@Maverick : same happend to me years ago, caused us to climb w/o clearance.
However I find italian atc is improving slowly.
FRANKFURT: a pain in the *** ! Germany ATC had massive tendency to get better when they privaticed them some 10 years ago. Nowadays they face the fact, that the management is a complete mess, a formerly sacked Phillips manager is the ceo. The boss of their operations department is a former union pal, who was "forced" to do a 180°, when asked to be a manager.
I donīt want to blow their trumpet, but to stay motivated in that company seems to be a least difficult.
It never happend to me, that a Lufthansa was given priority, just because itīs LH.
[This message has been edited by Airking (edited 22 February 2001).]