December 13 will be the day of reckoning for Alitalia, with the Italian government expected to decide whether the troubled national airline should go to AP Holding or Air France/KLM.

Unions are already angry about both companies' reorganization proposals and they’ve planned a series of strikes for Dec. 14th that will cause flight delays and cancellations throughout the country. If the airline bid goes to Air France, which has been clear about the need for cutbacks, Fridays’ strike will be the first in a long line of protests.

Alitalia Chairman Maurizio Prato supports selling the country’s 49.9% stake to Air France, calling the decision good for the airline and good for the country. Good for business, but we say bad for business travelers.