NickCopeland flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A300-600 (30/01/2012 20:29)

These planes are old, tired and in need of replacement. A300-600 out and back to Malaga. Same aircraft on both legs. The A300-600 is an old plane - no individual passenger air vent and generally old interior.

Seats were ok, but very cramped. This is high density seating, and the E seats are probably best avoided - right in the middle of this twin aisle plane.

Punctuality poor - the plane required a 'maintenance procedure' before departing. Turning out to be a problem with the instruments (PFD and speed tape not working correctly on the captain's side). Monarch engineering fixed this, but with a 2 hour delay. Pretty standard for monarch these days (on these A300s at least).

We were sat near the back and really bad smell of what must have been burning oil or Jet A1 coming through the aircon for 2-3 minutes after engine start on both legs of the journey. C.C said it was normal but lots of visibly anxious passengers.

I think monarch just need to ditch these old planes and offer something that is reliable and more modern. I will fly with EZY in future on their brand new A319s

paulraper flew Monarch Airlines (25/01/2012 00:39)

My wife and i have just tried to book seats on a Monarch flight to Lesvos in May 2012. We have been told it will cost another £32 just for the privilege of sitting next to my wife.

Other airlines let you select specific seats (if available) if you pay about the same extra price, ie front, back, window, aisle but not Monarch, we could be seated anywhere, but we would be together and for that the charge is £8 per person each way.

I would not use Monarch ever again. If the holiday we were after included Monarch we would either change the destination or the travel agents.

I hate being taken for a mug, Monarch probably never read these pages but this is just a warning to anyone else.

ssuddock flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (09/01/2012 14:50)

Flight from Gatwick to Goa 24 DEC on A330 not too bad on the way there, service of the drinks was painful to watch as it was too slow as staff were constantly running out of change,the prices and the size of the cans of soft drink and beer was a joke,but aside from this i got to goa quick and direct which is what i paid for and why i chose them.

The return flight on 8 of jan this is where the nightmare began.

The flight depature on my ticket said 12.00 pm, the gates did not open till 12.00.

We had to get on a bus to get on the plane,which being goa the pack like sardines.When we got to the plane,they were still unloading rubbish from the flight before,so we were left on the bus packed like sardines in hot hot weather my daughter nearly passed out.The bus driver eventually opened the doors,but no one said it was safe and ready to get out to board the plane so we where still stuck on the bus.this lasted about 20 mins,but in hot weather it felt like a long time. Eventually one of the passengers said "sod it lets just get out"so we all got out,but they were still taking out the rubbish.

When i got on the plane i noticed the plane was smaller than usual. Then we got told "this is not the plane you booked its a A300 and also there will be an hour stop over in Kuwait to change over staff and refuel."

I have been on a A300 on short haul flight which is just about ok,but on a long haul,its a joke.

Everyone was thirsty because of being left on the bus in the hot weather,and as usual the service for the drinks was painful, after a while the back if the plane where the toilets are smelled like a sewer, passed on the food because the smell of it put me off.

When we stopped in Kuwait no drinks where offered, it got very hot and stuffy and the smell of the toilets made it worse,we also had the smell of fuel drafting in.

Eventually got back to the uk at 8.15pm not 5.05pm as stated on my ticket,had to drive back to Devon, got home at 2.30am.I am self employed and have to get up 5.30am so because of this i have missed a days work.

Not happy never again,i would rather pay extra money on a scheduled flight with a change of plane,as it would cost the same as you pay over the odds for there inflight drinks etc...

GALANMcLEAN flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A300-600 (21/10/2011 15:02)

Have flown Monarch for 4 Years back and forth to Lanzarote, this one way return flight back to Manchester (My outbound was with JET2) was by far the most uncomfortable and cramped seating ever, together with an old A300 aircraft. However the take off, flight and landing was extremely smooth.

As for the Pre ordered meal "POOR", the on board snacks looked much better. This flight was "Cattle Class" Monarch will lose passengers, because of seating comfort which on Jet2 which was very good.

