Flying with Monarch from Manchester to Sanford
We had heard lots of horror stories about Monarch, food bad, delays, old aircraft, bad on board service, etc etc, but when we were pricing up for our annual working holiday at our villa, we were stunned by the increase in not only Virgin prices, but most of the others too.
I am quite broad and if I travel in economy, I either encroach on the person who is unfortunate enough to be sitting next to me space, or I am crunched up for the entire flight, so we fly premium.
Virgin’s premium prices for 5 of us was around £6000. 00, silly money, so after quite a bit of searching on the internet, and crisis talks with my wife, despite the rumours we plumbed for Monarch at around £700. 00 each for premium, just over half price.
The flight times are not good, well certainly not the return flight landing at 4. 15am but the outward flight gets you to Florida around 2pm so you win some you lose some. Anyway, as the day for our outward flight came closer, I was getting more and more wound up.
We went to Manchester the day before the flight and stayed at Bewleys, not a bad hotel and they did two rooms, one with parking for £107. 00.
The day of our outward flight came, flight was called and we boarded, take off was around fifteen minutes late, not to bad at all, we were served breakfast, sausage, egg, beans and bacon which was alright but could have been better, this was followed by drinks, (alcoholic), and free of charge, we had our own seat back screens and the entertainment was up to date. Dinner was then served, two choices and again, it could have been better but it was alright, another drinks trolley free of charge.
We went through a little bit of turbulence and the seat belt lights come on and the cabin crew told to sit in their seats, the turbulence was very small and it impressed me that the flight crew had taken the time to care about our and the cabin crew’s comfort, the seat belt light were on for quite some time and we have flown through worse turbulence with Virgin and they have not even put the seat belt lights on, this impressed me.
About half an hour before we landed, the drinks trolley came round again, that’s three times, we have never had that before and we have flown BA, Virgin, AA, TCD, Continental, Delta etc. In addition, you can stay for more than the normal two weeks associated with most of the cheaper offerings.
There are issues, mainly with the food, but, if you can live with that, I wouldn’t have a problem with flying with them again, in fact, when I get back home, I’m booking again for next year.
We had heard lots of horror stories about Monarch, food bad, delays, old aircraft, bad on board service, etc etc, but when we were pricing up for our annual working holiday at our villa, we were stunned by the increase in not only Virgin prices, but most of the others too.
I am quite broad and if I travel in economy, I either encroach on the person who is unfortunate enough to be sitting next to me space, or I am crunched up for the entire flight, so we fly premium.
Virgin’s premium prices for 5 of us was around £6000. 00, silly money, so after quite a bit of searching on the internet, and crisis talks with my wife, despite the rumours we plumbed for Monarch at around £700. 00 each for premium, just over half price.
The flight times are not good, well certainly not the return flight landing at 4. 15am but the outward flight gets you to Florida around 2pm so you win some you lose some. Anyway, as the day for our outward flight came closer, I was getting more and more wound up.
We went to Manchester the day before the flight and stayed at Bewleys, not a bad hotel and they did two rooms, one with parking for £107. 00.
The day of our outward flight came, flight was called and we boarded, take off was around fifteen minutes late, not to bad at all, we were served breakfast, sausage, egg, beans and bacon which was alright but could have been better, this was followed by drinks, (alcoholic), and free of charge, we had our own seat back screens and the entertainment was up to date. Dinner was then served, two choices and again, it could have been better but it was alright, another drinks trolley free of charge.
We went through a little bit of turbulence and the seat belt lights come on and the cabin crew told to sit in their seats, the turbulence was very small and it impressed me that the flight crew had taken the time to care about our and the cabin crew’s comfort, the seat belt light were on for quite some time and we have flown through worse turbulence with Virgin and they have not even put the seat belt lights on, this impressed me.
About half an hour before we landed, the drinks trolley came round again, that’s three times, we have never had that before and we have flown BA, Virgin, AA, TCD, Continental, Delta etc. In addition, you can stay for more than the normal two weeks associated with most of the cheaper offerings.
There are issues, mainly with the food, but, if you can live with that, I wouldn’t have a problem with flying with them again, in fact, when I get back home, I’m booking again for next year.