Alitalia airline has extended its baggage-free fare to the St. Petersburg-Rome route. However, this has not led to a significant reduction in the minimum ticket price on this route, reports Travel.ru's own correspondent.
Currently, the minimum roundtrip fare for the Light fare without baggage and seat selection is 17,360 rubles. The option with baggage, seat selection and the ability to change flights for an additional fee costs 20,280 rubles. All other flight options from St. Petersburg on various routes with a transfer in Rome offered by Alitalia still include baggage.
Previously, baggage-free fares became available on the Rome-Moscow route and for flights from Moscow to all Italian destinations with a transfer in Rome. Flights from Moscow via Rome to other European countries are still offered only with baggage, and prices are sometimes significantly lower than baggage-free fares to Italy.
Passengers who have purchased a ticket at a baggage-free rate can only carry 8 kilograms of hand luggage (no larger than 55x35x25 centimeters) plus a briefcase, handbag or computer bag. Adding luggage to such a rate will cost 25 euros in advance on the website or 45 euros at the airport or office. Therefore, if there is a possibility that you will need luggage, it is better to immediately buy a baggage rate - especially since it also includes the ability to choose a seat on the plane and, if necessary, change the flight to another (with a fee of 65 euros and an additional payment for the difference in price, if any).
You can combine both fares in one ticket – for example, Light without baggage for a flight from St. Petersburg to Rome and Classic with baggage for a return flight to Russia if you expect to have more things on the way back. You can also combine Light one-way on an Alitalia plane with a return flight on an Aeroflot plane. It is worth remembering that many of Alitalia’s low-cost fares do not provide miles for other SkyTeam member programs, including Aeroflot Bonus.
Light fare passengers must check in online or at self-check-in kiosks. Changing an automatically assigned seat costs €5, but is not available in all cases.
Passengers with elite status in one of the SkyTeam alliance programs (including Aeroflot Bonus) can carry one piece of baggage free of charge even on the Light fare. However, a free seat change after check-in is only available to elite members of the Millemiglia program.
Source: travel.ru