Nigeljay

I've flown with Monarch from Manchester to Alicante on average around eight return trips a year for the last five years and they have never changed the flight time ( it was delayed once due to technical problems). Maybe it's a Malaga airport problem rather than wholly a Monarch problem.

Countryboy1

Flew out at Christmas to the UK with Monarch and back with Ryanair. The difference between the two in standards is very marked. I will never travel with Ryanair again. The scramble to get on board was akin to being caught up in the New Year sales! Absolute chaos.
A few rows in front of us, a young eastern-european couple were on the same row and each in aisle seats. For most of the journey they were sat with their legs out into the aisle facing one other, each of them with one earpiece from the same set of headphones in their ears listening to music from an ipod. No member of crew spoke to them about this and only asked them to move their feet when the trolleys had to pass. They could not have had their seat belts fastened at any stage and no crew checked on them or any other passengers' belts.
By the end of the flight the male was totally drunk and shouting. As we came in to land he left his seat on several occasions and began opening the overhead lockers. As we left the plane the unfortunate people who had been seated next to him told us that he had been swigging from a bottle of vodka throughout the flight.
At one point, the sandwich trolley was next to me and the 'stewardess' who had a mouth as loud as a fog-horn shouted back to the galley at the top of her voice "Any cheese sarnies, cheese butties back there?".
I understand the reasons for being economical these days with personal finances but I'm at a loss why anyone would choose this airline and pay to be treated like cattle.
Before anyone asks, the flights were chosen and paid for by my daughter as a present!

Mitzyboy

Well, I travel with Ryanair quite regularly and have never experienced anything like that. Peoples expectations and experiences are different, and if you stick to the rules with Ryanair there is normally nothing to complain about.

Lynn R

I fly from Malaga to other places, with a variety of airlines, at least three times a year and have never experienced the kind of problems which affect the Monarch flights EVERY time I book them, so that leads me to believe it's not Malaga airport which is at fault.

Nigeljay

Well I didn't express it very well. I don't mean Malaga airport per se but rather some aspect of Monarch at Malaga.

VFR

Well my friend is back now.
Going out was very smooth and easy from the new terminal at Alicante, no queue at the desk, no check on the size of her carry on (I did measure it was correct though) and she enjoyed the experience.

Coming back was stressful she said from Gatwick as the plane was full this time & as all the passengers had a carry on case this caused a little delay as they had to move quite a few to the hold.
Apparently the pilot even said that this issue of carry ons will be tackled in the new year as it often causes a delay but what the outcome will be he did not know.

My guess is that they will make a charge in the future to take a carry on case into the cabin as the amount of overhead lockers are a good deal less than the amount of seats available as the planes were never designed to accommodate this amount of luggage in the first place should the plane be full.

A mate used Ryan before Xmas and on the way back had to put his case on the floor with his feet perched on top for the whole journey back, he was not pleased of course seeing as he is also a tall lad with a dodgy back.

Oh well time will tell ?

Mitzyboy

I'm really not surprised because on both Monarch and Ryanair I have seen problems with the size and amount of carry on cases. But then its a problem of their own making because if the charge people such high prices for putting a case in the hold then people will try to put all they can in the hand baggage.

Once one starts to charge for cabin baggage (which imho will be a ridiculous move) then they all will. Will people be charged then for a handbag then? Perhaps we should then take them to a tribunal for sexism!!!!

Countryboy1

It's perhaps always mistake to reminisce about 'the old days', in this case however I'm only talking about 10 years or so with Monarch, but here goes.
Boarding you would be met by crew members giving out complimentary newspapers and magazines. Once seated you were given a menu card outlining the choice of meals available (again complimentary), 3 courses plus cheese & biscuits plus coffee or tea. Then the drinks trolley offering complimentary drinks including choices of wine with a choice of free nibbles.
Free headphones were also distributed for the in-flight entertainment.
After the food had been consumed, you were then offered more tea or coffee if required.
All very relaxed and civilised.
What a disaster it was IMO when airlines began having to compete in a race to the bottom with newer carriers, encouraging on board the new type of traveller who willingly spends more on alcohol in the airport bar and on the plane than the ticket price and 20 times the cost of the fare on his/her new tracksuit and trainers.
Of course all these 'free' things were not free at all, but paid for in the ticket price, but I don't recall people generally complaining that air-fairs were too expensive. It was only when the 'cattle russlers' entered with bucket price fares that the lowest price became the only yardstick.

Domino

so what you are saying is that the airlines came down to the "sub-standard" of the railways ??
which when you think about it, even the departure lounges arent much better than a major rail terminus........

SpanishAngel

I remember those days as well but whilst everything might have seemed 'complimentary' we were paying for it all in the flight price. My first ever flight to Alicante from the UK was nearly £200 return and that was 15 years ago. For a 2 hour flight what do you want other than to arrive in one piece and on time? Do I really want a 3 course meal, cheese and wine at 3 o'clock in the afternoon and have to bolt it down to get the duty free service completed before landing?

jojojojojo

Budget airlines are great - a bus service, which is all you need when flying two hours from Gatwick to Spain. My flight to and from Malaga are less than half the price of a return trainfare from London to Newcastle!!

Jo xxx

johnnyone

You are not comparing like with like.
You can get a return to Newcastle for around £35 if you book a month in advance.

Domino

ISTR people complaining because they didnt get their "complimentary" because the plane was late and not loaded during turn round.

However, at least you knew that was all it was going to cost you rather than ending up paying more for "extras" than the flight as with RyanAir.

jojojojojo

So it costs a pound less than my flight from Gatwick to Malaga a month in advance then - In fact I could have got it cheaper but had to pick my times!!!

Anyway, I'm not knocking flights and fortunately I dont use trains in the UK

Jo xxxx

SpanishAngel

How many more times?

All the extra charges are clearly shown on Ryanair, Easyjet, Monarch, Jet2, BMIBaby websites etc etc during the booking process. They ain't hidden. If you don't want to pay the onboard prices for drinks and snacks then take your own or go without.