Monarch Airlines Passenger Reviews and Monarch Airlines Customer Trip Reports

Flight out of Gatwick 2nd Nov 2012 for Tenerife (S) due to leave 09.50. Baggage check in - clearly no hurry, Monarch letter handed to us advised flight delayed due to technical problems, ETD 14.15. Given £5 each food vouchers. Updates on screens deceiving. On asking for more info at desk advised further delay until 17.00 given more food vouchers £10 each. Finally boarded/departed 17.30-17.45. A very long and exhausting day. Could have booked 17.00 flight on the Saturday and not wasted all day wandering around Gatwick airport, thought we were just unlucky (these things happen) we now learn it seems Monarch make habit of keeping people waiting. Return flight from Tenerife - same scenario, just different times with slightly shorter delay. (Dep due 14.10 eventually left 19.10 - 12 euros each food vouchers). Rumours circulating at both airports that Monarch have insufficient and unreliable fleet, many being put out of service with major faults. Will not use Monarch again as they clearly have no problem taking customers money but repeatedly fail to provide service.

LGW-ACE. I think Monarch has gone downhill considerably in recent years. They seem eager to join the so called low cost airlines, whereas in recent years they have been the best UK charter airline. The aircraft a A321 seemed scruffy and untidy and Airbus seats seem particularly uncomfortable. Cabin crew nice enough, but seem unsure of their job. Giggling whilst making announcements, unsure of prices etc. Did not have a meal because cost seems too expensive, hardly any room to eat it anyway.

Flew from Manchester to Preveza and return one week later (actually one week and a day due to long delay). Delayed by 5 hours outbound due to "technical problem", delayed 11 hours 55 minutes return journey due to various reasons but again "technical problem" amongst the excuses. In flight meals OK seat comfort poor, cabin crew on return journey unfriendly and snooty. Information about delays non-existent, meal vouchers available but provision of food frankly appalling. In short if travelling with Monarch, do not expect too much, be very patient and think twice.

ZB 655 out of Malaga, 4th Nov 2012. Departure was to be 12.10. Although I had paid for mobile phone update I was not aware of the delays until reaching the airport and checking in. Originally told departure was estimated as 15.45, advised to check in and were given vouchers for 6 euros. After passing through security the estimated departure was changed to 17.00. Received a text message at approx 11.30 telling us departure was 12.10, on time and hope we enjoyed our holiday! At no time were we contacted by any Monarch representative to explain the problem. Given further vouchers for 12 euros for refreshments. The plane left at 20.45, 8.5 hours late. Apart from a half hearted apology from the Captain we were offered nothing in the way of apology.

Manchester to Faro delayed again (07.40 delayed to 18.45) and passengers told it won't be a Monarch plane taking them if indeed the flight does eventually take off! This seems to be happening more and more with Monarch, what's going on with this airline please?

EMA-Malaga and return. Feel cheated that Monarch failed to inform us even at check-in that outward flight would be on a tatty old Small Planet B737. First we knew was when we saw it on the apron. Cabin crew OK, but English not good. Return on Monarch A320 much better. Punctual departures on both legs.

When we arrived at Tenerife airport for our return flight to Gatwick we were told 3.30pm flight delayed until 7.40pm. I checked online and found out the plane coming out to us was not even scheduled to leave Gatwick until at least 5pm so earliest we could leave would be 10pm. Monarch would not comment on this. Flight eventually left Tenerife at 11pm - 7.5 hours late. Fortunately for us we were home in bed by then as on learning of the delay we immediately rebooked 2 standby seats on a Thomas cook flight to Stansted. Our risk to use Monarch again cost us 150 euros for our Thomas cook seats but we have now learnt our lesson and will never fly Monarch again.

