So, the moment is finally upon you. That long-awaited trip to Rome that you’ve been dreaming about for years. There are a lot of things you’ll want to think about. First of all, you’ll need to find a reliable agency that offers good-quality (and preferably cheap!) tickets. It’s not impossible; there are consolidators out there that actually offer much-reduced prices, even in business class flights.
Once you’ve found a place that offers good flights to Rome, you’ll want to start thinking about which airline to take. There are a lot of options these days, and of course flying direct is always preferable because you don’t want to be burdened with the additional complication of having to switch planes. So, let’s look a bit more closely at what it means to fly business class and who is leading in the competition.
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Priority areas
So, what exactly is it that people look for in business class? Different people have different priorities, of course. For some people – particularly if you are taller – flying business class is all about extra legroom. For others, they want to be entertained on long flights, so having extra entertainment options is a big plus.
We decided to look at a few standard features of first or business class flights and see how the top airlines compare.
Meals
Alitalia – Alitalia scores top points among critics for the quality of its food. The airline several times received awards for best food among all the worlds’ airlines. It also partners with the Italian Sommeliers’ Association in making its wine selection. Hard to beat that!
United – United’s meal options don’t particularly stand out among the top carriers to Italy, although their business class is considered notably better than economy by critics.
Air Italy – Air Italy has the distinction of offering food whenever business class passengers want it, and on an a la carte basis. Just what many fliers always wanted.
Delta – Delta prides itself on offering “regional touches” to its meals and partnering with local chefs when flying to certain locations. In the case of Italy, of course, this means you’ll be getting some top-notch Italian options even before you arrive.
Entertainment
Alitalia – Entertainment options include a large list of shows and movies, as well as live news. WiFi is available for business class passengers.
United – On United you’ll get not only a complete library of shows and movies, but also DirectTV access, offering over 100 channels.
Air Italy – Air Italy’s entertainment options are fairly standard for business class, so it doesn’t stand out in this area.
Delta – Delta offers a total of more than 1000 hours of entertainment and provides access to HBO, Showtime, Hulu, as well as 18 satellite channels.
Amenities
Alitalia – Alitalia offers amenity standard kits for business class passengers that include socks, lip balm, toothbrushes, and a bottle of Italian perfume.
United – United recently upgraded its amenity kit, partnering with the “Away” luggage manufacturer. Kits now take the form of “pods,” hard containers that prevent contents from getting squashed. Contents are usual for these kits.
Air Italy – Air Italy offers pretty much standard amenity kits, with the addition of two or three Acca Kappa toiletry products.
Delta– You’ll get an interesting twist on the typical amenity kit on Delta, as they recently started offering hand-made bags created by Mexican artisans. You’ll also receive a bamboo toothbrush and organic lip balm and lotion.
Extra space
Alitalia – Alitalia offers direct aisle access for all of its business class passengers because of the way the seats are staggered in a diagonal 1-2-1 arrangement.
United – United recently added even more space for business class passengers, with leather seats, extra storage space, and a six-way adjustable headrest. They’ve also included special phone/laptop holders in the back of the tray tables.
Air Italy – On Air Italy, you’ll get “angle-flat seats” configured in a 2-2-2 setup. The angle-flat mechanism allows for an enjoyable degree of recline, so you’ll get a good rest.
Delta – Delta offers flat bed leather seats in business class, as well as a sizable side table. Transatlantic planes feature a 2-2-2 seat configuration. You also have an “enhanced privacy” option on some Delta flights, with full-height doors that will close you off and give you your own complete personal space.
The choice is yours
All the above-mentioned airlines also offer priority boarding, priority security screening, and access to their respective lounges inside the airports. And there are other additional perks, as well; check out these airlines’ websites for more complete information on what they offer, as well as their frequent flier programs.
So, the choice is yours. Now that you know what to look for, it’s up to you to decide where your priorities lie in terms of perks and go seek out your ticket.
