Alitalia tight connections

Go for it. If the flight is on time you'll probably make it. I made a connection to Athens in 15 minutes years ago (although the bags didn't). If your incoming flight is late, just go to the Alitalia desk (there are a few in the various terminals) and they'll change your boarding pass for the next one at no cost to you. I don't know where your final destination is in Puglia, but Bari has more Alitalia flights from Rome, just in case you want to consider that.

I had an insane experinece with a tight Alitalia connection a couple of months ago, but any airline can have a bad day. However. what's helped me with very tight connections is to bring my own printed list of preferred later connections. That way I was able to get things moving on my own, getting what I wanted, rather than waiting for the airline to suggest something. Obviously you can do this online if you have wifi or a cell access, but I found having a printed copy to be really helpful; no worry about finding internet access.

Go for it. As stated above if you don't make the flight the airline must put you on the next available flight. Try to go with carry on luggage ONLY. The only time my bags haven't made my flight is when I had a tight connection.

James:
It doesn't matter if you hate Alitalia. Christine is flying to Puglia from LAX and Alitalia is her only choice. British doesn't fly to either BRI or BDS. And by the way. I've flown across the Atlantic at least 60 times, at least 10 of which with Alitalia. Never had a problem. I don't care about professionalism and courtesy of flight attendants as long as they keep pouring me wine.

Christine, please,please search this "Alitalia" on this site. You will see the majority of people will never fly Alitalia a second time, myself included. We now fly British Airways direct to London, then on to Italy. The difference in service and professionalism is unbelievable.

Thanks to all. Yes, I have read the "Alitalia" thread on this board but as Robert notes I have no option flying into Brindisi and out of Bari...I decided to go for the tight connections, and pack an extra set of clothes.

If possible, carry on your luggage. As another poster said, you may make the tight connection but your checked luggage may not. I narrowly caught a flight to Manchester from Philadelphia which my checked bag missed, and was lost for my entire 2-week trip. It's rare but it happens.

Extra sets of clothes for a day is wise, if carry-on only doesn't work for you. If bags don't make it with you, it will arrive with the next flight. They'll deliver it to you at your hotel, unless you want to drive back to the airport to pick it up yourself when it arrives. It has happened to me more than once in Europe (so far only Air France never found my bag in one of those occasions, had to buy everything there for that vacation). PS just in case: International treaties require airlines to reimburse you only $20 per kg if they lose your bag for good. So don't pack very expensive clothes unless you have travel insurance or you are covered for those losses by your credit card.

thanks again, that was my plan. I do carry travel insurance as well especially for this trip as I am attending cooking school in Lecce and you need travel insurance for that...I have never visited Pulgia but all the other regions (almost) so I am excited.

one other point about lost bags arriving promptly. On my very tight Alitalia connection, it was days before I got my bag. The first voicemail left for me to tell me my bag was found was so unintelligible (not cellular quality, but just fast, absolutely unclear pronunciation by a native-English speaker) that i tried every possible phone number I thought i heard and all guesses were wrong. I also had several other people listen, and they couldn't figure it out either. I then went online and tried to track the bag with the number I was given at the airport. What came up was confirmation that my bag arrived, but with two inactive phone numbers. In addition, neither of the companies ID'd as handling the bag was listed by that name on the internet or with phone-company information. When I called the airline directly, all they said is they would contact the company that called me, asking them to call me again. I eventually found the right company myself, under a different corporate name, by going onto the internet and calling all companies that came up when I did general searches for companies handling lost airline baggage in the area. I stayed in when they agreed to deliver my bag and it never showed up and no one called. When I called back, they said they planned to deliver that evening, when I had specifically told them I could not be available. A few months later, when I had to check luggage with a budget European airline, I packed everything I needed for the remainder of the trip in a collapsable nylon tote, only checking things like books, other paper, some non-essential creams/etc, sandals, and purchases I had made on the trip. My recommendation would be: don't rely on seeing your bag promptly if you check it; be prepared for it to vanish.

The problem in Italy is that that the baggage handlers usually don't work for an airline. The baggage handlers work for an independent company so your airline can't provide a lot of help, which makes the process very frustrating. Carry on luggage only!