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Browsing Tag: Washington Dulles International Airport

Jason Flies Alitalia’s New Dulles Route & Eats Pasta. Magnifica!

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Alitalia Airbus A330. Delish!

An Alitalia Airbus A330-200. Delish!

Alitalia is one of those airlines that I have always watched closely but have never had the chance to fly. While its business matters are complicated and ever evolving, Alitalia continues to run a solid operation with a highly regarded business class product and service standard. I was happy to join the airline for a flight in Magnifica Class on its newly added Dulles to Rome route, one of a small handful of new routes Alitalia has added to its map this year.

Alitalia does not have its own lounge at Dulles and instead leans on Skyteam partner Air France, but that lounge is currently under renovation so Magnifica passengers have access to the nearby Turkish Airlines lounge in the meantime. After a few lounge drinks it was time to board EI-EJL, an Airbus A330-200. Alitalia’s longhaul fleet is made up of 14 Airbus A330-200s, 11 Boeing 777-200s, and one single Boeing 777-300ER. Why does its fleet contain a single 777-300ER? Well, nobody really knows, actually.

A Priority Pass Pearl: Turkish Airlines’ Lounge at Washington Dulles

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As the main international gateway for America’s capital, Washington Dulles is served by a ton of foreign carriers. Many offer lounges for their premium cabin passengers, and a few of them are part of the global Priority Pass network. Dulles’ slice of that network got a new addition last year: the Turkish Airlines lounge, which opened in 2016.

I’ve visited Turkish Airlines’ insane flagship lounge at its hub in Istanbul; definitely check out that story, if you haven’t already. While its Dulles lounge obviously can’t compare in terms of size or perks, it’s still solidly above average for airport lounges in the U.S. The food scene is solid, there are showers for travelers looking to freshen up, there are great views of the ramp, and the decor is pretty stylish. However, the crowd factor can be very high. But even so, it does well enough overall to get a thumbs up from me.

Read on for our detailed take on Turkish Airlines’ Washington D.C. lounge.