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Verified Review | I haven't flown with Monarch for a number of years as I don't tend to travel on package holidays, however, on a recent trip to Rome the airline offered a return ticket price which was substantially cheaper than any competetors which scheduled flight times which were perfect for a short city break (early morning outbound, late evening inbound). The booking process was painless. Their website is easy to navigate and displays fully what you are getting for your fare at every opportunity. After initial booking I opted to download the Monarch app to try and stick to my mantra of being a 21st century traveller (eTix, mobile boarding pass etc). I was slightly disappointed that the app encouraged you to check in early and then made it appear that you could not proceed with booking until you had purchased a seat as I feel that this could mislead many families, particularly those that aren't very tech savvy, however, I understand that this is how low cost airlines operate and therefore I'll put that issue to bed. On arrival at BHX I was disappointed at how the check in desks were organised and operated. My wife had 1x item of hold luggage that she had declared at online check in, however, we still had to wait in the mammoth 6am queue with those that had not yet checked in something that I feel could easily be rectified with a bag drop only desk or 2. Following check in we proceeded through security to airside departures. One thing I was quite surprised by was how early the airline called 'Last Call'. We were directed to the boarding area some 50 minutes before departure and then had to wait in said area or in our allocated seat. What added further insult was the delay we then experienced. With no direction from the cabin crew or flight deck we experienced a 20 minute doors closed delay. Alas, we eventually got on our way and despite everything else I have said in this review so far the flight was actually very pleasant. Leg room is at a premium - something I am not particularly bothered by as this is what you expect with low cost short haul. The seats were comfortable with sufficient recline, the pitch of the recline was such that it didn't chop the knees of the passenger behind which is commendable. Following departure the flight deck crew were informative and managed to recoup some of the time we lost on departure. The cabin crew were pleasant and friendly. They did 1x drinks/food service and 1x duty free service which is more than sufficient for 2 hours. The inflight menu was quite pricey, I only had a non premium gin and tonic, however this still came to 8€, expensive compared to land prices! The meal deal, however, offers good value for money and shouldn't be frowned at. Overall the journey was smooth with a perfectly executed landing. Although the A321 we flew on was ageing (c2007) you still had more comfort and opportunity for a nap than most other low cost airlines I have travelled with. Without the ground issues this would have been a good journey overall.