You is probably not acquainted with ITA Airways, particularly if you have not traveled to Italy.
Though the airline has solely operated in its present type since 2021, it has rapidly turn into a number one provider in Europe because of a powerful onboard passenger expertise and an ever-growing route community.
Celebrating one of the best of Italy, right here is every thing it is advisable to learn about flying ITA Airways.
Associated: Insider ideas for consuming and consuming your method by means of Italy
What’s ITA Airways?
The flag provider of Italy, ITA was established in 2021 because the successor to now-defunct Alitalia.
It operates home and worldwide flights, connecting Italian locations with 70 cities worldwide. The airline’s fashionable and various fleet of about 100 plane options short-, medium- and long-haul plane.
ITA was a member of the SkyTeam alliance, nevertheless it not too long ago left the group following an funding by Star Alliance-based Lufthansa Group.
ITA Airways locations and route community
ITA’s fundamental hub is at Rome Fiumicino Leonardo da Vinci Airport (FCO). The airline operates flights to a number of European cities, in addition to a restricted variety of locations in Africa, the Center East and Asia.
Within the Americas, ITA operates nonstop providers from FCO to:
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- Boston Logan Worldwide Airport (BOS)
- Dulles Worldwide Airport (IAD) close to Washington, D.C.
- John F. Kennedy Worldwide Airport (JFK) in New York Metropolis
- Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX)
- Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA)
- O’Hare Worldwide Airport (ORD) in Chicago
- San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
- Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ)
- Buenos Aires Airport (EZE) in Argentina
- Sao Paulo/Guarulhos Worldwide Airport (GRU)
- Rio de Janeiro Worldwide Airport (GIG)
You may assume the Italian nationwide provider would additionally function from Milan Malpensa Airport (MXP), however the airline has as an alternative opted to focus its long-haul operations from FCO.
ITA does function some short-haul flights inside Europe from Milan Linate Airport (LIN), a smaller business-focused airport nearer to town middle.
If you wish to journey to Milan from inside Europe, flying to LIN is much extra handy and time-saving than flying to MXP, which is far farther from Milan’s middle.
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Cabin courses and expertise
On short-haul flights inside Europe, ITA presents an financial system class and a “Euro enterprise”-style enterprise class — an financial system seat beside a blocked center seat.
Financial system passengers obtain a complimentary snack and a collection of free drinks.
ITA business-class passengers on short-haul flights can take pleasure in a complimentary multicourse meal with cold and warm drinks, together with alcohol.
ITA’s mid-haul flights on the Airbus A321neo to Africa and the Center East provide financial system, premium financial system and enterprise class.
Passengers in all cabins obtain complimentary meals, drinks, inflight Wi-Fi, bedding and seatback leisure.
The financial system cabin is specified by a 3-3 configuration, and the premium financial system cabin has 12 seats in a 2-2 configuration. The latter is a category of service not typically seen on a narrow-body plane.
Enterprise class is organized in a 1-1 configuration, with all passengers having fun with direct aisle entry, lie-flat beds and seats going through towards the home windows.
For a further 100 euros ($105), business-class passengers can select to order a seat within the first row. (The speed varies relying on the route.) This options further private house by method of a giant ottoman that may have a bassinet connected, present further house for baggage or retailer private gadgets.
ITA’s long-haul fleet consists of Airbus A330-200, A330-900neo and A350-900 plane used for flights to North America, South America and Asia.
These plane are additionally in a three-cabin configuration with financial system, premium financial system and enterprise class.
Whereas the financial system and premium financial system seats are much like the A321neo, the business-class cabin incorporates a 1-2-1 configuration in both a reverse herringbone or staggered, forward-facing association, relying on the plane sort.
Enterprise-class passengers can take pleasure in decadent connoisseur Italian meals with choices like a spritz and antipasti, a devoted pasta course (with three selections) and Italian desserts.
ITA Airways baggage coverage
All passengers can deliver one full-size cabin bag on board that weighs not more than 18 kilos.
Financial system Mild fares on ITA don’t include a checked bag, although common financial system fares include one 50-pound checked bag. Passengers touring from Japan can deliver an additional 50-pound checked bag. These touring from Ghana and Senegal in Financial system Basic and Financial system Flex can even examine a second bag weighing 50 kilos.
Premium financial system, business-class and superior-class passengers can examine two 70-pound baggage per passenger. Be aware: Enterprise Basic passengers are restricted to 1 70-pound bag between Europe and North Africa, and Superior Basic passengers can solely examine one 70-pound bag, no matter vacation spot.
Extra checked baggage allowances are offered for Volare elite members as described beneath.
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ITA Airways business-class, premium financial system and financial system opinions
For an in-depth video evaluate of ITA’s A330-900neo in financial system, premium financial system and enterprise class, try TPG’s Departures YouTube channel.
