Away You Go! (Maybe!)

 

 

A variety of different airlines fly to Sicily….here’s my opinion on the major airlines that I have flown on over the years. I also have found that web sites such as  www.kayak.com offer the best pricing. I  suggest that you join a frequent-flyer program too, as  miles rack up pretty quick!

 

1. Alitalia: Also known as Always Late In Take Off And Landing: With this airline, you never know what to expect. First, the economy section is very tight….you will  feel like a sardine. Second, the food is awful. (They ask you “Fish or meat?” and when you say “meat”, they bring you chicken.) The flight attendants are not the most friendly either. They are famous for their frequent strikes during the busiest times too…plus they lose luggage A LOT. You will fly into either Milan or Rome (Rome is MUCH better), and then the flight from Rome to Catania is a breeze. Alitalia now offers service New York-Palermo non-stop. The free wine and cordials are good though.Plus the plane is generally clean.Overall Grade : C+

Note:Some American airlines partner with Alitalia,and their pricing generally is higher than Alitalia.

 

2. Luftansa:  This one is Olga’s favorite. The airline is efficient, the economy class seating comfortable, the service polite, the food good, and rarely do they lose your bags. However, from Boston, you fly first to Hamburg,and then catch a connection to Catania.. Once I  took the Boston-Munich flight instead, and did a side trip to Munich for a few hours. Great!  Grade: B

 

3. Air France: This one is Massimo’s favorite. Boston-Paris, Paris-Catania. Food is excellent, and the wine very very good. Service is typical French..not exactly the friendliest . Economy seating is like Alitalia…cramped. Grade: c+   

 

4. British Airways: Alfred likes them. Two times he got bumped to first class,and any time that happens it makes him very happy. Boston-London,London-Catania. Food is good,service good, plus they do a good job with the baggage. Sometimes they have special pricing to London. Trouble is that in the off season,they may not fly direct London-Catania. If you catch a deal, they sometimes are the cheapest. Grade: B-

 

5. Northwest-KLH. This is one of my my favorites too when I have extra time. I fly Boston to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Catania. Schipol airport is my favorite.Very efficient and baggage handling is great. Flight crew is always friendly. Grade: B     

 

6. Air Canada: Boston-Toronto,Toronto-Rome,Rome-Catania. Don’t do it!.Nothing positive to say. Layovers in Toronto’s dreary airport negate anything positive I might have to say. Grade: C-

 

There are more airlines that fly there too, but I usually stick to the above list!