Meridiana airlines

Yup, about as competent as any airline is these days. They charge for drinks (soda) on-board, which may or may not be a surprise to you--it was to my father.

Also look at

www.volawindjet.it
www.easyjet.com
www.ryanair.com
www.alitalia.it
www.blu-express.com

I wouldn't fly ANY Italian airline. But that's just me. They are always on strike for one reason or another, the service is poor, and you are quite likely to arrive without your luggage. Not to mention the fact that most are always on the verge of bankruptcy. You could always take the train to Salerno and take a ferry from there to Messina, or from Naples to Catania, or from Reggio di Calabria, a short distance across the water to Messina. Wouldn't that be more fun than sitting in a ratty old metal tube catching swine flu?

Unfortunately I won't have the luxury of taking other transportation... I have a business meeting in Salemi, Sicily and time wise will have to fly... since I'm now finding out that I need to fly into Trapani not Palermo.... (Palermo you have to rent a car to get to Salemi.. again more time).. I'm trying to find the most efficient of my time and expense.... I see that Ryanair flies directly into Trapani... where Meridiana you would have to make two stops before getting from Rome to Trapani.... From some comments no one is happy with airlines.. but is Ryanair a competent airline?

First, please tell us where you are flying from...that will help. Is it directly from Los Angeles?

Ryanair is fine...as long as you follow their rules to the letter. Otherwise, it will cost an arm and a leg....and and extra foot if you're not careful.

I'll be in Rome a few days before leaving for Salemi.... so Rome to Trapani.... and I see that only Ryanair goes directly into Trapani...

Ryanair is fine as long as you read their procedures carefully. You must check in online. They are very strict with their baggage limits for both hand luggage and checked baggage. You must be at the airport when they tell you to be there. You will pay for everything and their attitude is....don't expect leniency. They are safe to fly. If you search this helpline, you'll see lots of discussions about Ryanair.

Ryanair flies from Rome Ciampino to Trapani.

But you could also fly Rome Fiumicino to Palermo on easyJet.

You don’t need to rent a car from Palermo to Salemi. Take the Autoservizi Salemi bus from Palermo to Salemi.

http://www.autoservizisalemi.it/linee_regionali.php

Flew Meridiana from Amsterdam to Florence 2 weeks ago. Flight was inexpensive, on-time and problem free. Checked luggage was available within 15 minutes of landing. I would definitely say they are competent, and I wouldn't hesitate to fly them again.

We flew Meridiana from Florence to London with no problems whatsoever. They served a very nice breakfast--much better than what we get on Delta.