Review of ITA Airways flight from Milan to Rome in Economy

INTRODUCTION

Hello everyone, happy 2026!
After a 2025 full of flights is time to make the new year equally in the air

While I was in Rome in the first weekend of November my family and I started to discuss about a family trip the following January
My father wanted to bring my sister and I to Maldives since he had been there twice (the last with mom on January 2025)
However, even if the scenario seemed amazing, both my sister and I would have had some difficulties getting a week off with a short notice

One week before this discussion the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza finally opened. Being my sister and I quite interested in Egyptian history we launch the idea for a long weekend in Cairo

After finding good dates for everyone, happening to be from Thursday 29th January to Sunday 1st February, we searched for the flights
For my family, a convenient flight was with WizzAir flying from Rome-FCO to Giza Sphinx-SPX
I immediately dropped off the idea of a direct flight from Milan since they had bad time scheduled and all departed from MXP
The best solution for me was flying from Milan-LIN through FCO with ITA Airways

Since the time schedule for my parents return flight was not feasible with mine (their flight departed quite earlier than mine, forcing me to stay alone on Sunday) they ended up choosing to fly with ITA Airways from FCO
Even if the solution was more expensive, it erase the risk of being on different inbound flights

We booked the flights on the 17th November
The whole stuff costed us around 400 euros per person

When we booked the flight FCO-CAI leg was scheduled with the A321neo
ITA Airways equips this plane in 3-class configuration with a full lie-flat Business and personal IFE also on Y+ and Y
Unfortunately later it was changed into a classical configured A320neo

ROUTING

Some stats:
1st flight of 2026 (as of February)

Overall great-circle distance flown in 2026 (as of the reported flight): 470 km|254 nm

12th time on LIN-FCO route

BEFORE THE FLIGHT

48 hours before the flight I checked-in on ITA's app
Luckily I was assigned a window seat on both flights

A few days before I booked the P4 Long Term parking at Linate Airport
Since getting a plane at 9:30 would mean leaving my house in San Pellegrino at 6, due to traffic, I asked my cousin to host me for the night
She lives 5 km from Linate, meaning I could avoid the early wake up… 

THE FLIGHT

In the morning I left her house around 7:20
I wanted to be at the airport before 8, to try to check my luggage

Traffic entering Milan was building up

I dropped the car at the parking around 7:50
Moments after the shuttle bus showed up
A few minutes after 8 am I arrived at Milano Linate Airport

The gate was already assigned

ITA Airways occupies the entire zone 1
Only a couple of people were queuing 

With the excuse of getting my BPs printed I asked the lady to check my bag
She did it without any issue, despite my fare was with hand baggage only

When I'm transferring I usually prefer to check the luggage, in order to have "free hands" while connecting

She printed both my BPs

After a coffee and a cigarette I pointed to the inspection area

The security check-point was busy, however the process was pretty fast
I got airside in 6 minutes

Getting upstairs for some foggy spotting

Brussels Airlines A320 in Star Alliance livery

ITA Airways A320 with fellows, Aeroitalia and easyJet planes

My bird was getting ready

A8 is a remote gate, when I got there the boarding was just started

The landmark of Linate

Just landed Air Dolomiti Embraer 

ITA Airways A220-300 EI-TEB
First flight on 3rd December 2025 (0.2 years old at the moment of the flight)
Delivered to AZ the same month
Equipped with 150 seats in C-Y mixed configuration, it's dedicated to 1980 boxe Olympic champion Patrizio Oliva
It's the youngest plane I've ever flown with

It literally shines new!

Even the interior seemed to be unpacked recently

Legroom was good for an under-the-hour hop

The view from my seat, inside…

…and outside

Two privates taxiing by
Bombardier Challenger 300 and a Bombardier Global 5500

4 minutes before the scheduled departure we left the gate

This twin brother was being given a check to the engines

British Airways Embraer landing as we taxied to the runway

Waiting our turn behind the Brussels Airlines A320 and a twin A220

Aeronautica Militare (Italian Air Force) Gulfstream G650 landing

Finally our turn

Going full power less than ten minutes later than scheduled

Idroscalo Lake

Banking over the clouds

Pointing south

The Alps crowning the clouds north-west of Milan

Alternating clear sky to clouds

Approaching the Tyrrean Sea just east of La Spezia

Magra river mouth

La Spezia gulf and harbour

20 minutes into the flight drinks and a butter biscuit were delivered

Continuing the flight over the sea

Route adjustments as we began the descent to FCO

Descending over the countryside north of FCO

Landing on 16L

At 10:24, sixteen minutes before planned, we smoothly touched down at Rome "Leonardo da Vinci" Airport

Hainan and Etihad Dreamliners taxiing to the departure runway

Docking at the gate a few minutes after, next to a Finnair A320

Disembark was pretty quick
By the time I got off the plane my family had reached the airport
Since they're getting through security we agreed to meet in the main hall, before heading to gate E area

Stay tuned for the next leg