Review: ITA Airways Business Class Tirana to Rome (Airbus A320)
This review details my ITA Airways business class flight from Tirana (TIA) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO) on board an Airbus A320.
Tirana Airport
After a recent trip to Albania, I had the pleasure of trying out ITA Airways’ business class on the relatively short flight from Tirana to Rome.
Although I had flown several times with its predecessor Alitalia, this was my first time flying with ITA Airways, so I was quite curious to see what the experience would be like.
Tirana Airport is small and crowded due to the recent surge in tourism in Albania and the significant increase in flights serving the airport.
It was therefore great to have access to the Tirana Airport business lounge before my flight to Rome, as it was certainly better than waiting in the overcrowded gate area.
Boarding
Tirana Airport does not have jet bridges, so boarding is done either by walking to the aircraft if it is parked directly in front of the terminal or by taking a bus if the plane is parked at a remote stand.
Boarding commenced rather haphazardly, with no announcements or consideration for priority boarding for business class passengers and frequent flyers.
Although the Airbus A320, which would operate the afternoon ITA Airways flight from Tirana to Rome, was parked directly in front of our boarding gate, all passengers had to wait initially in a holding area on the apron just outside the gate doors after their boarding passes were scanned.
Even though I dislike this “boarding but not boarding” procedure, at least I could enjoy the views over the apron an all the aircraft while waiting outside the terminal building.
Eventually, a ramp agent opened the barrier of our holding area and escorted us across the apron towards the aircraft.
I really liked the ITA Airways livery with its striking azure blue colour and the narrow Italian flag on the tail.
Although I initially wasn’t a fan of it – perhaps because I was so accustomed to the classic Alitalia colour scheme – I have to admit that the ITA Airways livery has grown on me over time to the point that I’m actually a fan of it.
ITA Airways Airbus A320 cabin
With the big exception of Turkish Airlines, intra-European business class is rarely something to get too excited about because you’ll typically find yourself in normal economy class seats rather than proper business class recliner seats.
That’s also the case when you fly with ITA Airways in business class on the Airbus A320.
According to demand, the curtain separating the business class cabin from the economy class can be simply moved back or forth into the cabin.
However, just like most other European airlines, the Italian flag carrier leaves the middle seat empty in business class to provide extra space, shoulder room, and privacy.
On my flight, there were side tables installed on the middle seats in business class, providing handy extra space for personal belongings and drinks.
ITA Airways business class seat
When I booked my flight, I had already assigned myself seat 1A, the bulkhead seat on the port side of the plane.
I always prefer bulkhead seats on intra-European flights as they provide the most legroom, which was indeed more than sufficient on this Airbus A320.
For a short intra-European hop such as my flight from Tirana to Rome, the seat was perfectly adequate.
At least ITA Airways still has leather seats with a bit of padding on their Airbus A320, unlike some other European airlines that use more modern slimline seats.
However, the absence of a power socket or USB charging port at my seat on this Airbus A320 was certainly a drawback.
Pre-departure service
Once boarding was completed, the cabin manager received all the paperwork from the ramp agent and, upon a quick look at the passenger list, noticed that something was wrong.
The passenger in seat 1C next to me was not supposed to be in business class, and the cabin manager promptly but politely directed him back to his assigned seat in economy class.
It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone try to steal a seat in business class this way, so it certainly provided some unexpected entertainment!
The load of today’s flight was light in both classes, with one third of the seats being occupied in business class.
There was a couple seated in 3A-C, while 1D-F seemed to be occupied by off-duty ITA Airways employees, judging by their friendly interactions with the cabin crew and the fact that they were already on board the plane before I boarded the plane as the first passenger.
Before we pushed back from the gate, the cabin manager offered all business class passengers some bottled water as a pre-departure drink, served with a plastic cup.
Tirana (TIA) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
ITA Airways – Flight AZ585– Airbus A320
Plane registration number: EI-EIE
Business class – Seat 1A
Departure: 3.45pm – Arrival: 5.10pm
Flight time: 1h25m – Distance: 388 miles
Departure from Tirana
After our plane was pushed back from its parking spot in front of the terminal building, we slowly taxied across the apron towards the runway.
Once we reached the far end of the runway, the pilots executed a 180-degree turn and lined up for departure.
