Monarch Airlines > Reviews > Oh NO! I've gotta get on a plane!!

Author's product rating:   

Food Quality	Satisfactory
Customer Service	Outstanding
Punctuality	Good
Space	Fairly Comfortable
Value for Money	Excellent

Advantages:	good staff, good service, very helpful
Disadvantages:	low budget and it shows

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Before I tell you about my recent flight with Monarch, I have to give you some background info........

I used to fly everywhere when I was a kid. I even flew to New York, toured down the country and then flew back from Miami. However, in the mid nineties after an 8 year gap in taking a flight I decided to go to Spain with my mum.

As we were walking down the corridor type walkway to the plane, I started to feel "funny".
When I say funny, I don't mean funny ha-ha, I felt awful.
My heart was pounding, I was sweating all of a sudden, I felt like I could hardly breathe, I felt sick and I had the overwhelming feeling that I had to run, get out, and quick!
I didn't realise then, but I was having a panic-attack.
I managed to get on the plane, and get through the flight, telling my mum in an urgent voice to talk to me," keep me occupied", then telling her to shut up coz I couldn't listen, poor mum, I think it was nearly as bad for her as she couldn't understand why I was freaking out.
Unless you have experienced this, you cannot comprehend how bad it makes you feel.
I couldn't enjoy my holiday, because all I could think of was the flight back - I was dreading it.
And yes, I was just as bad on the way back.
I did the same trip the following year, more as I test than anything. I couldn't understand why it had happened, I love flying and thought I might have been ill, an ear infection or something affecting my balance.
The second trip was just as bad, so bad that I decided that I wouldn't fly anymore and subsequent holidays were always taken by car and ferry, obviously restricting where I went.

Then I started seeing my fella, he is a roadie and goes all over the world with the bands he works for.
He asked me to come over a few times and I told him that I couldn't - I couldn't fly.

It came to this year and on my birthday he would be away - I decided enough was enough. I gave myself a pep-talk and booked a flight to Spain with Monarch airlines (aha - we finally get to the Monarch bit I hear you say!).
I searched for ages on the net to find a flight on the days I needed, I was flying out on a Monday and back on the following Thursday. Monarch were the cheapest flying direct from Manchester, and had a good selection of flights and times to choose from, which was good because I needed to get into Spain and then get a train to where my boyfriends band had their gig.

About a week after I booked it, I nearly cancelled. I realised that I was going to be flying alone and if I started to panic I would have no-one to comfort me and keep me under control.
Instead of cancelling I phoned Monarchs helpline and explained the situation.

The lady that I spoke to was very understanding. She arranged to have me sat at the front of the plane (she gave me the choice and that is what I asked for, she did say that some people feel batter at the back as it seems bigger from back there), she reserved my seat for me and gave me the seat number over the phone, and she also told me to talk to the cabin staff when I boarded and explain the situation. She said that was I had felt on my last flight was quite common, and that the staff were used to dealing with nervous flyers. I felt a lot better after talking to her and didn't feel as stupid as I had.

On the day of the flight I arrived at the airport and managed to stay calm enough to check in by playing music on my iPod. I felt a bit panicky when I got to the gate, but kept telling myself that I was going to be ok. I spoke to the gate people, and they arranged to let me on the plane as one of the first passengers so that I didn't have to go down the corridor to the plane with other people, making it bounce (that is what set off my panic attack the first time).

As I got on the plane, I was greeted by the crew who were all smiling and helpful. I explained my situation and they made me feel very comfortable and at ease. They took me to meet the pilot and see the cockpit and then got me seated. They said to call them immediately if I started feeling bad and they would come straight away.
Surprisingly, they made me feel so at ease that I had very few problems on the flight, a couple of times I felt a little uneasy but I just took a few deep breathes and I was fine. I didn't feel well enough to eat, but I had a couple of drinks which were reasonably priced.

When I got to see my boyfriend he told me that there was space on the crew's bus and I could stay longer if I wanted and see a few more shows.
I phoned Monarch on my mobile and within 5 minutes I had changed my flight from the Thursday to the following Monday. They were very helpful and quick and it only cost me £10.

On the Monday, I went to the Monarch info desk at the airport and collected my new ticket. No fuss or messing about, it took seconds before I was on my way to the check-in desk. Again the check-in staff were great, as were the gate staff, although I felt comfortable enough to board as normal with the rest of the passengers.

On the return journey, I felt calm enough to have a meal. Spiral pasta with roasted vegetables for a starter, beef in mushroom sauce with roast potatoes for main course and chocolate fudge brownie for desert. The cost was £5 and as airline food goes, it was quite good.
The pasta was cooked just right, better than most ready-meals bought from a supermarket, and it was quite tasty.
The beef in mushroom sauce main course was served with roast potatoes, creamed cabbage and carrots and a bread roll with butter. It was surprisingly good and I enjoyed it. It was piping hot, the portions were good and it was all very tasty.
The chocolate brownie was a bit too strong for me; if you are a true chocoholic you will love it.
Also included in the meal is tea or coffee - I had coffee. It wasn't bad but I am a bit of a wimp when it comes to coffee and I like it weak, so this coffee was a bit too strong for me.

The plane itself was reasonable. I was travelling economy so I wasn't expecting a palace, and I wasn't disappointed. The seats were very close together, with little legroom. I am 5ft8 and I was just about comfortable. I would think if you were taller it may be a problem. However, the plane was clean and tidy and the seat itself was comfortable. It is a cheap airline and it wasn't a long flight, you should get up and walk around anyway, as recommended by experts, to reduce the risk of DVT (deep vein thrombosis).

All in all, the Monarch experience was a good one for me. The staff were all wonderful and more than willing to help, the food was above the standard I would expect from an airline (however I may be out of touch with how good they are these days), and there were no unexplained delays.

I would recommend Monarch to anyone, unless you are 7 feet tall and going a long way!

I now feel confident enough to get on a plane, and have in fact flown to Germany since this trip, and I am planning a trip to somewhere further afield......