- I recently flew Alitalia from New York's JFK Airport to Rome in business class after I scored an incredible deal, and managed to stack two different discounts on the flight.
- I was impressed by the onboard food and drinks, and the comfort of the cabin on the Boeing 777-200 the airline has a fun Italian flair that lends itself to a great experience.
- There were a few minor flaws, like a poor in-flight entertainment system, but I would absolutely choose the airline's business class again, if I get the chance.
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I flew in business class on Italy's struggling national airline, and was blown away by the comfortable seat and almost-perfect dinner
Alitalia flies from Terminal 1 at JFK, which often feels like a "catch-all" terminal.
Business class is obviously the ideal way to fly, but for most of us, it's completely unaffordable.
However, sometimes, you'll get lucky and manage to snag a great deal that makes a flight only a little more expensive than coach (or you can get a seat for free or cheap by using frequent flyer miles ).
By using Google flights and searching multiple dates, nearby airports, or routes, you might be able to stumble on a deal. There are also a handful of blogs and services that highlight the best premium cabin sales, including a new Premium Plus subscription service from Dollar Flight Club.
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I went to Europe for vacation this fall, and started in Germany. When I was looking for flights, I serendipitously learned about an unannounced sale on Delta and its partners that brought business class tickets between New York and Berlin below $1,900.
Plus, because I have an Amex Platinum credit card , I could save a few hundred more by booking through Amex's International Airline Program , a benefit that offers discounts on premium tickets with certain airlines.
While that was still more than I would normally spend, I decided to go for it because of one other benefit: I was close to requalifying for my frequent flyer status with Delta, and by flying in business class, I'd earn 50% more qualifying miles on the flight. The value I'll get from the status benefits made it worth spending a bit more up front for this flight.
I booked my outbound flight on Italian airline Alitalia. Although the airline has been on the brink of bankruptcy for a long time, and is still in a tenuous financial situation, I'd heard good things about the on-board experience in both business class and economy.
My flight from New York left at around 5:00 p.m., and I'm happy to say that the experience lived up to the airline's reputation.
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Keep on reading to see what it was like.
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- I flew across the continent in Air Canada's Signature Class, the 'best business class in North America.' It lived up to the hype, but there were a few surprises.
SEE ALSO: I flew in Delta's extra-legroom seats to Iceland, and the flight was fine, but the extra space comes with a catch
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