Alitalia Business Class lounges
News: Alitalia have closed one of their three lounges airside at Rome FCO Airport. The Rome Alitalia Bramante Lounge (Terminal 1 airside, B Gates) has closed. However, the new Dolce Vita landside lounge has opened beside check in.
Alitalia Business Class lounge access is granted to those flying Business Class, or who are Skyteam Elite members. You can also buy entry for 30 euro (MilleMiglia Members only), or a stupendous 600 euro for a full year's access via membership of the Club Freccia Alata. Alitalia lounge locations are of course at the Hubs in Rome and Milan (both Malpensa and Linate), Catania, Palermo, Turin, and Venice. Worldwide, Alitalia lounges can now only be found at Chicago (The Verdi lounge in Terminal 5, by Gate M12) and in New York (the Michelangelo lounge in Terminal 1, next to Gate 3). Alitalia Rome - FCO - Business Class loungesAccess for Business Class, Skyteam Elite PlusThere are now only three Alitalia lounges at Rome Airport. One landside at check-in (The Dolce Vita lounge) and one each airside in Terminal 3 and Terminal 5. The Alitalia Dolce Vita lounge is the best choice - newly– opened late in 2013 it features a great bar (the Pilot bar)– and a full aircraft simulator. The old Rome Alitalia Bramante Lounge (Terminal 1, B Gates) has closed. So has Air France's lounge (Le Fontane) in what was Terminal 2, but which is now Terminal 1 lean-to.
If you need an airside lounge in Terminal 1, the only option on Alitalia now is the Borromini Lounge in Terminal 1 Area D. There is also a lounge in Terminal 5 for the trans-Atlantic flights, which is also used by Air China and Etihad. It's not much better. Rome - FCO - Alitalia Dolce Vita lounge - Terminal 3BEFORE security, Terminal 3, gates G, near gate G8 Open 0515-2230Access for Alitalia Business Class, Club Freccia Alata Plus Alitalia, Freccia Alata and SkyTeam Elite Plus The brand new Alitalia Dolce Vita lounge at Rome's Fiumicino Airport is one of the best lounges in the Alitalia network. It is also – uniquely –just by the check in desks and before security, on the ground floor. And the Alitalia Dolce Vita lounge is very designer, and very Italian - designed by Robilant, and implemented by Paolo Castelli. Alas it is very small, with most of the space dominated by the video wall with a dynamic animation and audio effects. You can check in here - check in is on the right, while the bar is on the left. To the left there is a very small seating area in the middle of the room, with four white leather sofas and brown leather poufs, surrounded by tall black plastic lights; there are also white bucket seats opposite the bar. However there are floor to ceiling windows, with large white curtains. There is also one other small area has two very large brown leather armchairs and a minute coffee table.
There is some more seating in the other half of the lounge, with odd white half-chairs which swivel, next to small white coffee tables, in an area paved with green astro-turf. However if the lounge is standing room only, catering it is anything but. The Alitalia Dolce Vita lounge Rome is all about the food, and Alitalia and have teamed up with Eataly (curiously a New York catering firm) to offer combined US and Italian food. All the food and drink items have a number on the menu, which you have to ask for at the bar.
Food items on the menu include some classic pasta dishes; or if you are in a hurry you can go to the buffet part of the bar, to the right of the Pilot bar. The Alitalia Rome Lounge Pilotbar is pretty good, with a good beer selection, and excellent coffee, but only so-so wine, despite the vast array of bottles racked up behind the bar. The bar does however do excellent coffee. The Alitalia Rome Lounge in Terminal 1 has a unique facility not seen anywhere else - a flight simulator and instructor in the lounge, who will give you a 10 minute briefing and then a 10 minute flight. Beside the flight simulator there is a small Alitalia merchandise store.
There is free Wifi in the lounge, and a wacky multitouch screen used simultaneously by multiple users around the world. There is also a vast rack of newspapers on the bookshelfs at the far end of the lounge. Read more details and seem more images on Loungeindex with the full Alitalia Dolce Vita lounge review.
Rome - FCO - Alitalia Borromini lounge - Terminal 3AFTER security, Terminal 1, gates D, upstairs Open 0530-2200Access for Alitalia Business Class, Club Freccia Alata Plus Alitalia, Freccia Alata and SkyTeam Elite Plus The Rome Alitalia Borromini Lounge in Terminal 1 is Alitalia's key hub lounge, for most of its flights. It is neat but soulless, having the atmosphere of a dentist's waiting room, an notorious for poor food, and at best a so-so bar. Indeed nowadays most passengers use the lounge landside at check in anyway, so it seems, this poor relic is just there if you really really need an airside lounge too. The Rome Alitalia Borromini Lounge in Terminal 1 is in the middle of Terminal Area D (the old Terminal 2), up the escalators, and opposite the Avia lounge that all the Star Alliance airlines use. Once through the door, there is a small white hut where a member of staff will give your boarding card a cursory glance.
The Alitalia Rome Schengen Lounge is split up with high red walled partitions, making it seem much more claustrophobic than it is. At the far end on the right is a small business area, while on the left is the bar, food area, and at the far end a small nap room. Seats are all of a low down, cream leather affair, with small coffee tables. There are plenty of power sockets between them, all with Euro style round pin plugs. Close to the bar there are some spinally bar stools and high white tables. Small white table lamps complete the classy Italian look.
