Monarch Seating policy

[Bumz_Rush]

The latest plan by Monarch is that the front row (row1), on the Airbus 320, is reserved for those with doctors notes.
It is a little surprising, or perhaps not, as this is the only row with more leg room than the rest of the aircraft.
Can I assume by extending the logic that when the 767 replaces the 320 on the Gibraltar, (for example), that the emergency exit rows, (ie with the more leg room), will be reserved for the disabled.

What has happened to the policy of fully able bodied pax in these rows. I have had to "state my fitness state" in the past.

I was also told by the crew recently and confirmed in this forum, that row 1 on the 320 is considered an emergency exit row.....

Thus Vantage Gold Pax will now be rewarded with no seating benefits.

Recently Monarch sent out a circular ( actually I received three!!!!), stating that they were now a ticketless airline, from early December. I received paper tickets yesterday.....Perhaps just a little early on the round out Hoskins....

Any Monarch response please.....

[Rupert S]

...but what's the point in reversing the seats of those who are disabled?

[Bealzebub]

Unfortunetaly I can't lay may hands on an A320 seating plan at the moment, but I will endeavour to do so and answer the point.
However I am not sure what you mean by "The latest plan by Monarch is that the front row (row 1) on the Airbus A320 is reserved for those with doctors notes" ?

The only information usually provided by doctors is a "fitness to fly" letter. This is issued to passengers who may have or have had a condition that may cause themselves or the air carrier to question their fitness or suitability for carriage. These certificates are issued for a variety of reasons and it doesn't always automatically follow that a passenger in possesion of a fitness to fly certificate is "disabled".

There is no "policy" to"reserve" seats or rows for passengers with these certificates or letters. It may of course arise that passengers with certain conditions may be suitably accomodated in specific seats and of course this would be assesed by check in staff and if necessary re-addressed by the crew on board the aircraft. Certain seats on all aircraft types ( it varies from fleet to fleet of course) are classified as "able bodied passenger seats" and as such they should only be allocated to passengers who are asessed as meeting the various criteria. Often it is the case that only the aisle seat in a specific row is designated as such (not the complete row). This is beacause the exit is not directly adjacent to that row, but is located forward of it possibly with a bulkhead / divider / galley etc inbetween the seat row and the exit.

There is no change of policy in this regard. Monarch do not operate the B767. The seating rules as they apply to all fleets are the same as they have always been. Seats by exits and those with extra legroom are always very popular and normally the first to be requested at check in. I am sure that as a valued customer your preferences and requests would always be given a high degree of consideration, but as you know it is never possible to satisfy every seating request on every flight.

As a Captain I can only give you factual answers to the points you raise that are within my field of knowledge. I don't know anything about the "ticketless airline" information you have been sent. This is a commercial / marketing issue that may well have been delayed or was otherwise not possible in your particular circumstances. I am sure if you contact customer services they would be able to give you more information.

I hope that next time you get the seat you want, and that otherwise the flight was up to your expectations.

[Pinkman]

Bealzebub, I'm going to suggest an experiment for you. As a Monarch Captain, you'll have no difficulty carrying this one out.

Take an elderly Monarch A300 (say G-MONR or similar) when on the Apron at LGW. Sit in the window seat of the first row of standard class next to the usual main exit (2L/2R). If you were SLF, you would have paid about £25 extra for this. Lovely isnt it?
Ahh! Stretch out! Savour the extra leg room that you have paid for. Now close the door. The liferaft bulge at the base of the door (the one that says do not sit on this area!!) is now where the legroom should be.

How does that work?

[Boss Raptor]

you get the same prob on Virgin 747-400 economy cabin (except you dont pay extra for it. The seat by the emergency exit/galley door has it's legroom totally eaten up by the door bulge

[Bealzebub]

Pinkman,

It wouldn't really be much of an experiment as I have done it many times before.

The A300-600 isn't all that "elderly" in the grand scheme of things but in any event all 4 of them are configured the same. I am not sure why it has to be on the apron at LGW but ok ? They are a one class aircraft (unlike the A330) but still with you. Can't stretch out as the door is open and it would trip people up. Door closed and bulge in door caused by slideraft bustle partially impinges on ability to completely stretch out. Yes it does, probably better to ask for adjoining seat next time if this is an issue. Even so there is of course extra legroom.

