I traded in most of my frequent flyer miles to take my Mother to Italy, so ended up paying just taxes. Both flights left about 10 minutes late but arrived on time. The return at Heathrow spoilt by a 15 minutes wait for a gate, and a further 15 minutes for a wheelchair (which is contracted to a single company at T2).

I find the legroom on the MD82 and A321s more than ample.

Food is now limited to a sandwich or cake, but you can still get free wine - which is not that bad for airline wine.

Given the state the airline is in, I can only commend the politeness and helpfulness of the crews and the clerk at Heathrow.

When Alitalia get it wrong, they get it wrong big time. My experience over 40 years has seen one bag delayed once, and generally I have found the airline OK. The fact they are unlikely to survive much longer is sad, as they treated my elderly mother with respect and tact, which I'm sure not every airline would have done, even those which are not threatened by imminent closure.