Gatwick / Overnight Hotel / Monarch ... a Review

[Paul Tallet]

Ready for the Gatwick experience?

Planning on a low cost flight with Monarch? ... both ways?

Ok ... well this is what it was like for me ...


20090106 (Tues)

Left home (Yorkshire) at 1350 and arrived Gatwick 1745 ... good journey with no breaks and no disruption over the 240 miles. Cost about £20 petrol. My son, James, did the first 60 miles and let me down completely with an intensive bout of weariness.

Destination ... Sofitel.

Car parking ... the hotel has some deal with a car parking business called Summer Dreams/Breaks ... can't remember their exact name ... a mile or 2 away from the hotel with regular buses to both north and south terminals every 20 mins.

The Sofitel is next to the North Terminal and I have used this hotel every time because of it's linking 'tube' to the airport and then a short walk to the shuttle that takes you to the South Terminal where most of the Tobago flights atart from.

Sofitel Hotel still does smoking rooms ... COR !!

Hotel good (£137.50 for a twin room with 15 days free parking) but the facilities are a rip off.

Spent about £36 on Chicken Piri Piri x 2 plus chips as a side. Declined to pay the optional service charge of 12.5%. Cheeky Devils!!

£4 – 5 a drink ... Pah !!

Glad took some Port and beers so stayed in room watching TV. Room facilities very good. Very comfy.


20090107 (Weds)

Up at 0500 ... watched 'Dusk til Dawn' until about 2 in the morning ... face >>> bad ... face >>> bothered? ... Nah ... we were wrecked. But at least we were freshly showered with clean underpants on.

In south terminal by 0630 with tongues hanging out ... sweat already soaked through our fresh holiday clothes.

Flight MON369

Very swift check in. Cor ... pretty slick actually. Flight due to leave at 0940. Now what trouble can we get up to?

Aha ... there's a pub ... so we went there. needed alcohol to help sleep through the flight ... James had a breakfast (and mine!) and we had the first holiday curse ... the bad laugh (no screaming babies yet though) ... but this laugh went straight through our heads ... so we left and went to have a laugh at the duty free shop prices. James bought a crossword book.

The flight was on time ... holiday curse No. 2 ... I had asked for a window seat which seems to have been moulded into bulkhead so head always banging on it and even less foot space due to the bulkhead. James (next to me) had more space ... not sure he would have coped by window as he is taller/longer than me at 6’ 4”.

So think about it before you take a window seat with Monarch.

Breakfast was boiled fish, spuds, peas and carrots ... yum yum ... I just wanted to get pissed and fall asleep.

Then a baby was spotted 2 rows ahead ... oh no! ... but somehow it went to sleep ... definitely has a good mother!

The flight was about 12 hours in total because we had to stop at Grenada on the way ... my sleep was broken alot with James asking me for the answers to questions in his crossword book ... he was lucky to reach Tobago alive.

Would not let us off in Grenada ... then had the (holiday curse no. 4 ... eh ... whatever ... I have lost count) ‘body mass experience’ who sat next to me to Tobago ... the seats really are not good for big people ... not being bigist ... just honest ... come on big people, you have to deal with it!

How can you possibly expect to be 30 stone, take a flight, demand 2 seats and then complain when you get a surcharge for having over 20 kilos of baggage ??? (Someone actually did that !!).

Folds of flesh falling over the armrest ... every time I leaned on it I pinched the poor thing. What can you do in these situations??

By the time we arrived we were sore, safe and ready to join the desperate stampede off the plane.

Into 'reception' ... usual thing, nobody had filled in their forms correctly so people losing their places in the queue ... we got through very quickly and rushed to the baggage carousel ... Ha! ... our bags were the last off the plane and then we had to deal with a huge queue that had formed because the customs have this huge new toy that x-rays all the bags. We waited and waited and then when we got to the front of the queue they didn't want to check our bags ... I felt like going back, but never mind.

No complaints for the price of the flight (£350 return) good value really considering the 13 or 14 hours of misery ... an excellent price. No complaints, you get what you pay for.

I would definitely go with Monarch again unless I become rich and discerning

... Next ... an hour long drive to Castara ... it never ends does it ??


The flight back ? ... Don't even ask!


Regards

[Julia C.]

How was the flight back Paul?

[Paul Tallet]

Julia ... have you ever taken your lower lip and stretched it out over your head so that it even covers the tops of your ears?

I cannot, for obvious reasons, compare it to the pains of childbirth but I guess the above description could come close

No disrespect to Monarch though ... not even Virgin or BAs' comforts have been able to compensate for the torture of the 'return flight'.

Still Monarch for me without the window seat.

Regards

[Gisela Grell]

Hi Paul,

thanks a lot for your describing of the flight. Did you book 'Economy' or 'Premium Economy'?
I booked Premium and hope there will be a bit more space. How was food? No, forget this question! Food on a plane is always horrible.
How was the service? Was the crew nice and friendly?

I know exactly how it feels to go back home after wonderful holidays. But hey, plan the next holidays and you have something to long for.

[Paul Tallet]

Hi Gisela

We went economy and the staff were lovely ... they put up with me very well.

I am a bad flyer at the best of times so I may as well do budget ... the pain and discomfort keep me from being bored.

But it is worth it for a holiday in Tobago ... yes I will be planning another trip hopefully next year.

