Eurofly Airline Review - flight to Italy

On my recent trip to Italy, I decided to fly with Eurofly for the first time. I was a little leery of flying with this company for the first time, but I'd have to say I was really impressed with the airline. Eurofly (affiliated with Meridiana) is an airline that has been serving Italy and Europe since 1989. Meridiana, on the other hand, has been flying since 1967.

The reasons I liked Eurofly airline:

• Flights were for the most part on-time
• Outbound left 45 minutes late from Kennedy - I noticed a good number of other flights delayed from JFK when I was looking at the departure board, so I don't think you can blame it entirely on the airline, especially when the flights departs late in the day. We were able to arrive in Palermo approx. 15 minutes after our scheduled arrival time.
• Inbound left approximately 25 minutes late from Palermo.
• The in flight magazine was decent - it was actually Meridiana's. A good magazine with some good articles and pictures can occupy a good chunk of your time on a 9 or 10 hour trans-Atlantic flight.
• The only airline that has direct flights from JFK to Naples, Palermo, Bologna, etc. Direct flight is seasonal - Alitalia used to have a direct flight that was discontinued in the 80's (I believe). This seasonal service typically runs from April through September. It is a lot nicer when you can fly directly to your destination as opposed to having to change planes in Rome or Milan (the typical Italian hubs).
• Food was good - 2 meals each time. They served a dinner and a breakfast on the outbound flight. On the return flight back to the States, they served a dinner, and I believe a lunch.
• No problems with luggage - unlike a fellow American I met on the bus from Catania to Palermo - Alitalia had lost her luggage for 1 week.
• Prices were reasonable compared to Alitalia.

Here's how they can do better  

• Complaint - in flight entertainment was not working on both flights - probably not as important as the old days before portable DVD players, laptops, etc. But I still think this is very important - they get a big thumbs down for this one. I can see it not working on one of the flights, but both of the flights? This was my biggest complaint: especially when the fleet is approximately 5 years old.
• No blankets on the return flight. They announced this as we were ascending in the air. I think someone just plain forgot. Luckily, I was traveling in September, so the temperature was not yet that cold.
• Drawback - handling the luggage at JFK - I had to fly from Tampa to JKF. They are not "baggage sharing" with other airlines. Normally, I can check my luggage in at Tampa, and not have to worry about it in JFK or any of the other stops along the way (typically Rome FCO). However, at JFK, I had to get my luggage, and then check-in again with Eurofly. The line went quickly, and they were polite, but it is still something I would rather not have to do. And more than likely, you will not be in the same terminal at JFK, so you will have to take the Air Train (a free service) that can transport you to the other terminals.
• Frequent flyer program - none per se, but one linked with Meridiana.

Overall Impressions

However, I was really impressed with the airline, and would definitely recommend them if you were to fly to Italy. Especially if you live in New York, and have to fly to one of the cities they serve on a direct flight (i.e. Naples, Palermo, Bologna, etc.).