I have two reservations one with Alitalia and one with AA. I land at 9am and leave again at 11.20am. I have sent an email to Alitalia to ask about checking my bag all the way through to my final destination but havent heard back yet. Does anyone have any pointers for getting through the process there fast enough? It is my final leg home. Thanks!
Posted by
Coraopolis, Pa, USA
1018 posts
I've flown from Calabria to Roma many times, but never on the same day as the return flight back to the USA. Generally, we return to Roma or Milano a day or two before going home to avoid any last minute disruptions. Also, after participating on many Italy travel forums for many years, the conventional wisdom is to not commute any great distance on the same day as the return flight.
However, when you check-in at the airport in Calabria ask the employee if your luggage will be transferred. More and more Calabrese speak English, except for my family. In my experience, the luggage has always been transferred to the final destination.
Instead of emailing Alitalia call them and ask.
Buon viaggio,
Posted by
824 posts
When you say you have two reservations, are you saying you purchased these two tickets independently of each other and they have two different PNR or record locator numbers?
If the answer is yes, then it is unlikely that Alitalia will transfer your bags for you. As far as they are concerned, you trip begins in Calabria and ends in Roma. Their reservations system has no knowledge of your American Airlines flight. Therefore, in my opinion, they cannot check your luggage straight through to the USA on American.
Your Alitalia flight will arrive in a different terminal than your flight the USA leaves from. Once you arrive FCO, you will probably need to collect your bags and THEN head to Terminal 5 (on a shuttle bus) for check-in to your AA flight. American Airlines recommends arrival a full three hours prior to your flight. All passengers and their luggage (checked and carry-ons) are screened in Terminal 5 before they are transported (on the secure side) to their plane located at one of the other terminals. Given the experience I had at Terminal 5 last year, anything less than 3 hours puts you at risk of missing your flight.
I suggest changing one of your flights OR downsizing your luggage so you can carry it on the Alitalia flight (thus having it with you when you deplane). Also, you need to remember that if your Alitalia flight is late or you can't make it to terminal 5 with your luggage before AA closes check-in for the flight, it will probably be treated by AA as a "no show" and not a missed connection. Their reservations system also has no knowledge of your Alitalia and they are assuming your trip begins at FCO.