Bonaire - airfare and options

[Divedoggie]

Last year, the prices for flights to Bonaire did the same thing. Started low, went waaaay up to around $1100, then at the end of April/early May dropped down to around $500.
Don't know what they will do this year though?

 

[RJP]

Although we both used United miles, when my buddy (tajkd) and I went last December I think prices were in the $400 range. We booked in November.

 

[Lorenzoid]

I forgot the name of the site (and there may be more than one), but I recall one that features tracking historical airfares with the idea that you can see trends and figure out the best time of year to purchase a fare. Beholden to Delta here in Atlanta and greedy for Skymiles (or Skypesos as they've been called), I've gotten pretty bad about shopping for airfares.

 

[RJP]

There are literally dozens of credit cards that offer between $400-$700 in travel/statement credits just for signing up and hitting a min spend target.

Here's one of the best travel credit card deals out there:

2 points per dollar spent... on EVERYTHING
1,000 points = $10 statement credit towards travel expenditure*
10% bonus for all points redeemed, so effectively a 2.2% return
40,000 bonus points for signing up and spending $3,000 in 90 Days

If you do nothing but hit the spend minimum - including buying your Bonaire tickets - you'll earn $506 towards travel costs.

Information:
Barclaycard Arrival Plus-Travel Rewards Chip Credit Card

Application:
https://www.barclaycardus.com/apply/Landing.action?campaignId=2043&cellNumber=11

No specific airline, hotel, etc. Per Barclay's website: "A travel redemption is defined as: airlines, hotels, motels, timeshares, campgrounds, car rental agencies, cruise lines, travel agencies, discount travel sites, trains, buses, taxis, limousines, and ferries as defined by the merchant category code. Purchases made at merchants that do not process transactions under these terms or that use incorrect merchant category codes will not qualify. Barclaycard is not responsible for incorrectly coded purchases."

---------- Post added April 22nd, 2015 at 08:45 AM ----------

PS - lest anyone thinks I've been "holding out" on SB'ers with this information, I did post it almost a year ago:

http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/ge...-free-dive-trips-resorts-liveaboards-etc.html

 

[lunula]

Interesting stuff, I appreciate it. I wonder if prices will drop again this year as Divedoggie mentioned they did last year. Have to decide if we want to wait a couple weeks and risk it...definitely not waiting until November for this one!!

We do already have 2 separate travel rewards credit cards, so we'll get some of this expense back - and we are taking another trip (to Europe) in the fall - but right now, not enough points for any airfare.

 

[jimw]

To the OP,

If you have not signed up for Kayak airfare alerts--I suggest doing so. I also like ITAsoftware's Airfare Matrix suggested above but it has not been showing a new option to Bonaire, Inselair Aruba--yep via Aruba. For some months, Kayak has been showing a price of $308. MIA-BON. on this "new" connection. It is the same old schedule out of MIA, but via Aruba. Which has it's own downside.......

 

[RJP]

- but right now, not enough points for any airfare.

That's why you get NEW cards

Last year my wife and I got nearly twenty different cards between the two of us in order to nab lucrative sign up bonuses. In 2014-2015 I've done the following travel for free from NJ:

• Tortola BVI: roundtrip 1st class airfare on United for wife and I and a week in a 2BR luxury villa at British Virgin Islands Resort Hotel-Frenchmans Cay Resort Tortola British Virgin Islands
• Antigua: roundtrip 1st class air on United for wife, 2 kids and I; rental car (we rented a house, not covered as "travel")
• Hawaii: roundtrip 1st class air on United for wife, 2 kids and I; a week in a 2BR Marriott villa on Oahu, a week in a suite at Hilton Grand Wailea on Maui, three nights at Hotel Lanai on Lanai, including rental cars, inter-island flights, Lanai-Maui ferry, and all food/drinks/activities at all three hotels
• DEMA in Las Vegas: roundtrip 1st class air, 5 nights at Las Vegas Westgate resort
• Bonaire: roundtrip airfare (only got 1st class one way...) and 6% discount on hotel/dive/truck package
• Truk Lagoon: roundtrip 1st class air JFK-Seoul, Seoul-Guam, Guam-Truk on Korean Air and United
• Half-dozen random weekend and overnight hotel stays in NYC, Boston, DC, Vermont, etc
• A NYC dinner cruise for my daughter and ten friends for her Sweet 16 celebration, including a stretch Hummer limo for the girls

The opportunity for earning miles and statement credits - and therefor free travel - is limited only by your imagination.

:shocked2:

 

[drbill]

My next trip to Bonaire I hope to avoid Insult Air completely. When I was there last June, I had to island hop beyween Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in both directions. Not a single flight was near on time, some were cancelled and my arrival on Bonaire was clouded by the fact that they left my bags in Curacao and I had to sit at the Bonaire airport until their very last flight to pick up my bags. I'll pay a bit more for a better on-time record.

 

[tkaelin]

Welcome to the big drawback of Bon. Travel is limited and expensive. Hard to say what prices will be when. I headed to Bon for the first time in 2009 because of the cheap aifaire $379 RT/Nonstop JfK. The next year it was $4something and higher the next. Just booked Jan RT/Nonstop JFK for $654. Still too high but I have not been in a couple years.

 

[Lorenzoid]

My next trip to Bonaire I hope to avoid Insult Air completely. When I was there last June, I had to island hop beyween Aruba, Curacao and Bonaire in both directions. Not a single flight was near on time, some were cancelled and my arrival on Bonaire was clouded by the fact that they left my bags in Curacao and I had to sit at the Bonaire airport until their very last flight to pick up my bags. I'll pay a bit more for a better on-time record.

They left your bags in Curacao? That's not so bad. After Insel flew me from Curacao to Bonaire, they sent my bag on to Venezuela for a couple of days before I got it back.

Despite that, I would still consider using Insult again if the price was right. To me, saving a few hundred dollars is worth the risk of delayed flights and baggage. I'll get there at most a day late, I figure. It's not like I have a liveaboard to catch or something.