Regards

[Gisela Grell]

Hello Paul,

good to hear the stuff was nice. I love flying! even when it is stumbeling, I just enjoy. Even the flight back because that means to come home and see my friends and family and of course my cat.
And I definately know that I will be back
The first times when I went there I cried when I had to leave but in between I feel Ok with it. I have friends here and there and as long as I know that I will be back I don't worry. And the moment I'm home I start to plan my next trip

The worse thing is to come back and have the ugliest weather like cold rain and snow.

The next trip on March, 18th is my eighteen visit on Tobago

[Ben W]

How busy were the flights Paul??

Im guessing the In Flight Entertainment was overhead screens as opposed to seat back?

[Paul Tallet]

Sorry Ben ... I didn't pick up your post until today.

The flights were full both ways.

And you are right, it's overhead screens but if you go up a class you can have a screen in the back of the seat in front of you.

Regards

[Jenna]

Hello there I hope you don't mind me asking about Monarch; I booked flights with them to fly in June to Tobago and have read a few scare stories!! I paid the extra for premium economy and I'm crossing all my fingers that it won't be as bad as I've heard.. to go with Virgin was a considerable amount more!

Do you know if the flights always leave from South terminal? The flight isn't listed on Gatwick's terminal finder for some reason and I can't find any info on Monarch or Avro websites.

How long did you have to wait at Grenada? I'm dreading the length of the flight!

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Jenna

Welcome aboard!

I regularly flew Monarch before they lost the contract to ill-fated XL a few years back, and will certainly be flying with them on my next visit. I was always delighted with their Premium Economy service and reckon they offered unbeatable value for money.

Yes, their service always leaves from Gatwick South. I can't understand why it's not listed on the terminal finder pages. Perhaps it is being treated as a charter flight rather than a scheduled service? However, it is definitely from Gatwick South, as your tickets will confirm when issued.

Not having used the service since it was re-introduced after the collapse of XL, I can't say how long it is down in Grenada. Most of these services are down for something between 60 and 90 minutes I believe.

Don't worry - it will be worth it when you get to Tobago!!!

[Paul Tallet]

Hi Jenna

No flight of 9 - 12 hours is comfortable ... Monarch did their best and at a very good price.

It is possibly unfair to complain.

I don't think you will have a problem in the Premium Economy, maybe even the window seats will have room ... I was just Economy.

It was about 2 hours waiting in Grenada for me.

As Steve says ... the trip is worth it for Tobago and you will be more comfortable in Premium.

Regards

[Jenna]

Hi Steve,

Thanks for the reply! I tried the terminal finder using both Monarch Scheduled & Monarch Charter but nothing came up, strange! I shall get on with booking my Gatwick overnight stay now I work in Holland but the tickets are being sent to my UK address, and I'm making my way to Gatwick via Dusseldorf so there's plenty to go wrong!

Your website has been really helpful so far, very informative! And I'm very happy to say I've just come across the info on the Manchineel tree which I'd never even heard of before!! (And would probably have tried eating the fruit )

[Gisela Grell]

Hi Jenna,
I fly with Monarch in March and me and my fried booked Premium. It was absolutly worth the additional money. More space and better food. I had to change my flight back for some reason and had the direct comparison because I couldn't get a Premium flight back. Out stay in Grenada was around 45 min. as far as I remember.

Enjoy Tobago
Gisela

[Ronald]

Hi Jenna
As you say you will go on searching for an overnight stay, I always use The Corner House Hotel. It´s called a hotel but in real it´s a small family own basic hotel in two buildings. They have a pick-up service from-to Gatwick Airport, normally it takes about 5-10 minutes as a maximum to go by car. At the airport you use a free phone to dial them when you arrive. The corner House has rooms with and with-out own shower, a small restaurang and a bar.
Ronald

[Jenna]

I ended up getting a room at the White House in Horley, it was only £40! And it has free transfers during certain times

My mum posted the Monarch tickets over to me in Holland but they don`t give the time that Gatwick check in opens...does anyone know when this is? If it's early enough I'd like to put my suitcases in the night before!

Only just over a week to go!!!!!!

[David Watkins]

You can check your luggage in the day before and have the advantage of fast track through security
David

[Jenna]

Thanks for that, I'm sure I read it was possible somewhere but according to Monarchs website they dont offer check in the day before!

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Jenna

As far as I am aware, checking in the day before is not a feature available with the Monarch service, sadly. Pity, because it would be so useful!

[Elspeth F]

Hi there, read your article with interest.me and my fiance are travelling to Tobago for our honeymoon next Wednesday. We are flying form Gatwick with Monarch economy. Can you give me any tips on choosing seats or will they be allocated?
also i believe we are stopping in Babrbados on the return journey, is this likely to be as lengthy a wait as when you stop in Grenada?
also we have been told we need to check in three hours prior to our flight leaving Gatwick. Is that the case?
thanks,elly

[Steve Wooler]

Hi Elly

Welcome aboard!

Monarch economy seats can't be pre-booked; they will be assigned at check-in. Yes, the check in is three hours - and getting there early means a better chance of you getting the seats of your choice.

The Monarch service does stop at Grenada on the way out to Tobago, but it is direct non-stop on the return - so no stop at Barbados or anywhere.

Have a wonderful honeymoon.