Business Class Flight Deals from Chicago to Rome from $1267

Planning Your Business Class Trip to Rome

Most flights from Chicago to Rome depart from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), but airlines like Delta Air Lines offer this route from Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW) as well. The major difference between the 2 airports is that only connecting flights depart from MDW, while O’Hare offers both nonstop and connecting flights. Midway Airport also doesn’t have any airline-owned business lounges.

Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)

If you are traveling from ORD, you can opt for nonstop or connecting business-class flights from United Airlines. Nonstop flights take 9 hours, while ones with layovers take 2–6 hours more. The prices for round-trip nonstop flights typically range from $5,900 to $9,600, while connecting flights cost less, from $4,200 to $8,100.

Travelers who choose connecting flights from United Airlines will have layovers in New York, at Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) or LaGuardia Airport (LGA). Keep in mind that all United Airlines flights to Rome depart from EWR, so you will have to change airports and head there if you pick a flight with a layover at the LGA.

If you want to get a taste of New York City, you don’t have to leave the airport. At both the Newark and LaGuardia airports, you can find restaurants that serve bagels (H&H Bagels, Poppy’s Bagels), freshly made sandwiches, pies, and other pastries (Bubby’s, Eli’s Essentials, Eggy Weggy), Italian food (Figs, Cotto, Crust, Salotto), and even traditional Japanese ramen (Chuko).

Chicago Midway International Airport (MDW)

If you are flying out of MDW, Delta Air Lines offers connecting flights to Rome with layovers in New York (JFK), Detroit (DTW), Atlanta (ATL), and Boston (BOS). Roundtrip tickets for this route cost from $4,000 to $8,200. These flights take longer than the ones departing from ORD — between 14 and 21 hours.

If you have a layover at Boston Logan International Airport and John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, you can access Delta Air Lines’ recently opened Delta One Lounges. These luxurious lounges fit up to 121 and 515 passengers respectively, and their attentive staff will ensure that everyone gets excellent service. Fresh, restaurant-quality meals, cocktails and fine wines, spa treatments and massages, shower facilities, and many other services can all be found at these lounges.

If your layover is at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, you can visit its permanent and rotating art exhibits, which are both entertaining and educational. Thus, you can find out about Atlanta’s history from pre-colonial times till the present day at the “A Walk Through Atlanta History” exhibit, visit the Youth Art exhibit where the works of young artists from Georgia are displayed, or walk through the Flight Paths — an installation that makes you feel as if you’re walking through a forest, with its simulated tree canopies and nature sounds.

If your layover is at Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport, you can try out Detroit’s famous beer. Two breweries, Atwater Brewery and Jolly Pumpkin, as well as many of the airport bars, serve local beer, which has been made in the area for nearly 200 years.

If you need to depart to Rome from other cities, you can board a flight from major hubs like John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and San Francisco International Airport.

Travelers flying out of New York can board nonstop flights to Rome operated by ITA Airways. These flights depart from John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), and they may cost between $4,000 and $8,900, depending on how early before the trip you purchase them. ITA Airways also offers connecting flights that depart from both JFK and LGA. These flights take 11 to 12 hours, and they cost between $3,800 and $8,000.

If you decide to travel to Rome from San Francisco, you can choose business-class flights from British Airways. These connecting flights have a layover in London, at Heathrow Airport (LHR). All of the flights depart from San Francisco International Airport (SFO) and they take between 16 and 21 hours. Roundtrip tickets for this route cost from $5,300 to $9,600.
Heathrow is known as one of the world’s best airports for food and drinks. One of the fine dining restaurants you could visit is Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food. It offers dishes with global influences, including an Asian bar where you can see the chefs preparing your food right in front of you, a cocktail bar, and grab&go meal options ideal for travelers who have a shorter layover.

Some things to keep in mind

Ticket prices fluctuate depending on the season, demand, day of the week, and how far in advance you buy them for your trip. We suggest booking your tickets several months in advance if possible because this will help you save money on the trip.

