Getting to Bonaire
- Thread starter AngusNJ
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DiverVince
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Angus..Take it from a seasoned traveler!! Do yourself a favor & take the Continental red eye out of Newark. Take some Melatoin (3 mgs) if you have trouble sleeping. Sure beats sitting in other airports, worried about missed or late flights, dragging luggage around or worrying about lost bags etc etc.
Willar
Contributor
Flying Air Jamaica out of major US cities (Newark, Philly, Chicago) with a change of planes in Montego Bay Jamaica is a good choice. The flight times are much more comfortable than the red-eyes. This flight to/from BON is saturdays only. If your flight from BON is late they will hold the connecting flight to get you to the USA.
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If you're going between now and March 16th, Continental is offering 2000 bonus FF miles if you take the red-eye.
http://www.continental.com/web/en-U...T&campyear=2007&sender=EMAIL_MKTG&language=EN
http://www.continental.com/web/en-U...T&campyear=2007&sender=EMAIL_MKTG&language=EN
OP
AngusNJ
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sjspeck:
They should. Who wants to take a 4 hour red-eye?
dbosullivan
Registered
Anyone done a connection from Aruba --> Bonaire? JetBlue has $129 O/W flights out of JFK to Aruba- I figure I can't get even close to that number with Air Jamaica or Continental out of Newark, but if it takes forever to get from one Island to the other, maybe I'll shell out the bucks for a direct flight.
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AngusNJ
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dbosullivan:
Not sure about Divi Air, but looks like to get there on DAE, you'd have to stop in Curacao.
http://www.flydae.com/timetable.htm
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DiverVince:
I just signed up for the red-eye. The time sucks, but I know that if I can get my butt and my bags on the plane in Newark, when it lands we'll both be in Bonaire.
I don't want to start playing with single-engine commuter planes where if someone lies about their weight, the plane can't take off.
Terry
DiverVince
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Wise move Terry!! Been going to Bonaire for over 20 years from the northeast corridor. You can't beat a direct flight! I'm not happy about leaving at midnight but I figure I'll take a nap in the afternoon under a palm tree on Bonaire & that'll help me recuperate!
Plus, I have the fortunate ability to be able to sleep anywhere.
Plus, I have the fortunate ability to be able to sleep anywhere.
scubakathie
Guest
For anyone traveling to Bonaire, I say take the red-eye out of Newark or Houston. It was roughly 4.5 hrs on our latest trip from Dec 22 - Jan 6. I also say, if you can go there over New Years (but buy a pair of ear plugs for sleeping). Both of those comments because the Bonairians really enjoy their 'viewurks'... Of course there were 'vierwurks' galore New Years Eve, but we stay at Yachtclub apartments and folks in the neighborhood behin us shot 'vierwurks' from Dec 26 - Jan 5. Sometimes at 7:30 in the morning going on through until about 3am. Made for some rough sleeping at times, but wouldn't change anything on our recent trip.
About the flights...
If you are elite and hope to upgrade to first class - FORGET ABOUT IT. Use frequent flyer points or buy the ticket. There were some first class seats still available from Houston to Austin, but the bus was full on both Bonaire legs. Completely full. We used points, hubby got a good seat in the front while he gallantly sat in the back with the 'common folk'. (haha!) I have fibromyalgia and while it took me 3 days to recover (as opposed to 6 days otherwise). For the extra 3 days, the extra points was completely worth it.
I would advise, from our experience in the past with the latest 'puddle hopper airline de jour' would be Don't Go Through Aruba!!!! Our very first trip we split time between Bonaire and Aruba, so it wasn't exactly the puddle jumpers we had issue with. After a long hard night that started with drinks that had three diffrent colors in them and ended driving through the same traffic circle about 17 times, we got to the airport with aout 1.5 hours before our departure. No problem! There was a family of four being checking in and a single 'gentleman' in front of us. 30 minutes later, the clerk finished with the famil, announced "OK, it is an hour before the flight", turned around, and walked through a door conveniently marked 'Employees Only'. The 'gentelman' had some very un-gentlemanly works he used in conjunction with stomping through airport. We noticed that tactic was unsuccessful and decided to sit on the airport floor before trying to figure out what we would do. Turns out, Continental 'farms out' the checking employees to the 'puddle hopper airline de jour'. End of story, we stayed another 4 days in Aruba, not entirely horrible but certainly not suspected or planned for.
