Went to Bonaire week of Thanksgiving. Arrived at Charlotte airport expecting a hugh crowd flying over the thanksgiving holidays. Once there it was surprisingly not that busy. Went to check in and the people at Insel Air were nice and helpful. All of the luggage was weighed, yes even the carry ons. Mine were under weight but I did see some money changing hands over the counter which I persume was for overweight luggage. As we started being seated people kept coming to the seat in front of us, which was occupied, and telling the person in it that " you are in my seat". Apparently there were about 5 people with the same seat assignment. It turned out not to be a big deal as the plane was only about 75% full so those people just found another seat. The flight from Charlotte to Curaçao was a nice flight and we received lots of food and drink. Alot more than Delta. Arrived at the Curaçao airport and went through the line to pay our $2.00. We were herded to a bus to take us to our connecting flight. We stood on the bus a good 20 mins waiting for it be be jammed full and then rode it 50 yards to the connecting flight. I'm sure there is some logical reason we were herded to a bus and made to wait 20 minutes in it just to be driven 50 yards to the connecting flight but the reason escapes me.
Once to the connecting flight we all started boarding. The connecting flight is an EMB 110 which seats 50 people. The problem was we had 51 people on the flight. After email confirmations were talked about and some discussion apparently one of the flight attendees gave up her jump seat and sat in the toilet on take off and landing. Yes, I know some of you don't believe me as I saw it and am not sure I believe it.
Once arriving at Bonaire we went to collect our luggage. Luggage started coming and some of us started getting some of our bags. Then the luggage stopped coming and the majority of us did not get some or all of our luggage. So sorry, it will be on plane at 8 am tomorrow come back then. So, no big deal, we come back at 8 am to pick up the luggage the next day then hit dive orientation at 9:30 am and away we will go.
Arrived back at the airport at 8 am, the plane arrived and .....nothing, no luggage. Was told luggage would be on the 10:30am plane come back then. Back to resort do the dive orienation at 9:30 am and drive back to airport. Plane arrives we go to collect the luggage and ....nothing, no luggage. We try to find someone at Insel Air to answer a few questions concerning our luggage and surprising can't find anyone. Finally locate someone who is going to make a "few calls" and get the answer to where our luggage is. Person comes back and says she has confirmed that our luggage is on the next flight and wiill be here at 2:00 pm. We all trudge back at 2 pm and the plane arrives and....nothing, no luggage. We are then assured that the luggage will be on the 5:00 pm flight. We all arrive back at the airport at 5:00pm and wait and wait. At 5:30 we are assured the plane has taken off from Curaçao. At 6:00 pm we ask again and are assured the plane is in the air. At 6:30 pm we suggest to them that they may be lying to us as the trip is only 20 minutes max and if the plane took off at 5:30 pm and it still has not landed in Bonaire at 6:30 pm they might wanna start looking for their plane. Finally the plane does arrive and surprisingly most of the luggage is on it. Only a couple people did not get their bags. I was fortunate and received all of mine.
As we found out later all the flights the next day were EMB 110's with no extra room for our luggage. The luggage which arrived in the afternoon was on a larger plane. Why they couldn't just tell us we wouldn't get the luggage till that flight in the PM I don't understand. Yes, we wouldn't have been happy about that but probably more happy than going back and forth from the resort to the airport 4 times to get luggage that Insel Air employees knew, or should have known, wouldn't be on the EMB 110's that were arriving throughout the day.
I would like to give a special mention to a young lady with Insel Air which went out of her way to make our experience in the Bonaire Airport less than enjoyable. Her name is Marius. She even was nice enough to tell us it wasn't her problem we didn't get luggage and didn't care if we ever got it. Having said that, no one at Insel Air in Bonaire seemed to care one way or the other whether we ever received any luggage.
So, to wrap this up I want to ask you a question. Why do you go to Bonaire? Me, I go for the diving experience. One way or the other you are getting up early to catch a flight. Either you are getting up early to catch the flight on Delta at 6:00am from Charlotte to Bonaire or you are getting up early in Bonaire to catch the flight with Insel Air home. If you get up early to fly Delta, from Charlotte, you get to Bonaire earlier. We have gotten there early enough on this flight to get the dive orientation the same day and even get in the water for a dusk or night dive same day. Then on the Friday before leaving we can get in at least 2 dives before we have to quit diving for our 24 out of water before flying, as the plane back from Bonaire to Charlotte via Delta is in the afternoon. If you fly Insel Air, you leave Charlotte later and arrive in Bonaire to late for any dive orientation at the resorts. Which puts you starting the next day. Then you are getting up early on the last day in Bonaire to catch the flight home which keeps you from diving any the day before. You easily miss out on 3-4 dives flying Insel Air instead of Delta from Charlotte. Also, after my experience flying on the EMB 110 from Curaçao to Bonaire I can't believe the luggage problem is not an ongoing issue. It's a small prop plane which can only fly with so much weight.
