part of Amsterdam Schiphol ’ s renovation plan . |
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Because of the proximity to the Schengen gates , taxiing took a fraction of the time most passengers are used to in AMS . We deboarded from door 1L , where , this time , a Flight Attendant did say goodbye to us . The A220-300 would fly back to Milan Linate while I headed to the ultraefficient Dutch railway system to return home in comfort . |
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THE VERDICT : LEGACY , HYBRID OR LOW-COST ? |
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It is well known that the line between legacy and low-cost carriers is getting thinner . Some airlines that had initially established a low-cost reputation are slowly entering the hybrid market , while airlines that were once the pinnacle of luxury are now saving as many pennies as possible to increase their profit margins . ITA — also considering its former incarnation Alitalia — belongs to the second group .
Today , an Economy Light ticket is priced around € 175 ( US $ 183 ). The airfare includes a small carryon piece of baggage and a light food service . Seat selection , flight changes , and checked baggage are all available for a fee that makes the ticket more expensive than booking the same flight with an actual low-cost carrier .
As a representative metric , my fare onboard Transavia ’ s Boeing 737-800 from Rotterdam to Brindisi nonstop had cost me € 79 ( US $ 83 ). I had added € 30 ( US $ 31.50 ) for priority boarding , seat reservation , and carry-on luggage , which had brought my one-way total to € 109 ( US $ 114.50 ). I felt that this was a reasonable price for a two-hour flight in high season .
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Adding checked luggage with ITA Airways cost € 70 ( US $ 73.40 ). Seat selection at the back of the cabin was € 14 ( US $ 14.70 ) per flight , thus totaling € 28 ( US $ 29.40 ) for my two flights . Had I wanted to sit at the front , the overall cost would have been € 48 ( US $ 50.35 ); had I wanted to enjoy the extra legroom provided by an emergency exit row , it would have cost me € 58 ( US $ 60.84 ).
I found the worst aspect of the booking procedure to be the upgrade bidding . ITA emailed me a few days before the flight , pitching ‘ cheap upgrades ’ on the flights . The price was indeed competitive . However , the communication could not have been more misleading .
The emails often depicted the beautiful A330-900 or the A350- 900 Business Class , instead of the product I was going to fly . This may not be an issue for us avgeeks — we know that an A350 will not be operated between Amsterdam and Milan Linate ,
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and we are fully prepared to fly on a 25-year-old A319 instead . However , this misleading marketing practice might trick some less-experienced passengers into upgrading , convincing them that they will enjoy a luxury experience instead of a mere Economy Class setup with a blocked middle seat .
Overall , ITA ’ s new A220- 300 cabin is modern and comfortable . The much-needed hard product upgrade has been only the first step toward the complete fleet overhaul ITA has been quick to start . An ( expected ) on-time performance was a plus . However , there were not enough highlights to justify the price being higher than that of the competition .
Overall , ITA has the potential to soon provide an excellent and well-rounded flight experience , but it must first improve on some key aspects of its operations to truly become the preferred and worthwhile choice of international travelers .
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12 The LIN-AMS flight was arguably less eventful than the one from Brindisi . However , it ’ s hard to justify the significantly higher price for this route compared to our inbound flight with Transavia . While the hard product is noticeably superior , the amenities were underwhelming . |