Comments on: Meet the New Alitalia, Same as the Old Alitalia

By: junkinthetrunk

junkinthetrunk — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 21:08:09 +0000

If you want a lesson in how NOT to treat your employees, look at the ‘new’ Alitalia. Air France has a 25% stake in this mess of an airline and will buy it out completely in 3-4 years. The new Alitalia cut many, many employees without 1 cent of severance pay and barely two weeks notice. Since their takeover on 13JAN they had zero official communication with their employees, only communication were letters of termination. They new owners are in it for the short term, looking for big, big returns on their investment. They could care less about their employees and customers. Hopefully they will never see a single Euro of profit. Greed=Doom. This is a low down, dirty group of business people. Steer clear of this airline on all accounts.

By: Fausto

Fausto — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 20:37:33 +0000

I am an Italian born American citizen (since 1972), living in Chicago area.
I can only think of one thing that is funnier, sadder, and a more tragic story than Alitalia’s demise (It was very good in 1970s to mid 80s! on my visits back to Italia). That is the government of the state of Illinois and the city of Chicago over the past 2 years. I do not think that the most brilliant comedy writers in the world could possibly conceive stories as these which have unfolded since 2007 ! I cannot wait to see what happens next!

As for Alitalia, I have not flow it since 1990 even though I went to Itlay 4 times since then. They flew may elderly parents in 1990 to New York instead of Chicago, saying not enough people to Chicago even though was suppose to be direct flight Milan – Chicago and Alitalia rerouted a few minutes before the flight.
.
Parents had to go to Kennedy airport and walk massive airport late at night to barely make a connecting flight. They told me never fly Alitalia again and I have and will not. Never forgot how rude and arrogant US Alitalia agent was.

Arriverderci Alitalia!!! Fallite!!

By: Barty

Barty — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:37:30 +0000

Great site!!!!1 I saw your article about alitalia on the official anti alitalia blog on http://www.alitalia.blog.co.uk.. hehehe.. this airline will never get it… looking forward to seeing more stuff on the net

keep on bringing us nice stuff… lol

By: A

Wed, 14 Jan 2009 14:16:03 +0000

29 votes. So close.

By: Brian Lusk

Brian Lusk — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 13:37:40 +0000

CF,
I hope this brings closure for you. Perphaps the new management will embrace you with a fam trip to Italia?
Brian

By: CF

CF — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 06:14:02 +0000

Joe Jones – Funny, I thought the Connery/Moore stipulation only applied within the UK. (That did make me laugh out loud.)

By: Joe Jones

Joe Jones — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 05:22:29 +0000

19 board seats is par for the course in big European companies — often the law in those countries has bizarre ways to calculate how the board is comprised. Something like three seats for labor, two for entrenched management, one and a half for the government commissioners, a seat that flips back and forth between Sean Connery and Roger Moore, you get the idea. Shareholders end up with really half-arsed authority in the end.

By: CF

CF — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 00:36:20 +0000

jk – I’m guessing second prize is the same as first – nothing. And that’s a good thing since it appears I’ve lost by 29 votes.

Phil – You definitely bring up a strong argument, but I don’t think United is anywhere near as dysfunctional as Alitalia and that says a lot.

Optimist – I should run another contest one of these days. The response to the last one was good.

By: The Traveling Optimist

The Traveling Optimist — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 21:58:45 +0000

Hey, Cranky! Run a contest on the most unusually god-awful airline experience and give the winner a Donkey Shirt!

By: Phil

Phil — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 19:56:24 +0000

Alitalia may be bad in a same old, same old’ kind of way, but United continues to develop new and innovative ways to suck. Surely creativity counts for something!