Cosmos - Monarch Premium - Tour Operators and Travel Agents, Holiday Forums

Cosmos - Monarch Premium

PeteB

2007-02-02 11:56:28

Well yesterday was the day that the tickets arrived. First time to Goa and first time on a package (Cosmos) for many years - and the tickets arrive 3 weeks before departure - all looking good.............except........

Hmm - We are meant to be flying Monarch Premium - no note on ticket.
Hmm - Ticket shows 20Kg baggage allowance - it should be 30Kg.
Hmm - The pamphlet from Cosmos - 'It's all here... in your holiday travel guide', clearly states:

".......You will be charged excess fees if you exceed the amount on your ticket" (Page 7 Luggage).

OK - phone Customer Services then.........

Response - "Don't worry what's on the ticket - you're in Premium and get the extra allowance".

HELP please - is this normal when booking Monarch premium cabin through Cosmos - or is there something I should realise, am I being had?

Advice / comments from someone who has recently had Cosmos / Monarch Premium tickets please...

I am unable to find any reference in any section of the forum regarding this 'feature'

Have tried Cosmos e-mail - shown on the website, but got a message that my e-mail was refused. Tried their fax number several times but it seems to be always 'engaged'.

e-mail address: "Rule imposed mailbox access for Holidaysadmin@cosmos.co.uk refused "

** Update 08:45 - have managed to get a fax through on another number **

I await their response - now almost mid-day

Cheers

Peter

PeteB

2007-02-02 12:49:12

Cosmos - Update

Re. my previous post, a fax does seem to have done the trick.

Cosmos Administration have been very good.

Initially a further telephone call, confirming the Premium seating and 30Kg allowance, folowed up by fax confirmation within about 20 minutes.

Apart from the 'silliness' in issuing standard tickets (which apparently is normal practice), Cosmos customer service have been very prompt and helpful.

Peter

Fiona

2007-02-02 13:19:54

it does indeed seem silly that you pay for premium and have no proof of this on the ticket. You can't have been the only one to query it.

PeteB

2007-02-02 16:46:59

Cosmos / Monarch Premium Seating Ticket 'Feature'

Hate to think what the 'helpful' people at Dabolim would try to 'make' on this one.

Perhaps I shouldn't read forums and frighten myself to death! :roll:

Thanks all

Peter

Prettypollycat

2007-02-07 10:48:12

Hi Peter
On the subject of not having proof of Premium seats when checking in at Dabolim, this may put your mind at rest.

A few years ago, we booked for Goa travelling with First Choice and 3 days before departure, the Travel Agents rang up and said they'd got some Premium seats available at a reduced price.
Wow! £40 each! What a bargain!

At this late stage we had no documentation to prove this, but we turned up at Gatwick, went to the Premium desk and checked in fine.

Coming home, we did the same at Dabolim, and although our tickets didn't say Premium, we had no problem checking in.

Chill out! :lol:

Regards
Polly

PeteB

2007-02-07 20:31:58

Hi Polly

Chill out!

Great advice

Peter

tinac

2007-02-11 18:00:18

Hi Peter

we flew with Monarch a couple of years ago to Kenya - we upgraded which included the 30kg baggage allowance -however when tickets came it only showed the normal baggage allowance etc..

We phoned to confirm etc and were told like you it was something to do with the "basic tickets" only being printed...in fact they were very friendly and helpful

However on arrival at airport there was no problem - there was a dedicated desk for monarch upgrade and everything was fine.

Tina x

PeteB

2007-02-11 19:55:21

Hi tinac and thank you for your update.

My major concern was their holiday travel guide, which accompanied the tickets:

".......You will be charged excess fees if you exceed the amount on your ticket" (Page 7 Luggage).

If this is the latest written information that you have, the T/O can always fall back on it - and overseas airports / staff have, on occasions, been known to be over-zealous in applying charges.

In no way do I imply that my T/O was acting other than in good faith - nevertheless the fact remains that the tickets issued were not what was paid for.

My advice to all would be to get confirmation in writing - or at least by fax. Perhaps if enough people do this then the T/Os may actually issue the correct ticket.

