ITA Airways rating

5.1/10Axel score · #68 of 77

4.8/10Repriceability · #38

Checked October 26, 2026 · How Axel rates airlines

Included hand baggage cannot offset poor punctuality and unclear fare flexibility

Axel would choose ITA Airways only when its total fare is meaningfully cheaper than the alternatives. Economy Light includes hand baggage, and disruption refund protections are solid, but checked baggage can make a low headline fare expensive. Weak punctuality, above-median complaint rates and unconfirmed price-drop terms make this a poor choice for travelers who need flexibility or dependable arrival times.

Best
Economy Light includes an accessory and hand baggage without an additional fee.
OAG reported 1.27% of flights cancelled in September 2026.
ITA's US service plan promises legally due refunds to the original payment method without a processing fee.

Worst
Only 61.64% of arrivals were on time in September 2026.
DOT recorded 28.51 complaints per 100,000 passengers in April and May 2026, above the foreign-airline median.
No ongoing same-flight price-drop refund promise was confirmed.

If the fare drops after you book, can you get money back?

PartlyRepriceability 4.8/10

Partly: qualifying US bookings can be cancelled within 24 hours and rebooked at a lower fare. For flights to or from the US booked at least seven days before departure, request penalty-free cancellation through ITA's US website or call center. Later price-drop refunds are not confirmed for Economy Light or Economy Comfort. Their current US change fees and cancellation penalties are unconfirmed, and changes follow the purchased fare rules. Economy Impact lists free changes and refunds with an unpublished surcharge, but excludes departures from the US and Canada. Whether a lower replacement fare produces cash, credit or forfeited value is unconfirmed, as are credit validity and transferability.

Axel observed fewer than 10 repricing attempts, but no observation period or savings figures were supplied, so no measured savings outcome can be reported. Repricing is Axel's price-drop protection: after you book, Axel keeps watching the fare, and when the price drops Axel works to deliver the further savings to you. Repricing is included with Axel Membership.

ITA Airways fares
Fare	Changes	Cancel	Carry-on	Bags	Seat
Economy Light	Not confirmed	Current US-route cancellation terms were not verified by family. Do not assume cancellation produces a travel credit. Refundable unused taxes and the qualifying US 24-hour cancellation right are separate from fare refundability.	Included	0	Fee
Economy Comfort	Not confirmed	Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation penalty were not verified.	Included	1	Fee
Economy Comfort Plus	Not confirmed	Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation penalty were not verified.	Included	1	Free choice
Economy Impact	No change fee	The current official intercontinental Impact comparison permits refunds with a surcharge but does not publish its USD amount.	Included	1	Not confirmed
Economy Flex	Not confirmed	Current October 2026 US-route refundability and any cancellation deduction were not verified.	Included	1	Free choice
unknownpremium economy	Not confirmed	The cheapest current US-route Premium Economy fare's refund conditions were not verified.	Included	2	Not confirmed
unknownbusiness	Not confirmed	The cheapest current US-route Business fare's refund conditions were not verified.	Included	2	Not confirmed

Fare difference on a cheaper change: Not confirmed. No unambiguous current US-route rule established whether a cheaper replacement fare produces cash, credit or forfeiture on Economy Comfort. ITA defers to individual fare rules. Its legacy US tariff contains internally inconsistent fare-difference wording and is not sufficient to promise a residual refund.
Same flight, lower price: No current published promise of fee-free cash or credit for a price drop on the identical booked flight was verified. Qualifying US bookings can be cancelled within 24 hours and separately rebooked at the available price; that does not establish an ongoing repricing right.
Credits (EMD, E-Vouchers, TCV): No general current validity period for credits arising from voluntary cancellation or repricing was verified. Ticket validity is not evidence of voucher validity.
24-hour rule: For flights to or from the United States booked at least seven days before departure, ITA permits penalty-free cancellation within 24 hours. Submit the refund request through its US website or US call center at 877-793-1717. This is a cancellation-and-refund right, not a promise of free changes.
Same-day change: No separate current US-route same-day confirmed-change or standby policy, flat fee or standard-fare waiver was verified. Ordinary changes follow the purchased fare rules. Checked-in passengers must first cancel check-in before changing.
Schedule changes: ITA provides online change/refund handling for operational changes and one penalty-free change after an involuntary change. For US international itineraries, DOT refund triggers include cancellation, departure at least six hours earlier, arrival at least six hours later, changed origin or destination airport, additional connections, involuntary downgrade and certain accessibility-related changes. The traveler must decline the changed travel and alternatives to retain the full-refund right. Required refunds are automatic, generally within seven business days for credit-card payments or 20 calendar days for other payments. A broader current ITA-specific threshold was not verified.