Trust747 flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A321 (13/10/2011 09:56)

A fairly good flight. Excellent value for money. Not many of the frills you would get from a full-service airline but a good experience when compared to other low-cost carriers.

Pre-ordered breakfast, which arrives in a hybrid box/bag. Generously sized fresh orange juice served with hot breakfast consisting of sausage, scrambled egg, hash browns and beans and a small pot of granola with yoghurt. Adequate but not outstanding.

FRANCESCABARNES flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A300-600 (10/10/2011 09:06)

This was the most horrendous flight I've ever taken, even though I paid for a premium seat it was so narrow, it was like trying to fit a cork into a bottle (age has produced a little spread, but not to that extent) and because I suffer from sciatica in my right thigh, being wedged tight into this cramped tiny space was NOT conducive to a pain free journey.
My flight was short only from ALC....how anyone can contend with medium haul on this aircraft.

UflyRight flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (01/09/2011 20:35)

Well what a flight it was just like being back in 2008 well it was the same aircraft G-SMAN.
The crew were invisible throughout most of the flight.

However unlike in 2008 the hot meal was burnt not frozen and the air conditioning still smokes and the seats i'm sure dont have a 30" seat pitch and they feel smaller than on its sister aircraft G-EOMA.

Also the over head lockers hold less and the overhead TV moniters are smaller and not as clear. Also the cabin and the exterior were dirty.

Despite departing one hour early we arrived on time before but were stuck on the aircraft for 30 min after landing because Monarch didn't have a gate and then when we got one it broke down and they got the stairs up and then removed them because the bridge started to work again this meant waiting on the aircraft for another 30 mins.

However there was only one surprise and that was that the breakfast nice for the first time in years. However the baggage was another problem 2 of the 4 bags were damaged 1 was dirty and the other was broken. Also just like the outbound flight all the products onboured were over priced so buy in the airport.

UflyRight flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (12/08/2011 15:55)

On the outbound flight from Gatwick to Sanford Orlando I was on G-EOMA to youngest of the two Airbus A330-200 operated by Monarch and having traveled on the same route in 2008 I was feeliing positive after seeing lots of good reviews for this aircraft but how wrong was I.

The problem started a check-in the same place I had a problem with them last time exsept this time it was not monarch fault. There was more then 4 parties on boured the aircraft with the same last name the and some how all of us were checked in by the same person who usaly works for Afriqiyah Airways but as they are not curranty operating in or out of Gatwick he was covering on the monarch check in. He did not know what we was doing his customer servis was apauling and when a member of monarch staff offered to help he just blanked her and than after she asked a fuw more times he told here to leave him alone and he dont take orders from femails.

We were at check-in for 1h and 15m trying to get 4 bags checked in. Once this was over we hit our next problem a 2 hour delay because he and other people (who worked for swiss port) got all the baggage tags wrong so the aircraft could not leave monarch could not locat one of our bags and about 20 others. The aircraft then left not knowing what bags were on the aircaft. when we arrived in Sanford Orlando we discuvered that all abags got there and our flight has bags that were meant to go to Faro some of the missing bags monarch fouend and ot promition to put them on the last Virgin Atlantic flight to Orlando but some bags went to Faro.

However the flight was unexpected the food was better and the entertanment was a bit better but they still need to work on it. the seat were more comfortable and had a 30" seat pitch that makes it very cramped. the crew were the same as userwas invisable most of the time but the were kind however the services were a little slow and then there was three miricales: 1) there was no terbulance, 2) the piolet managed to get us there 15 mis early dispite that 2 hour dilay and 3) the hot meal was nice but the breackfast was the same as in 2008 some cheap cornflake and long life milk and ones again i did not see one pereson eat them.

Im going to finish by saying that i would travel to Orlando with monarch but only if the could garontey that they are going to be using G-EOMA on both legs as we reterned home on G-SMAN again and the flight was the compleat opersit and repeat of 2008. the review for this flight will follow shortly.