In January 2002, our third trip, we took Continental to Miami, the hitched a ride on American Airlines thanks to my parents frequent flyer miles. We boarded the plane and sat in the sweltering Miami heat for three hours. But wait, there's more! American Airlines apparently takes animals so we sat in the heat on the runway with a screaming cat. The cat was competing with the mechanical noises we heard to fix the plane wich made the start of the trip quite disconcerting. We finally made up in the air and on our way to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Abount an hour before we arrived, we were told that the American flight to Bonaire would be held for the travelers on the plane. About 15 minutes before we landed, we watched the plane to Bonaire fly away. We immediately requested seat assignments on the flight that went out the next day. Not all of the travelers on the plane were quite as savy as to what you should do when you get stood up by an airline. After a hotel night, dinner, breakfast and cab fare coutesy of American Airlines, we return to the airport to try again. We made the flight (which had quite a few empty seats - to balance out everyone's dive gear, I've heard). The young couple we met at the hotel did not. I am not for certain that they ever made in out of San Juan. To this day, I sometimes wonder...
Our 5th trip, January 2005, we fly Continental to Aruba then puddle hopped over to Bonaire. I think the airlines was on it second or third name change at the time and was 'Bonairexcel'. No hitches on the way to Bonaire this time. There were a few 'quirks' the airlines was working (or not) out at the time. We showed up at 6am for a 7am flight. That was to get us to Aruba by 10:30 to get through customs before boarding. No problem, it is 20 mituts to Curacao, then another 30 to Aruba. We sit and wait for them to call the 7am flight. About 7:30 we start listening for ANY flight to Curacao. Every time we asked anout the flight, we were directed to new new loction and or person. It was a little after 9am and about 7 people/ stations later when we finally FOUND the correct people who knew anything and about 9:30 when the plane took off with only hy husband and I as passengers. We picked up one guy in Curacao after about a 5 minute wait and immediately took off for Aruba. We were met at the door by an airport representative who ask if we were the folks who needed to go to Houston. After admitting that as a valid description, we were basically walked through Immigration and Customs and Airport Security. The special Folks Going to Houston Line, no wait, no hassles. The held the airplane for us and we were able to get back home on that trip, but not without stress.
Our last two flight were a breeze once Continental started the red-eye to Bonaire from Houston. We have stayed almost solely at Yachclub, but stayed at Den Lamen on our 6th trip. They're owned by the same guy and have always been great about letting us check in at 7 or 8 in the morning. For those raring to get in the water, the flight gives you time to get checked in and to the dive shop of your choice. Bonaire Dive and Adventure has 'orientation' that everyone has to attend before diving, usualy around 9:30am. They have a nice 'abreviated' orientation for those who have dove with the less than a year ago. Even if this is your first "All Nighter" that you have pulled since your early to mid twentyies, you can still get in a check-out dive, a nice little shower and nap and go out for a dusk and/or night dive (which is some of my favorite).
Our experience in a nutshell:
Aruba = BAD
Continental Red-eye to Bonaire = GOOD
About the flights...
If you are elite and hope to upgrade to first class - FORGET ABOUT IT. Use frequent flyer points or buy the ticket. There were some first class seats still available from Houston to Austin, but the bus was full on both Bonaire legs. Completely full. We used points, hubby got a good seat in the front while he gallantly sat in the back with the 'common folk'. (haha!) I have fibromyalgia and while it took me 3 days to recover (as opposed to 6 days otherwise). For the extra 3 days, the extra points was completely worth it.
