i booked a holiday package through travel republic to Turkey, flying out with monarch. i am having a lot of trouble trying to pre book seats on flight. my partner has had knee surgery so all we are requesting in a left hand aisle seat for him and ajoining seat for me. tr requested this through monarch and were told it was only possible at check in. i went on to monach website and couldnt pre book with booking code. rang monarch direct today and was told i could prebook seats (cost £16 x 4 which is fine) they needed my booking ref, which i had, but also name of tour operator, which i did not! i rang tr and explained but they just quoted the previous response from monach - when i explained that i had spoken direct with monach and it was possible but all i needed was name of tour operator they couldnt give me that information, so they have sent further email requesting these seats to monach, on my behalf. i have booked so many holidays and flights either through agents or personally in the past and always prebooked sats, why is this so difficult, and what should my next move be it the same answer comes back from monach. all i needed today was that tour operators name and i could have booked those seats. tr just didnt seem to have that info.
fingers crossed all will be sorted but just wanted to just some advise as to what to do next if it isnt
thanks
jenny c - Surely this information is on your booking confirmation?
You might have a booking reference, but do you have the flight Locater code?
Jenny you won't have a tour operator as such as you have booked a flight only. TR don't book package holidays, just separate elements so in effect you have a flight only booked with Monarch, and accommodation only booked with whichever supplier they booked your accommodation through. TR might have booked your flight through Avro though, so that may be what Monarch are looking for?
booked the flights only, though Alpha Rooms been told to check in early
hopefully will have seats together.
Booked flights to Sharm with Monarch for June and made sure we booked direct
travelling with family and needed 6 seats together,,seats were all booked during
on line booking with no trouble,just make sure to book with Monarch direct and not
though a agent
annx
Thank you so much for your replies and support. I have read and reread booking confirmation print out and apart from all personal details and flight details there is just a reference number and no mention of a tour operator, but thats definately what Monarch want.
I have received email from TR to let me know the request is still in progress, so something may come out of it in next few days..
I usually do book flights separately but we knew the flight and hotel we wanted so it was just a very quick and easy decision to use TR to book it all, and i have no complaints apart from this one very simple, but important request! Its not such a problem at Gatwick where you can check in early, its the other end where you are dependant on transfer to ariport.
Anyway thanks again and i will post the outcome, may help someone else i future if i manage to crack this.
I can't understand why Monarch are insisting on this as you wouldn't have a tour operator if you booked flight only direct with them.
I rang Teletickets and they explained that they have a block booking on the airline and all passengers booking throught them will share the same reference, therefore to give that information out, which is what Monarch are after, breaks the Data Protection Act.
So i have reached the end of the line.
My partner is not very happy with Monarch and intends emailing them, as he thinks the very least they could do is offer to make sure he gets a left hand aisle seat, just as a matter of courtesy now, more than anything.
Me, ive just learnt a big lesson, and will in future book direct as i have done in the past.
Once again, thanks everyone, and learn from my mistake.
jenny c wrote:I rang TR again today and they were very helpful and did their best for me but all they could do in the end was give me the phone number for Teletickets who they purchased the flights through.
I rang Teletickets and they explained that they have a block booking on the airline and all passengers booking throught them will share the same reference, therefore to give that information out, which is what Monarch are after, breaks the Data Protection Act.
So i have reached the end of the line.
My partner is not very happy with Monarch and intends emailing them, as he thinks the very least they could do is offer to make sure he gets a left hand aisle seat, just as a matter of courtesy now, more than anything.
Me, ive just learnt a big lesson, and will in future book direct as i have done in the past.
Once again, thanks everyone, and learn from my mistake.
I'm not sure why he thinks Monarch should do anything out of courtesy. This has nothing to do with them. You chose to book through a third party instead of direct.
Some times when tour operators or big companies 'block book' seats on airlines other than their own (in the case of tour operators) or just in general, the passenger details aren't released to the airline until 1/2 weeks prior to departure. Some also make sure that 'their' passengers are allocated seats together, but can't say where (which may or may not help in your case). Not saying this is what Teletickets would do (as I doubt they have a loyal customer base like tour operators) but you never know. You could try leaving it until a couple of weeks prior, and speak to Monarch again.
I doubt emailing Monarch at this stage will help. They don't have any of your details, or even any idea that you're booked, so can't even put notes in your booking about seating requests.
Even when you book a charter flight direct with Monarch, you can't choose where you sit, only that you sit together. It's only scheduled flights booked direct that you can choose your seat (which aren't guaranteed anyway,as several passengers on our last flight with Monarch found out).
jenny c - cant you book medical seats? that would solve the problem.
denny.53 wrote:jenny c - cant you book medical seats? that would solve the problem.
I thought that as well, but as Monarch have no booking for Jenny yet, I'm not sure they could do it, as that is the reason they can request ordinary seats for them.
Monarch say that to avoid being left with single seats, seat selections of aisle and middle, or window and aisle may be changed prior to check in, so even if they could request the seats in the positions they require, they may still get moved.
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