One more for all monarch flights buy bottels of drinks in the airport as thet are over priced. In gatwick 750ml battle of water 2 for £2.50 on the plan £2.00 for a 250ml bottel. A can of pop £1.10 of the same size cans that ASDA sell for 25p each or 5 for £1.00 thats just a warning.

ijavdun flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A300-600 (07/06/2011 10:18)

I have flown on this type of aircraft many times, but only with Monarch. The seating is very tight...they do pack them in! These planes are now very old indeed and they are showing there age. The service is good as always with Monarch....very BA `ish lots of lipstick and smiles.

davidlloyd flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul) (01/06/2011 13:56)

very good flight to pafos may 15 & 29. flight attendants very good . pre-booked seats on both flights.unfortunately we were not able to sit in the booked seats on return journey. indeed we were sat either side of the aisle. is it worthwhile pre- booking seats? food was good on both flights. we would fly with monarch again.

FlightRadar flew Monarch Airlines Premium (long-haul), on a A330-200 (28/03/2011 07:51)

I see reviews complain of poor seat pitch on the A330s. I am 6ft2 and I had no issues with seat pitch. Great aircraft and staff. As usual Monarch are a great airline, were on time and the prices were keen as ever. Flew from Gatwick to Luxor and back on G-SMAN.

FlightRadar flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A300-600 (28/03/2011 07:44)

I have flown on these venerable old girls on many occasions to Luxor and other destinations. Whilst getting on in years now they are well maintained and above average internally. Good enough space, cracking service and generally a pleasure to fly in... as is Monarch in general.

frequentflyer1969 flew Monarch Airlines Premium (short-haul), on a A321 (25/02/2011 16:53)

Travelled with my family on a Monarch Schedule service from Manchester to Lanzarote. Booking on line was easy - but the price first displayed is not what you pay. As with many budget airlines you have to pay for all the extras - seat selection, food and checked baggage. This added another £400 onto the basic price of the flight. Monarch have a good thing with check in though as the flight is open up to 18 days before departure meaning you dont have to queue and can use the fast baggage drop meanign the wait time at the aiport in minimsed. Upon arrival at check in though we were stung for 'excess' weight in our checked baggage even though we were still well under on our hand luggage. Note to self for future is make use of the hand luggage allowance and reduce the hold luggage weight. Boarding was prompt and the flight left on time. We were travelling on an Airbus A321 with a 2 class interior. Standard travel class and Premium. We opted for the second as I didn't fancy 4 hrs in a seat with only a 29" seat pitch. The Premium seats are located in rows 1-8 on the plane and give you an extra 5" of leg room and are well worth it. The cabin of the aircraft was clean and we sat in seats 2A,B,C & D. Not all flights on Monarch have entertainment but ours did. It is called the 'On Air' system and plays a selection of TV programmes. I found the selection not that suitable for children and the sound quality in my seat was particularly bad. Therefore, we didn't bother watching the TV and played on my ipad instead - making me pleased we hadn't paid the £2.50 that they charge for the headsets. Shrotly after take off we were presented with our meal which we had pre-booked when I booked the flight. This consisted of a hot breakfast, muffin, fruit and a drink. The meals when pre-booked are £6.50 per leg but are actually quite decent when you consider the preice of food in the airport terminal. The cabin crew were quite pleasant and catered to the needs of the customers well. Our flight arrived into Lanzarote 25mins early and the landing was excellent. The return journey was very similar though the TV entertainment was alittle better than the outbound flight. All in all - the service offered by Monarch isn't bad. The 'scheduled' service sits somewhere between the budget airlines and the mainstream airlines. I have booked to travel with them again - so it must be OK.

schumachergirl1956 flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A300-600 (18/02/2011 22:16)

I am a happy jetsetter, i have travelling all over europe before i got married, places like Tenerife, Tangiers, Romania, and on every airplane i have travelled with has been a lovely expirence and the airhostesses have been marvellous. I am now introducing my husband on aircraft flights and it was his first time last summer in 2010 and he loved it, we always try to get the wing area so that we can see what is going on, on the ground, i have to say i have never been air sick i would rather travel by air than by boat.I get so excited when i am in my seat on the airplane as i am waiting patiently waiting for the plane to taxi down the runway and take off i look forward to that. If i was a bit more richer i wouldn't mind going on a airplane every day of the week. I would recommend anyone to try flying its ao thrilling and magical expirence you never forget.

