The public transportation (Metro) system that takes people to the Linate airport is excellent. This review is not a reflection on that!
This is an indictment of the Air France staff at Milano Linate airport and the Linate airport staff, as well. We arrived at the airport more than two hours before our flight (and I mean we were in line for the Air France counter agents with more than two hours to spare, not that we were just arriving at the airport then). Air France had two agents working the Priority desks and ONE - just one agent - helping the 100+ passengers in line. There were never more than 5-10 Priority passengers in that line at any time. Honestly, if the agents worked at the speed of agents at ANY OTHER AIRPORT ON EARTH, they could have processed the Priority passengers and then helped the rabble in the regular line. But they are S - L - O - W. If I could emphasize that more, I would. It was Godawful. My family and I were okay because we arrived so early, but a lot of passengers were freaking out that they might miss their flight.
Eventually a second desk agent sauntered in (with no alacrity whatsoever) to open a second counter for regular passengers. Much, much, much later, a third agent appeared. The minutes ticked down, the line moved slowly, the Priority agents didn't pitch in, and it was chaos. The line of regular passengers grew ever longer. A manager of sorts showed up and appeared to direct passengers to desks that s-l-o-w-l-y checked in passengers. We overhead her chiding passengers that they should have arrived earlier, which was outrageous since many passengers DID arrive in a timely manner. Their feckless staff was responsible for the problems.
After more than an hour in line, we got our boarding passes and flew through the security lines.
At the gate, we queued up in line when our zone was called. It was - again - a very long line. Then a ridiculous little man wearing a security uniform inexplicably told passengers that they didn't have to stand in the line. They could just cut the line and crowd the desk where agents were scanning boarding passes. Again, chaos ensued. What was accomplished? Nothing. He just made a lot of people in line really mad.
And here's a final complaint against Air France. Somehow their crew managed to break every darned zipper on our bags. Is a little care really so difficult to manage? read more