On the subject I would suggest to read the following articles available on ft.com. They are still available for free:
Cheap fares and Italian practices
Alitalia's wheeze will not wash
CAA confirms previous move over Alitalia
For additional information it is also worth to note that Intesa dei Consumatori, a group formed by the Italian consumer associations Codacons, Adoc, Federconsumatori and Adusbef, has informed that it will call on the relevant administrative court on the subject. In the meantime, they also suggest BA to comply with ENAC's request, but to allow the passangers to use the issued tickets as a voucher for the price difference against future purchases of BA's tickets.
A press release in this respect is available here (sorry, Italian only):
http://www.codacons.it/comunicati.asp?id=5014
ENAC may have a legal basis on the subject thanks to bilateral treaties dating back some 60 years ago
, the truth however is that its effort to help Alitalia to survive will, perhaps, only delay its agony.
