FLIGHT REVIEW: ITA Rome to Dubai – When Business Class Feels More Like First Class – ITA’s A321neo Surprises!

I booked this flight as I really wanted to try ITA’s new A321neo narrow-bodied aircraft equipped with a single-aisle, fully flatbed business class. More and more airlines are going down the route of using short-haul aircraft on medium- to long-haul routes.

• Airline – ITA (pronounced EE-tah)

• Cabin – Business Class

• Flight Number – AZ856/ITY856

• Travel Date – February 2025

• Aircraft Reg – EI-HXA

• Aircraft Type – Airbus A321(LR)

• Aircraft Age – 11 Months Old

Booking

This is the second flight from my journey to Dubai from London City via Rome [the first flight review can be found here]. I won’t go too deep into pricing as I covered this in my previous review.

We had a fantastic fare of £1,200 each return in business class! It did involve an overnight stop in Rome, but we were okay with this for the price, plus I had wanted to try this business class seat since its launch, and it did not disappoint!

Check-in & Security Rome Airport

Having stayed just 15 minutes away, our budding future Formula 1 taxi driver got us to the airport in 10 minutes flat. Very chaotic!

ITA, who fly from Rome Terminal 1, has a dedicated Business Class check-in area, and when we arrived, there wasn’t any waiting and we were seen straight away. Two minutes later, our bags were dropped, passports were checked, and we were on our way.

Flying business meant we could use the Fast Track security line. I like the way they make it very obvious which lane to be in and where to go.

Security was as fast and smooth as the name suggests. From the car to duty-free was a breeze and only took minutes.

ITA Lounge at Rome Airport

We had the choice of two lounges: either the Hangar Lounge or the ITA lounge. I have to say, neither was easy to find.

We walked and walked and walked to find the Hangar Lounge, with airport signs not helping. When we asked anyone, we were quite rudely but in a very Italian way, told “no” as they shrugged.

We wanted to try the Hangar Lounge but were refused entry because our gate was closer to the ITA lounge. I challenged this, but she was insistent. I’m sure we were entitled to enter; however, given the time it took to find this one, I decided it would be better to head in the direction of our gate.

Once found, the ITA lounge had a fairly limited selection, but given it was breakfast time, that’s quite normal.

They were offering the usual variety of pastries, along with some hot options such as eggs and sausages.

The lounge, whilst not the most aesthetically pleasing, had plenty of seating areas and a bar where they were making fresh coffee.

Boarding ITA A321

It was only a short walk to gate E44, where we caught the first glimpse of our aircraft. I have to say, it felt a little strange looking out of the window at such a small plane when usually a flight of this length would use something much larger.

I’m afraid I was one of those… I queued straight away even though they hadn’t called for boarding yet. I wanted to get on and grab some photos before anyone else boarded.

I asked if I could pre-board for this reason, and again got a “no” whilst she looked away. Got to love it!

As we got to the end of the jetty, we were held whilst the crew finished their preparations. I asked again if I could board 30 seconds early to take some snaps, and they were more than happy to accommodate. In fact, I ended up having the freedom of all three cabins for about five minutes as the plane wasn’t ready to board.

This was my first interaction with the amazing Luca.

ITA Business Class Seat & Departure

With just 12 seats in a 1+1 configuration, this is a very exclusive and intimate cabin, very similar to American Airlines’ Flagship First on their transcontinental routes

This was my fantastic seat: a very clean 1F. Row 1 has a lot more space than the other seats in business class. You have to pay a premium for it at about £80 per leg, but it really was worth it, especially on a day flight where I was working. It allowed me to spread out whilst keeping everything within arm’s reach.

I hear that just two weeks before, the Pope had flown in 1A and was very happy. If it’s good enough for the Pope, surely it’s good enough for me.

You can see the size of the row 1 seats from this picture, which I think is very similar in size to proper First Class on most European airlines.

The extra space is pretty much just a wraparound bench. A few people have asked if there is any storage space in these benches, and there isn’t, I’m afraid. Although that would be a nice addition, we can’t have it all.

This is what the rest of the cabin looks like. As you can see, it’s still a great space and somewhere I would be comfortable for quite a while, as I was on the return overnight flight, and I can confirm it is also a great space. I would probably only opt to pay for row 1 on day flights.

At the seat, there were high-quality, high-GSM menus, headphones and an amenity kit.

Inside the amenity kit were socks, an eye mask, a toothbrush and toothpaste, and earplugs. Compared to some other airlines, this was quite limited in its contents.

Within the seat was a smart pull-out storage shelf with a mirror. I found this really handy as it was big enough to hold most of my items during the flight.

Prior to take-off, we were offered and gladly accepted a glass of bubbles. My friend didn’t want bubbles, but Luca offered to make him an aperitif and, unlike most other airlines, he insisted that he would have no problem making anything on or off the menu.

Right before take-off, Luca also took our food orders.

ITA IFE

Before this flight, I always assumed that the screen was small, but in reality, it isn’t. It just looks small because of the large housing it’s set in.

The screen quality was fantastic, possibly the best I have seen on an aircraft, though this could be down to the age of the plane. I found the touchscreen really responsive too.

