On the Ground: I got on the road from Philadelphia early enough to arrive at IAD two hours prior to my flight. Having never flown out of Dulles International Airport before, I was interested to see how busy it is compared to the surrounding D.C. traffic on a Sunday morning.

I was pleasantly surprised to find the airport was busy but organized, making for smooth sailing at the Alitalia check-in counter. The Alitalia staff immediately greeted me with a smile, seamlessly completed the check-in process and allowed me to journey to my terminal with some time to spare.

Pre-Flight: Upon boarding I was immediately impressed with the Magnifica layout that allowed everyone to maneuver their carry-on bags quickly and efficiently into the overhead bins. After a few minutes I found my aisle seat and sat down to get ready for the nine-hour flight to Rome.

Alitalia won Best Business-Class Seat Design in our 2018 GT Tested Reader Survey awards, so I was naturally curious to experience the award-winning seats for myself. Being 6 feet, 3 inches tall, I sometimes have to squeeze into airline seats, but there was a perfect amount of space for me to extend my legs and relax a bit. Once I took my seat, a crewmember swiftly greeted me and provided drinks, a WiFi voucher, an assortment of nuts and the Magnifica standard Salvatore Ferragamo amenity kit.

In-Flight: Wearing sharp new uniforms designed by Italian designer Alberta Ferretti, flight attendants wasted no time taking everyone’s food and drink orders after take-off. In addition to Best Business-Class Seat Design, Alitalia has won Best Airline Cuisine for nine consecutive years in the GT Tested Reader Survey awards. I regrettably did not try the Alitalia Lavazza espresso (given the overnight flight), opting instead for a red wine. The wide-ranging menu gave me some great options, and after placing my order I reclined my seat to watch a movie.

My food arrived course by course with little wait time, and the crew took all steps to make sure I had everything I needed. Every part of the meal was excellent, and I can see why our readers love the Alitalia cuisine so much. With a movie on, a full stomach and my seat at 180 degrees, I got some quality sleep for the night and woke up in the morning just prior to landing.

TOP TAKEAWAYS:

◆ All crewmembers paid exceptional attention to detail and were always timely with service.
◆ The comfort of the Magnifica seat allowed me to fully relax during the long flight.
◆ The Alitalia food and wine exceeded my expectations, and the menu was expansive but not overwhelming.