Score breakdown

Repriceability 35%4.8
- Standard fare change fee: no data, median 4.0/10 used · no data
- Lowest fare flexibility: no data, median 4.0/10 used · Economy Light: A current generally applicable US-route change fee was not verified. ITA's change page makes changes subject to the purchased ticket's fare rules.
- Lower fare on the same flight: no data, median 4.0/10 used · For Economy Comfort, no current rule establishes whether a lower fare on the identical booked flight yields cash, credit or forfeiture, and its change and cancellation terms were not verified. The confirmed 24-hour cancellation right does not establish a way to capture a price drop after that window.
- Credit terms: no data, median 7.0/10 used · No general current validity period for credits arising from voluntary cancellation or repricing was verified. Ticket validity is not evidence of voucher validity.
- Cancel the standard fare: no data, median 4.0/10 used · Current US-route refund eligibility and any cancellation penalty were not verified.
- Risk-free window: 7.0/10 · For flights to or from the United States booked at least seven days before departure, ITA permits penalty-free cancellation within 24 hours. Submit the refund request through its US website or US call center at 877-793-1717. This is a cancellation-and-refund right, not a promise of free changes.
- Same-day change: no data, median 7.0/10 used · No separate current US-route same-day confirmed-change or standby policy, flat fee or standard-fare waiver was verified. Ordinary changes follow the purchased fare rules. Checked-in passengers must first cancel check-in before changing.
- What Axel saw: does not apply · fewer than 10 attempts · Axel repricing attempts
Refunds and disruptions 20%7.3
- Commitments when the airline causes the problem: 8.0/10 · Covered by: US_DOT_refund_rule, EU261, UK261, Canada_APPR, Brazil_ANAC_400, India_DGCA, Israel_ASL; Coverage depends on the flight's geographic scope; these regimes do not all apply to every booking. ITA's published cancellation policy offers another ITA flight or comparable travel alternatives where possible, or a full ticket refund. Its passenger-rights page describes assistance and compensation under EU261, rather than a separate voluntary compensation scheme. No additional blanket cash payment, broader hotel or meals guarantee, or unconditional promise to rebook on any other airline was verified.
- Refund conduct: 10.0/10 · No refund or compensation findings in 5 years
- Refund complaints: 2.4/10 · 9.14 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 4.39) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
Reliability 15%3.0
- On-time arrival: 0.7/10 · 61.64% on time (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30; OAG lists ITA Airways. Cancellation percentage published directly, not derived from a completion factor.) · OAG Monthly On-Time Performance Rankings, September 2026
- Cancellations: 8.3/10 · 1.27% cancelled (2026-09-01 to 2026-09-30; OAG lists ITA Airways. Cancellation percentage published directly, not derived from a completion factor.) · OAG Monthly On-Time Performance Rankings, September 2026
Fees and transparency 15%6.8
- Carry-on in the lowest fare: 10.0/10 · An accessory and hand baggage are included in Economy Light; no fee applies within the included allowance.
- First checked bag: no data, median 6.0/10 used · ITA's own US Checked Baggage page, checked October 26, 2026, displays no publication or last-updated date. Economy Light includes no checked bag. Its first-piece table lists starting prices of $150 for Eastern United States routes and $165 for Western United States routes, per direction, and says prices can vary with purchase timing. The $75 entry is for Italy, not a US-route first bag. A separately identified lowest advance-online US price was not verified, so the numeric field remains null rather than $75.
- Seat in the lowest fare: 3.0/10 · fee
- Children seated with a parent: 5.0/10 · Economy Light charges for advance selection; otherwise a seat is assigned free at check-in. On the same booking, adults accompanying children under 12 can select designated seats free, with adjacency to at least one parent or accompanying adult guaranteed. Economy's eligible category is Back, with Classic also available when accompanying an infant. Contact customer assistance or airport check-in if adjacent seats cannot be assigned online. The stated US-route age limit does not cover children aged 12 or 13.
- Price shown is price paid: 7.0/10 · 2024-02-12 Canadian Transportation Agency
Complaints and handling 10%2.6
- Complaint rate: 2.6/10 · 28.51 complaints per 100,000 passengers (median for airlines based abroad: 14.73) · DOT complaint cases per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US (DOT T-100), April and May 2026; a month with fewer than 5 cases, which DOT does not list, counts as 2
- Mishandled bags: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Mishandled wheelchairs and scooters: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April, May, July and August 2026
- Bumping: does not apply · not reported to DOT · U.S. DOT, April to June 2026
Loyalty fairness 5%5.2
- Miles expiry: 2.0/10 · Miles & More award miles normally expire after 36 months, at the end of the applicable quarter; ordinary account activity does not reset that fixed expiry. Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle status protect miles from expiry, and qualifying Miles & More credit cards can provide protection subject to country-specific conditions. Legacy Volare points became unavailable after June 30, 2026 if not redeemed under the closing arrangements.
- Devaluations: 6.0/10 · 2025-12-18: ITA notified members that Volare would close. Flight awards and Cash&Points redemptions ended March 30, 2026; partner redemptions remained available until April 30, and gift-card conversion until June 30, at 50,000 points for €100 with a 50,000-point minimum. Remaining points then became unavailable, reducing redemption flexibility and eliminating unredeemed balances.
- Award pricing: 10.0/10 · published_chart

