Patti LaBelle's New Attitude, circa 1984, is buzzing through my head as I walk head to my gate at Rome’s Fiumicino airport, and it is all thanks to Alitalia. For years, I’ve been flying the Italy's national airline, getting to know its service and style which I’d sum up as friendly with bright green accents. And over these 18 months since it announced its partnership with Etihad, I’ve noticed incremental changes, like better baggage coordination, but it hasn’t hit me until this morning that Alitalia has definitely got a new attitude.
At Ticketing, I’m charmed by coyly wrapped neck scarves and tilted caps, but when I walk through the palazzo-style doors of Casa Alitalia that I get it. I mean I really get that the airline is having its own Renaissance, starting with style. The Marco Piva-designed Casa Alitalia is both airport lounge and Italian celebration - a coffee bar and communal space in black and red lacquer with delicately floating lamps, and a waiting area in warm woods and buttery Poltrona Frau chaises. With food a priority, there is a buffet service as well an exposition kitchen that makes gourmet pizzas from noon forward. Casa Alitalia is attended to by an impeccably dressed Alitalia team in tailored three-piece suits and pencil skirts. Right about now, I’m thinking La Dolce Vita-meets-Blade Runner.
As it happens, this morning is the very debut of the new uniform, whose style is enough to inspire a return trip to FCO. Ettore Bilotta rebooted the Alitalia look with nod to retro fashion- a fitted tailleur of red and green, aforementioned cap and scarf (women), and all made in Italy. I can’t help but smile when I spy the matching leather gloves and hand bags, and Diego della Palma’s Rosso Alitalia signature red lipstick and nail polish- the definition of Italian attention to detail. I look around me- everyone is eyeballing the Alitalia team as they walk through the airport, which could (fingers crossed) become a civilian catwalk, if we all took a cue from the Alitalia team.
Alitalia’s new groove is more than a fashion statement. Service is looking good from check-in to cabin to arrival. The inflight kitchen is under the guidance of an executive chef team who are all about regional recipes (Emilia Romagna anyone?) and favorite made-in-Italy products (hello, Lavazza!). Inflight magazine Ulisse has finally become more interesting, informative and fully bilingual with strong feature articles and short pieces from Italian and international contributors. In Business Class, I skim Ulisse and its quarterly issue dedicated to fashion, rifle through the Bulgari amenity kit, review my Le Marche-inspired menu which includes aperitivo, antipasto, primo and secondo, and watch Paolo Sorrentino's Youth. It's the Full Italian experience and I love it.
The flight is easy and atmosphere is friendly. But frankly, I don't expect anything less from Alitalia's crew, nor ever have. They are Italian, and by very nature and default, they are friendly with an innate hospitality they carry from home into the cabin. I have 12 hours to kill, so aside from the usual banter on food and comfort, I talk with the crew about inflight exercises, Game of Thrones theories and what's the best neighborhood in Rome and why. It's a tie between Centro Storico and Monteverde, of course, Sansa has something up her sleeve and yes, your nonna was right, you need to do deep knee bends. Full disclosure: I love Italians.
Flight notes: Guest on inaugural FCO-MEX flight, June 16, 2016. Boeing 777- no wifi, but slated as 'coming soon'.