Air from Rome to Palermo, Sicily

kayak.com, cheapoair.com. I usually fly Alitalia to Palermo. It's not much more expensive and their baggage weight allowance makes it a break even over the discount European airlines such as Ryanair. I've done this a number of times, and those baggage restrictions on Ryanair can add up. When they say ONE carry on, that means women - it's your purse and only your purse. Men - one briefcase. None of those big carryons like in the US.

I LOVE Sicily and a sure you're going to have a great time! You'll cry when you leave.

Joan,

Have a look at Vueling Air which operates from FCO to PMO. I suspect the number of flights on that route will be reduced in November, so it would be a good idea to get a booking soon (especially with a group). Note their Terms & Conditions carefully, especially related to baggage. Also note that in many cases the cheaper tickets are non-refundable and non-changeable once booked (higher priced tickets have more options in that regard).

As the previous reply mentioned, Alitalia will also have flights on that route. I haven't checked, but their prices will probably be higher.

Only 3 airlines fly from FCO to PMO:
Alitalia
Vueling
Ryanair

In descending order of likely cost.
As mentioned above, be aware of the strict baggage restrictions on Ryanair. Their low cost comes at a price.

I have flown Alitalia to/from Palermo many times, it's fine and the baggage allowance is better for me (carryon).

Donna, I'll be in Palermo next week, I also cry when I leave!

The "international" web site for Alitalia shows lower fares and fare classes than the US site does for a domestic route like Rome to Palermo; look at both and you'll see what I mean. I second (or fourth, by now) the recommendation that while Alitalia may be more expensive up front, they include one checked bag in the fare and allow more in carry-on as well, so you may end up saving money and hassle over a cheaper ticket where you have to pay extra for these. They have something like 8 flights a day between FCO and PMO.

The cheapest fares sell out early, so book as soon as you know your travel dates.

I don't know if you are flying to Palermo because it's where you want to be, or just because it's the only Sicilian airport you know (the case with me, before I started my research). Catania is actually Sicily's main airport, with more service than Palermo. As a bonus, it's on the east of the island while Palermo is in the northwest, allowing you to avoid backtracking by flying into one and out of the other. Again, if Catania is not convenient or needed, ignore this paragraph. But if you are seeing places in the eastern half of Sicily, do use Catania for at least one of your flights - much easier.

Always check Vueling's fare & schedule for flights between mainland Italy and Sicily. They are Alitalia's stiffest competition on the routes to Sicily these days. Here's a tip that will save you $ and some hassles:

Vueling is the pits in the customer service department. They charge extra for baggage. However, Vueling is part of the Iberia family. Iberia has much better customer service (it's at least reachable...). Iberia's cheapest fares also include checked baggage.

So, book the Vueling flight you want through the Iberia website.

For example, a 29€ Vueling flight from Rome to Catania costs 59€ on Iberia's website for the exact same flight. Baggage is included in the Iberia ticket, so no extra baggage fees payable during the check-in process.

I recommed using www.skyscanner.com which will show flights on both mainstream and budget airlines.

I flew "open-jaw" into Palermo and out of Rome on Alitalia. The price less than a round-trip to Rome plus a separate flight on a budget airline to Palermo. Of course I had to change planes at FCO, but it meant that Alitalia would get me to Palermo on a later flight if there were delays on the international flight. I then flew out of Catania to the mainland (Bologna) on Meridiana.

I use wikipedia to find airlines. Their articles on each airport list all the airlines that serve the airport and the destinations. For fares, I mostly check each airline website directly.