Flight was booked via the Monarch website, which was extremely easy to use, and allowed us to pre-book our seats in advance, definitely a plus for me, as I detest other low-cost airlines' free seating policies, and like to have a window seat. Check in at Manchester in T1 was very easy & fast, and there was plenty to do in the terminal.

Monarch is by far a leader of the game in the no-frills airline field. We were greeted at the aircraft by smartly dressed crew and offered a newspaper. Throughout the flight the crew couldn't have been more helpful, and were extremely attentive. There was a wide choice of food & drink, including a breakfast option, which was slightly better for the early morning than the dismal bacon rolls that bmi baby offer.

The return flight gave me a similar good impression of Monarch, and included in flight entertainment via video & radio. Only problem was the Iberia check in crew, who were slow (I was in the queue for over an hour despite being there two & a bit hours before departure) and pretty rude.

Otherwise a big thumbs up to Monarch for showing low cost can come with high service.