I would advise, from our experience in the past with the latest 'puddle hopper airline de jour' would be Don't Go Through Aruba!!!! Our very first trip we split time between Bonaire and Aruba, so it wasn't exactly the puddle jumpers we had issue with. After a long hard night that started with drinks that had three diffrent colors in them and ended driving through the same traffic circle about 17 times, we got to the airport with aout 1.5 hours before our departure. No problem! There was a family of four being checking in and a single 'gentleman' in front of us. 30 minutes later, the clerk finished with the famil, announced "OK, it is an hour before the flight", turned around, and walked through a door conveniently marked 'Employees Only'. The 'gentelman' had some very un-gentlemanly works he used in conjunction with stomping through airport. We noticed that tactic was unsuccessful and decided to sit on the airport floor before trying to figure out what we would do. Turns out, Continental 'farms out' the checking employees to the 'puddle hopper airline de jour'. End of story, we stayed another 4 days in Aruba, not entirely horrible but certainly not suspected or planned for.
In January 2002, our third trip, we took Continental to Miami, the hitched a ride on American Airlines thanks to my parents frequent flyer miles. We boarded the plane and sat in the sweltering Miami heat for three hours. But wait, there's more! American Airlines apparently takes animals so we sat in the heat on the runway with a screaming cat. The cat was competing with the mechanical noises we heard to fix the plane wich made the start of the trip quite disconcerting. We finally made up in the air and on our way to San Juan, Puerto Rico. Abount an hour before we arrived, we were told that the American flight to Bonaire would be held for the travelers on the plane. About 15 minutes before we landed, we watched the plane to Bonaire fly away. We immediately requested seat assignments on the flight that went out the next day. Not all of the travelers on the plane were quite as savy as to what you should do when you get stood up by an airline. After a hotel night, dinner, breakfast and cab fare coutesy of American Airlines, we return to the airport to try again. We made the flight (which had quite a few empty seats - to balance out everyone's dive gear, I've heard). The young couple we met at the hotel did not. I am not for certain that they ever made in out of San Juan. To this day, I sometimes wonder...
Our 5th trip, January 2005, we fly Continental to Aruba then puddle hopped over to Bonaire. I think the airlines was on it second or third name change at the time and was 'Bonairexcel'. No hitches on the way to Bonaire this time. There were a few 'quirks' the airlines was working (or not) out at the time. We showed up at 6am for a 7am flight. That was to get us to Aruba by 10:30 to get through customs before boarding. No problem, it is 20 mituts to Curacao, then another 30 to Aruba. We sit and wait for them to call the 7am flight. About 7:30 we start listening for ANY flight to Curacao. Every time we asked anout the flight, we were directed to new new loction and or person. It was a little after 9am and about 7 people/ stations later when we finally FOUND the correct people who knew anything and about 9:30 when the plane took off with only hy husband and I as passengers. We picked up one guy in Curacao after about a 5 minute wait and immediately took off for Aruba. We were met at the door by an airport representative who ask if we were the folks who needed to go to Houston. After admitting that as a valid description, we were basically walked through Immigration and Customs and Airport Security. The special Folks Going to Houston Line, no wait, no hassles. The held the airplane for us and we were able to get back home on that trip, but not without stress.
Our last two flight were a breeze once Continental started the red-eye to Bonaire from Houston. We have stayed almost solely at Yachclub, but stayed at Den Lamen on our 6th trip. They're owned by the same guy and have always been great about letting us check in at 7 or 8 in the morning. For those raring to get in the water, the flight gives you time to get checked in and to the dive shop of your choice. Bonaire Dive and Adventure has 'orientation' that everyone has to attend before diving, usualy around 9:30am. They have a nice 'abreviated' orientation for those who have dove with the less than a year ago. Even if this is your first "All Nighter" that you have pulled since your early to mid twentyies, you can still get in a check-out dive, a nice little shower and nap and go out for a dusk and/or night dive (which is some of my favorite).
Our experience in a nutshell:
Aruba = BAD
Continental Red-eye to Bonaire = GOOD
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