Flagship Alitalia Rome lounge opens

Alitalia has opened a new lounge within Pier E at Rome Fiumicino airport. The classic Italian decor features contemporary Italian finishes.

Alitalia has opened a new lounge within Pier E at Rome Fiumicino airport. The classic italian decor features contemporary Italian finishes.

The new Casa Alitalia Rome Lounge for long-haul flights has opened. The Rome lounge boasts a chef station preparing fresh pasta, a bar with a variety of complimentary beverages, a family room, and shower suites. However, there is no outside view.

Features of the lounge include "live cooking and bar areas", business meeting rooms, showers, wifi connectivity and a children's area.

However, it is the staffed cocktail bar which is the showpiece, set around a dining area, which has open kitch at one end. This has open pizza ovens and live cooking stations preparing fresh pasta, which epitomises Italian cuisine.

In another part of the lounge there is a wine cellar within a small room, and wine tasting in the evenings.

The Casa Alitalia lounge replaces the airline's facility at the former Pier H following a complete rebuilding after the disasterous fire at Rome airport some years ago. The new lounge ands some design touches to an otherwise dull space which is decked out in neutral tones, polished marble and contemporary Italian design flourishes.

Pier E is used for "most of Alitalia's medium and long-haul flights to extra-Schengen destinations, now that the majority of Alitalia's flights have moved to pier E.

Access to the Rome Alitalia lounge is reserved for members of Alitalia Freccia Alata Plus, Freccia Alata, SkyTeam Elite Plus clubs, Virgin Australia Velocity Gold, and Alitalia Magnifica and medium-haul business class ticket holders and Alitalia American Express Platinum cardholders flying with Alitalia.

The lounge is only accessible to passengers departing from the E-Gates, and gate E51-E61 and E01-E24 are quite a walk. It is open 0615-2245.

Non-eligible customers can also purchase single entry access, for $50USD.