We were really having trouble figuring out how to get to and from Sicily from the mainland of Italy because so many reviews were terrible. We just took a leap of faith and booked an Alitalia flight and it was fine. It was just like any other airline. No surprises, reasonable price, perfectly nice service. The plane left about a half hour late but that can occur on any airline. Really there was nothing to be concerned with. I imagine a bad experience brings out the bad reviews, but this was a very good way to get between Rome and Catania.