There's a new wrinkle if you're flying out of Fiumicino with a US carrier.

Since May 3, 2008, all US carriers - American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta, United Airlines, US Airways - are processing their passengers out of the new Terminal 5. There is a free shuttle bus from Terminal C to Terminal 5.

A poster in another travel forum described the process as follows: "Took shuttle. Got to Terminal 5. One stop to verify that we had reservations. Another stop to check baggage. Another stop to go through immigration. Then shuttle back to an outlying part of Terminal C. Tram from outlying part of Terminal C to inside Terminal C. Then--bus from Terminal C to airplane!"

Seems like a plot to convince American travelors to fly on Alitalia jsut to simplify their iteneraries at the terminal.
I take it does not involve KLM, and Lufthansa , and Air France?
With KLM a lot of the flights are code shares with Northwest where do you go, or will someone tell you at some desk (when you can figure that out at the big board).

Maybe there will be more room at terminal C in the future for American airlines if Alitalia does have to modernize itself and consolidate flights.

Any info on the added time impact of this process?

Oh, my!! We leave for Italy in 3 days! And won't have a computer there so can't follow this up.

Anyone have the info now on the time it takes?

Wow, I try to follow this stuff and I hadn't heard anything about it. It would only be for flights of these carriers direct to the U.S., not KLM-operated codeshares to Amsterdam, although they might have a Northwest flight number. The page from the airport site is here. Hoping it works better than Heathrow's new Terminal 5.

I would have no idea about this stuff if I didn't visit the Slow Travel Bulletin board. I am likewise leaving for Italy in 4 days.

Honestly it looks like that building could not be less conveniently located. It looks like this will add on to check in time.

Hi Andrew, thanks for the link which made it pretty understandable--albeit a pain. Can't wait to hear from someone as to how it works. Maybe it is easier than it sounds. What is this profiling bit? I have not heard of that before.

Also, there is a special process for frequent flyers and business class. I wonder what that is. If you find out, let us know.
Thanks

It is a surprise to me also but since I just spent my money on my daughter's wedding today, I won't be spending it on a trip to Italy this year.

They are going to Croatia and Hungary.

Bill

One thing to emphasize is that Terminal 5 is only for departures; arrivals on U.S. carriers will still be at the C satellite, where you'd take the train to the main C terminal, clear passport control, claim baggage, and end up in the C arrivals hall.

I suppose that a consideration in opening this terminal (a converted cargo facility, I understand) was Alitalia's move of most long-haul flights out of MXP and to FCO, so the already crowded C check-in area was getting impossible. It could get confusing which line was which. According to the diagrams, each section of the terminal is for different steps of the procedure, and one can hope it goes more smoothly.

So cars and taxis can go directly to Terminal 5 to let people off, but if taking the train or returning a rental car, you need to go to the Terminal C departure level to catch the shuttle bus; that's another consideration in deciding how to get to the airport.

Thanks for the airport link! It looks like it MIGHT even be an improvement. (An Italian one, but after being in CDG in Paris, I think anything has to be better than that.)

DragonPat, when and where are you going?

The bay of Naples. 8 nights on Capri (Anacapri), and 3 nights on Ischia. Leaving MSP on May 14 and returning on May 27. arriving and leaving through FCO. Americna Airlines, so I will be visitng terminal 5 on the way back.
Where are you going Charnee?

I guess we won't cross paths after all, Pat. We go north of Rome, to MXP, Florence, Lucca, Orvieto and then rome from May 31 - June 4, leaving from FCO

Have a good trip Charnee.
I am going with my best travel companion, my older daughter. So it's fun, fun, fun.