Choosing the Best Airline For Your Trip

Many airlines offer business-class flights from Chicago to Rome, such as United Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss Air Lines, Turkish Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Air Canada, Air France, ITA Airways, Iberia, and British Airways. Out of these airlines, we selected 3 that stand out. United Airlines offers the most flights for this route, Turkish Airlines provides an unforgettable layover experience, and ITA Airways has the lowest prices for Chicago–Rome tickets

United Airlines

• Lounge Access & Perks: United Airlines operates 5 United Clubs at Chicago O’Hare Airport: 2 in Terminal 1, Concourse B; 1 in Terminal 2, Concourse E; 1 in Terminal 2, Concourse F; and 1 in Terminal 1, Concourse C. The first 4 lounges offer the basic amenities that one can expect in a business lounge, such as complimentary food and drinks, high-speed Wi-Fi, and plenty of comfortable seating options. The United Club, which is the newest and best in terms of the experience it offers, is located in Terminal 1, Concourse C, near Gate B6. Spacious and with ample seating, this lounge can fit up to 400 travelers. You can rest in a lounge chair or on the couches, or get some work done at the coworking-style desks. At the buffet, you can enjoy hot and cold meals, which are prepared with seasonal ingredients and served according to the time you visit. During breakfast, for example, you can choose between classics like scrambled eggs, breakfast sandwiches, oatmeal, and a variety of pastries. As for beverages, you can pick between a wide selection of teas, coffee drinks, soft drinks, and filtered water. If you want a stronger drink, the bar offers complimentary beer, wine, and liquor. This United Club lounge also has a wellness room, which was designed for parents who are flying with their little ones and need a private space to feed or change them.
• Seat Type & Cabin Layout: United Airlines uses the Boeing 787 and Boeing 767 for business-class flights on the Chicago–Rome route. The Boeing 787 features a 1-2-1 seat configuration. The single seats have a privacy shield that you can lower to diminish the background noise, while the middle seats have a divider between them that you can also lower or raise. This design ensures that all passengers have privacy and direct aisle access. The Boeing 767 features a different seat configuration, 1-1-1; a good choice for solo travelers. The seats on both planes are fully lie-flat, and they have in-flight entertainment, power outlets, and USB ports.
• Meal & Beverage Service: The meal service on board starts with a drink of your choice, alongside a bowl of nuts. That is followed by an appetizer, a salad, and the main course which you can choose. This first meal gets wrapped up with Polaris’ famed ice cream sundae for which you can choose all of your favorite toppings. You will also be served midnight snacks and a second dining service before arrival. All drinks, alcoholic and nonalcoholic, are free.
• Cost: Business class tickets from Chicago to Rome typically start at $5,900 for nonstop flights and at $4,200 for connecting flights. These prices fluctuate depending on ticket demand, the time of the year and week when you buy them, and the number of seats available. For example, if you wanted to buy last-minute nonstop flights, they could cost as little as $4,100 one day and as much as $13,000 the next day. Last-minute connecting flights may cost from $4,600 to $6,500.
• Frequent Flyer Program: MileagePlus is United Airlines’ frequent flyer program. Travelers who sign up for it earn miles every time they fly with United Airlines. General members accumulate 5 miles per $1 of the ticket’s base cost (taxes not included). If you buy a business-class ticket to Rome that costs $5,000, you will accumulate 25,000 miles. These miles can be used to purchase tickets and other travel services. If you wanted to use your miles for a round-trip business ticket from Chicago to Rome, that would cost at least 200,000 miles.

If you want every part of your trip, from check-in to boarding to flying and everything in between, to be at the highest possible level, United Airlines is perfect for you.