The bar at the Rome Alitalia Lounge is poor, with only one type of Italian beer, and five types of spirits. Wine is only cheap Italian sparkling wine, or house white or red on offer.
Mind you if you think the bar is bad, food in the Alitalia Rome Lounge is worse, with just one small fridge to the right of the bar. Under the fridge are three plastic covers. Under one there are small sandwiches, while under the other two are small, cheap, bowls of pasta. There are two computers and a printer, plus free wifi in the Rome Alitalia Lounge Terminal 1. There is also a newspaper rack, but only with a few Italian newspapers. Read more details and see more images on Loungeindex with the full Rome Alitalia Borromini Lounge review.
Paris - CDG - Alitalia lounge / Air France Salon 2F Gate 41 - L'espace AffairesTerminal 2F airside, by Gates F41-F56 Open 0530-2200Access for Alitalia Business Class, Club Freccia Alata Plus Alitalia, Freccia Alata and SkyTeam Elite Plus The Alitalia business class lounge Paris CDG is actually the Air France Lounge, with Alitalia using the facilities in the Schengen part of the airport, Terminal 2F. Hence most passengers head towardsthe Air France Lounge CDG at Gates F41-F56. The lounge is down the escalator in the basement.
The lounge is a long thin L shape, with high room dividers, and floor to ceiling windows (although they have a poor view). There are two main dining areas in the lounge: the first one is as you enter and on the left. The second one is right at the far end of the L shaped lounge, and very similar with stiff upright chairs on a white tiled floor: hygienic if not particularly comfortable. Most of the lounge is filled with high room dividers, and comfortable squashy leather chairs: This is actually not a bad part of the lounge, and there are plenty of power points for your computer or tablet too. The point of the L is a bright light filled space, with a marginally better view. There are two main refectory eating and bar areas, which are identical. They have a good selection of spirits, and three types of red and white wine (in a bucket on the counter top). There is even a decent French sparkling wine. Food is OK with cake and croissants, banana bread and fruit in a bowl, and packets of nuts and biscuits. However there is no hot food. There are French newspapers, but nothing in Italian, and a couple of computers, right in the middle of the area with leather armchairs. Read more and see a photo gallery on Loungeindex of the Air France Lounge CDG 2F.
Amsterdam - AMS - Alitalia lounge / KLM Crown Lounge 25 - SchengenAirside, by Gates 25, Schengen area Open 0445-2200Access for Alitalia Business Class, Club Freccia Alata Plus Alitalia, Freccia Alata and SkyTeam Elite Plus The Alitalia Lounge Amsterdam is the KLM Crown Lounge 25 in the Schengen area of the airport, as you would expect for inter-Europe flights. It is close to gate 25 by the stairs by the Grand Café. The Amsterdam Schengen Alitalia Lounge is large with two main sections; the section at the right through the glass doors is much quieter than the main lounge, and indeed at busy times in the only place where you can sit. It has plenty of the signature red chairs and vast angle-poise lamps which typify KLM lounges.
Computers are in the main business area, in the centre of the main lounge, arranged in a circle. In the centre of the circle is a small TV area, with very comfy benches in a darkened room. There is just one small food area, and one main bar with Heineken on draft and other beer in bottles in the fridge. Wine is in the little trough on the curved bar. There are also five bottles of spirits on optics above the bar. Food is just trays of ham and cold meat, plus a bowl of salad, plus biscuits nuts and nibbles. In the evening there are sausages and some Dutch specialities. Read more and see a photo gallery on Loungeindex of the Amsterdam KLM Schengen Lounge.
London Heathrow - LHR - Alitalia lounge / Skyteam LoungeTerminal 4, airside, by gate 10 Open 0500-2230Access for Alitalia Business Class, Club Freccia Alata Plus Alitalia, Freccia Alata and SkyTeam Elite Plus The Alitalia Lounge London Heathrow LHR is the central Skyteam lounge in LHR Terminal 4 airside. A brand new lounge with minimalist design it has curvy walls, a chilled wine bar, and lots of space over two floors. The LHR Skyteam lounge is right after security, and past WHSmiths. To the right are the small steep stairs to the hidden upper floor, which is much quieter. Both areas look similar, with walls composed of a living wall of plants, and high windows overlooking the airport runway. On the lower level is the wellbeing spa, newspapers are in the middle, while on the right is the catering and at the far end the famous wine bar. Upstairs are relaxation rooms with a lounge chair with a small side table, lamp and power sockets.
Food is great in the Skyteam/ Alitalia LHR lounge; there is an island buffet, with hot items at the far end. Breakfasts are very good, with a full cooked English. At lunchtime and dinner there is rice and pasta plus sauces with lumps of chicken or beef. There is also a good salad bar. However it is the winebar which is the main perk of the LHR Heathrow Skyteam Lounge. It is a circular nook with warm subtle lighting, with a back-lit wall of wine bottles. There is a wine list and it includes good tasting notes. There is also a shelf with about 20 bottles of spirits. Computers are on the upper level with four PCs in a circle and five play-stations. WIFI is free and fast. There is also a very good newspaper rack.
Read more and see a photo gallery on Loungeindex of the London Heathrow Skyteam Lounge.
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