The ZB550/551 from Manchester to Murcia is due to be operated on an A321-200

Hi Darren

any info on aircraft type for Gatwick/Dalaman MON 7964 15/07/09

Cheers.

nick.r61,

Your flight isn't operating yet (it's an additional school holds flight with the look of it) so it's not showing on my system yet, so same probable types as last time.

Darren

any info on aircraft type for Gatwick/Dalaman MON 7964 15/07/09

nick.r61, your flight is due to be operated on an A321-200

Thank you for your reply Party-boy.This is for my son.

partyboy_uk, just wondering whether you've heard anything else about this supposed 'strike'? hasn't been any updated news since may, so do you think it probably wont go ahead?

Thanks!!

I'm afraid I haven't really heard anything else. My feelings about industrial action remain the same. I don't believe it will happen. However, I can only judge by way of the reaction I have experienced personally. The ballot is due to go ahead in July, so we will know more then.

I've a couple of questions about Monarch -

1 - has anything further happened with the threats of industrial action ?

2 - in flight films, are they only on certain routes as I've flown there and back to Cyprus with Monarch several times and only once out of 6 flights was there actually any tv system on !

AskCy,

IFE is only on certain routes / flights depending if you're on a scheduled (ZB) or charter (MON) flight.

Darren

AskCy,

Nothing has happened with regards to threats of industrial action since the ballot has not been held yet. As stated above, this will take place in July. Despite my own views that this won't happen, we should have more information once we know the results of this.

Your flights to Cyprus should indeed have had IFE installed on the respective aircraft flown. Without knowing the circumstances surrounding why this was not shown I can only offer the following explanation:

Monarch do try wherever possible to make sure that aircraft travelling to destinations over 3 hours long (i.e. Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, Canaries, Turkey etc.) are equipped with a fully functionaing IFE system. However, at times, due to operational reasons, this may not always be possible. Only 4 of Monarch's 16 x A321's and 3 of Monarch's A320's do not have a fully functioning IFE system. All other aircraft offer IFE.

Monarch did recently acquire 2 new aircraft from Easyjet (G-OZBT and G-OZBU), formerly the property of GB Airways, which Easyjet took control of. Even though both these aircraft are fitted with a fully functioning IFE system it wasn't until recently that the IFE has been used. The reasons for this are unknown to me, although I do know that it was required for the entertainment shown onboard to be uploaded onto a computer system for it to be able to function, and this is the first type of IFE system of that kind that Monarch have on their A321 fleet. I imgaine it took them a little getting used to before rolling it out properly.

It is in the interests of Monarch to make sure that those flights that should have an IFE system onboard a flight do so since it would otherwise mean a loss in potential revenue to the company. I am sorry to hear that your expectations were not reached on those occasions you travelled with Monarch and would suggest you put this in writing to Monarch, detailing the flights you mention.

Hope this helps
PS. Just to clarify, the criteria for IFE being shown is not dependant on whether it is a scheduled (ZB) or charter (MON) flight but on the length of the flight.

thanks for both replies, it seems we just keep missing out on the inflight for some reason...

This last time on the flight back we had some james bond film playing which is the first time I can remember seeing a tv screen let alone a movie on a Monarch flight. Even then as we were on the very last 2 seats at the back of the plane we couldn't watch it anyway as there was a permenant queue in front of us waiting for the toilet !!

I'm not that bothered about in flight movies to be honest but it does break things up a bit... I'd prefer some extra leg room if given a choice...

Steve

AskCy,

I guess you must have been on one of Monarch's older A321's, G-MARA. This is the only aircraft of that type that I can think of where people standing up to go to the toilet should have interfered with viewing the screens. On this aircraft they are situated in the centre aisle as opposed to being positioned above the centre seat along each side of the aircraft, which is the case on all other A321's.

Extra legroom seats are available to pre-book on all of Monarch's A321's. You can contact Monarch beforehand to book this if you have not booked the seats yourself online, where there is a seat map from which to choose what seats you prefer. Of course, like everything else these days, there is a charge for this. On the LCA flight it is £25 each way. If you have not booked extra legroom seats at the time of booking then it is still possible to pay for these onboard, should they be available.

