Posted by seryna on Monday, May 29, 2017 in 2017 Blog post.

This past weekend was our program’s free weekend, and I decided to meet up with some friends in Florence. We were trying to find the cheapest route, so I ended up taking a cab to Palermo, flying from Palermo to Pisa, then taking a train from Pisa to Florence. Flying from Palermo to Pisa and back were some of my only experiences with European airports/airlines. This Maymester is my first time visiting Europe, so I am still learning how things work. However, while at home I have traveled all over the states, so I have experienced a wide range of airports. Traveling in Italy has not been like anything I have experienced in the states. I do think there are pros and cons to both the American and Italian systems in airports/airplanes.

First, I think it is very notable that all of the airports and airlines I have travelled with in Italy make it a point to accommodate people from all over. One of the first things I noticed is that all of the signs, announcements, etc. in Italian airports are in multiple different languages. For example, when the flight attendants or gate workers make an announcement they make it in Italian, English, and maybe another language.Also, the majority of people I have met/seen make an effort to speak English to me once they figure out I do not speak Italian. This is not what happens in America at all. At the airports, and in general, people are expected to learn English once they arrive in the states and there are not many accommodations. When I am at airports in the states I have never noticed that they make announcements, have signs, etc. in any language other than English. Sometimes in California there may be signs also in Spanish, but it is definitely not universal.

Secondly, I have noticed how much more efficient American airport/airline systems are. The few Italian airports I have been to seem to lack the rigid structure that I have experienced in America. While this may be preferable for some, I am definitely someone who likes to have order and think it makes things run a lot more smoothly. One of the main examples is the boarding group process. In America everyone is assigned a boarding group based on some sort of criteria set by the airline. In Italy there has been priority boarding and everyone else. When it is time to board the plane, it is like a mad dash to get to the front of the line. Instead of a line based on your boarding group, you join a mob of people somewhat making their way toward the gate check-in stand.

These differences in air travel were clear to me from the first flight I had from Rome to Palermo almost three weeks ago. As I said before, I definitely think that there are pros and cons to both American and Italian airport/airline systems, and it really depends on your preference for what works better for you. I do think that these differences boil down to a cultural difference in pace of life. Americans are always rushing and trying to get the most done in the shortest amount of time. A lot of people are wrapped up in their own lives and how they can get to where they need to go the fastest. Italy has been an entirely different way of life. People here take their time and do not feel the need to do everything at a rapid pace. I really like how Italian transportation system, and people in general, take the time to accommodate different people and languages. However, I do really like having the structure of American airport systems.