Chocksaway flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a B757-200 (05/11/2010 17:09)

Monarch's 757s are very old and have overhead TV screens that are difficult to see. Six hours on this plane, with its very cramped seating, is more than enough, but bearable if you're not too tall. If you are, opt for a premium seat which do offer lots of space.

The crew on the flight to the Gambia were very good, but then they get to stay in the country for four nights, so they were bound to be in a good mood.

As this was a charter flight, there was food provided. A cardboard lunchbox contained a hot dish, bread, cheese and biscuits, desert and fruit which was quite okay. The problem due to the cramped space, was finding enough room to fit all the things on the tiny tray.

Overall, not as grim as it could have been and no worse than any other charter airline, which is your only way of getting to this country. Take a book, get out of your seat as often as you can and be prepared to pay for most things outside of the meal service, such as bottles of water.

SteveHadley flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A321 (01/11/2010 12:46)

brendanODonovan flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A321 (12/09/2010 20:58)

went to Faro ex cork on a monarch A321 aircraft on a package holiday . It was the worst flight i was ever been on in both directions! i am 6 foot 2 inches i could not fit in the seat due to the leg room being so tiny. could not lower dinnear tray and could not open out a paper. plane was very old and it showed inside. departure was 3 hours late leaving Cork. No excuse or compensation like a meal offered. On the Return journey we landed much to fast at Cork and Plane allmost overshot Runway. Fire Crew were out on Runway on our exiting plane.Very frightening experience. Captain told us on leaving that Andy the 1st officer would be flying the plane to Cork? Proberbly did the landing too!! The drinks/foods are a rip off on board/two small mixer cans of pepsi was 3euro 50 cent!Never again Monarch!! would take Ryanair any day over them and that doesent say much!!

camholgate flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a A321 (24/08/2010 09:52)

Recently flew BHX-TFS with Monarch.

Outbound journey was on time, the plane inside was clean, however the interior doesn't look appealing at the best of times. The service was good, but the cabin crew seemed somewhat rude and not interested in passenger needs. The legroom, in the standard class, is quite abismal! I'm 14, and 5'8, and my knees were touching the seat in front! For a 4 hour flight, it was uncomftable! No entertainment was showed either, which for a scheduled flight of its length, should be compulsary.

The return journey was a nightmare to say the least. The aircraft that we flew on had a technical fault in Birmingham prior to departure, and therefore was 4 hours,30 mins. late departing birmingham. By the time it reached us in tenerife, all the passengers were tired, as it was 1am, 4 hours past our scheduled departure time! We managed to get extra legroom seats, which if you are to travel with Monarch, is a must! The service inbound was much better; the cabin crew were great despite the time of the night, and were not one bit rude. It was somewhat of a mystery however, although the saftey briefing was shown on TV screens, no IFE boxes or entertainment was shown during the flight.

Overall, a decent experience flying Monarch airlines, however the legroom is abismal and the crews need to seem more interested doing their job!

gillian299 flew Monarch Airlines (18/08/2010 15:43)

My first flight was in July 2010 with monarch airlines.....the hostesses were very polite and helpful especially for us disabled folk,the captain kept us informed during our flight regarding weather places and delays..the whole experience was better than what I thought,so I have booked up again with them...

NeilSmith flew Monarch Airlines Economy (short haul), on a B757-200 (01/08/2010 13:41)

My partner and I flew on MON1875 from Lesbos to Manchester on Monarch's Boeing 757-200. Despite being 22 years old (G-MONK), this is my favourite aircraft in the Monarch fleet - it's a pity that Boeing's answer to demise of the 757 is merely a stretched version of the super-inferior 737 and the Airbus just doesn't do it for me.

