relax, the flight is long."
Menefrecklessness is rampant, so don't complain if the seat is dirty, we made it dirty. Of course, with a dark seat it would be less noticeable, And the impression would be of greater cleanliness.
IFE
Here ITA spared no expense. Finally, chose a top-of-the-line product. 4k screen, 17 inch touch. Air France, KLM, Virgin Atlantic have a 13.3″, Swiss comes close with a 15.7″, BA is even worse with a 12″.
An entertainment system unlike the one on the rest of the fleet, both in terms of hardware and interface. There are over 150 movies with new releases such as The Whale, which recently triumphed at the Oscars, but also lots of evergreen titles, a perfect mix with many language products great for all travelers.
The feeling, however, is that even better could have been done, and with little more. TV content availability is poor, about 30 different titles, a few scattered episodes, and then the first full season of Succession and the Iron Throne. Here ITA could definitely copy the competition. Some people put Apple TV+, Paramaount+,Discovery, Netflix and live TV channels. In this case there is none of these.
There is also a Kids mode, with reduced selection and graphics that look like they were drawn by my 9-year-old daughter.
I find it superfluous in these chairs to install the remote control. Yes, it is functional and does everything, but you can more easily use the touch screen, Let's say only when you are lying down can come in handy, but it is not essential.
Convenient, however, that it indicates how long until arrival, so if you sleep you can watch here without having to turn on the screen and brightly illuminate the cabin waking your neighbor.
On the other hand, however, all screens have Bluetooth connectivity and that means you can plug in your own headphones (including Apple's) and enjoy in-vehicle entertainment. A'excellent choice that may also translate into less waste in the future, since there will be savings on passenger headsets, an economic and environmental savings.
Over-ear headphones are distributed to all premium economy passengers, an average-quality product that I obviously did not use while taking advantage of BT.
Passengers are provided with one multiple electrical outlet each, one USBc and one traditional USB: I with the first one was able to safely charge the laptop. And with the second one the cell phone.
Nice games, but here ITA wins easy if there is Monopoly I become a child in ice cream shop.
The bad tricks of AI
I would guess, but I could be wrong, that the IFE retrieves a set of information by automatic scraping from wikipedia. Probably the information is retrieved using the coordinates as a reference. However, this generates some at least original content to be displayed on board a flight.
Information is provided about what lies along the route within the interactive map. So between an uninhabited Greenland island and the Gulf of St. Lawrence. Venus craters or mountains pop up on Mercury.
Service
On ITA Airways I now find it difficult to travel unnoticed. Of course, I never warn anyone when I fly, but the bum is reported and recognized more than the most wanted Matteo until recently. I, however, always try to get the same treatment as other passengers.
As soon as we embark, a welcome glass (in paper) is served. I opted for a Ferrari tasting, and shortly afterwards the hot meal is distributed to all guests.
Unfortunately, a courtesy kit is not distributed. I have not had confirmation but I could bet that Alitalia's leftovers are gone, In recent months the old Diesel kit was being distributed, for a few weeks now there is nothing for PE passengers.
It is the details that make the difference, who more or less beautiful, all companies leave a kit for all PE passengers. When I was writing "Hopefully, the service will also be premium ... " I was referring to just such things.
In place is a plastic bag containing pillow, fair size, and cover and a plastic bottle: here ITA could copy what other companies do and remove the plastic and replace it with tetra pak or can.
Very present crew, both in PE and Economy. In the tail galley there was also a small selection of snacks and drinks in case of sudden hunger attacks, which is not always the case in all companies.
I did, of course, my ball-busting passenger test and in a little over 60″ The assistant arrived at my place.
Embarrassing Wi-fi
Another example of how superficial one can sometimes be is the presentation of Wi-fi: the onboard instructions say "connect to the ITAAirwaysWIFI network. Too bad the network identifier is a more mundane Cabin-wifi.
Of course, there are those who say "at least on the plane I don't want to be connected," but I on the plane work and connection is important. If you want to target the business traveler, the one who might fill the Y+ cabin, you have to guarantee the ability to work, then if a passenger wants to stay offline, he is perfectly free to do so.