ITA Airways frequent flyer program
ITA Airways’ Volare loyalty program rewards frequent flyers. It presents 4 membership tiers with the next advantages:
- Membership Good: That is the entry stage the place all members begin.
- Membership Plus: Flyers earn this after accruing 30,000 qualifying factors. This consists of bonus Volare factors earned every time you journey; further checked baggage allowance; precedence check-in, boarding and baggage supply; free seat choice; and devoted customer support.
- Membership Premium: Flyers earn this after accumulating 60,000 qualifying factors. This consists of all the Membership Plus advantages, plus lounge entry and fast-track safety.
- Membership Excellence: Flyers earn this after gathering 90,000 qualifying factors. This consists of all the Membership Glorious advantages, plus “lounge-within-a-lounge” VIP entry in Rome, free checked golf gear and a free Membership Premium card to present to a member of the family or good friend.
For every standing stage earned, members will retain the standing till the tip of the next calendar 12 months.
Vacationers can be a part of Volare totally free on-line, and the airline has often supplied beneficiant standing matches.
ITA is presently exiting the SkyTeam alliance and can ultimately be a part of Star Alliance in 2026. The Lufthansa Group — house to Star Alliance members Lufthansa, Swiss, Austrian Airways and Brussels Airways — has acquired a 41% stake in ITA.
The Italian authorities will proceed to personal the remaining 59%.
The flexibility to earn Volare factors when crediting flights from most SkyTeam airways — together with Delta Air Traces, Air France, KLM, Korean Air, Aeromexico and Virgin Atlantic — is being phased out; all ties are anticipated to finish by April 30. However members of Lufthansa’s frequent flyer program, Miles & Extra, can now earn and redeem miles on ITA flights. ITA Volare members are in a position to earn and redeem on airways throughout the Lufthansa Group. Flyers can anticipate extra alternatives in 2026 when ITA strikes into Star Alliance.
The right way to guide ITA Airways with factors and miles
You may redeem factors in ITA’s Volare program in opposition to any money fare at 0.5 euros (52 cents) per level. This implies a one-way business-class flight from New York Metropolis to Rome may value a staggering 800,000 Volare factors per particular person — one of the crucial costly transatlantic redemptions any airline loyalty program presents.
Given how tough Volare factors are to earn outdoors of Italy, this could not be a great way to redeem factors.
A a lot better possibility is to guide ITA flights utilizing Virgin factors by means of the Virgin Atlantic Flying Membership program.
The place ITA availability exists (which will be booked on-line), Virgin has considerably decrease redemption charges, together with:
- 5,500 factors in financial system or 14,500 factors in enterprise class on flights as much as 500 miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to Zurich Airport (ZRH)
- 7,000 factors in financial system or 15,500 factors in enterprise class on flights 501 to 1,000 miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to Heathrow Airport (LHR) in London or Athens Worldwide Airport (ATH) in Greece
- 10,000 factors in financial system or 21,500 factors in enterprise class on flights 1,001 to 1,500 miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to Cairo Worldwide Airport (CAI) or Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) in Tel Aviv
- 11,500 factors in financial system or 35,000 factors in enterprise class on flights 1,501 to 2,250 miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to King Abdulaziz Worldwide Airport (JED) in Saudi Arabia
- 15,500 factors in financial system or 40,000 factors in enterprise class on flights 2,251 to three,000 miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to Dubai Worldwide Airport (DXB)
- 20,500 factors in financial system or 60,000 factors in enterprise class on flights 3,001 to 4,000 miles lengthy
- 25,500 factors in financial system or 75,000 factors in enterprise class on flights 4,001 to five,000 miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to DEL
- 31,000 factors in financial system or 85,000 factors in enterprise class on flights 5,001 to six,000 miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to Miami Worldwide Airport (MIA)
- 37,000 factors in financial system or 100,000 factors in enterprise class on flights 6,001-plus miles lengthy, equivalent to FCO to Los Angeles Worldwide Airport (LAX) or San Francisco Worldwide Airport (SFO)
Sadly, ITA Airways’ premium financial system product shouldn’t be bookable with Virgin factors.
Flying Membership is a switch associate of each main transferable level forex:
A few of the above applications provide common switch bonuses to Flying Membership, which means you may want even fewer factors than you first thought.
Many of those applications provide playing cards that characteristic terrific welcome bonuses. Listed here are a few of our favourite journey rewards playing cards that earn transferable factors that may be transformed to Virgin factors:
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Backside line
Although ITA Airways is a comparatively new airline in its present branding and format, it has rapidly developed a strong repute as a number one European provider for a premium passenger expertise.
The airline’s funding in new plane, routes and onboard delicacies makes it a strong possibility for touring throughout the Atlantic and past through its main hub in Rome. ITA celebrates one of the best of Italy on the bottom and within the air. Vacationers can guide flights at nice charges utilizing Virgin factors, so it must be in your radar in your subsequent flight to or by means of Europe.