Flew into Gatwick from Palma 28th October and was told that due to technical difficulties there would be a 6 hour delay in Palma. The flight went out but it would appear the flight was overbooked and another flight had to provided. Not impressed as when we reached Gatwick there was a further delay as there was no staff to unload the plane, then told they could not get the door open. As a result of this my waiting taxi charged me waiting time. From the reviews this seems to be a common occurrence with no respect or regard for peoples time.

Two hour delay going out Gatwick to Lanzarote, and the day before we flew home they changed the departure time from 18.00 to 19.55 without informing us. The flight actually took off at 20.20 getting us to Gatwick at 5 past midnight. Seats are tiny - I'm 6 foot so not unusually tall and it was impossible to get my knees in so they kept driving the trolley into my leg. The top of the seat was at the top of my shoulders. It was hot and the staff looked totally miserable. Dreadful experience.

We booked to go East Midlands to Palma. A few days before I had an email to say travelling with Air Italy, a small relatively new company. We had the same seats both ways. We were half an hour late leaving. In our seats we noticed repairs, sticky tape and ripped armrests. Unfortunately we were on the same plane home - we recognised the sticky tape! My husband's lunch served at 12.30 was the same as the breakfast served on the way out!

Flight from Majorca to Gatwick on 23 October delayed by 7.5 hours. New plane had to be flown out. Seats in new plane even more crammed - both sideways and forwards than before. Nobody seemed to be keeping local staff informed as to whet was happening. Monarch used to be much better. One mark for landing at the right airport.

This was the first time I had flown on Monarch and felt as if I was travelling in a cattle truck. We had paid to check in our luggage but found that there were people taking cases on board that were equally as big as ours, some were taking two pieces and cramming them into the lockers on top of our hand luggage, jackets and duty free. The flights on both the outward and return journeys were an hour late. In trying to find space for their luggage, they were blocking the aisles making boarding very slow.

Arrived at Gatwick to be told at check in there would be a delay but no further information available was promised that info would be available at 8.10, the original departure time. No further info forthcoming until we chased at the info desk to be told that the flight would be delayed 4 hours (could fly to Palma and back almost in that time) given a £5 voucher and told the carrier was also changed. It really is amazing that Monarch have a business at all. I will never fly Monarch again absolute lack of communication and complete disdain for their customers.

MAN to Sanford return. Check in quick and efficient both ways. Outbound flight on time, return delayed 30 minutes. Plenty leg room in economy, food outbound good, return not so good. Drop down screens not good for small kids as they wont be able to see over seats. Staff excellent, would fly with Monarch again.

Birmingham to Malaga on 15.05, 15/10/2012. Arrived at check in to be told that a substitute airline would be used which filled us with dread after all the recent bad news concerning Monarch flights from Birmingham this summer. This proved to be true as our flight was delayed for over 4 hours for which we were given £5 food vouchers, have you tried to buy a simple meal at an airport for £5. Returning seven days later was an improvement as flight only 1 hour late. Earlier this year had a Monarch flight from Birmingham to Fuertventura moved from Birmingham to Manchester but the return scheduled to return to Birmingham!

Very disappointed to learn that Monarch are now sub letting flights to Small Planet Airways, having recently booked with Monarch only to find at the airport that they had switched the flight to Small Planet Airways, this is ongoing apparently due to a shortage in planes! I would advise steering away from Monarch as this really is poor practice.

Gatwick to Bodrum, October 2012. Paid for extra legroom, very quick and comfortable flight - 3hrs 10min. Return flight delayed 75 mins, good leg room and we will use them again. No IFE but had my laptop so I was entertained.

I have flown Monarch for umpteen years, 3 times a year and love the ease of using their online booking and check in facility. However, I have noticed over the past few years that the seats have become more cramped to the point they are uncomfortable now and also decidedly shabby. Return flight seats are the worst, due, I think, to them adding an extra row in the aircraft. I think this is unreasonable given we are charged for extra leg room. My last flight was only delayed by 50 minutes, but despite booking the seats a year in advance, they were changed and our party was separated.

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