I refer all interested people to http://www.airlinequality.com/Forum/monarch.htm and the posts of M Simmons 26 January 2007 and Jenny Wootton 29 January 2007

Thanks again

Peter

PeteB

2007-03-18 22:02:15

Worst fears realised

Well - despite the fax, confirming the baggage allowance, Monarch tried to charge 5Kg each excess baggage at Gatwick check-in. Worst fears realised!.

Why oh why could Cosmos not issue the correct ticket?

Why oh why couldn't the pedantic 'jobsworth' Monarch check-in assistant realise that all 'premium' seats get 30kg allowance?

Why oh why did we have to get the Monarch supervisor and Cosmos rep involved at Gatwick?

Why oh why, because of Cosmos inefficiency and Monarch stupidity, should my wife and i have to spend 15 minutes arguing the toss and refusing to pay for what was already paid for?

Why or why did our hoiliday have to start like this?

Why will I never fly Monarch long haul again?

Why will I think twice (or even three times) before booking with Cosmos again?

Hmm

Prettypollycat

2007-03-26 17:09:14

Hi Pete
First of all - disregarding all the 'Why's' in your post - did you enjoy your first holiday in Goa?

We had a great time - didn't bump into you at the airport as we were only delayed by about 90 minutes (remember we were flying the day before you?).:lol:

It sounds like you had a really bad experience at check-in, even though you'd done everything you could to guard against it in advance.
Are you going to formally complain to Cosmos or did you do that at the time?
Why did the 'jobsworth' on the check-in desk question your 30kg allowance when you'd got a confirmation fax from Cosmos as per your post on Feb 2nd?

Initially a further telephone call, confirming the Premium seating and 30Kg allowance, folowed up by fax confirmation within about 20 minutes.

Why will I never fly Monarch long haul again?

Why will I think twice (or even three times) before booking with Cosmos again?

I think the answers to these 2 questions are pretty obvious, given your experience. :omg

Polly

PeteB

2007-03-26 20:50:03

Hi Polly,

We had a great time, thank you, despite the best efforts of Monarch and Cosmos. I did my complaining to both Monarch and the Cosmos rep at Gatwick.

I really cannot be bothered to complain in writing - Monarch will lose a couple of passengers in future and we will look for options where Cosmos are concerned.

We only had about 1 hour delay on the outbound leg - seems about par for the course, although there was a Monarch Manchester flight stuck on the tarmac at Dabolim when we left, apparently some 24 hours late!

The next trip is BA scheduled to Spain in May, followed (hopefully) by Singapore Airlines to Bali via Singapore in August so the flights should be better!

I know that we will miss each other in Bali - perhaps one day we will meet up!

Keep sipping the Honeybee!

Peter

tinac

2007-03-26 21:33:47

Hi Pete

So sorry to hear of the upset at the airport - how awful...what a shame as in my earlier thread we had the same concerns but everything went through smoothly when we got there... and my safari bag was certainly over the normal 20kg (we had paid for the upgrade like yourself)

Yes does make you wonder why they couldn't issue the correct details as obviously this is not a "one off" occurance. (we are going back 2 years now since we travelled)

Anyway - glad to here you had a great time when you got there..

Take care

Tina x

PeteB

2007-12-10 08:01:36

Monarch, Goa and Holiday Inn

Well - here we are again

After saying that we would not fly Monarch again, we had trouble getting flights in late Feb / Mar, sooo - Monarch Premium it is. Out on 6th Mar, back on 21st Mar.
:oops:

After the visa fiasco and saying that we were going to give Goa a miss this year, we are off to Goa! :oops:

There must be something that drew us back, could it be the wonderful atmosphere and (largely) the wonderful people.

Only change this year is that we are going to the Holiday Inn - any thoughts re restaurants within striking distance and things to do would be welcome. We are familiar with Betty's place and their river trip, but the Mobor / Cavelossim area is not particularly familiar to us.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks

Peter

Prettypollycat

2007-12-15 09:49:20

Hi Pete
Us too (although not Monarch Premium).
We came back from Goa on 9/12 (3 weeks) and are back out again on 16/2 for 3 weeks so once again we'll not be in the same place at the same time.

Polly

PeteB

2007-12-15 16:45:49

Careful Polly,

If you go for3 weeks on 16 Feb, we could still be at the airport when you return - God forbid! :roll:

(I shouldn't even joke about that one)

Where are you staying?

We are at the Holiday Inn Mobor this year

Peter

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