Turkish Airlines

• Lounge Access & Perks: Travelers flying in business class with Turkish Airlines can access United Airlines’ lounges at O’Hare. Most of them offer complimentary drinks and snacks, TVs, and Wi-Fi. If you want to experience a truly premium lounge, you can head to the United Club in Terminal 1, Concourse C, which offers everything that you could wish for in a business lounge: hot and cold meals, conference rooms, shower facilities, working spaces, and much more. By flying with Turkish Airlines, you can also access the LOT Business Class Lounge, which you can find in Terminal 5. Here you can enjoy hot and cold meals from a buffet and refreshments, including alcoholic beverages. The lounge also has shower facilities if you want to freshen up before your flight. Religious travelers can use the prayer room if they wish to. All Turkish Airlines business flights to Rome have a layover at the Istanbul Airport (IST). Here you can access Turkish Airlines’ Business Lounge. This lounge has space for 765 people. It has a variety of comfortable seating areas, including individual cabins if you want a quiet space to nap or work. There's a multimedia room with a wall of televisions for entertainment and a business center outfitted with iMacs. If you’re traveling with children, you can take them to the kids' area where there is a small playground. As for food, here you can find various food stations for both buffet and made-to-order specialties such as pide, gözleme, and baklava. The lounge is open 24 hours a day, so you can visit it no matter when you land in Turkey.
• Seat Type & Cabin Layout: Turkish Airlines uses 2 aircraft models for business-class flights on the Chicago–Rome route: the Boeing 787 and Boeing 777. The Boeing 787 has a 1-2-1 seat configuration, with fully lie-flat seats. Regardless of which seat you choose, you have direct aisle access. The Boeing 777 features a 2-3-2 seat configuration, with seats that are almost fully parallel to the ground. The 2-3-2 layout is perfect if you are traveling with somebody else and want to sit next to each other. The seats on both planes have in-flight entertainment touch screens, live TV, WiFi, and adjustable in-between seat panels you can use for more privacy.
• Meal & Beverage Service: Turkish Airlines aims to offer a dining experience that can be personalized according to your taste and preferences. You can choose your meals and when they will be served to you. You can also request special meals if you are traveling with an infant, or if you have religious or special dietary requirements. The menu includes traditional and international meals prepared with local and seasonal ingredients. You can also enjoy a variety of mocktails and detox beverages, alongside Turkish coffee and tea.
• Cost: Connecting flights on Turkish Airlines from Chicago to Rome cost between $2,700 and $5,500. These prices fluctuate depending on demand, season, and the time you purchase the tickets. For example, buying a ticket to Rome in February for May and June can cost as much as $7,200 because many tourists visit the city during that period. In comparison, if you were to buy a ticket in February for a flight next week, it would cost less: $3,100.
• Frequent Flyer Program: Turkish Airlines' frequent flyer program, Miles&Smiles, allows members to earn miles whenever they fly with the airline or with its partners. These miles can be used to purchase tickets, get cabin upgrades and extra baggage allowance, and other travel services. How many miles you earn depends on whether you’re flying internationally or within Turkey, your cabin class, the flight length, and your membership level. You can always check Turkish Airlines’ miles calculator to see how you can earn and spend your miles. For a business-class ticket from Chicago to Rome, you would earn approximately 13,700 miles. To purchase the same ticket, you would need between 180,000 and 350,000 miles.

If you’re looking for an airline known for outstanding hospitality, high-level service, and award-winning catering, look no further. Turkish Airlines might just be what you need.