Once to the connecting flight we all started boarding. The connecting flight is an EMB 110 which seats 50 people. The problem was we had 51 people on the flight. After email confirmations were talked about and some discussion apparently one of the flight attendees gave up her jump seat and sat in the toilet on take off and landing. Yes, I know some of you don't believe me as I saw it and am not sure I believe it.
Once arriving at Bonaire we went to collect our luggage. Luggage started coming and some of us started getting some of our bags. Then the luggage stopped coming and the majority of us did not get some or all of our luggage. So sorry, it will be on plane at 8 am tomorrow come back then. So, no big deal, we come back at 8 am to pick up the luggage the next day then hit dive orientation at 9:30 am and away we will go.
Arrived back at the airport at 8 am, the plane arrived and .....nothing, no luggage. Was told luggage would be on the 10:30am plane come back then. Back to resort do the dive orienation at 9:30 am and drive back to airport. Plane arrives we go to collect the luggage and ....nothing, no luggage. We try to find someone at Insel Air to answer a few questions concerning our luggage and surprising can't find anyone. Finally locate someone who is going to make a "few calls" and get the answer to where our luggage is. Person comes back and says she has confirmed that our luggage is on the next flight and wiill be here at 2:00 pm. We all trudge back at 2 pm and the plane arrives and....nothing, no luggage. We are then assured that the luggage will be on the 5:00 pm flight. We all arrive back at the airport at 5:00pm and wait and wait. At 5:30 we are assured the plane has taken off from Curaçao. At 6:00 pm we ask again and are assured the plane is in the air. At 6:30 pm we suggest to them that they may be lying to us as the trip is only 20 minutes max and if the plane took off at 5:30 pm and it still has not landed in Bonaire at 6:30 pm they might wanna start looking for their plane. Finally the plane does arrive and surprisingly most of the luggage is on it. Only a couple people did not get their bags. I was fortunate and received all of mine.
As we found out later all the flights the next day were EMB 110's with no extra room for our luggage. The luggage which arrived in the afternoon was on a larger plane. Why they couldn't just tell us we wouldn't get the luggage till that flight in the PM I don't understand. Yes, we wouldn't have been happy about that but probably more happy than going back and forth from the resort to the airport 4 times to get luggage that Insel Air employees knew, or should have known, wouldn't be on the EMB 110's that were arriving throughout the day.
I would like to give a special mention to a young lady with Insel Air which went out of her way to make our experience in the Bonaire Airport less than enjoyable. Her name is Marius. She even was nice enough to tell us it wasn't her problem we didn't get luggage and didn't care if we ever got it. Having said that, no one at Insel Air in Bonaire seemed to care one way or the other whether we ever received any luggage.
So, to wrap this up I want to ask you a question. Why do you go to Bonaire? Me, I go for the diving experience. One way or the other you are getting up early to catch a flight. Either you are getting up early to catch the flight on Delta at 6:00am from Charlotte to Bonaire or you are getting up early in Bonaire to catch the flight with Insel Air home. If you get up early to fly Delta, from Charlotte, you get to Bonaire earlier. We have gotten there early enough on this flight to get the dive orientation the same day and even get in the water for a dusk or night dive same day. Then on the Friday before leaving we can get in at least 2 dives before we have to quit diving for our 24 out of water before flying, as the plane back from Bonaire to Charlotte via Delta is in the afternoon. If you fly Insel Air, you leave Charlotte later and arrive in Bonaire to late for any dive orientation at the resorts. Which puts you starting the next day. Then you are getting up early on the last day in Bonaire to catch the flight home which keeps you from diving any the day before. You easily miss out on 3-4 dives flying Insel Air instead of Delta from Charlotte. Also, after my experience flying on the EMB 110 from Curaçao to Bonaire I can't believe the luggage problem is not an ongoing issue. It's a small prop plane which can only fly with so much weight.
