Monarch Scheduled goes Low Cost?

[Chidken Sangwich]

It was announced today that apparently with effect from July all pax will have to pay for all meals and drinks on Monarch Scheduled flights.

Obviously things arent quite the 'happy ship' that certain insiders would have us all believe...

http://www.pprune.org/forums/showthread.php?threadid=124923

If this is true, then it really will be a shame and a worry. I have used the ZB's on many occassion as this is one of the elements that always kept Monarch ahead of the Low Costs! The worrying side is that we are only 7 days into the Summer season, and if things are that drastic that they need to try and save such minimal costs, then maybe things are worse than they seem?

What's going to keep passengers booking on what was once 'the jewel of their business' when EZY offer higher frequencies at the same price - surely not just allocated seating???

Has the 'crown' finally fallen off I wonder...:confused:

[no sponsor]

There is a rather large advert on the London underground (which I saw yesterday) explaining that although they are low cost, pax don't have to pay for their meals. The slogan is 'how low cost should be', or something like that.

[High Wing Drifter]

If Monarch is the same well managed company of the past, then my guess is they are LoCo before they have to! Sounds like a strategic move rather than a tactical one.

[Monde]

Ooh dear - not good news . The best thing MON had - i.e. the ZB's which is/was a GREAT product and which in it's field is unbeatable - and PB chooses to ruin it. At risk of upsetting the moderators and i apologise if i do - is this guy being paid to wreck it a la Air Liberte. ??

[TightSlot]

Here's a link to the Monarch scheduled Menu Page (http://www.flymonarch.com/scheduled/menu/index.asp) giving details of what will be available for purchase.
My parents use ZB quite frequently to/from their Spanish home, and will probably continue to do so. Monarch get them there safely, affordably, usually on time and with a minimum of fuss, but without all the loco aspects of FR/EZ that can make flying so unpleasant. I've found ZB to be a fairly slick operation.

[Say Mach Number]

Tight Slot I work for FR and we also tend to get our passengers there "safely, affordably, usually on time and with minimum fuss". Which aspects are you refering to which make flying FR/EZY "so unpleasant"

Just curious!

Its these throw away comments about LoCo's that p**s me and other FR/EZY off.

Tight Slot - ZB may be "a fairly slick operation" but I can assure you FR IS a slick operation. I work with it every day it has to be or the schedule with 25 min turnrounds would collapse.

Rant over!

[IB4138]

It's no big deal.

All Monarch have done is brought their cabin service in line with Iberia's.

[TightSlot]

Say Mach Number Apologies - my phrasing was obviously a little loose. I wouldn't wish to suggest that FR/EZ or other UK loco's were not safe, affordable on time and lo-fuss. I'm also sure that FR are also very slick. Reading back on my post, I can't immediately see that any of this is what I did suggest, but perception is king. I'm aware that FR in particular take a great deal of stick on some boards and that some of it is unwarranted. It would not be surprising if some FR crew were to become defensive. In this particular instance, you're taking offence at something that was not intended to be offensive.

My specific irritations with LoCo's that you ask about? -

No Seat Allocation
Boarding By Numbers
Baggage Restrictions
The Attitude of Some Staff

In my perception, these irritations are significant enough to make me avoid travelling with FR/EZ - even if I have to pay more to go elsewhere. As a customer, that is my choice - I am clearly in a minority, as is demonstrated by the massive success of FR/EZ. For the time being at least, I will continue with ZB, because I find their product preferable. That doesn't mean your product is poor, just that for this customer at least, I prefer somebody else's.

[mondriver]

Say Mach Number

I think what Tightslot may have been refering to was the fact that Monarch don't treat their passengers like sheep with a mass hearding/scramble to race for a seat when the flight is called at the gate...for one thing. If I had a wife and family, I would prefer it if we all were able to sit together instead of the mass free-for-all.....