ITA Airways

• Lounge Access & Perks: While ITA Airways is still part of the SkyTeam alliance, travelers can access lounges that belong to SkyTeam members, like the Delta Sky Club lounge at O’Hare. It is located in Terminal 5, between gates M11 and M14. This Delta Sky Club is one of the largest of its kind in the world, and visiting it before your flight will surely leave you feeling relaxed and ready to face your day ahead. The lounge has plenty of comfortable seating areas, with some facing the tarmac so you can see the planes arriving and taking off. Here, you can enjoy hot and cold dishes from a buffet, including vegetarian options, snacks, and 2 fully stocked bars. The quiet workspaces and the soundproof phone booths are perfect if you are traveling for work or simply want to make a phone call. The lounge also has 4 large shower suites if you want to freshen up before your flight, fitted with luxury skincare products from Grown Alchemist, towels, and other toiletries.When ITA Airways leaves SkyTeam and joins Star Alliance, business-class travelers will get access to all Star Alliance lounges. At the O’Hare airport, these are the United Club lounges and the LOT Business Class Lounge.
• Seat Type & Cabin Layout: ITA Airways uses only one aircraft model for business-class flights to Rome, the Airbus A330neo. This plane features a 1-2-1 seat configuration, with comfortable, fully lie-flat seats. There is a privacy partition between the middle seats that you can raise for more privacy. All seats have touchscreen in-flight entertainment where you can watch movies, a counter on the side where you can store some of your belongings during the flight, USB-A and USB-C outlets, as well as a power outlet.
• Meal & Beverage Service: ITA Airways provides travelers a traditional Italian menu with gourmet meals such as salted codfish ravioli with creamed black cabbage, and beef shoulder in Arneis wine. The food is accompanied by fine Italian wines, as well as traditional beverages like limoncello and espresso coffee.
• Cost: Currently, ITA Airways offers connecting flights to Rome in partnership with Delta Air Lines. Costs for roundtrip tickets vary between $4,100 and $11,100. ITA Airways plans to start offering nonstop flights in May 2025. Roundtrip tickets for such flights might cost as little as $3,900 if you buy them 4 months in advance and $5,600 for last-minute flights.
• Frequent Flyer Program: Volare is ITA Airways’ loyalty program, and it allows you to collect a minimum of 10 “points” for every 1€ you spend on a flight operated by them or their partner airlines. If you were to purchase a business-class roundtrip ticket to Rome that costs $4,500, or €4,330, you would earn at least 43,300 points. You can use them to purchase tickets, extra luggage, lounge access, and choose your seat for free. To buy a roundtrip ticket to Rome solely with points, you would need a minimum of 290,000 points.

ITA Airways was officially launched in 2021, yet in that short time they have managed to make a name for themselves. In 2024, they won “Best Business Class” at the European Mission Awards, so if you want to experience Italian excellence at an unbeatable price, ITA Airways is the way to go.

Arriving in Rome

Rome has 2 airports: Giovan Battista Pastine International Airport (CIA), known as Ciampino, and Leonardo da Vinci International Airport (FCO), known as Fiumicino.

All business-class flights from Chicago land at Fiumicino.

Once you arrive there, you will be among the first passengers to leave the plane. As a safety and security measure, you will then go through immigration. This usually takes approximately 40 minutes, and it depends on how many planes landed at the same time as yours did. Afterwards, you have to clear security. At the moment, only ITA Airways offers fast-track security at Fiumicino. After it joins Star Alliance, all travelers who fly with other members of the alliance will be able to enjoy fast-track security as well. This priority service has short lines, and thus you can quickly get it out of the way. All that is left is to pick up your luggage from the baggage claim area. This too will take little time, as your bags have priority and are loaded on the carousel first.

Navigating the Arrival Terminals of Leonardo da Vinci International Airport

Most international flights predominantly arrive at Terminal 3 and sometimes at Terminal 1. You will have no issues navigating either terminal since there are handy multilingual signs posted everywhere.

There are also various ATMs there in case you need to withdraw money or exchange currency, which is very convenient. If you need assistance from airport workers, you can approach the closest information desk.

Getting from the Airport to the Center of Rome

The Leonardo da Vinci International Airport is 20 miles away from the center of Rome. We broke down the most popular and convenient means of transportation that will help you get there.

Leonardo Express Train

Travel Time: It takes 32 minutes to reach Rome's center.
Cost: Tickets cost €14 ($14.40) per person.
Frequency: The train leaves every 15 minutes, from 6.40 am to 11.40 pm.
Insider Tip: You can purchase your tickets online through Tiqets to save time.
The Leonardo Express is perfect for travelers who want to get to Termini Station quickly.

