What A Difference A Week Makes

Last Saturday we flew back from Rome on Alitalia and apparently we were lucky because today 200 flights out of Rome’s Fiumicino airport were cancelled due to a transport workers strike. 80 Alitalia flights were canceled and more delayed because pilots and flight attendants staged an eight hour walk-out.

I have no idea what the particulars are for this disruption, but it seemed obvious to me from the lack of service on our flight that the flight attendants could have already been starting early with a clear slow down in work activities and lack of care for customers. Based on our experience last week I had already vowed never to fly on Alitalia as long as I had a choice, and usually there are choices now.

I hate that workers think that striking of slowing down customers seems to be their only vehicle of protest. Disrupting travelers has a much longer term affect to their job because it makes the people who are buying tickets think not just twice, but forever if they will ever patronize their business again.

I am not saying that workers are all at fault here. Management also has a role in this and they too pay the price when customers get screwed because Labor and management can’t get their acts together to negotiate issues in a timely manner.

Tourism is clearly a very important segment in the Italian economy. The strong dollar makes travel to EU countries very appealing to Americans and I highly suggest taking advantage of this situation sooner rather than later. My only recommendation is make sure you are patronizing US airlines and read the actual carriers that are serving your route so that you are not caught in a code share situation with a foreign airline. It makes a lot of difference who you buy your ticket from when things go wrong. You want to make sure you are flying on the same airline you bought your ticket from originally in case there is a situation that requires you changing flights.

Of course the idea of staying longer in Italy sounds good, unless you are spending all that extra time sitting in the airport. Don’t be afraid to travel, just do it with the best companies you can find.