Monarch Airlines (also known just as Monarch) was formed in 1967 and operates out of Luton Airport. It services around 43 destinations, mostly around the Mediterranean, and flew over seven million passengers in 2014. It employs around 3,000 aviation professionals and focuses on short-haul leisure routes using a low-cost model that offers additional services to passengers for a fee.

Please note, this airline is no longer in operation.

What are Monarch Airlines check-in options?

Mobile boarding passes & priority boarding
Priority boarding
Flying with children
Seating for babies and children
Unaccompanied children
Flying while pregnant
Senior fares
Group bookings
Disabled access & medical equipment
Pets & guide dogs

Mobile boarding passes & priority boarding

For all Monarch destinations, you can check in before you arrive at the airport through the Monarch App for iPhone and Android or online in using this portal by entering your booking details ahead of your flight. Once you’re checked in, print your boarding pass or get a mobile boarding pass sent to your phone. The check-in process includes seat selection and the option to pay for extra legroom seats. Online check-in is available from 28 days up to six hours prior to boarding. Note that online check-in is not currently available at certain airports.

Priority boarding

Priority boarding is available to the airline’s Vantage Club Silver or Gold members for free and is allocated at the time of booking. Note, however, that priority boarding is only available from the following airports:

• UK: Manchester, Luton, Birmingham, London Gatwick and Leeds Bradford.
• International: Alicante, Malaga, Tenerife South, Barcelona, Arrecife (Lanzarote), Sharm el-Sheikh, Palma de Mallorca, Dalaman, Faro, Gibraltar, Menorca (Mahon) and Larnaca.

Flying with children

If you are planning to fly with your children, note that infants must be accompanied by an adult aged 16+ years. If an adult is travelling with two infants, one infant must sit on the accompanying adult’s lap and the other infant must occupy a separate seat on the aircraft next to and purchased by the accompanying adult and be seated in a suitable child car seat/restraint. Infants under two weeks of age will not be accepted for travel. All Monarch aircraft have nappy changing facilities on-board in at least one WC. Note that a £20 infant fees apply of you are planning to carry the child on your lap for the duration of the flight.

Seating for babies and children

Car seats may be used for any child older than 6 months but younger than 3 years. In all cases, the child’s parent/guardian must occupy the adjacent seat. If you plan to bring an infant car seat onboard, you must notify Monarch a minimum of 5 working days prior to departure. However, due to the large variety of shapes and sizes of infant car seats available, it is not possible for Monarch to guarantee in advance that a particular seat is suitable for use onboard. Travel cots may be carried in the hold but must form part of the 10kg infant bag allowance (on payment of the relevant bag fee.)

Unaccompanied children

Monarch doesn’t offer an escort service for Unaccompanied Minors. Anyone aged under 16 must be accompanied by an adult aged 16 or over.

Flying while pregnant

Monarch has a policy specifying the latest stage that pregnant woman can take flights:

• No later than the end of week 34.

A medical certificate is required for any pregnancy after the 28th week stage. This should include the following details:

• Doctor or midwife’s signature and stamp on their letterhead
• The estimated date of delivery
• The date up to which you are expected to be fit to travel
• State that you are in good health

Senior fares

Monarch does not currently offer any special fares specifically for seniors.

Group bookings

If you are planning to fly with a group and wish to be seated together, you can arrange bookings for 15 or more people by requesting a quote through this online form. Benefits of group travel include:

• Paying a deposit of £25 per person.
• Paying the remaining balance up to 6 weeks prior to travel.
• Ability to confirm the passengers’ names up until 3 weeks prior to travel.
• Free name changes up to 7 days prior to travel.
• Your group fare also includes one piece of hold baggage (per person), weighing up to 20kg.
• One piece of hand luggage up to 10kg (per person).

Disabled access & medical equipment

Wheelchairs are available for use at all airport locations and airline staff can assist you with transportation from check-in to the boarding gate, making connections (if applicable) and from the aircraft to the arrivals hall at your destination. You will need to request this service when making your booking or at least 48 hours prior to departure.