Anyway, to my review. Boarding was 15 minutes late due to the aircraft not being able to get on stand due to previous aircraft. Lesbos airport is very small for jet aircraft.

Our flight was a full blown charter by Thomas Cook so seats were not available through Monarch's web site and nor were ancillary items - we booked the in flight meal through TC when booking our holiday but did manage to book another ancillary that's a real clincher when flying Monarch and that is 'extra legroom seats'. Boy was it worth it! As this was a charter the seat plan had been assembled by Monarch before check in even opened and we were given seats 10 B/C - these the are first row behind the main boarding/exit door so had unlimited legroom - there's also no 'A' seat so as a couple, they were ideal seats. Monarch do have 40+ legroom seats on the 757 and looking at some of the non exit located seats, they too were generous. The cost for this was just £62 for the two of us, return. Now, what would my opinion be of Monarch if we hadn't selected extra legroom seats? Well, to be frank, I'd be fuming. Looking at the misery on the faces of those sat in 29" pitch I felt like a King. Seat pitch in standard seats on Monarch is, let's be honest, appalling - it has to be right down there with Thomas Cook Airlines. Then again, First Choice's 757 pitch is also very tight. This is where easyJet and Ryanair win - I never feel crammed in on their aircraft.

The meal was ok - sausage mash with peas. Sadly the meals are now just handed out in naff looking cardboard boxes without any imagination in terms of presentation. Still, flavour was good and the food was piping hot. You don't get any free drinks on Monarch so we bought a fun size Tomato Juice and Lemonade which came to two pounds sterling.

The staff were very cheerful and I didn't see them sat around talking at any point, they really were taking care of customers.

Overall, take it from someone who has flown many many times, never, ever, fly in Monarch's standard seats - they are gruesome. Pay for extra legroom and you'll have just as nice a flight as we did.

NELSONIS1 flew Monarch Airlines (24/04/2010 15:35)

I fly 4 or 5 times a year to Lanzarote mostly with Monarch, which is the best of the bunch. Last Flight Jan -10.

Birdcontroller flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A320-200 (08/04/2010 14:35)

Flight was part of a Cosmos package to the island of Gan in Maldives. Never, never again will my partner and myself fly Monarch. Tiny seats, nil legroom, indifferent cabin crew, industrial slop as hot meals, poor entertainment package and overpushed and overpriced drinks/snacks. I've flown with the military and worldwide with many airlines and private operators for over 40 years, yet this was the worst flying experience I've ever encountered and I've even been involved in aircraft accidents!!!!!! It was so bad my partner was reduced to tears on the return leg because of the appalling experience. Yet, the Cosmos package itself and their staff/representative was the BEST holiday experience we've ever had - they went the 'extra mile' to make our special break so very memorable. If we use them again we WILL NOT fly Monarch............

BarrySmith flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (21/02/2010 09:11)

Monarch seat pitch is questionable and next time I fly with them I am going to measure the distance between the seats. Its impossible to open a newspaper (which they used to give out free) and many passengers complain that they have difficulty lowering the table tray as there is so little room. No shortage of space as many budget flights have a low seat occupancy so more room is available but of course if they made you more comfortable theywouldnt sell the extra leg room seats. On the other hand you may be persuaded to fly with them again.

Christabelle flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (16/02/2010 18:47)

We have flown on many scheduled airlines and were impressed with the level of service on a recent Monarch flight to Eygpt, February 2010. The crew were very polite, courteous and customer focussed. This was wonderfully refreshing and it did not feel like a Charter flight.