Although there are normally some terrific mountain views upon take-off or landing at Tirana Airport, the weather today in Albania was rather lousy.
Only if you looked carefully enough could you see the silhouettes of the surrounding mountains.
Nevertheless, there were still some decent views over the city of Tirana and the surrounding countryside upon departure.
Meal service
Almost immediately after our Airbus A320 reached cruising altitude, the meal service commenced.
No matter how short the flight is, ITA Airways still serves a full meal in business class on intra-European flights, which is pretty impressive considering not all European airlines do so.
Business class meals on intra-European ITA Airways flights consist of either a trio of sandwiches or a hot meal, usually pasta, depending on the duration of the flight and route.
From my experience (and what I’ve read online), it seems most common to receive a hot meal on flights departing Italy, while sandwiches are usually served on flights to Italy.
The meals are always accompanied by a salad, some bread, and a dessert.
On my flight from Tirana to Rome, I was served a fresh salad with shrimp, a trio of sandwiches, and a cannoli pastry.
While sandwiches might seem like a disappointing meal for business class, all three were actually fresh and tasty, and the pistachio cannoli was delicious.
In addition to soft drinks and juice, ITA Airways offers beer, wine, prosecco, and a selection of Italian and international liqueurs and spirits in business class.
I ordered an Aperol Spritz, which certainly added a proper Italian touch to the meal.
After the meal, I was offered coffee along with some limoncello, which I thought was a nice touch for a flight lasting under one-and-a-half hours.
Although it was a pity that the coffee was the usual tasteless airline coffee (and not a proper espresso or cappuccino like you can get in business class on Aegean Airlines), I thought the meal service was above average for a European airline, even if it was a bit unexciting.
In-flight entertainment
In-flight entertainment on board my Airbus A320 was non-existent, as there were no personal IFE display screens, let alone Wi-Fi internet.
However, if you happen to fly on an Airbus A320neo with ITA Airways, you will have access to (paid) Wi-Fi internet, as well as USB-A and USB-C sockets, all of which are lacking on the standard A320.
Fortunately, on such short intra-European flights, I don’t need much more entertainment than the view from the window and some music playing from my own smartphone.
Landing at Rome Fiumicino
Once we had crossed the Apennine Mountains and reached the Tyrrhenian shore near Anzio, we began our descent towards Rome Fiumicino Airport.
Our flight path initially took us north, directly over the city of Rome.
When we reached Lake Bracciano, a volcanic lake north of Rome, our Airbus A320 made a 180-degree left turn, after which we continued south on our final approach towards Rome Fiumicino Airport.
The final descent turned out to be quite scenic, with excellent visibility and sunny weather.
It was fun to see the shadow of our plane on the ground the entire time as we descended and eventually landed on the easternmost runway of Fiumicino Airport.
After a short time taxiing, we eventually stopped at a remote parking spot far from the terminal.
Arrival
Although I dislike remote stands and being bused to the terminal, there’s a silver lining of being able to take some good pictures of the aircraft after arrival.
During the bus ride back to the terminal, we passed by a couple of widebody planes sporting the old Alitalia livery before being dropped off at non-Schengen arrivals.
Conclusion
My ITA Airways business class flight from Tirana to Rome on the Airbus A320 turned was generally a pleasant experience.
When it comes to the in-flight service, ITA Airways offers an above-average business class experience compared to the offerings on many other European airlines during short or mid-haul flights.
Even though my flight was fairly short, I was still served a full meal in business class, which was of good quality.
Moreover, I appreciated the diverse assortment of beverages in ITA Airways business class, as besides the usual options of soft drinks and high-quality local wines there were also drinks such as Aperol Spritz and limoncello, adding a distinct Italian flavour to the experience.
When it comes to the seat, intra-European business class is never something to get excited about, and this also holds true for ITA Airways.
Essentially, you still have an economy class seat, with the only distinction being that the middle seat is blocked in business class.
Although the seat was well-padded and reasonably comfortable, it’s a downside that there are no power sockets or USB charging ports, nor any Wi-Fi internet, on the Airbus A320s of ITA Airways (though you will find them on their A320neo).
Overall, I came back with mostly positive impressions of my ITA Airways business class flight, and if the price difference with economy class isn’t too big, or you can make use of the extra benefits such as lounge access or the additional luggage allowance, it could be a premium well worth paying.
