Italian Air Travel Booking Tips

The cost of flying within Italy is often comparable toVenice. The major international hubs in Italy are Milan
the cost of train travel, although be sure to includeand Rome, served by Continental Airlines and Delta
the expense of getting to and from the airport.Air Lines. American Airlines flies into just Milan. US
When flying out of Italian airports, always check withAirways serves only Rome.
the airport or tourist agency about upcoming strikes,Alitalia and British Airways have direct flights from
which are frequent in Italy and often affect air travel.London's Heathrow and Gatwick airports to Milan and
The work stoppages are called by trade unions overRome. From Manchester, British Airways has daily
contractual disputes, and can also ground or delayflights to Milan and Rome. Smaller, no-frills airlines also
flights to and from Italy operated by severalprovide service between Great Britain and Italy.
European carriers, including British Airways and AirEasyJet connects Gatwick with Bologna. British
France.Midland connects Heathrow and Milan. Ryanair,
Things to Think About when bookingdeparting from London's Stansted Airport, has daily
When you book, look for nonstop flights andflights to Milan, Rome, Pisa, and Venice. Meridiana has
remember that "direct" flights stop at least once. Trytwo or three direct flights each week between
to avoid connecting flights, which require a change ofGatwick and Olbia on Sardinia in summer, and daily
plane. Two airlines may operate a connecting flightflights to Rome and Florence throughout the year.
jointly, so ask whether your airline operates everyFrom its hub in Brussels, Virgin Express files to Milan,
segment of the trip. You may find that the carrierCatania, and Rome.
you prefer flies you only part of the way. CheckAlitalia connects Canada and Italy. Air Canada flies to
web sites to find more booking tip, to check pricesMunich for connections to Rome, Florence, and Milan
and to make online flight reservations.via Lufthansa. Qantas flies from various cities in
When flying internationally, you must usually chooseAustralia via Bangkok, arriving in Rome. Alitalia and
between a domestic carrier, the national flag carrierNew Zealand Air fly from Auckland to Rome with a
of the country you are visiting (Alitalia for Italy), andstop in London. Another option if you're coming from
a foreign carrier from a third country. National flagAustralia or New Zealand is Thai Airlines, landing in
carriers have the greatest number of non stops.Rome via Bangkok.
Domestic carriers may have better connections toWhen buying tickets for flights within Italy, on Alitalia
your hometown and serve a greater number ofand small carriers such as Meridiana and Air One shop
gateway cities. Third-party carriers may have a pricearound for the best deals. Tickets are frequently sold
advantage.at discounted prices, so check the cost of flights,
On international flights, Alitalia serves Rome, Milan, andeven one-way, as an alternative to train travel.