Sicily rarely appears on the nonstop map from South Florida, which is precisely why the routing strategy matters more than the destination itself. There is no direct service between these two airports, so business class from West Palm Beach to Palermo requires a transatlantic connection through a major European or Northeast US gateway — typically New York-JFK or Atlanta on Delta, Rome on ITA Airways (AZ), or Frankfurt/Munich on Lufthansa. In practice, I've found the most reliable itinerary pairs a Delta domestic hop from PBI to JFK with Delta One's suite product across the Atlantic into Rome, then a short ITA Airways connection down to Palermo — total elapsed time hovering around 11 hours of actual flying once you strip out the connection window.
Each carrier brings something distinct. Delta One suites, now widespread across their 767 and A330/A350 fleet on JFK–Rome routings, offer sliding privacy doors and Westin bedding that make the long leg genuinely restful. ITA Airways, Alitalia's successor, flies A330s with fully lie-flat business seats on the Rome-JFK corridor and handles the Rome–Palermo puddle jumper with a standard narrowbody Business cabin — don't expect much beyond a blocked middle seat and proper catering there, so treat that segment as a formality rather than a splurge. Lufthansa routes through Frankfurt or Munich, and if your itinerary lands you on their newer Allegris-configured aircraft, it's worth the extra connection for the suite doors and adjustable seat privacy panels, though Allegris rollout is still limited, so confirm equipment before booking.
My insider tip: build in a 2.5-3 hour connection in Rome rather than the minimum legal layover — Fiumicino's non-Schengen to Schengen transfer for connecting passengers coming from JFK can be slow, and missing the Palermo hop means waiting for the next flight, sometimes hours later. Aim for April, May, September, or October, when Sicily's shoulder-season light is gorgeous and transatlantic business fares soften noticeably before summer demand spikes. Given how much these fares fluctuate week to week across three very different alliances, setting up automated fare alerts for this specific city pair is the smartest way to catch a genuine opening.