Just for future reference though, if you do ever end up in seats where your view of the IFE is obscured and there are other seats available, then feel free to ask the cabin crew if you are able to move. I know this is not always possible as there are not always those extra seat available but it's worth a go.

It was actually this plane Airbus A300-600R ? Thats a picture of our actual plane taken while waiting to board and I think the in flight instruction card had "A300-600R" on it (I know I read it on something).

We were on the rear right of the plane where the rows sort of bend out and lose a row of seats about 10 in front of us. We were basically sat back to back with the cabin crew seat which was the serving area etc. The toilets were at our side at the back of the middle aisle. The queue was more or less about 6-10 people for most of the flight, plus people wanting to stand in the aisle and others getting up to pass things about and root in the overheads (wish they would just keep the things at their feet and have done with it).

We didn't have chance to book extra legroom as it was a very last minute booking and was already full on the way back... (we got extra legroom on the way out but the best they could do was those seats which if anything had even less room as the seat wouldn't tip back !) I think (without looking) that our seats were something like 43A and 43B (but I could be wrong)

Cheers

Steve

*edit and this was our food sausage in onion gravy LOL !!

Thats a picture of our actual plane taken while waiting to board

Your picture appears to be an A321-200...

We were on the rear right of the plane where the rows sort of bend out and lose a row of seats about 10 in front of us. We were basically sat back to back with the cabin crew seat which was the serving area etc.

...but that descritpion sounds like an A300-600

The toilets were at our side at the back of the middle aisle

... and that sounds like an A321-200... or even the 767-300

we got extra legroom on the way out but the best they could do was those seats which if anything had even less room as the seat wouldn't tip back !

Are you sure these were extra legroom seats? The only extra legroom seats I can think of that may not recline are those at the back of the A330 at the sides.

I can see from your picture that you flew from Manchester. What dates were your flights and I should be able to see which aircraft you flew on. I am terribly confused.

The picture looks nothing like the A300, they are a lot wider that looks more like a Airbus A321 aircraft.

Also on the A300 its painted flymonarch where as that aircraft has just monarch painted onto it.

To come to a conclusion the aircraft looks too thin to be the A300 looks more like a A321 or B757

AskCy wrote:

It was actually this plane Airbus A300-600R ?

That's an A321-200 as mentioned above; the narrow fuselage and distinctive wing fences gives it away.

Darren

sorry for the bit of confusion... on the way out we obviously flew on that plane (taken at Manchester)... its possible the plane on the way back was different ! doh !!!... and we asked for extra leg room on the way their and then again on the way back, on the way back they didn't have any but for some reason gave us those seats I think because they thought I could turn sideways and spread in to the gap...(which I couldn't as the arm was solid and I couldn't get my legs out under it !)

I can't remember if I took any of the plane on the way home as it was the usually Larnaca crammed and bussed job...

Steve

AskCy,

You will know if you travelled on an A300-600 at all because inside it has 2 aisles and 3 rows of seats and is much bigger.

I can see that all of the flights in April to and from Manchester to Larnaca before April 17 (the date when the comments were made on your photo on Facebook) were on an A321-200. I can also see that 3 of the 5 flights that went to LCA were on one of the new aircraft from GB Airways (via Easyjet) which takes me back to the reason I gave before why you may not have had IFE on one of your flights.

By the way, thank you for the picture of the meal. I think it is useful for people on the forum to see what is available. Any others would be much appreciated and I am sure very useful for some people.

oddly I think thats the only picture of aircraft food I've taken... I've got one of the burger place in the airport... LOL...

On the way back we had the film playing (but couldn't see it) and I've re-read my post again and another confusion !

"The toilets were to our side at the back... "

This doesn't mean they were on the same side of the plane as us and at the back... which is what it reads like...

It means they were to the side of us, so in the middle of the plane !... oops

Steve