Don't have time for airport transit visa! What do i do??

[nobody10]

I need to travel via Italy twice on an overseas trip and as it turns out, I am from one of those special countries where an airport transit visa is required in Italy. I work in the US and will be travelling with an AP. The problem is I don't have the time to get an appointment with the Italian consulate to get an airport transit visa. It's also going to be very expensive to change my flight. Given this, I think these are my options:

1) Try to get a schengen visa (short stay, not transit) from another country whose consulate is more likely to give me a visa before my departure. I may have to show my intention to travel there, but I can always postpone it right? The quesion is, if I have a short-stay schengen visa from another country, will the italian airports let me pass through on transit?

2) Take a chance and land in Italy without a transit visa. Has anyone here had any experience with landing in a Schengen country without an airport transit visa and realizing that it's required? What normally happens? Do they deport you back to your home country? I can't believe I'm going through so much trouble to spend only 4 hours in two different Italian airports! I am not even entering the country!

3) By some miracle, manage to get an earlier appointment or do a walk-in at the Italian consulate and get my visas..

Please advise!!! I really need to travel and cannot afford to change the plane tickets! Thanks a lot.

[txh1b]

1. Schengen visa is valid for all countries for short stay/transit.

https://www.immihelp.com/schengen-visa-for-europe-trip/

I doubt if another Schengen country will issue you the visa without proper documents to prove that you plan on being there.

2. Many airlines will not even issue a boarding pass as they get heavy fines from immigration if they take a passenger to a country which they are not qualified to enter without a visa.

3. Try to talk to the Italian consulate and explain your travel urgency and they might be able to accommodate. Otherwise make changes to your itinerary. That is the only option.