Bonaire Airfare and travel advice - help!

[luckydays]

I just got back from my trip to Bonaire on the red eye. I was able to get my stuff secured, have breakfast, get the car rental, go to the grocery store and check in with the dive shop before my room was ready. I was finally able to check in the room around noon but I was spent. I did not get any diving in, mainly because my buddies had not arrived yet but also because I was so freaking tired that I did not want to get my gear together.

I would not take the red eye again and would do what I could to take the Delta Flight. Especially since the return flight home is not 7 am like the Continental flight is.

 

[jimw]

Insel is going from MIA to BON nonstop on Saturdays. They also have service every day via Curacao. We haven't used that route yet, but plan to.........

 

[Bonairetrip]

Flying from the west coast, just about every option involves a red eye. That said, there is something about the CO flight that just kills me going down. That said, the Delta flight is so much more money and the return leg is brutal...

 

[diversteve]

All of your options: Info Bonaire - Airline Information and Connections

 

[KathyV]

Thanks for all the information. I been reading some comments about lost luggage and issues with the smaller airlines and interisland flights. Does anyone know how reliable they are, especially regarding losing luggage?

 

[DiveMaven]

We always take the CO redeye through Houston and pay for an extra night so we can be in our room by 7am when we arrive on island. We're able to sleep a bit on the flight, then grab a 2 hour nap before the dive briefing, which seems to make all the difference. Then it's a check-out dive, grocery shopping, a good lunch, another nap, another dive, dinner, and bed. That routine seems to make all the difference in the world and when we wake up on Sunday morning after a good night's sleep, we're adjusted to the time difference and ready to dive, dive, dive.

 

[DeputyDan]

My wife does not care for the red eye so we prefer to do AA to Curacao and then the DIVI DIVI to Bonaire!

 

[Waterskier1]

I've taken the CO red-eyes through both ERW and IAH from Colorado, along with the Delta thru ATL. In all cases, it's a red-eye of sorts for me. I can either leave at around midnight from DEN to ATL, and then on to BON or leave DEN in the evening to IAH or ERW (which ever has the cheapest airfare).

I have grown to prefer the CO flights over the Delta since I can't get home to DEN on the same day - the Delta flight arrives ATL too late. I often buy an extra day on BON since I'd prefer to spend the extra night on BON versus ATL, and fly the CO flight the following morning.

I can function with little sleep for 24 hours. I have always been able to get into my room by 7:00 am, or at least have a secure place to store my luggage, and change into my dive gear. I easily make the 8:30AM dive briefing, and then a dive or two, hit the grocery stores, and after lunch another dive or two, then dinner and to bed. I've fully recovered after a good nights' sleep.

I can't get to MIA early enough to make the Insel Air flight on Saturdays. I hate staying over night in ATL. I also prefer to spend my nights on Bonaire versus en route.

I've never taken the Aruba/Curacao route since it takes me longer to get there, and most of the "puddle jumpers" have greater weight restrictions on checked baggage.

So, rather than spend an extra night going/returning, I've opted for the red-eyes, and try to nap on the way.

Oh, I forgot to add that checking the airlines' website several times a day yields different prices over several weeks - there seems to be no rational for the price variations.

 

[tkaelin]

On the red eye concerns, we took the red eye CO from EWR this past April. Our choice was going thru Atlanta or direct with a red eye. We took the direct. We paid for an extra night so we could get into our room 1st thing in the morning. It made all the difference. We also paid for a service that stocked our room with groceries, cold beer and wine. A big plus. We slept till 9:00 went to the resort orientation, picked up our tags and we were diving that day. We met two familes that went thru Atlanta on Delta and spent days waiting for their luggage. Nonstop redeye over connections with chance of lost luggage, I'll take the red eye everytime. TK

 

[Drewpy]

Coming from the west coast I ahve only done the Red Eye..I dont mind it at all!
Check in early, get squared away,get the dive tag and off I go..maybe a quick nap in the afternoon.
I would hate to lose a dive day...but to each his own?

Ill be there in 9 days!!!!