Taxis

Travel Time: It takes 30–50 minutes to reach Rome’s center, depending on the traffic.
Cost: The flat rate to central Rome is €55 ($57.00).
Availability: 24/7
Insider Tip: Avoid unofficial taxis, as they may overcharge you. Official taxis are white, and you can get one from the dedicated taxi stand at the airport.
Taxis are great for business travelers who want a quiet, private trip after a long-haul flight.

Uber

Travel Time: It takes approximately 30–50 minutes to reach Rome's center.
Cost: Starting from €69 ($72), depending on the vehicle you choose.
Insider Tip: You can request a car up to 90 days ahead of your trip with Uber Reserve.
Uber is the way to go for travelers who want a continuation of their business-class travel, as all of their vehicles are high-end or luxury models.

Private Transfer

Travel Time: It takes 30–50 minutes to reach Rome's center.
Cost: Starting from €60 ($62), depending on the vehicle you choose.
Insider Tip: To make your trip hassle-free, pre-book your private transfer vehicle on websites that offer such services.
Private transfers are an excellent choice for business travelers on a tight schedule, who want the most carefree, reliable experience possible.

Shuttle Bus

Travel Time: It takes 45–55 minutes to reach Rome’s center.
Cost: Tickets cost €7 ($7,30) per person
Frequency: The shuttle bus departs from the airport every 15-20 minutes, from 7:45 am to 12:40 am.
Insider Tip: The ticket you purchase is valid for the whole day, so even if you miss a bus or your plane arrives later than scheduled, you can still board the bus.
The shuttle bus is a good choice for travelers who don’t want the stress of navigating Rome’s public transportation system by themselves.

Travel Tips for Business Class Fliers

Traveling from Chicago to Rome in business class is a sure way to elevate your trip, and it doesn’t have to come with a sky-high price. Contrary to popular belief, it is possible to have a luxurious flying experience while still staying cost-efficient. Experienced travelers know all the tricks for doing that, and we will share some of them with you

• Choose the best booking window: Ticket prices vary depending on many factors, like how high the demand for tickets to a certain destination is, the time of the year, and even the time of the week when you purchase them, and how far in advance before your trip you book the tickets. We advise purchasing the tickets you need approximately 2 to 4 months before your trip. That is usually when prices will be the lowest.
• Travel during the off-season: You can save up to 20% by traveling to Rome from April to May and September to October. These periods are less popular for tourism, so airlines may offer tickets at lower prices to attract more travelers.
• Choose layover flights: Nonstop flights are fast, but their costs are higher than those of layover flights. If you are ready to add a couple of hours to your trip, opt for a flight with 1 or 2 layovers. That will save you up to 30%.
• Use loyalty programs: Many airlines have loyalty programs that allow enrolled members to earn miles or points. You can accumulate them by flying with an airline or their partners, or by using travel reward credit cards. With these miles, you can purchase business-class tickets, get extra luggage allowance and seat upgrades, and enjoy many other benefits.
• Take advantage of Priceline's express deals: If you are flexible with airlines and departure times, check our Express Deals. With their help, you can save up to 60% on tickets, including business-class ones.
• Purchase a city pass or attraction tickets in advance: Consider purchasing tickets to popular attractions like the Colosseum and Vatican Museums in advance, or getting a Rome city pass that will allow you to visit museums, restaurants, and use the public transport for free.

Final Insights

Traveling in business class is a luxury that you deserve to experience each time you fly. Think of getting priority airport service, lounge access, premium cabins, excellent food, and absolute comfort during your flight — it is totally worth it!

Use the tips we provided to get the best offers — book your tickets in advance and, if possible, travel in the middle of the week, and choose layover flights. It will surely save you money. Airline loyalty programs and credit card rewards that can help you get ticket upgrades and exclusive perks will make your business class experience even better.

If you are planning a trip to Rome and want it to go perfectly, our Priceline experts are always ready to help you with this.