I managed to connect my own Bluetooth headphones in a matter of seconds. I didn’t test the supplied headphones but my friend said they were ok. Not great but not bad. 

The controller was super slick and easy to use, too.

I didn’t try the Wi-Fi as it was a short flight, and I knew I would be busy trying the food and drink service. Just as well, because at $33, I think this is far too expensive!

I was also impressed with the onboard selection of films and shows. I chose to watch Eddie the Eagle, as it has been on my list for a long time. Surprisingly, a decent and easy watch.

I tried to use the USB-C charging point, but it didn’t work during the flight.

Food and Drink Onboard ITA

Where do I start! Katrina and I got married in Italy, and during our wedding, the meal service went on for hours with multiple courses whilst casually mingling with our guests. My experience onboard this flight was no different. It was perfect.

Service started with another glass of bubbles along with a bag of fruit and nuts. These were not for me at all and were my least favourite I have had on a plane.

To start, I had the Chanterelle Mushroom Soft Pie. The presentation was fantastic, and it tasted pretty good. Paired with a large glass of Greco, that was also very tasty. Good start.

For the pasta course, I opted for the Three Tomato Maccheroncelli. Once served, Luca came over with parmesan, which he sprinkled over my pasta. Cooked perfectly and to restaurant quality, I was impressed. The feast continued.

My main course was Seabass and Cauliflower Cream. Again, another brilliant plate of food that I polished off with ease. Paired with the other white wine they offer, which was nice but not as nice as the Greco.

Already very satisfied but feeling stuffed, of course, I opted for the cheese board. The cheeses were of top quality, although the chutney could do with more of a punch. Luca insisted on pairing this with a Valpolicella sweet wine. I absolutely love sweet/dessert wines, and this was lovely.

Okay. By this point, I was feeling the need for fresh air and a long walk, but not able to do either, I chose the Mont Blanc-flavoured mousse paired with a glass of Moscato instead. I loved the Valpolicella, but the Moscato was even sweeter and exactly what I wanted.

I was honestly blown away by the food quality and quantity, for that matter. Combine that with the best service I have ever had on a plane, and the experience was a lot closer to First Class than Business Class. Amazing experience.

In very typical Italian fashion, dinner service was neither slow nor rushed. It was a culinary adventure along with a perfectly aligned wine flight. The Moscato is the winner for me.

Luca said that the airline expects completely new tableware and cutlery in the near future, which will further enhance the onboard experience.

Service

I wanted to cover service in a separate section, especially after the disastrous encounter with the crew on the first ITA flight from London. [Review here]

Luca was, quite honestly, out of this world. He was the friendliest, most engaging, but not overbearing, crew member I have ever been looked after by. Everything we wanted was no problem, and he genuinely loves what he does, and that shows in his passion and pride for his work. Thank you, Luca!

ITA Business Class Bed

Whilst we had a day flight, I wanted to try the bed out for review purposes.

For full transparency, I accidentally fell asleep for about half an hour, but I think that was more to do with the wine flight I had just encountered than the comfort of the bed.

I found the bed quite hard, and the bedding provided really wasn’t great. The pillow, specifically, was more like a flannel.

My thoughts were confirmed on the return overnight flight, where the pillow and blanket were next to useless.

ITA Premium Economy Seat

Whilst I had the opportunity to walk the aircraft for a few minutes before official boarding, I thought I would grab a couple of photos of the other cabins. Again, it’s unusual to have a Premium Economy on a narrow-body aircraft, so I thought you might like to see it.

Premium Economy also has just 12 seats. The space per seat looked generous to me and somewhere I would be happy to spend five or six hours. Again, the cabin feels modern and somewhat exclusive.

ITA Economy Seat

Economy proper has 141 seats. Row 30 (front row of this cabin) has extra legroom, so it appears this would be the best choice.

Arrival and Bags into Dubai

Prior to landing, we were offered a second, lighter meal consisting of sandwiches or warm pizza, but I passed on this.

We landed 20 minutes early, which is always nice, but what wasn’t nice was a remote stand and a bus waiting for us. We arrived at 7:30 pm, and the return flight doesn’t take off until nearly 2 am – hence the remote stand.

I’m pretty sure it was the longest I have ever been on a bus at an airport, but one of the benefits is that I got the opportunity to see the plane again. Really not a fan of buses, thanks to British Airways’ overuse of them.

Inside the terminal, it was the busiest I have ever seen. It was carnage and chaotic, but I wasn’t going to let the bus or the airport ruin the experience I had just had.

Summary

Flying ITA’s new A321neo Business Class from Rome to Dubai was a fantastic experience. The cabin is sleek and intimate, with Row 1 offering exceptional space, worthy of the Pope himself.

From the responsive in-flight entertainment to restaurant-quality food and an outstanding wine selection, the product really impressed. The service from Luca was a clear standout, easily some of the best I’ve had in the sky.

While the bedding could be improved and the Wi-Fi was overpriced, these were small trade-offs in what felt more like First Class than Business. At £1,200 return, it was excellent value and a product I’d fly again in a heartbeat.

I give this 9/10