Anyone used Monarch Holidays before?

[MorningGlory]

With a discount I get through my work, it looks like Monarch are going to be the cheapest when we plan to go in May 2012 (based on May 2011 prices).

Has anyone flew with them to Orlando before? We would be flying from Manchester. I assume it's not a 747 and there would be no seat-back entertainment?

Also, has anyone stayed at the Cypress Pointe Resort in LBV? That place is coming up cheaper than most other places, despite the fact it looks really good and gets mostly great reviews Based on 2011 prices, it's coming in at £4,400 for 7 of us (3 adults, 4 children), minus 5% discount, for a 3 bedroom suite and hire of an 8 seater van. Basically it works out around £600pp which will be hard to beat I think....

Anyone any experience of either Monarch, or the resort?

 

[wayneg]

Hi Paul
Not used them for a package but used them twice this year for hotel only.

If you are only being offered 5% I would take your quote to a Travel agents and try your luck, everyone gets 5% at Monarch thru Quidco so possibly get a little more if you tried. Although £600pp sounds a great price.
http://www.quidco.com/search?search=monarch

Cypress Pointe Resort consistantly gets good reviews, I have probably had more PM's asking me to help get a quote for here more than any other hotel/resort.

 

[MorningGlory]

Thanks for the advice Wayne. It is 5% cashback we get through that works website as opposed to a discount, so just the same as quidco. It is still a very good price as you said, although I have nothing to lose by going to a TA and seeing if they will beat the price

The price mystifies me though, because other hotels/resorts that are not even on a par with it come in more expensive on the Monarch site

When do you think they will start taking bookings for 2012?

 

[wayneg]

I don't keep track of Package holiday release dates, I almost always book everything seperately, hopefully someone else will know.

 

[cannp123165]

Hi! We have used Monarch twice, including in September this year. The first time we went with them there were delays on the flights both ways, but this time was perfectly fine. We thought the flights were good this time, although there is no Seat back entertainment. They play movies and TV shows on the big TVs though, which were okay. We booked transfers by coach with them, and this was no problem. Both times we used Tesco vouchers for our trip - we find Monarch to be one of the cheapest companies though.

 

[janiebubble]

I flew Monarch once, in their Premium cabin, and I wouldn't do it again. The flight was delayed significantly which I accept can happen on any airline. What ruined it for me was the cabin crew, they were by far the rudest, inconsiderate crew I've ever flown with. I've avoided them like the plague ever since.

 

[Howellsy]

I had a 26 hour delay two years ago with them (as well as numerous other problems on the eventual flight including no food) and from what I hear they almost always have delays.

 

[wayneg]

They have an average 41min delay just slightly worse than Thomsons at 33mins, 17.3% of their flights are more than 1 hour late.
Doesn't look great but if you look in the 2nd link and compare with Virgin they are only slightly better.
http://www.flightontime.info/charter/charter.html
http://www.flightontime.info/scheduled/scheduled.html

 

[ben1993]

We flew Gatwick to Sandford with Monarch in June, I wouldn't fly with them again tbh unless i found a really cheap deal. There's like 3 screens for everybody to look at in the whole plane, so if you are not in the best seats its pointless even trying to watch, the meals were abit pathetic and you have to pay silly prices for drinks and extra food.

 

[MorningGlory]

I'm not too worried about the seatback entertainment to be honest, we have MP4s, smartphones, DSs, etc that we can use for entertainment. If the difference is £2-300pp (for a part of 7) booking through Monarch, then that is probably the road we will go down.

At least now I know not to have any great expectations

 

[2Tiggies]

I'm not too worried about the seatback entertainment to be honest, we have MP4s, smartphones, DSs, etc that we can use for entertainment. If the difference is £2-300pp (for a part of 7) booking through Monarch, then that is probably the road we will go down.

At least now I know not to have any great expectations

That is a good saving. Hopefully you will be pleasantly surprised and come back to write a good review.

 

[MorningGlory]

For the hotel we have decided on, that has been the approximate saving so far based on May 2011 prices. I can't wait til May 2012 is available to book :

 

[london75]

If you can stomach a gamble, Monarch almost always resorts to last minute deals for the first couple of weeks in May. I've been watching them for a couple of years in case we couldn't get Virgin flights and some dates in May have ended up being £1500 for a family of 4 in premium seats for a fortnight somewhere like Floridays apartments.

Every Friday in May this year had seats available last minute except the half term.

 

[Andy-B]

General Package Holidays for 2012, may start going on sale around June to August 2011, but most operators holding on til around Aug - Sept for their release.

For the past few years operators keep suggesting they are going to stop going on sale to far in advance! Once upon a time traditionally, Opertors would go sale the Autumn prior to the following summer, in recent years this has moved earlier and earlier to August then some instances as early as May/June for the following summer season.
Operators are saying they are wanting to get back to a late summer/Autumn launch for the next summers packages... but we'll see !!!!

Scheduled flights you are looking at 12 months in advance max, but likely to be 11 months prior to departure.

Hope this helps!

Andrew.