Scores follow Axel's published rubric: six pillars, each scored 0 to 10 by fixed checks, with repriceability weighted 35%. Facts were checked October 26, 2026. No data for 7 checks (Standard fare change fee, Lowest fare flexibility, Lower fare on the same flight, Credit terms, Cancel the standard fare, Same-day change, First checked bag), each scored at the median of all rated airlines.

Refunds and disruptions

Depending on geography, coverage includes US DOT refund rules, EU261, UK261, Canada APPR, Brazil ANAC 400, India DGCA and Israel ASL. ITA offers another ITA flight, comparable alternatives where possible, or a full refund after cancellation. Its September 30, 2026 US service plan promises legally due refunds to the original payment method without a processing fee.

Qualifying US refunds are automatic when you decline changed travel and alternatives, normally within seven business days for card payments or 20 calendar days otherwise. EU261 provides applicable assistance and compensation. No refund or compensation findings were identified in 5 years, but DOT recorded 9.14 refund complaints per 100,000 passengers in April and May 2026, versus a 4.39 foreign-airline median.

Regulator actions since October 2021

February 2024, Canadian Transportation Agency: The CTA imposed a C$2,500 monetary penalty after ITA advertised an airfare on its website on January 23, 2024 without stating the total payable price in Canadian dollars, contrary to paragraph 28(1)(a) of the Air Passenger Protection Regulations. The USD amount is an approximate conversion using the February 12, 2024 historical rate of US$0.7433 per Canadian dollar. Source

Reliability

ITA's punctuality is a weak point. OAG's September 2026 rankings report 61.64% of arrivals on time and 1.27% of flights cancelled. The cancellation result is comparatively sound, but the on-time figure is poor. For broader context, Cirium, as reported by Corriere della Sera, recorded 76.75% on-time arrivals for calendar 2025. The September figures are a more recent snapshot, not a full-year result.

Fees

Economy Light includes an accessory and hand baggage, but no checked bag. ITA's table, checked October 26, 2026, lists first bags from $150 on Eastern United States routes and $165 on Western United States routes, per direction. The lowest advance-online US price is not confirmed. Advance seat selection costs extra, with free assignment at check-in. Children under 12 on the same booking get designated seats beside an accompanying adult without a seat fee.

Extras can raise the total. The Canadian Transportation Agency imposed a C$2,500 penalty on February 12, 2024 for an advertisement omitting the total payable price in Canadian dollars. Current mandatory charges added after the first US price are not confirmed.

Complaints

DOT recorded 28.51 complaints per 100,000 passengers on flights to and from the US in April and May 2026, compared with a 14.73 median for airlines based abroad. That is a weak complaint record. ITA's mishandled-bag and wheelchair figures were not reported to DOT for April, May, July and August 2026. Bumping figures were not reported for April to June 2026.

Loyalty program

Miles & More became ITA's program on April 1, 2026, with a published award chart. Miles normally expire after 36 months at the applicable quarter's end. Ordinary activity does not extend them. Frequent Traveller, Senator and HON Circle status, plus qualifying credit cards under country-specific rules, protect miles. ITA announced Volare's closure on December 18, 2025. Flight awards ended March 30, 2026, and unredeemed legacy points became unavailable after June 30, 2026.

Choose ITA Airways if

Travel with hand baggage and accept a seat assigned at check-in.
You find a meaningfully cheaper total fare after adding baggage and seats.

Book elsewhere if

You need dependable arrival times.
You expect a later fare drop to produce a confirmed refund or reusable credit.

Tips

Use the included hand baggage allowance on Economy Light if you can avoid checking a bag.
Skip paid advance seat selection and accept free assignment at check-in, or use the designated free family seats when eligible.
Compare Economy Light's total after baggage charges with Economy Comfort, which includes a checked bag, and confirm the live fare rules.