The shape of the door ( as on most aircraft ) is caused by the slide pack in the base of the unit. This slide is a vital piece of the aircraft safety equipment and is used for evacuating the aircraft in an emergency. If the door is opened once armed the slide deploys in a few seconds and enables the aircraft to have demonstrated its certification requirement for a 90 second full scale passenger evacuation. Removing it to provide you with more legroom at this seat location whilst clearly desireable would unfortunetaly be a major safety problem and obviously one that could not be permitted. The reason for the sign saying do not sit on this area is also to prevent damage to the bustle cover and possibly the slide itself which would also be inconvenient.

This does not affect the seats adjacent to the window seats or the middle row so they may be able to provide you with more of what you desire.

Aircraft by their design always have seat locations that are better and worse than others. Sometimes it may be a subjective experience and other times it may be more obvious.

[Bumz_Rush]

I can only repeat the information I was given by Vantage reservations: "Unless you have a doctors note ( I assumed a sick note not a fitness to carry out emergency flight evacuation duties), I can not allocate you row 1....This is a new rule and if you wish to communicate with admin office, (as this was 5pm on a Friday, not much chance before monday), then you are not suitable for row 1 seating.". Row 1 does not contain an emergency exit, only a bulkhead row, with slightly better leg room, but no stretch room.
The video screen can not be viewed from the sharp upward angle required.
Because the ovens are "convector", then the top hot meals are often burnt to a crisp. Not the best beans for breakfast.

The first two or three sets of baggage bins have been filled by the video system and the crews bags, and the peanuts and head phones, so these are not suitable for SLF.

The three sets of information regarding a ticketless airline were sent by sales, and marketing, and from Vantage, plus a spare .....sent from someone in case I lost the first two.

However whilst not Monarchs responsability, when sitting in the lounge in Gibraltar, (the BA/GIBAIR, Lounge), it is impossible to hear any boarding announcements, the staff member on duty is morte interested in the on line dating service on her internet terminal, so only by watching pax walking out on the apron, can one guess that a flight is boarding, perhaps mine, never really certain until I go to the gate.

I have many many flights on Monarch as a passenger, I have several friends as crew, and have had the pleasure of driving the bus sim several times. So I am not Monarch baiting or kicking....honest

So Bealzebub, thank you for your response, much appreciated, I can not tell the difference between 757/767, but I do know the DC3...Hope to see you on a GIB soon....you will recognise me as the smiling face in 1D....with a crew bag tag....

[bealine]

I have a feeling that this issue is being confused with airlines' policy regarding disabled pax. FWIW, this is my interpretation unless someone from Monarch's High Command would care to elaborate!

Ever since Bealine first decided to jack in his sales career and join the aviation industry, bulkhead seating (which usually has a little extra knee space, but less room to stretch out your feet) has always been prioritised for pax with infants (because that's the position the Bassinet/Skycot shelf is situated.)

For a number of years, various groups representing the disabled have lobbied for this seating area to be allocated for their needs firstly, and pax with infants taking second priority. The USA was the first to cave in and now European based airlines are following suit.

It has absolutely nothing to do with Emergency Exit rows - pax should still be fit, able-bodied and, in the case of a Boeing 737 over-wing row, capable of lifting inwards an awkward 45 lbs dead-weight, (23kg), tilting it and throwing it over the wing, whilst in a semi-crouching position with no shoes on (and standing on yer head in a hammock!)

Row 1 on the Airbus is not usually designated an "Emergency Exit" row as the doorways are actually in front of the bulkhead, but would be classed as a "bulkhead" position - ideal for disabled pax!

Having said that, a few weeks ago, we had 40 wheelchair passengers on our British Airways Kingston service - far more than we had bulkhead seating for!

[black diamond]

Seats 1C and 1D [the aisle seats] on the front row of the A320 and A321 are classed as Able Bodied Person seats, in other words people who are fit enough to assist in an emergency situation. Therefore passengers who have doctor's notes probabaly would not fit those criteria and certainly would only be permitted to sit in 1A,B,E,F, leaving the two aisle seats free for those passengers who prefere to sit at the front.

[Bumz_Rush]

Off to GIB ex LTN tomorrow....They have allocated row 2D....requested 1D as usual...(I am 100% fit), as my atpl confirms....lets see what the response is at the ticket desk, and the check in desk, and then on the aircraft......best of two wins.....Fancy a side bet Black Diamond.....