AIRITALY Toronto - Milano MXP
- KGO
- May 27, 2019
- 5 min read
Updated: Jan 7, 2020
IG924
Airbus A330-200 EI-GGR / 04K Business Class
Toronto Pearson - Milan MXP
22/05/2019 20:11 - 09:47 +1 / 07h36
Here's my 1st video trip report of my flight on AIRITALY's A330-200 from Toronto to Milan MXP, enjoy!
On 22nd of May I flew AIRITALY's A330-200 from Toronto Pearson to Milan Malpensa, a route they only started earlier in May. They operate out of terminal 3 where skyteam, oneworld and other airliners not being in an alliance fly from. Once arrived at the terminal I quickly found the check in desk as they've put big banners in front of the desk to make it easier to find. At the time of checking in there wasn't any cue which either could be a sign of low load or people coming later. Once I received my boarding pass the check in agent put a stamp on my boarding pass which allowed me to use the lounge. However there's no fast lane when flying business class, but since I was there on time I could explore terminal 3 and the lounge. Once passed security there was a big banner from IG promoting their airline at the airport which was nice to see.
The lounge location isn't near the departing gate which you have to take into account, I could use the lounge at C32 which is the Plaza Premium Lounge and my flight was leaving at B27 which is roughly 10 minutes walking but worth the walk. When you enter the lounge you have a nice overview over the tarmac and runway which is always appreciated. The amenities in the lounge were pretty decent, you have the choice of some hot meals as well as sweet items. Furthermore you have a selection of alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages and the lounge itself is really cosy and spacious. You have a dining area and a relaxing area but all well in harmony not giving you a canteen feeling but rather a stylish restaurant feeling.
After spending some time there it was time to head to the departure gate at B27. Already a small group of people was waiting to board the plane and a small army of check in agents preparing the flight for boarding. At the gate area there were 2 cues, one for business class and one for economy class. Once they were ready for boarding they first made a call for business passengers and passengers with children to come forward.
When I came on board I was greeted by a friendly female flight attendant which at first sight was confusing as their uniform looks a lot like Qatar Airways but the oryx is swapped for the IG logo. On this flight I was lucky I got a seat in the second cabin and at the end of the boarding it appeared I was the only passenger sitting there. On their A330-200 they have 24 seats in business of which 3 rows are upfront and 1 row is to the right when you enter the airplane with the economy class just behind it consisting of 236 seats. My seat at first was 04F which was prepared by the crew with a white amenity kit and headpones but after the end of the boarding I changed to the window seat to have a nice view during take off.
The only downside of sitting on row 4 is that everyone passes through the cabin to go to their seats during boarding. But on the other hand you have more leg space as there is no seat in front of you so even with the seat fully extended you can still walk around without disturbing your neighbor. Near the end of the boarding the purser came over to welcome me on board and handing out the menu card and whine list. He also proposed me the AIRITALY signature mocktail which was really fresh, it's presented together with a hot towel on a little plate.
10 minutes before the scheduled TO time the doors were closed and we were waiting for the pushback which only commenced on the scheduled departure time with a take off time at 2011.
After take off I was taking care of by the very friendly female purser (which you could tell by the grey uniform just like on QR). She asked me where she could prepare my bed as I could choose out of 6 seats I just picked the seat next to mine as bed for the night flight. She also offered my pajamas and slippers which I really find an amazing touch and extra on this transatlantic flight.
I kicked off the meal service with champagne (given in a glass from QR) and warm nuts which was a first for European carriers as many others like LX/SN/LH gave them cold on my travels. A little later she set my table, they don't do trays in Business class but lay out a napkin and dress your table like I experienced before on Lufthansa. The first course was an appetizer followed by soup (which was sadly not warm but still tasty) as a main course I had the duck terrine which was really good and as a desert there was cheesecake which was really really good as well. The quality of meals was despite the soup outstanding and the presentation something you would expect at a restaurant.
After concluding the meal service I took a nap as there was still 5hrs to go till Milan, the seat itself doesn't go flat but with the airbus flying with the nos a bit up you're more or less flat anyway. The pillow and blanket was really good quality and with the mood light on it was easy to fall asleep.
About an hour before landing the breakfast was served, and again the same routine, setting up the table with a napkin and little plates. What I really like about IG is that you can create your own meal service, for the breakfast you could choose anything you liked from the menu card. I picked the waffles which were very tasty, crunchy and warm with of course a real Italian coffee which was really good as well. With an on time arrival at Milan's airport sadly this amazing experience came to an end.
Overall AIRITALY surprised me from the start until the end, their hard product still has traces from Qatar Airways since they invested in the airline, it comes back in the seats and uniforms but that aside they really did a good job. The crew is amazing and friendly at all times, they make sure you feel like home and are always one step ahead. Throughout the flight they keep smiling and are professional. I'm still amazed they handout pajamas on a 7hr30 flight which until now I never got before on United as they only offer it on flights over 11hrs. I will definitely look out for them another time to fly them again to the states.
At no point AIRITALY has sponsored my flight ticket or traveled cabin
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