Review: ITA Airways Domestic Business Class Rome to Milan
This review covers my ITA Airways domestic business class flights between Rome Fiumicino (FCO) and Milan Linate (LIN), with the outbound flight on an Airbus A320 and the return on an Airbus A220.
ITA Airways domestic business class
On a recent work trip to Italy I had the chance to try out ITA Airways domestic business class on the short hop between Rome and Milan.
Let me start by saying straight away that I generally don’t believe business class is worth it for short domestic flights in Europe, and in the specific case of Italy, the high-speed trains linking Rome and Milan are just as fast from city centre to city centre and offer a superior premium product.
Still, there are situations where such a domestic flight can be highly convenient, particularly for those with connecting flights.
If you arrive at Rome Fiumicino from somewhere else in Europe or even further afield, it is of course much faster and convenient to take a connecting flight if you need to reach another Italian destination.
This was also the case for me, as I had arrived at Rome Fiumicino on a flight from Sofia, Bulgaria, and had a connecting flight to Milan.
Since I have recently reviewed ITA Airways’ intra-European business class product on a flight from Tirana to Rome, I will go straight to the two domestic flights to show you what you can expect on them.
Lounge access on domestic ITA Airways flights
When flying domestically with ITA Airways, you should note that not all business class tickets include lounge access.
Only the more expensive ‘Superior Flex’ domestic business class fares include lounge access, while the normal ‘Superior Classic’ fares do not.
Unfortunately, having a high enough frequent flyer status won’t help either, as per SkyTeam alliance rules, you cannot get lounge access on a purely domestic journey.
However, if your domestic ITA Airways flight is part of an international journey and you have a same-day business class flight on ITA or another SkyTeam carrier, you will have lounge access.
At Rome Fiumicino, ITA Airways flies out of Terminal 1, and the Hangar Lounge is the dedicated business lounge for domestic and Schengen area flights with the Italian flag carrier.
Although it’s not a lounge where you’d want to linger for too long, the buffet is decent enough, and the manned bar is a great spot for proper barista coffee, a cocktail, or some other drinks.
I certainly enjoyed my pre-flight Aperol Spritz at the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge, along with a plate of pasta and some high-quality red wine.
Boarding
From the ITA Airways Hangar Lounge, the boarding gate for my flight to Milan Linate was just a short walk away.
Priority boarding was neatly observed, and I was among the first passengers to board the Airbus A320 that would operate this evening flight to Milan.
On the narrow-body planes operating ITA Airways’ short-haul and domestic routes, business class is much like that of nearly every other European airline, featuring a standard economy class seat with the only difference being that the middle seat remains blocked.
I managed to assign myself the bulkhead seat 1A, which had a decent amount of legroom.
For the short 1-hour flight between Rome and Milan, the seat was perfectly adequate.
Rome Fiumicino (FCO) to Milan Linate (LIN)
ITA Airways – Flight AZ2058– Airbus A320-200
Plane registration number: EI-EID
Business class – Seat 1A
Departure: 9pm – Arrival: 10.10pm
Flight time: 1h10m – Distance: 292 miles
In-flight service
ITA Airways operates multiple daily flights between its main hub at Rome Fiumicino and its secondary hub, Milan Linate Airport.
However, this flight was far from full, with only one other seat taken in business class and economy class being about one-third full.
This meant that boarding was completed quickly, and we managed to take off from Rome Fiumicino a few minutes before our scheduled departure time.
The in-flight service on domestic ITA Airways flights is considerably more limited compared to short-haul international flights.
Instead of a proper meal, a domestic business class flight with ITA Airways includes only a packaged snack, with a choice between savoury or sweet options.
The drinks selection is also more limited on domestic flights compared to short-haul international flights, as business class basically gets the same beverage cart service offering juice, water, and soft drinks as economy class.
However, you can get mini bottles of Prosecco on domestic business class flights, and the friendly ITA Airways flight attendant serving me today proactively offered me one.
Indeed, on the short flight from Rome to Milan, she even asked if I would like a second bottle of Prosecco – and who am I to say no to that!
Landing in Milan
After a short and pleasant flight, we began our descent towards Milan Linate Airport.
Following a smooth landing, our plane taxied to a remote stand, from where we were bused to the terminal building.
I normally dislike bus gates, but at least it gave me an opportunity to photograph the ITA Airways Airbus A320 that had just brought me to Milan.
To make the bus transfer more bearable, a small but cute and fluffy dog poked its head out of the rucksack of one of the other passengers, brightening up everyone’s evening.
During my stay in Milan, I stayed at the Best Western Air Hotel Linate, which offers a complimentary on-demand shuttle service between Linate Airport and the hotel.
Although the Best Western primarily serves as a convenient option for those seeking an airport hotel just minutes from Linate Airport’s terminal, it also works well as a base for exploring downtown Milan.
You can simply take the hotel’s shuttle to the airport and then catch the metro for a short ride to the city centre.
Overall, I was pleased with my stay at the Best Western due to the fast and convenient airport shuttle and friendly service, although the hotel is somewhat dated and experiences some noise pollution from a nearby disco on weekends.
Milan Linate Airport
After my stay in Milan, it was time to return to Linate Airport for my flight back to Rome.
It was my first time flying out of Milan Linate, and I quickly understood why it is the preferred choice of the three Milan-area airports among both locals and visitors.
