Monarch Airlines

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.

Gatwick to Venice and back for a weekend break. On time nice plane polite staff what more do you need.

4 hr delay from Malaga to Birmingham second time in as many months had this trouble. Will not be booking Monarch again. Could not move in seat so squashed and felt like person in front was on my lap. Get your act together Monarch you used to be reliable!

LGW-MXP Sep. 10th. A321 aircraft not very new but comfortable. Easy boarding and fast check-in. No food onboard unless paid but the fares are acceptable. It was my first time with ZB and I really enjoyed it and I found the overall service better than BA and U2. It's a pity that they'll discontinue their flight from MXP. I would definitely fly again.

UK to Turkey. Outward delayed 2 hours then delayed further as cabin door would not close meaning arrival at destination near midnight. Seat was awful with metal bar pushing into back. Return flight delayed 2.5 hours arrived UK after midnight and incurred extra parking charges. Seating very cramped and I was bumped into every time one particular steward passed by. Seated away from my partner. In all a nightmarish experience.

Booked flight and seats well in advance East Midlands to Malaga Sept 25th returned Oct 8th and wasn't informed that we were not flying with Monarch - only found out we were flying with Small Planet when boarding. Seats booked online 1A/B as my wife is disabled. We were asked to move by a Serviceair staff member with apologies as we should be able-bodied to use those seats moved to second row E And F. Seat adjuster broken no change when we returned. Looked forward to flying on as Monarch aircraft ended disappointed.

We flew from East Midlands to Alicante on a Small Planet Airlines 737-300 on 11th October 2012. The aircraft was nearly 24 years old and still carried the Norwegian red nose livery. The drop down tables were so worn that when I put my drink down it ended up in my lap as it was at about 20 degrees out of level. The aircraft was very tired and the cabin was somewhat distressed. The toilets had certainly been well used and not that well cared for. The crew and cabin staff were all Lithuanian and struggled to understand what a gin and tonic was. The crew announcements were faint and inaudible. When I book with Monarch I want to fly with Monarch. Not a good experience!