Work this one out .. Monarch flight Saturday

[stoop]

We arrived at Dalaman for our 2am flight to Manchester about 2hours 15 before take off time. Checked the board and directed to desks 41-44. I noticed a second flight to Manchester at the same take off time but with no desks open.

Got to the check-in and we were handed a printed sheet saying that due to staffing problems our plane was delayed and the estimated take off was now 2-50am.

Went through passport control and the take off had now gone to 03-25am. Still to check-in open for the 2am flight - then suddenly it was gate open and they were boarding.

We eventually took off at 4am and when I got back some friends of ours had already posted on FB that they had arrived at Manchester on the other flight some 2 hours earlier than we did. When I asked them about that flight they said that those who arrived early at the airport were put on the delayed flight and those who arrived late were put on the earlier flight!

It seems our original plane must have been a bigger one and had had technical problems - so they had to split the flight to two planes. But why on earth did those who arrived early get penalised for doing so?

I will be contacting Monarch tomorrow to express my disappointment in this and ask for an explanation.

[kenkay]

I never noticed that other 02:00 flight on the board Stuart. I'll  ask our Joanne for the proper explanation which, more than likely, will not be what Monarch tell you.

[stoop]

I can't remember the exact code but it started ZB7. It was directly under our flight on the board and had the same take off time but no desk to go to.

[stoop]

I think it was zb759 and if so that would be the Gatwick plane (zb758) that was not due to return until this afternoon.

[kenkay]

Jo has not been in work yet but knows that the 02:00 Saturday flight is normally the A300 which is a wide bodied 300+ seater aircraft.

[stoop]

Which suggests they needed two planes as ours was full if you remember. As I said - our fiends arrived late and said that all those at the back of the queue got put on the earlier flight. Defies logic but why am I not surprised?

[Lotty]

Might it be because your luggage had already been taken through and designated for the original plane?  Once it's gone through it's a he'll of a job to get it back. Those at end of queue would be easier to switch flight? Just a thought.

[stoop]

Yes but both flights were listed on the board so surely it would have made more sense to put the early arrivals on the earlier plane? The earlier plane was already on the ground but the later one still in the air and didn't arrive until much later.

[kenkay]

This is totally confusing despite what our Jo said about the A300. I pre-booked my seats for the return flight and the interior seat plan that I booked on was for the A321 as on the way out.

[stoop]

Me too Ken. I've written to complain and ask for an explanation. The hand out letter said it was staffing problems but the pilot mentioned technical problems as well. Monarch seem to have quite a few of both lately according to the reviews I've seen recently.