Layover in Rome Airport

Seems tight, even if they really can rush you through. Do you know at which terminal your flight from JFK lands, and from which terminal you’ll be departing for Sicily?

Alitalia is at terminal 1 at JFK. That's where I usually depart for Italy.

Could you please provide a few more details? Did you buy your ticket from Alitalia or from another airline? Did you buy a single ticket from Seattle to NYC to Rome to Palermo or did you buy separate tickets? Evidently Alitalia flies the NYC to Rome leg, but which airline(s) fly the other 2 legs?

My initial inclination is that the time between flights is "feasible" if everything goes smoothly (and because of the new e-gates at FCO), that the airline wouldn't sell a ticket with an unrealistic connection time and that Alitalia would simply put you on the next available flight if you missed the connection, but I can only speculate without more information. For example, I once bought a flight from Nice to Madrid to Philadelphia from US Air. The Iberia flight from Nice was late and I missed the Philadelphia flight. US Air said it was Iberia's fault for being late and Iberia said it was US Air's fault for selling a flight with less than their minimum 1.5 hour connection time. I did get it sorted out after a few hours of back and forth, but it was unneeded stress during a vacation.

of you have one ticket I wouldn't worry they will just put you on the next flight Allitalia has 9 direct flights a day to Rome to Palermo

Jazz beat me to it. As long as you're all on one ticket, Alitalia will put you on the next flight from FCO to PMO, and there are lots through the day. If, however, you're on separate tickets (it doesn't sound like it if the airline made the schedule), you don't have nearly enough time.

A technical point: it's immigration (passport control), not customs (goods control) that takes time in Europe. Customs is merely a matter of walking through the Green Channel Nothing To Declare line; as long as you're not "randomly selected for additional screening" (possible but rare), you're done. Immigration lines, however, take as long as they take, and depend on how many other non-Schengen flights are landing at the same time and how many agents are on duty.

Thank you. I’m traveling on Aitalia from JFK to Rome and Rome to Palermo, straight through on one booking/ticket. I’ll double check w Aitalia that, if we miss, we will get booked on their next flight. Seems reasonable.

While it depends on the circumstances of any given day, I've done a similar connection before, flying Delta to Europe and then picking up the Alitalia flight in Rome. The line for immigration (or is it customs) was almost non-existent, but I suspect that had to do with the time of day that our flight arrived.

If you're booked through on one ticket, the carrier is obligated to deliver you to your final destination if you're held up by the lines inbetween gates. If you stop for a long coffee or a meal, then obviously the responsibility defaults to you.

Good luck & have a great time!!!

I forgot to explain the reason the distinction between customs and immigration is important. In Europe, unlike in the US, these can be separated.

In your case, flying all on one ticket, you will go through immigration in Rome, but customs in Palermo. So, your checked bags can come to a different place than everyone else's (anyone flying just from Rome to Palermo does not go through customs, but you will). If it's not clear, and you don't see your bags, ask.

Again, unless you have something to declare or are stopped for further screening, you just walk through customs.

Thank you for the clarification. Aitalia said I would go through customs in Palermo since I am booking JFK to Palermo on one ticket. Only 45 minutes is required for the layover even though I may be changing terminals. If I were booking the two legs separately, then I would need a 3 hour layover. I guess security isn't as onerous as in the US.

Security can be worse. If you only asked about custom then their response is correct. But you need to go through immigration/passport control in Rome. Hour "should be" fine BUT ---- we have sailed through in 30/45 minutes and have taken over two hours. When it was two hours they were allowing people with short connecting times to jump the line and, of course, that make our situation worse. So, if you hit a long line at immigration find one of the officers controlling the lines, show your boarding pass and I assume they would move you to the head of the line.

Last fall we flew Alitalia LHR to FCO to PMO. We needed to go through a small, special for transfers immigration/ passport control at FCO. There was only one person in front of us. Very fast. I had been concerned about having enough time for immigration.
It was easy to walk from one terminal to another. Do not think they had Customs there. Probably walked through a Nothing to Declare door in PMO for Customs as you usually do upon arrival at final destination in Europe.

In your case, flying all on one ticket, you will go through immigration in Rome, but customs in Palermo. So, your checked bags can come to a different place than everyone else's (anyone flying just from Rome to Palermo does not go through customs, but you will). If it's not clear, and you don't see your bags, ask.

This. We flew US to Rome to Palermo. Immigration in Rome was a breeze. Customs in Palermo meant finding our bags in a completely different place from everyone else who flew in on that plane. Just ask. Your bags may be in a separate room, but they'll be there.