We recently flew Upper Class from LAX and I have to say the Monarch attention to detail came very close to our transatlantic experience. Choice between fixing their lippy or helping a passenger? no contest for the Monarch team - they were on automatic pilot to assist in anyway they could. Although we had an issue with the extra legroom seats 31E and 31D. Senior crew made an announcement asking passengers to respect those who had paid for a exit seats. This was unfortunately in vain. Next they went out of their way to find us alternative seats, and this was without asking. The alternative seats were cramped but this is an issue I will take up with the airline seperately.

For the first time in my aeronautical travelling, the meal looked good, was edible, tasty and delicious! Well done Monarch - I am suprised to say I want to fly with you again - a fabulous icing on the cake to a wonderful holiday to celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary.

Inbound flight 11 February 2010 17h30 - please pass on our thanks to the crew

matthewlovesplanes flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (10/11/2009 19:32)

davidstyles flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (08/10/2009 15:52)

rbanksy23 flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A300-600 (02/10/2009 08:33)

Prompt on time service, plenty of check in staff at Gatwick. Good price, average on board service.

UflyRight flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A320-200 (13/09/2009 15:51)

I have been on the Monarch Airlines Airbis A320-200 twice now and the crew were nice both times however they claim there is a 28" seatpich but it feels like is not any seatpitch as there is no room between the seats onboard.

UflyRight flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A330-200 (13/09/2009 12:52)

Me and my family went from Gatwick to Sanford and back.

We only flew back on the Airbus A330-200 on the return trip because it was broken on the way out so we were put on a old Omni Air DC-10-30 which turned out to be the best flight of the two.

On the A330 there is a cramped 3-3-3 configuraton and only a 30" seatpitch which is the smallest seatpitch operated by any airline on long haul routes in the UK. Despite it only 9 years old it still had the origonal seats in it and the wools were peeling away. The plane was mistreated and over used.

The crew were terrible and most rude, also you only get 3 over priced mini drinks, tea and coffee still seved with meils. The dinner was stone cold and the breakfast contaned a carton of long life milk, a boil of cheap corn flakes (not Kellogg's), a yoghurt nutrogran bar and a very dry mini muffin. Most people on the flight did not eat for 8h30m.

They did not have half the items for sale they advertise. The entertanment was terrible there were about 12-14 TV's in economy scatterd down the centreof the plane showing lots of moves and TV shows no one has ever seen or heard of. THERE ARE NO SEATBACK TV'S IN ECONOMY!

When we arived in Gatwick we found out that most of the bags had been sent to Cardiff we were lucky our bags were in Gatwick.

To sum up they were unconfortable, boring, had bad food and rude. I would not send any one with Monarch even if they were one of the cheapest. I would pay a tiny bit more and go with someone half decent next time.

They were the worst airline I have ever been with in my life.

djeacock flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A300-600 (11/07/2009 20:23)

London Gatwick to Dalaman, Turkey. Check in and boarding handled by SwissPort. The check in was as you would expect: moody staff, bad manners, etc. The south terminal at Gatwick has been modernised and has a good range of restaurants and shops. Boarding was normal, the seats onboard this aircraft are small, we firstly stat in two 4 then row 19 and the pitch is very small. The breakfast service was quick and the food half decent. There was a good range of duty free onboard.

FQTRAVE flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A300-600 (06/07/2009 19:40)

Do not recomend this aircraft. A rather tired looking aircraft with narrow seats. The exterior as well as the interior shows the age of this A300. Flew from Manchester to Palma de Mallorca and back, and it felt like one of the longest flights I've been on although its was a couple of hours. A noisy and vibrating flight!? both ways. Aircon (only operated by the cockpit) did not work on ground, so before take off in Palma it must have been +40 C inside. And as we did our emergency landing in Manchester with most of the citys fire & rescue brigade escorting our flight as far from the terminal as possible, I did think the aircraft had shown its true age.

brianshepherd flew Monarch Airlines Economy (long-haul), on a A300-600 (30/06/2009 07:19)

Awful awful airline, flew in this to Kenya with a stop over in Egypt. Very cramped and the rear door underwent fixes at Gatwick. Avoid this type and airline at all costs