When making your booking online, you will be given the option to request one of the following assistance options:

• Unable to walk long distances – A wheelchair will be provided at the airport to assist you.
• Unable to ascend stairs or completely immobile – A wheelchair will be provided and you will be taken up to the aircraft steps, where a lift on/off the aircraft will be available by the use of an ambilift.

Pets & guide dogs

Passengers wishing to travel with their Guide/Assistance Dog will need to call the Customer Services Centre as soon as they complete their booking, as they will need to ask you a number of questions related to your dog.

The following also applies:

• Your dog must be in possession of a PET passport.
• A safety harness must be provided and fitted by you.
• You must provide an absorbent mat for the flight.

Note that different procedures apply depending on your dog’s weight:

• Small Dogs (up to 10kgs) – will be allowed to sit on your lap during the whole of the flight.
• Large Dogs (10kgs and over) – will sit on the cabin floor, either across from the owner or in front of an empty seat.
• The owner shall occupy a middle seat so that the dog is positioned next to the cabin wall.

Monarch will carry non-guiding pets under the current PETS Passport Scheme as authorised by the DEFRA. Please note:

• Carriage is subject to availability and a charge will be made for each pet carried. A maximum of 6 animals will be permitted on each flight.
• Pets can be carried from all Monarchs scheduled UK departure airports, but for the time being can only be returned via London Gatwick & Manchester.
• Animals are carried in the hold of the aircraft.
• No animals are permitted in the passenger cabin or to be carried as excess luggage.
• No pets are carried on Saturdays and Sundays.
• The carriage of ALL pets is conducted in accordance with the current ‘Carriage of Animals’ regulations, as published by IATA, and the Pet Passport Scheme requirements as required and published by DEFRA.

What are Monarch Airlines baggage allowance limits and fees?

Monarch Airlines hand luggage size
Monarch Airlines checked luggage size
Baggage charges
Musical and sport equipment

Monarch Airlines hand luggage size

Monarch structures its baggage policy based on similar low-cost models. All passengers may bring either:

• 1 x Cabin Bag
• 56 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm
• Maximum weight: 10kg

Or:

• 2 x Cabin Bags
• 56 cm x 40 cm x 25 cm (combined size)
• Maximum combined weight: 10kg

Note that if you plan to bring any liquids into the cabin, you can do so as long as they are stored in containers no bigger than 100ml and are carried in a clear, re-sealable plastic bags with maximum dimensions of 20 x 20cm. Each passenger can carry a maximum of 1000ml (e.g. 10 x 100ml).

Monarch Airlines checked luggage size

Upon payment of an applicable checked-in baggage charge (from €21 – €50 depending on your route), up to 20kg checked-in baggage per person (plus 10kg for any infants) can be added to your ticket. Baggage charges vary according to the route and are charged at the prevailing rate at the time of your flight. You can add bags to your flight ticket online after booking at the online price. The maximum weight of any single hold bag cannot exceed 32kg. You may share your weight allowance over a maximum of 5 pieces of luggage (upon payment of each bag fee) but the combined total weight of these pieces must not exceed 20kg per person.

Baggage charges

If you would like to take more than 20kg after paying for your hold baggage fee, you can do so online during the booking process or by adding excess baggage to an existing booking. This can be done by the following steps:

• Go to ‘Manage Flight Booking’
• Select ‘Add Bags & Sports Equipment’
• Select the number of hold bags and pay the applicable fee online

You can add excess baggage to your booking online up to 6 hours before departure. Excess baggage booked online can only be booked in multiples of 3kg, up to a maximum of 12kg. If you wish to book more than 12kg of excess baggage, you will need to call the Customer Services Centre.

The fee structure is outlined below:

*Please note: these fees vary according to route and dates and they apply per passenger, per way.

Musical and sport equipment

Monarch allows certain pieces of sporting equipment to be carried in addition to your checked-in baggage allowance. It is purchasable in the same means as above.

The fee structure is outlined as follows:

What additional fees does Monarch Airlines charge?

Booking fees
Flight change & cancellation policy
Travel insurance

Booking fees

Note that there is a 3% credit card fee for Monarch flight bookings. There is no booking fee applied to debit card payments.

