Alitalia have cancelled my flights!

jpsartre

Keep pestering them and research your own alternatives before calling.

LordMcGoat

I'm really tearing my hair out on this one too.

I've tried through both the English speaking branches, and the Italian, and if anything, the Italian branch is even more rude (more likely to hang up).

They say I've been booked onto a new flight with KLM, just wait for the confirmation e-mail, which never arrived (and my reservation code doesn't work on the KLM website, like it does for other users on this forum).

More recently I've been told actually my flight isn't confirmed, and it's another department that is dealing with my flight. Ok can I speak to the other department? "No that's impossible". Can they speak to them for me? Still impossible.

Yesterday they said their supervisor was seeing to the problem and finalising the booking themselves. I knew they were lying, but what can you do? I've been told every lie under the sun - anything to get me off the phone!

This is the crux of the issue - if Alitalia themselves could not care less about you or your custom, or the actual laws regarding the re-routing, there's nothing left for you to do. Feel like I've completely run out of options here!

Homebaked

Alitalia are a nightmare to deal with. I called & asked to be re-routed not refunded & was told that my original booking was fine. I insisted it had been cancelled so the rep re-checked & oh yes it was cancelled (!) so she'd check rerouting options & call back...but didn't. I ring again & second rep says I should wait for the first to call back...but didn't happen.
Today I spoke to a guy who insisted a refund was my only option & ended up shouting & hanging up! Wow. I rang back and this rep called me back within half an hour & offered a reasonable re-route with KLM via Amsterdam both ways. Originally FCO-PEK & PEK-FCO-LHR - now FCO-AMS-PEK & PEK-AMS-LCY
All the flights, except for the FCO-AMS leg, are with KLM. There's a 5-hour layover at Amsterdam on the outbound leg, but I couldn't quibble. She said it was booked, but it might take up to a week for the E-ticket to be sent. But I've just logged in to check & it says, "Status: the ticket has not been issued, the reservation expires on 28/02/2013"
So contrary to what the rep said, it looks like it's a reservation not a firm booking which expires tomorrow! I need to confirm tour & hotel bookings as we're meant to be travelling in less than 3 weeks but I don't feel confident enough to risk throwing good money after bad.

Has anyone received their new E-tickets and how long did it take for them to be issued?

Ich_2

Though it shouldn't make any difference, it's worth bearing this in mind with any dealings with Alitalia!

http://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&eotf=1&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ilsole24ore.com%2Fart%2Fimpresa-e-territori%2F2013-02-22%2Fassemblea-alitalia-202315.shtml%3Fuuid%3DAbvgZOXH

Alan_Bowen

The financial state of the airline clearly does have a baring on what is being offered. The Chief Executive resigned earlier this week because of the finances and the airline is doing everything ( in a typically Italian) way to reduce losses. KLM/Air France own 25% of the airline which is why they are being used, but they want paying like everyone else and the staff are not only being abused by customers in Italy but from around the world as well, and have a real fear of losing their jobs. The whole thing is a complete mess, Italians try to avoid using Alitalia and the only way they have kept afloat is by reducing fares , this just increased their losses. Italy has no government, the airline has no effective management so suggesting issuing legal proceedings is probably a waste of time and money, they may not exist in 12 months time so try and keep calm and don't be aggressive but just keep telephoning and pleading. Remember if you phone Italy many of the reservation staff will not speak English and I suspect that is why the phone is put down.

plunet

It sounds like some of you are having really rotten luck with this.
I was able to get rerouted and new etickets issued whilst still on the phone, all pretty much within 20mins.
I just suggest that you keep on phoning, daily, and if you use Facebook keep on posting daily comments on their facebook page. I called through to Italy rather than use the extortionate 0871 number. When I got connected I asked if the operator spoke English, she didn't, put put me through to someone who could, and the reroute was done. When you start the phone call check to see if the operator has the necessary access to be able to reissue new eTickets whilst on the phone.

Good luck everyone. Fingers crossed for all of you.

Homebaked

I'm not so sure it's rotten luck so much as a rotten airline. Sure enough, despite multiple reassurances that I'd been rerouted & my tickets had been rebooked with KLM, I received yet another cancellation email. The latest story (I'm starting to smell porky pies) is that KLM cancelled the flight - not just my booking.
It's all far too stressful. At this point I'd rather admit defeat & put my energies into trying to reclaim my money & finding an alternative airline & destination than continue with this farce any longer. I don't think Alitalia has any intention of rerouting us. Perhaps they gave genuine reroutes to earlier customers, but there must have been too many of us requesting it & they've decided to give the rest of us the runaround until we concede defeat. Who knows?
I have no confidence that I'll be receiving a timely refund either. But as I booked on a credit card I'm hoping I'll be able to recoup the money in the end by hook or by crook.
Meantime, I'll be warning off all family & friends from ever travelling with Alitalia, posting an irritated message on their Facebook page & sending a complaint to their UK Customer Relations Dept for all the good that that will do!
Btw all the numbers I tried seem to connect you to their Italian call centre - even the 0208 number connects you to Italy. I asked & they confirmed it.
I wish all of the rest of you caught up in this game of silly beggars the best of luck & hope you all get to where you're going without further shenanigans.

Obviously_the_best

I'd just accept you're beaten, and take the aeroflot flight.

laurae

Ive now gone through the UK european consumer centre who act as a third party and deal with the airline on your behalf. Over 6 odd weeks later, I now have re routed flights again..how long these ones will last is anyones guess! At the moment, they are showing when I log in to KLMs website

plunet

Just to let you guys know we did get to China ok. I was flying from Venice (I had flown from London to Venice with BA and had a weekend there). I had been emailed by KLM a few days before the flight was due to go out asking for advance passenger information. This gave a different six digit ticket reference (same eticket numbers) to the one I had previously from Alitalia, but interestingly KLM were accepting their new reference and the old Alitalia one on their website to log in - I checked both.

We checked in using the self-checkin with AirFrance/KLM without any issues in Venice, two people and then dag dropped our two 23kg suitcases for check in through to Beijing. Flights were fine, and got our bags with no issues at the far end.

Hopefully now that we've done the outward leg, they're not going to mess around with the return journey.

One minor thing to point out for those of you who have rerouted successfully flying via Amsterdam - don't get any duty free alcohol as hand carry on the way back - Beijing doesn't package the alcohol in the right way and when you go through security for your connecting return flight they will confiscate the hand carry duty free liquid as it's over 100ml and not in the plastic bag. You can check the KLM website for more info on this issue. It seems it's an issue unique to transit at Amsterdam. Duty free alcohol in your checked in luggage is ok if you want to risk it!

Hope you all manage to get your flights sorted.