Questions travelers ask

Does ITA Airways charge change fees?

Current US change fees are not confirmed for Economy Light or Economy Comfort, so check the purchased ticket's rules before paying. Economy Impact lists free booking changes on eligible intercontinental journeys, but excludes departures from the US and Canada and does not establish that fare differences are waived. Checked-in passengers must cancel check-in before changing.

Can I get money back if the fare drops after booking?

The qualifying 24-hour cancellation route is confirmed, but an ongoing price-drop refund is not. For flights to or from the US booked at least seven days ahead, you can cancel within 24 hours without penalty and separately rebook at the available lower fare. After that window, a promise to return a same-flight price drop as cash or credit is not confirmed.

How long do ITA Airways credits last?

No general validity period is confirmed for credits from voluntary cancellation or repricing. ITA recognizes EMD, E-Vouchers and TCV documents, but that does not establish that cancelling your fare earns a credit. Transferability, usage restrictions and redemption fees are also unconfirmed. Ticket validity is not evidence of voucher validity, and tickets themselves are nontransferable.

What do I get if ITA Airways cancels my flight?

ITA offers another ITA flight, comparable travel alternatives where possible, or a full ticket refund. On qualifying US itineraries, refunds are automatic if you decline alternative transportation and credits, normally within seven business days for card payments or 20 calendar days otherwise. Assistance and compensation depend on the laws covering your route. An unconditional promise to rebook on any other airline is not confirmed.

How much do carry-on and checked bags cost?

Economy Light includes an accessory and hand baggage within its allowance, but no checked bag. ITA's US baggage table, checked October 26, 2026, lists first checked bags from $150 on Eastern United States routes and $165 on Western United States routes, per direction. Prices can vary with purchase timing, and a separate lowest advance-online US price is not confirmed.

Sources

Checked Baggage, ITA Airways
Online Changes and Refunds, ITA Airways
General conditions of carriage ITA Airways, ITA Airways
Seats selection Economy class, ITA Airways
Seat selection, ITA Airways
Seat Selection Premium Economy, ITA Airways
Business Class, ITA Airways
Special Deal — September 2026 US offer, ITA Airways
Lufthansa exercises option to acquire a majority stake in ITA Airways, Lufthansa Group, 2026-05-12
Who We Are, ITA Airways
Refunds, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2025-11-07
ITA Airways US tariff, ITA Airways
Impact Fare, ITA Airways
ITA Airways lancia le Green Fare, ITA Airways, 2026-05-14
Shareholder information 2-2026: ITA Airways majority acquisition update, Lufthansa Group
Lufthansa to exercise option to buy majority stake in ITA in June, Reuters, published by AOL, 2026-05-12
Italia Trasporto Aereo S.p.A.: enforcement action, Canadian Transportation Agency, 2024-02-12
CAD to USD exchange-rate history for 2024, Exchange-Rates.org
Customer Service Plan: U.S. Flights, ITA Airways, 2026-09-30
Refund Final Rule: Small Business Compliance Guidance, U.S. Department of Transportation, 2024-12-11
Cancelation and refund, ITA Airways
Passenger rights, ITA Airways
Guidance to passengers facing disruption in the Middle East and Cyprus, UK Civil Aviation Authority
Federal Register: Refunds and Other Consumer Protections, U.S. Government Publishing Office / U.S. Department of Transportation, 2024-04-26
Passenger rights: Brazil, ITA Airways
Passenger Rights Israel, ITA Airways
DGCA rules on denied boarding, cancellations and delays, Government of India, Press Information Bureau
On-Time Performance Review 2025, Cirium
2025 airline punctuality results, Corriere della Sera, 2026-01-02
Skytrax confirms ITA Airways' four-star rating, ITA Airways
ITA Airways joins Miles & More as fully integrated partner, ITA Airways, 2026-03-20
How long are my miles valid and how do I protect them from expiring?, Miles & More
Explore the world with your miles: Award Flights, Miles & More
Volare FAQ: end of the program, ITA Airways
FAQs Volare: gift-card redemption, ITA Airways / Volare
Volare reaches its final destination at the end of this month, AVIONEWS, 2026-03-20
New digital solutions enhancing customer experience, ITA Airways, 2026-04-03
Italy ATC Strike Prompts ITA Airways to Cancel 105 Flights, Airways, 2026-09-30
UAE Flight Updates: Cancellations, Delays, and Saudi Travel Alerts on October 24, Gulf News, 2026-10-24
Contact, ITA Airways
AirHelp Score: airport rankings 2026 and airline rankings 2025, AirHelp

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