Has anyone flown in or out of this new terminal?
Any impressions, thoughts or cautions?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Kim,

Cyndi, there was a thread about this just a couple of weeks ago. Go on a search and you can get some feedback from the posters.

ciao,
cheryl

I'd like to hear also. The original post was started by Zerlina on 5/10 and so far no updates. I know dragonpat just returned recently - maybe she can let us know how it went.
Paula

It's Terminal 5.

It wasn't too bad. My taxi driver ledft us off at the regular terminal and had no idea about Terminal 5. You wait for the Shuttle in front of the regular Terminal. There is a line. A little shuttle bus picks you up that has no room for your luggage and they pack you on. if you are at the end of the line you will have to wait for the next bus. We waited about 15 minutes. The shuttle bus disgorges you at Terminal 5.

You check in and there is a person to do it. So much for E-tickets. After they put the tags on your luggage and give you a boarding pass, You have to carry your luggage to the belt and put it on yourself. I am not sure what an elderly passenger might be able to do. No luggage carts on the shuttle to Terminal 5, and have to lug the luggage around until you have to check it. You then have to go through passport control/immigration. Terminal 5 seems big and empty when you get there and there is only one load of the shuttle bus inside it. The flow tthrough the process is not uncertain.

YOu go to another area and a bus picks you up and takes you to your gate area. This bus has lots of rooms for luggage. It is like the Alibus in Naples. But now all people have is their carry-on luggage. They make one drop off and you have to walk to you gate from there.

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What is Slow Travel?

So this is supposed to be an improvement? It sounds like a long hassle. I was hoping FCO would become more pleasant to fly in and out of but this is making me nervous!

Has anyone flown into the terminal yet?

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So this is supposed to be an improvement? It sounds like a long hassle. I was hoping FCO would become more pleasant to fly in and out of but this is making me nervous!

I was under the impression that it was not supposed to be an improvement only a change. Terminal 5 is very spacious, so that on paper, it looks like an improvement to someone. The person that came up with this did not account for the line for the shuttle bus (might improve once the taxis figure out how to get to terminal 5), crowded shuttle bus ride there, and all the extra carrying around of luggage without the aid of a airport luggage cart. I myself have only one rollie and backpack, but big packers might want to take this into account.

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Has anyone flown into the terminal yet?

Terminal 5 isn't used for arrivals; they go through Terminal C as before.

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YOu go to another area and a bus picks you up and takes you to your gate area. This bus has lots of rooms for luggage. It is like the Alibus in Naples. But now all people have is their carry-on luggage. They make one drop off and you have to walk to you gate from there

Pat, does the bus just take you to the C satellite terminal, where you go inside, have duty-free shops available, and go to your gate when ready as before? Does it take all passengers regardless of their flight, or do you wait at T5 for your flight to be called?

We flew out via Terminal 5 last Tuesday. We were at FCO 3 hours before our scheduled departure time and got to the gate fifteen minutes before boarding. There is quite a bit of walking involved.

We took the Leonardo--- if we'd taken a cab or shuttle we could have been dropped at terminal 5--- if we'd known.

We noticed an unusual number of empty seats on our flight and wondered if the owners we're still at terminal 5

My only warning get to the airport EARLY

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Pat, does the bus just take you to the C satellite terminal, where you go inside, have duty-free shops available, and go to your gate when ready as before? Does it take all passengers regardless of their flight, or do you wait at T5 for your flight to be called?

I jsut took everyone regardless of their flight to the security point, I think, not back to general terminal C where you boaded the shuttle. It was a single location regardless of where or when your flight was.
I was glad that I had the Taxi come 30 minutes earlier than I thought I needed to be there.

So, there is a long shuttle line, then long security line and how about the check in time. We are flying Continental. Anyone?
We have a 9:30 am flight and I was hoping to get there 2 hrs ahead not 3.

Thanks Pat and celticmuse for the information and update. Sounds like it's going to be a hassle with the extra time and walking involved. What happens with passengers who need extra help or are in a wheelchair.

Paula

According to this page, Continental check-in opens at 7.15; you might want to get there earlier and be at the front of the line. Under the old setup, being there two hours early for U.S.-bound flights was risky, and it doesn't look like it's improved much. You might also be encouraged to use a taxi or car service and print the map on that page to show that you're going to T5.

They mention "a special assistance lounge available to disabled passengers."

So as I understand, what was called the C satellite is now called the West Satellite and has departure gates for passengers who checked-in at both C and 5.

We are staying at the airport Hilton the night before. I am going to e-mail them to see if they have service to T5--will update info when I find out--unless someone knows already.

Also, is there any difference in process between economy/business and first class? Are there special lines for frequent flyers or business/first class tickets?

Thanks Jane, we are also staying at the airport Hilton the night before we fly home. But I think that since we are flying BA to London, then onto LAX, we are in Terminal C, not 5. Also, we have an 8:15 flight, which means the closed doors should not affect us. We chose the Hilton when BA had to change our flights, and since we are mitigating the expense for the ease of transfer, I hate to think it's gotten more complicated.

I am curious to hear what you find out, however.

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Also, is there any difference in process between economy/business and first class? Are there special lines for frequent flyers or business/first class tickets

I don't remember any different kind of lines when I got there. There was jsut a line of airline employees with laptops waiting for us inside after we poured off the bus into the building.

OK--I went to the T5 site:
1.) BA does not go from there so you are OK Marcia.

2.) It does say this: The security check area also provides a Fast Track service for frequent flyers and business class passengers. We double qualify there so hopefully it will be easy.

3. I e-mailed Hilton to see what they suggest or provide to get to T5. Will report back.

Jane, you are right - Terminal 5 does offer Fast Track service for business class passengers. Our RomaShuttle driver took us directly there last week -- he even had a brochure listing the airlines utilizing the new terminal, and the cost was only 30€. We found the check-in process very smooth, and the bus ride to Terminal C fast and efficient.

Ann, how does that fast track work? Did you still need to lug your luggage around to belts?

Hi Jane. Check-in was a 2-step process. We went to the AA counter in the first hall, then through security, and into a large hall where luggage is checked. The AA counters were the first counters after entering the large hall, so we just went straight to the business class line there. No, we did not have to handle luggage after it was checked in - the agent took care of that.

I'm kinda getting into this conversation in the middle of things. Could someone give me some clarification?

What I think is that the new Terminal 5 is the "staging" area for these departing flights:
American, Continental, Delta, United, US and ElAl. After you get checked in, you are taken by shuttle bus to your departing gate which is in another terminal. Am I correct?

WOW. Not at all what I experienced in 2005. So glad to get this information.


JVP
Deep in the Heart of Texas

Yes, you're correct. You're taken by bus from Terminal 5 to Terminal C, and then take the tram/train to your gate in the C satellite. At least that's what we did, flying American, and I think the procedure is the same for all airlines using 5.