Milan Malpensa, the largest of the three airports in the Greater Milan area, is located 49 kilometres north-west of the city centre, while Milan Bergamo Airport, mainly used by low-cost airlines, is 51 kilometres north-east.
Although Milan Linate Airport ranks third in terms of passenger numbers, it is the only one actually located in Milan, just 7 kilometres east of the city centre.
With easy access to the city centre by metro or taxi, it’s easy to see why it’s so popular, especially among business travellers.
Compared to Malpensa and Bergamo, Milan Linate Airport feels like a quiet oasis and is actually quite a pleasant place.
Although I had access to fast track security, it didn’t seem necessary, as the crowds were light even in the normal security queue during the middle of the morning when I passed through.
Piazza della Scala Lounge
As I was connecting in Rome to an international flight, I could access the Piazza della Scala Lounge at Milan Linate Airport before my domestic flight.
The Piazza della Scala Lounge is ITA Airways’ own business lounge at Milan Linate Airport, and it’s a pleasant place to await your flight.
Although the food buffet could be improved, the ITA Airways lounge also features a proper bar where you can get some quality coffee or drinks.
Best of all, the Piazza della Scala Lounge has some great views over the apron and runway of Milan Linate Airport.
I certainly enjoyed having breakfast with a good cup of coffee and a glass of Prosecco while watching all sorts of planes take off!
Flying the ITA Airways Airbus A220
After spending some time in the business lounge, I headed to the departure gate.
Although priority boarding was again neatly observed, it proved somewhat useless, as my flight had a bus gate and half of the passengers were crammed into a single bus.
On the plus side, it provided some good views of Linate Airport, including the iconic Emporio Armani sign on the airport hangar and a couple of aircraft on the apron, such as a British Airways Airbus A319.
My flight from Milan Linate to Rome Fiumicino was operated by an Airbus A220, which is probably my favourite narrow-body aircraft.
It’s quiet, comfortable, and the 2+3 seating configuration is excellent, even if you’re flying in economy class.
However, while most other European airlines block the adjacent seat next to you when you fly the Airbus A220 in business class (see my Air France Airbus A220 business class review, for example), ITA Airways does not fully do this.
The two-abreast seats on the Airbus A220, such as 1A and 1C, can both be assigned in ITA Airways business class, so if you select one of these, you risk having a direct seatmate.
Milan Linate (LIN) to Rome Fiumicino (FCO)
ITA Airways – Flight AZ2045– Airbus A220-100
Plane registration number: EI-HLB
Business class – Seat 3F
Departure: 11am – Arrival: 12.10pm
Flight time: 1h10m – Distance: 292 miles
Departure from Milan Linate
Once boarding was completed, we taxied across the apron towards the single runway at Milan Linate Airport.
As there were a couple of other planes landing, plus a small propeller plane and a KLM Boeing 737 ahead of us in the take-off queue, it took a while before our Airbus A220 could finally turn onto the runway for departure.
There were some beautiful views during take-off over the airport, the city of Milan, and the distant Alps.
Flight back to Rome
My flight from Milan back to Rome was pretty uneventful.
Once we reached cruising altitude, the crew came by offering drinks and snacks to the business class passengers.
I just had a glass of orange juice and skipped on the snack this time around.
Compared to my bulkhead seat on the Airbus A320 on the inbound flight, my seat in row 3 on the Airbus A220 was certainly a bit more cramped, with less legroom.
On the plus side, the ITA Airways Airbus A220 was equipped with USB charging ports at every seat and Wi-Fi internet, both of which are not available on their Airbus A320-200.
As it was a beautiful day in Northern Italy, I didn’t need any internet to keep me entertained, as the views from the window were pretty.
There were great views of the River Po, the Apennine Mountains, and the Ligurian coastline, including the port cities of La Spezia and Livorno.
Landing at Rome Fiumicino Airport
Once we hit southern Tuscany and crossed into the airspace above Lazio, the sun gave way to more gloomy weather.
As we began our final descent towards Rome Fiumicino, raindrops started to hit the window, and overall visibility decreased.
Still, the views upon landing were quite beautiful, and we eventually touched down safely on one of the runways at Fiumicino Airport.
Due to traffic on the taxiways, it took a while for us to finally reach the gate.
However, we still had an on-time arrival at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
As I disembarked from our Airbus A220, I thanked the crew for another good flight and made my way across the terminal to catch my connecting flight.
Conclusion
ITA Airways’ domestic business class is a rather lacklustre product and generally not worth the money.
The in-flight service is poor, and at best, you might benefit from having an empty seat next to you, though this depends on the type of aircraft and isn’t always guaranteed.
If you’re travelling within Italy, be aware that only the fully flexible business class fare includes lounge access on a domestic itinerary.
Indeed, on routes like Rome to Milan, taking the plane offers little advantage, as the high-speed train is just as fast from city centre to city centre and provides a more premium experience.
On domestic routes where the train isn’t competitive, you are far better off buying an economy class ticket, as paying the premium for business class is simply not worth it.
Apart from business travellers who might need a fully flexible ticket, I don’t think there are many people to begin with who buy a business class ticket for a purely domestic journey.
Of course, if you’re connecting in Rome or Milan from an international ITA Airways flight to a domestic flight or vice versa, paying for business class can certainly be worthwhile.
However, in that case, it’s important to lower your expectations regarding the domestic flight in ITA Airways business class, as the service levels will not be comparable to those of their international flights.