But it is mainly the substance that is lacking. I was hoping that things would change with this A330neo, but instead. we are still in 2010.
Yes there is wifi, but with the usual three packet fake time, since it is traffic that is limited. In a world where everyone is moving toward free connectivity on board, ITA fare still as it was at the beginning of the millennium.
The free messaging is useless since it is only 20mb, all it takes is for a friend to send 2 photos on whatsapp and the damage is done. The packages for surfing are the usual two: the problem is the amount of traffic which is ridiculous and in the case of the 2 hour ITA package it is not even clear in the way it sells it.
Obviously no kind of facilitation is granted based on status on Volare, so you have to be careful and limit the bandwidth as when with 3g we had MB counted.
Food & Beverage
The attendant came by to pick up the lunch order shortly after takeoff. There were three options: swordfish steak, saltimbocca alla romana, and some white vegetable lasagna.
Unfortunately, ITA does not offer a menu to PE passengers, not even through the IFE screen, and this is a pity because the menu is very professional and gives a premium feeling compared to the "by voice" choice.
Having the menu with ingredients also allows you to know what you will be eating and identify any problems with intolerances or unwelcome ingredients. It has happened to me in the past to order a dish that was finished with truffle oil, a prized ingredient that causes me problems, however, so I try to avoid it. Having the menu reduces these problems.
Lunch was served, in a single tray, about 35 minutes after takeoff. I opted for the escalopes. Served along with a small Caesar salad, a sandwich, a sweet treat and an amaretto from La Sassellese, a historic company made in Savona.
Good quality, the weakest dish was definitely the cupcake. Too dry and hard to swallow without drinking a liter of water on it.
Excellent final service with espresso coffee and limoncello. The ceramic cup was probably a gift to the homeless man, but the product is in the offerings of all Y+ passengers
A small gallery is set up between business class and premium economy, however, it is really sad.
About 90 minutes after arrival a small snack was served, a ham and cheese sandwich and a cupcake. Compared to economy you are served on a small tray and there is the cupcake, which is only served in Y+ instead.
This is, for example, the catering of the second service aboard the new KLM's Premium Economy on a New York Amsterdam Flight.
First time on the mobile lounge
When we arrived we were parked in a distant area not connected to the airport terminal, unlike the rest of the world here at Washington Dulles they still use mobile lounges, or buses, which are very unique. Instead of disembarking passengers by the usual ladder, the bus comes and lifts off the street level to get to the level of the aircraft door.
Passengers get out and sit on the bus. Once full, the cabin is lowered and they are taken to the terminal, where by the same system they get off as they enter the building.
Today this system is used only at this airport and in Canada at Montréal-Trudeau. In the past it was also used at Mirabel International Airport in Montreal, the international terminal of John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City, Mexico City Airport until 2007, Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris, and King Abdulaziz International Airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia until early 2000.
In conclusion
On the construction defects ITA is not to blame, in fact it is the victim. Inconceivable that an aircraft that is not even 10 days old is already "patched" with duct tape. I recently flew on British Airways' A380 business class (the worst in Europe) and here several seats were unusable because they were broken. But we are talking about a 15-year-old airplane with problems retrieving replacement parts because of the age of the seat. Here we are talking about the last product out of the factory.
ITA's "fault" is in underestimating the choice of white as the dominant color of the booths: I repeat, THEY ARE beautiful but they age quickly and badly.
When it comes to attention to detail another example is this one in one of the economy bathrooms. If you don't hand out toilet covers, you could find more elegant solutions instead of paper tape to plug the hole.
Coming to ITA's premium economy service, as I feared that "premium" is missing. No amenity kit, no menu, welcome drink served in a paper cup. Small details that on an armchair like the Y+ make all the difference and help convince the passenger to spend more than for a traditional Economy seat.
The screen is really one of the best I've seen recently on board, superior to a great many business class products. Too bad it lacks a little bit of substance. Really top crew, and I'm not talking about my treatment but the treatment around the cabin for all the passengers.
Pro
- The chair
- The screen
- The euipage
Against
- The Wifi
- The contents of the IFE
- No amenity kit, no menu