We just returned from the ABC's last week. The trip was great and the diving was some of the best we have ever done. The only problems that we encountered was with Dutch Antilles Express Airlines DAE. I just thought that I would inform the board of the problems that we encountered in hopes of preventing others from suffering the same as us.
We went to all three island over a ten day trip. We had flights with DAE going between the islands and back again to Aruba on the last day. Our first flight with DAE was at 8AM from Aruba to Curacao. The gates were changes twice and we would had sat there all day if a fellow passenger had not told us they had changed it. We finally got off the ground at 4PM.
The 15 minute flight to Bonaire from Curacao was the same with a 10 hour delay. No one had any info on when or if the flight would go till the last minute. On board the plane, seats had been double and triple booked. Talking to some of the other 12 passengers, some had been bumped from the day before.
When we arrived at the resort 10 hours to late to dive just the mention of DAE explained it all to them. We were not the first. We were told that they are known for this and that it has gotten worse over the last few months.
We were so concerned that we bought an extra set of tickets on a different airline on the way back just in case. DAE was late taking off on the trip back but only by an hour so we took them. They rushed us off the plane in Curacao to go thru customs and them right back on to the same plane. We arrived in Aruba 30 minutes later but our luggage was not to be found. DAE was no help at all in recovering the luggage and dive gear that they had lost. A worker at luggage claims for the airport tracked it down for us. Even she commented on how bad DAE has gotten. She had the luggage that was still in Curacao flown on another flight to Aruba for us in time for our flight back to the states.
This is just the highlights. I could go on and on. But after talking to others Insel Air is the one that most recommended.
Hope this helps others
Merlin
We went to all three island over a ten day trip. We had flights with DAE going between the islands and back again to Aruba on the last day. Our first flight with DAE was at 8AM from Aruba to Curacao. The gates were changes twice and we would had sat there all day if a fellow passenger had not told us they had changed it. We finally got off the ground at 4PM.
The 15 minute flight to Bonaire from Curacao was the same with a 10 hour delay. No one had any info on when or if the flight would go till the last minute. On board the plane, seats had been double and triple booked. Talking to some of the other 12 passengers, some had been bumped from the day before.
When we arrived at the resort 10 hours to late to dive just the mention of DAE explained it all to them. We were not the first. We were told that they are known for this and that it has gotten worse over the last few months.
We were so concerned that we bought an extra set of tickets on a different airline on the way back just in case. DAE was late taking off on the trip back but only by an hour so we took them. They rushed us off the plane in Curacao to go thru customs and them right back on to the same plane. We arrived in Aruba 30 minutes later but our luggage was not to be found. DAE was no help at all in recovering the luggage and dive gear that they had lost. A worker at luggage claims for the airport tracked it down for us. Even she commented on how bad DAE has gotten. She had the luggage that was still in Curacao flown on another flight to Aruba for us in time for our flight back to the states.
This is just the highlights. I could go on and on. But after talking to others Insel Air is the one that most recommended.
Hope this helps others
Merlin
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