Secondly, most of the occasions I have had the "pleasure" of flying with FR, a glance at a safety card that didn't look like it had just been used in the toilet would have been nice.

Thirdly, IMHO, the speed at which I have sat in the rear end and been taxied around, especially arriving into Dublin is certainly verging on the unsafe. Possibility of a catering truck or similar cutting you up, gear stresses through taxiing and increased brake temps for the next sector are just one or two considerations that I think certain FR Captains pay no attention to whilst they are on the gound....maybe just after that on-time bonus I guess....


Do I need to go on...?

[stormin norman]

"safely, affordably, usually on time and with minimum fuss"

Not to good if your in a wheelchair ?

[barbiegirl]

i worked for monarch last year on the zb's. at the end of the season, they started seeing how long things took to do and seeing how they could reduce their costs and services. ie no more hot towels, only 1 tea and coffee, only veg and kosher as special meal requests. we had to record how long it took us to do anything, such as dealing with a pax query, how long it took to get them a pillow that type of thing. the spec meal requests were getting out of hand because people didnt have to pay eg half the flight wanted low fat, no salt, gluten free, kosher, kids etc. it took forever to get these meals sorted out. also the complimentry drinks took forever, i mean can you really drink 4 gand t;s and 2 wines on a 2 hour flight. we spent mre time arguing that it wast a free bar but complimently( sorry i thought they meant the same) monarchs policy is 2 drinks per passenger, but this isnt printed on anything.

if they start to treat their pax like their staff then they wont have any left.

[spud]

Presumably as a frequent flyer with ZB I'll be getting an email soon saying 'For your comfort and convenience and due to customer demand your in flight meal service is cancelled'.
Is the clock ticking on lounge access for Gold Vantage members?

[U/S President]

As I understand their statement, Monarch Scheduled is going to start charging for food and drinks for bookings made after 10 May 2004.

Quite ironic that, at the same time, MyTravelLite has just introduced allocated seating at check-in and the ability to purchase extra legroom seating at check-in. MyTravelLite is also in the process of getting prebookable seating onto their website; is about to introduce a menu of quality prebookable d’lish (http://www.alphadlish.com/meals.html) meals; and apparently there are other service enhancements in the pipeline.

If both airlines continue to follow these trends, they’ll meet in the middle. Who’d have thought that Monarch Scheduled and MyTravelLite could end up with equivalent service levels?

[Say Mach Number]

Tight Slot I cannot disagree with any of the reasons you gave for not flying with FR/EZY as you say its not for everyone and its individual choice.

My rant was more specifically at the use of the word 'safety' which intended or not seems to come up with monotonous regularity when FR is mentioned.

I am a Captain of over 5 years in the company (medals gratefully received) and despite what the perception maybe my experience is that safety has never been allowed to be compromised.

As for mondrivers 'on time bonus' - I WISH!

Cant remember the last time I was late. I would be coining it in.

Just another example of a FR mistruth.

[MANAGP]

In which case then Say Mach Number why does FR taxi their aircraft at uncomfortably and sometimes dangerously high taxi speeds?

[Say Mach Number]

MANAGP can only speak for myself but FR taxi limits are 30kts in a straight line and no more than 10kts in the turn. These are straight out of Boeing.

Had it once at STN where an EZY 737 was in one of the cul-de-sacs and we were taxing on one the main taxiways enroute to the hold for R05. The taxiway from our stands is virtually the full length of the runway in a straight line.

He was to give way to us and taxi out. The cheeky s*d read back the clearance and threw in "after the speeding Ryanair"

A glance at the PFD showed I think about 20kts. Hardly excessive on a straight mile and a half taxi.

Everything is not always at it seems!

Have myself said as an aircraft blurs past on the taxiway- "he aint hanging about" but have said about a lot ofl airlines. As for FR 30kts in the right place is ok by the company.

[barbiegirl]

guys, can we get back on the subject, i you want to discuss ryanair taxi speeds go to a ryanair bashing thread, theres plenty of them.

