Monarch flight charges

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:03 pm

Two questions about my flights booked with Monarch, if anyone can give me the benefit of their advice. I would ask Monarch direct but fear they would charge a supplement just to answer!
1. I booked a party of golfers for a holiday in May. 9 fellas who I know very well. Now then, one of these blokes is known to me as Rod. everyone knows him as Rod or even Rodney if formality kicks in.
I therefore booked his flight under his Sunday name of Rodney. Now I find out that Rodney is his middle name and his first name is John.
What do I do now? If I get in touch with Monarch and advise them of this, will we incure a name change charge? or, do we take a chance that the flight desk attendent looks at the passport realises his name is on it, albeit not the first name and lets him travel?
2. When I booked the flights I did it in one transaction, but I was charged 9 credit card transaction fees, i.e. rather than £3.50 I paid £31.50. that seems to me like going to the supermarket and buying 9 pints of milk, paying by credit card and incuring a charge on each pint I buy. Any thoughts on this please?
I would really appreciate advice especially on the first point as Rod is a big bloke!
Thanks,
Ian.

Bruce Wallis · Post by **Bruce Wallis** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:58 pm

On the Rod issue.........

Depending how anal they are, and they usually are because of heightened security, they will insist on the booking matching the passport.
They will charge you for changing any detail of your booking, and the budget airlines will really sting you up for that. I tried a change on Easyjet, and they tried to charge me more than the original booking!

As it is a relatively small technical change, you might get away with it if you phone Monarch and try reasonable charm.

On the credit card charge issue. I often book 4 or more seats a booking, and have only ever been charged the one credit card fee for the entire transaction. I dont understand this one.

Id chase that one up if I were you.

tricky · Post by **tricky** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:27 pm

I am currently in contact with Jet2.com for doing exactly the same thing with credit card charges. We run an airport car parking company and only charge one credit card charge per booking. We only get one fee from the credit companies. Perhaps we should start charging for every person that travels in each car!! 'This time next year we will be millionaires'
watch this space

Ellie · Post by **Ellie** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:22 am

tricky wrote: 'This time next year we will be millionaires'
watch this space

Can I be your best friend Tricks flower?

(she says craftily

)

Altogether now 'Who wants to be a millionaire?...I do'

Mange tout mon fruit, mange tout

Nite & God blessx

Michael Crane · Post by **Michael Crane** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 9:34 am

I am going off Monarch, rapidly.

They now offer to sell you extra legroom. They have managed to do this by reducing their normal seat depths by around 3". Once upon a time I could sit easily in my seat with the tray down and there was always a gap between my stomach and the tray . . . but not any more. And before someone pitches in about me putting on weight - I haven't!

Luckily I am a very tiny guy (4' 3") and I can still cope, but woe betide anyone who might enjoy their food or are slightly bigger than 5' if they think they'll be eating their delicious airline meal without it tipping down their fronts!

laserblazer · Post by **laserblazer** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:06 am

Monarch long-haul has a reputation for the worst seat pitch of any airline. We went to the Maldives with them, had a window seat but no window because they had squeezed so many rows in. Following year, we went with First Choice and that was excellent. To be honest, If the price is right, I'll take anything short-haul.

Farol · Post by **Farol** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 11:16 am

Back to Ian's original question about names - have you got a customer services email address for Monarch? I would try emailing them with the details and then see what the reply is. If they say it is ok as long as Rodney's middle name is shown on his passport (which is how I would argue the point) then take their email reply with you when you fly. If they say you have to change it then the choice is yours.

joanne · Post by **joanne** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 12:11 pm

We fly Monarch all the time, and I have only ever been charged one booking fee, my cousin got charged more and phoned up and they refunded it back onto her card.
My worry would be re the name change at Faro, they are very fussy and when we came back on Monday they were checking everything.

Ian · Post by **Ian** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:39 pm

Thanks everyone.
I will contact customer services and let you know what comes of it.
Ian.

dodger · Post by **dodger** » Thu Feb 21, 2008 3:57 pm

had this going to a stag do in Prague with sleazyjet Jack whom we knew for 5 plus years is actually called John!They said he couldnt fly until he started to cry (very well put on I must say) and saying he was the grooms best man and they were like brothers (no such thing) so he could not miss it.......the attendant took the bait and he travelled but she did warn him he may have a problem over there when coming back.No such problem the guy over there didnt even look at his passport so it was ok all round but wouldnt like to take that chance again and indeed ever since I have treble checked with anyone I am not very familar with exactly what name is on their passport!

ks · Post by ks » Sat Feb 23, 2008 7:17 pm

I have also been charged a £31.50 fee for using my credit card to make one booking for 9 passengers with Monarch. Having read the previous posts I have just spoken to the Monarch call centre questioning this. They say it is £3.50 per person and the fee is correct. It does say per person on there web site. Unfortunately it seems just another sly little way to extract money.

e-richard · Post by **e-richard** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 8:03 pm

I can accept paying extra for checked bags, for food, for priority boarding, for extra legroom seats - all of which are options that you can decline and thus get very cheap flights. I can even accept that credit card companies charge the merchant, and that these charges can be passed back to the customer.

But to charge a credit card fee per person (and sometimes per flight) when its all booked as one transaction, its just plain sleazy, and the only answer is to vote with your feet.

No more Monarch flights for me. Simple.

Al Garb · Post by **Al Garb** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:01 pm

Pay by VisaElectron or Solo debit cards to avoid charges

maddi · Post by **maddi** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 9:26 pm

Those assume you have the readies - if you are paying for a lot of others it often makes sense to put the charge on an empty credit card rather than be out of pocket yourself - or losing interest on your savings.

Additionally some people on here buy their flights for the net six months and may need to spread the cost.

You could transfer money from your credit card to an account you can use a debit card on but then you are charged for cash advance.

It is bang out of order to be charged per person when the merchant pays per transaction but apart from complaining, perhaps letters to newspapers, and online, all you can do is vote with your feet if they choose not to change their policy.

And for many of us the cheapest flight from the most convenient airport including any charge - is what we would go for.

I wish I had enough money to be completely principled about these things.

edit. two missing words doh!

e-richard · Post by **e-richard** » Sat Feb 23, 2008 11:03 pm

maddi wrote:I wish I had enough money to be completely principled about these things.

Aint that the truth !

Thats why the sleazebags get away with it