Monarch

[SueShard]

Does anyone have information on Monarch stopping flights to the caribbean?

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Sue

Welcome aboard. That is news to me. What have you heard?


Cheers
Steve

[Patrick Dankou]

Monarch stops flying to Grenada, this will make the service to Tobago a nonstop flight.
Regards

[Steve Wooler]

Sorry Patrick - are you saying that Monarch HAS stopped, or are going to stop, flying to Grenada? Or are you saying that if they DO stop, it will make Tobago a non-stop flight?

[Patrick Dankou]

They will definitely stop flying to Grenada I think it was by the end of March, the flight is shared with Tobago.
They will continue to fly to Tobago making it a nonstop service, so we have the challenge to fill all those seats.

Regards

[SueShard]

Thanks very much for the information. My husband works with someone who has family in Grenada and she said that all flights to the caribbean were stopping, but lets hope its just Grenada, if you try booking a flight with the monarch site it doesnt let you after September. I tried Golden holidays and thats similar but i cant remember which month. We fly out next Wednesday so maybe I will quiz the cabin crew!

[Steve Wooler]

Here is my latest information, direct from Golden Caribbean, who are the primary organisation behind the Monarch service to Tobago.

Monarch will stop flying to Grenada on 25 April 2012. The flight will continue flying to Tobago as a direct non-stop service until 12 September 2012. The Monarch service will then cease until either 5th or 12th December 2012 when it will resume the non-stop direct service until the end of April 2013. It is hoped that this will continue in the summer of 2013, but plans have not been finalised at this time.

So, very good news for Tobago lover in the short-term.

As a matter of interest to the general public, the Monarch flights to Tobago and Grenada are sponsored by their respective local governments/tourism departments. Grenada is no longer willing or able to subsidise the flight, hence the reason the service is to be discontinued. Hopefully the local government in Tobago will appreciate the vital importance of continuing this flight and continue to sponsor it. Fingers crossed!

[SueShard]

Thanks Steve for that information. We have been visiting Tobago for about 8 years and I regularly look at this site, its brilliant thank-you. Thought it about time I chipped in!

[Steve Wooler]

We always like it when we convert a 'lurker' to an active contributor.

[Bertrand]

Good day all

Does anyone has any update on Monarch airline plans after April 2013 ? As of today it is still not possible to book a flight London Tobago starting from May 2013 on... We would very much like to go again to beautiful Tobago, so I have been keeping an eye on Monarch ( we happily flew with them in May this year ) but it seems that we still have to wait for their 2013 plans. Thank you for any update.

[Steve Wooler]

Hello Bertrand

Welcome aboard!

I understand that the Monarch service should continue into 2013 and, all being well, tickets should be on sale in about 8 weeks time (i.e. by end of October 2012).

[Bertrand]

Thank you for this, Steve
I will keep my fingers crossed and my eyes open then. We cannot wait to board Monarch again to return to TAB some time in May or June 13. Cheers.

[Caz Booker]

I've been checking for flights for next August from Gatwick to Tobago and I have to say I'm not finding anything remotely nice. We'd promised that we'd take the kids next year but I'm thinking I may have to take them out of school during term time and go Jan/Feb. August I'm finding very few Virgin flights at around £750 each or BA at £900+ (compare that with £425 pp with Monarch in Jan/Feb and you see why missing 2 weeks school looks tempting!)
I'd very much appreciate if anyone has any more info on Monarch flights for summer - or any other airline that doesn't want to take twice as much money? Cheers

[Robert T]

Hi Caz,

Virgin sale just ended the day before yesterday, we paid 437£ for our coming trip in October and it was arond 467£ for our trip in February. I guess you could've gotten a good deal for Aug too. You just have to wait for the next sale to turn up.

Rob

[Caz Booker]

Monarch are now showing flights for summer 2013 Gatwick-Tobago Wednesdays, non-stop, as they were this year. We've booked for August 2013 - 38 weeks today in fact, counting it down on a notice board in our post office which brings us great joy...and seems to annoy everyone else!