It would seem that you cannot book in on-line unless you pre-select a seat & pay for it.
So should my friend who is traveling to the UK soon & who wishes to take any seat (she is not used to the new systems) simply turn up and book in at a desk as she is used to. ?
From reading their FAQ it would seem to be the case, but I told her I will ask those of you who often fly with Monarch to confirm.

We read that Ryan etc will charge a tidy sum to book in at the airport should you fail to print off your boarding pass yourself, indeed their website says this (ish)

Yes, if you don't want to pay extra to choose a seat and check-in online with Monarch, you just go to the check-in desk and get allocated a seat and given your boarding pass there. I did it last weekend.

Thanks Lynn.
Guess she will have to wait until all the pre-bookers have gone on though to see what is left.

no they will have it all on computers who is allocated what seat, they will just allocate her one at check in. easy peasy

I fell for that one when I came back with them last month. It didn't occur to me to not book in online

Of course pwwm I forgot about that.

BTW how did you all find them over the usual Ryan/Easy etc as I will bear this mind for the future if flying.

I flew Monarch a couple of weeks ago,If you wish to book in on line,you are given an aeroplane design picture and you pick any seat that is still available.
If you do not book in on line you use the normal check in procedures,I did and ask if it would be possible to have an aisle seat,within seconds she checked her terminal and replied,it certainly would be sir,which side of the plane would you like,I told her,and her words were 'you got it'.
Only fall back is the time it may take you to book in may be a lot longer than ryanair,but politeness and hospitality,from Monarch so far above Ryanair that the wait is worth it.
Much more enjoyable journey,than Ryanair,would fly with them if they were price comparable to Ryanairs prices,Hold luggage also 5kilo more as well,and boarding is not one mad rush,plane is boarded in sections

My flight from Manchester to Malaga last Sunday was OK (but not boarded in sections, so that must vary at different airports). I too was allocated an aisle seat on request at check-in, albeit that it was right at the back of the plane.

However, I am still hacked off at them because I originally booked to fly the following day (Monday) as they are the only airline which offered an afternoon departure time from Manchester to Malaga. A few weeks ago they e-mailed me to say they had changed the time of my flight to 7.30 am. No way was I prepared to get up at 3.30 am to enable me to get to the airport 2 hours prior to departure, so I ended up having to cut my already short visit even shorter and come back a day earlier when there was still an afternoon flight available. I know other airlines also change their schedules at fairly short notice, but I do wish they wouldn't as it really messes up people's travel plans.

Playamonte

If your friend hasn't travelled with Monarch before, she will need to register her passsport number with them online before she travels, forgot what they call it, sure some one will tell you now though, I am flying into Manchester myself on Sunday night from Malaga, do they usually arrive on time, I normally fly out of Almeria but they have stopped the flights, I am hoping we will get in early, for the train times Lol !

I hope your flight does arrive early, or at least on time. Once (before we moved over here permanently) I was taking the Monarch afternoon flight from Manchester to Malaga and arrived at the airport to find there was a 5 hour delay. This meant that instead of taking the bus from the airport and then from Malaga city centre to my destination (total cost just over 4€) I had to take a taxi instead, which cost over 60€ even then. I asked if they would pay the additional costs which I had no choice but to incur due to their delay, but guess what, the answer was no.

I would dearly like to use another airline if possible, but whilst they continue to be the only one offering afternoon departure times on my route (at least in theory!) I have to grit my teeth and book with them.

API - Advance passenger information.

http://www.monarch.co.uk/faq/flights...er-information

Every year we prebook our flights with Monarch and every year they e-mail us to tell us at least one of our flights has been cancelled and to rearrange! Bizarre way to run a business

I quite agree. Being a glutton for punishment, I've just booked my next return trip from Malaga to Manchester for next June. I've booked to come back on a Sunday, on the afternoon flight, as last time they changed the Monday flight to early morning but left the Sunday flight unchanged. What's the betting I get the usual email a few weeks before departure?

I booked next years flights in September. In November, I received e-mails telling me 2 flights were cancelled. How on earth can they organise flights 12 months in advance and change their minds 6 weeks later?

Surprise, surprise! I booked a return flight with Monarch from Malaga to Manchester on 16 December, and they e-mailed me yesterday to say that they have changed the time of my return flight. AGAIN! At least this time it has only been altered too 1.5 hours earlier so I can still come back in the afternoon.

Why can't this company fix their schedules and stick to them?