The table below gives you an overview of extra charges:

Flight change & cancellation policy

Monarch follows the refund policy that if a portion of the ticket has been used, the refund will be not less than the difference between the fare paid and the applicable fare for travel between the points for which the ticket has been used. If a portion of the ticket has been used, the refund will be not less than the difference between the fare paid and the applicable fare for travel between the points for which the ticket has been used.

The table below gives an overview of change and cancellation charges that you may incur:

Travel insurance

Monarch Travel Insurance provides cover for:

• Medical Emergency & Repatriation (up to £10,000,000)
• Cancellation & Curtailment (up to £5,000)
• Personal Possessions (up to £2,000)

Policies start from £6.78 for 5 nights, and you can get a quote online here. Insurance is arranged by ROCK Insurance Group with UK General Insurance Ltd on behalf of Ageas Insurance Limited, and their policy can be viewed here.

Which Monarch routes are most popular?

• Flights to Cyprus from Manchester
• Flights to Tenerife from Manchester
• Flights to Lanzarote from Birmingham
• Flights to Bodrum from Manchester
• Flights to Sharm El Sheikh from Manchester
• Flights from London to Faro

What amenities does Monarch Airlines offer?

In-flight entertainment
Food
Seating
Frequent Flyers
Lounges

In-flight entertainment

Monarch offers the MPlayer app, allowing smartphone owning passengers to access TV programmes, songs and movies for a charge of £3.99. You will need to download the Mplayer app from the official Apple App Store or Google Play before you board the plane.

Food

Hot meals can be added at time of booking or alternatively you can order them up to 24 hours before departure using the Manage My Booking area. Until February 2016, this full hot meal service must be pre-ordered, as it is unavailable to purchase whilst on board. The service will end in February 2016. A range of toasties and paninis are however available for purchase in-flight, with prices starting at around £4.00. Hot meals start at £6.00.

Seating

Seats on Monarch’s scheduled flights can be pre-reserved in advance from £3.99 per seat. Vantage Club gold members can enjoy free allocated seating, including extra legroom seats. It is possible to select a seat and order extra legroom seats at the time of booking or adding it later at check in, depending on availability. The following fee structure applies:
Frequent flyersMonarch has the Vantage Frequent Flyer program with three different tiers: Indigo, Silver and Gold. The Silver package offers the following:

• Increased Baggage Allowance
• Priority Check In
• Priority Boarding
• Security Fast Track & Priority Lane

To join, click here.

Frequent Flyers

Monarch offers lounges in 4 airports: the Swissport Lounge in Manchester, the Aspire Lounges in Birmingham and Luton airports, and the No.1 Gatwick in London Gatwick airport.

How do I contact Monarch customer service?

Contact
Delayed, missing or damaged luggage
Compensation for baggage

Contact

Monarch can be contacted by using the appropriate numbers found here.

Delayed, missing or damaged luggage

If your luggage is lost or delayed on a flight, you will need to report it within the baggage reclaim area at the airport by filling out a Property Irregularity report (PIR). Once submitted, you will receive a 10-character reference number that you can use to monitor the progress of the tracing procedure via the baggage tracing tool online. Monarch will search for your bags for a total period of 21 days. It is recommended that you contact your travel insurance company as soon as possible to make a claim.

Damage to checked baggage must be reported at your arrival airport via the PIR process, and in addition a claim should be submitted to Monarch within 7 days from the date of bag damage occurring. The airline’s Baggage Enquiries team will arrange to send you a claim form or arrange for the item to be replaced once the PIR is submitted.

Compensation for baggage

Monarch’s liability is governed by the Montreal Convention. For passenger delay, their liability is limited to 4,694 SDRs (approx. £4,600). In case of baggage delay, Monarch is liable for damage unless it took all reasonable measures to avoid the damage or it was impossible to take such measures. The liability for baggage delay is limited to 1,131 SDRs (approx. £1,100).It is liable for destruction, loss or damage to baggage up to 1,131 SDRs (approx. £1,100). You can also make a special declaration regarding the worth of your luggage by paying a supplementary fee. This will increase Monarch’s liability.