[lightbluetouchpaper]

I agree with Barbiegirl, the point of this thread is not what RyanAir do (or don’t do). It’s about Monarch.

And the real hand brake turn is their marketing.

One minute their USP is the quality of their full-in flight service – then before this campaign has properly ended, hey ho its time to pay for your sandwiches.

So question:

Is the sudden change down to shortcomings in their marketing department?

- and lets be honest here, the Monarch web site is frankly pretty cheesy. The poster campaign plastered over many of Manchester’s trams “Always better, often cheaper” - is a classic example of damming yourself with feint praise.

Or is it a sign of desperation?,

[Evanelpus]

Having experienced Monarch charter a few years back, I was a little anxious about booking my flights with them again this year. I had no need to worry.

I contacted them back in November to book my tickets from Luton to Malaga for June 2004. A seemless process over the net, in fact the tickets arrived about a week later.

As Mrs Elpus is a nervous flyer and likes everything in place before we get on board, I e-mailed their customer services department to see if I could pre arrange some seats for both flights. Within 20 minutes I received an e-mail back with allocations for both legs, which I think you'll agree is excellent service.

Hopefully, the Monarch Crown experience will be better than the Monarch Charter one, it couldn't be worse...surely!!

[qwertyuiop]

Evanelpus,

Not sure whether this will be a plus or not. On most occasions the crew go to work with no real knowledge of whether they are flying a charter or schedule. They are a very well trained and motivated group. I know many people in all depts and you will not find a more proffesional company!

[barbiegirl]

qwertyuiop

re: ' On most occasions the crew go to work with no real knowledge of whether they are flying a charter or schedule. '

noit true. flight code for scheduled is ZB and for charter it's MON , it states the flight codes on your roster so you know what you will be operating.

[Evanelpus]

Hi BarbirGirl

That's what I would have thought too, but Querty sounded so certain that I didn't query it.

Anyway, I flew on the A300-600 which, to the best of my knowledge, is only used for charter flights. Is this correct?

[colegate]

I do noy know whether the A300 is regularly rostered for sched flights or not. But I came back from AGP on Wednesday on one. The crew were fully aware that it was a sched flight and the service was excellent.

[Bealzebub]

Barbiegirl wrote :

"noit true. flight code for scheduled is ZB and for charter it's MON , it states the flight codes on your roster so you know what you will be operating."

If you worked one season perhaps you were lucky, but in fact it often happens that the flight you will operate is changed while you are driving to work or after you have reported so qwerty was right in that respect and indeed in everything else he said.

The crew operate both types of service to a very high personal standard so it makes precious little difference really.

[spud]

Well, if the title of the thread is accurate, crew soon won't be operating the service to a very high personal standard but to a very basic one.
I've stuck with ZB because of good OTP and good service. If, 'for my comfort and convenience and because of customer demand' or whatever spin is spun it goes no frills, then the choice widens.

[Monde]

Rumour that Avro in turn are stopping doing meals on all their charter flights from the same date! Still, at least it will make the new in-flight product managers job easier!

[spud]

I asked Vantage (frequent flyer club) reservations yesterday about the withdrawal of the service. It seems that a survey was done which justified the decision to withdraw the service.

I can only wonder how on Earth a question was phrased to make a customer express a preference for buying a sandwich over the existing free gin & tonic, bottle of wine, 3 course meal and a coffee.

Maybe they were unlucky and asked a bunch of easyJet employees!

It seems there has been a predictably angry reaction amongst the frequent flyers. Obviously they weren't surveyed - they would have given the wrong answer.

I suspect that in true British style, this withdrawal of substance will be balanced by an increase in gloss (advertising spin).

[XL ONE]

I know it's slightly off the Monarch Scheduled subject, but I was wandering, how many of the other charters now no longer offer meals ? - is it generally up to the airlines, tour operators or a bit of both?