Need some suggestions as to the best way to get from Aruba to Bonaire. Is Bonaire Excel going to make this connection? What is the best way to contact Avia Air? Does anyone know their fax number? Thanks for any help.

Avia Air no longer flies Aruba-Bonaire. Bonaire Excel will fly Aruba-Bonaire 4 times a day starting in about two weeks.

The Bonairexel is planning to start their flights on monday 18 of August, with three flights daily between Bonaire and Aruba vice versa.

Lisandro,

Any idea on the schedule between AUA and BON? The flights from the U.S. arrive between 2:00-4:00

tks

Hi Greg, no idea on the schedule yet, hopely Bonairexel will release this info next week. I think that the lay-over at the Aruban Airport would be no less than 1 hour seeing the different choices one have as both the Bonairexel as Avia began to operate their flights into Bonaire

Hi Folks,

I was given a copy of the proposed schedule for BonairExel. I have placed it in our recent Newsletter. Sorry for just putting a link here but too much to type again. Jake, hope you don't mind.

http://www.habitatdiveresorts.com/bonaire/newsletter.htm

Hope this helps with your scheduling of flights.

Jack

Jack,

thanks for posting this schedule...

if the front office folks at BE are following this thread, please give consideration to the timing of the midafternoon flight from Aruba to Bonaire...the proposed schedule shows a flight at 14:20... all of the U.S. carriers (Delta, USAir) arrive between 14:00-15:00. If the BE flight was held for one hour +, folks arriving from the U.S. would be able to catch the flight. It appears that the flight leaving at 14:20 has over an hour of ground time in Bonaire before leaving for CUR. If they took that hour in Aruba, the remaining schedule would be unchanged... I currently have a party of 3 who are arriving on the Delta flight at 13:50.... we sure would like to get to Bonaire on the afternoon flight...if this schedule change were made, it would revolutionize the options for getting to Bonaire from the U.S. The current option for getting to Bonaire in the afternoon is the AJ flight from Montego Bay. Many of us cannot make that connection without overniting. USAir and Delta which cover the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. can get to AUA in the afternoon.

Jack,
This phrase has me worried: "Subject to changes without prior notice and subject to Government Approval". With prior history of delays in Government approvals, what do you think the chances are that BE will actually get approval for their schedule/routes during the next couple weeks?
Chet

First to your post Gregg...I can't say why the schedule was made the way it was, I do know that sometimes what would appear to be the obvious to us not working in the airline industry, sometimes has a logical explanation, i.e. unavailability of gate space and/or ground handling crew for a specific time. I will pass on your comments to the BonairExel folks though.

Chet, I would assume that "Subject to change without notice" is a standard clause that all airlines post on their schedules. As to the "Subject to Government approval"...your guess is as good as mine. I, as does everyone else on Bonaire as well as folks such as yourself and others on the board hope that no more roadblocks are thrown in the way of BonairExel spreading their wings. They have a great group of people working for them and I know there is no one more ready to fly than their management and crews. Keep your fingers crossed.

Jack,

thanks again for keeping us posted on the developments...all of us want this venture to be successful. I realize that the management at BE are probably extremely busy now in preparing for the first flights. I think there is an great opportunity for BE to offer another "afternoon arriving" flight which would allow folks from the eastern 2/3 of the U.S. to participate. If the traveller does not live near the AJ gateway cities, their current options for getting to Bonaire (without overniting) are via AA with the dreaded 4:00 a.m. checkin time or routes thru CUR from Miami (yuck).

Any word on the AVIA schedule or has BE rolled AVIA into the posted schedules for BE?

Jack,
Yes, we're all way to familiar with the "subject to change ..." notice (and usually just try to ignore it). It's that "... Government Approval" phrase that raises alarm. We'll all hope for the best!
Chet
P.S. Hope to finally meet you next March when we're scheduled to use the 5 day/4 night pkg. won at "Our World Underwater".

Amen on the comment about a later afternoon BE flight. It would be wonderful to have a shorter layover from Aruba to Bonaire. I hope this is successful and reasonably priced.

Delta and USAir just dropped their rates to Aruba...lowest I've seen this year...I booked two tickets for September; fingers crossed on the BE story

Has anyone heard what the RT cost will be between Bonaire-Aruba?

Gregg, I agree with you on BE afternoon flight to Bonaire. I just check Aruba.com and clicked on airlines. The following airlines have flights from the States that arrival after the 14:20 flight to Bonaire. US Airways,American,Delta, Continental, and United. I hope the front office folks at BE read this.

Folk, that's what the 19:10 flight is for.

Linda,

If BE would delay 1 hour as I described above, their constituents would not have to wait up to 5 hrs for the connection. As Gary points out, the arrival times from the U.S. have been posted for years. I would have expected BE to show some forsight. Looking at the flight times for BE...it could be easily done without disrupting the rest of their schedule. I predict the 1420 flight will be nearly empty and the 1900 flt nearly full..especially around weekends

Are there no U.S. originated flights to Aruba which arrive before 1:30pm? Just curious...

Jake

Jake,

Not that I know of...I think the first is Delta at ~ 1:50...then they all string in in the next two hours...that was basically my point, the US flights all come in within a very short period...it is to the benefit of BE to capture that business...competes with AJ for an afternoon flight

OK...today is the 18th...Did the BE flights go as planned? We are dying to know.

They went ok. Only problem they still have is the refusal by the government to permit flights between Curacao and Aruba.

Here's a copy of a Press Release I just received from BonairExel

BonairExel takes Government to Court once more

KRALENDIJK- The airline Dutch Eagle Express N.V., operating under the trade name BonairExel, will go to court to claim traffic rights on the route Curacao – Aruba v.v. After a formal rejection by the Minister of Transport of the Netherlands Antilles to grant traffic rights, the airline sees no other option than a renewed appeal to the judge for a ruling on this matter.

Monday morning, 18th August, BonairExel has officially started its scheduled services from Bonaire to Curacao and Aruba. The planned operation between Curacao and Aruba has been put on hold, now it has become clear that the aviation authorities do not want to grant permission. A court case must decide on a new starting date for these flights, allowing BonairExel to meet market demand for scheduled services on this route.

BonairExel objects to the motivation for the refusal to grant traffic rights, as she believes that being a Dutch Antillean airline means she should receive the same treatment as any other Dutch Antillean airline. The Aruba Aviation Authorities have no objection to the presence of BonairExel on the route Curacao - Aruba v.v. and they have stated that they are willing to increase the maximum number of flights per week on this route, thus facilitating BonairExel. This statement underwrites the airline’s dedication to seek justice on this matter.

Managing Director Raymundo Saleh comments: “We regret the fact that we have to go to Court again, especially because this issue should not be debatable at all, given the economic license granted to us in early 2003. As a Dutch Antillean aviation company, we have the right to operate scheduled services from any Dutch Antillean airport to any other airport in the Dutch Antilles and beyond. Nowhere in the license documentation it is stated that we can only operate out of Bonaire and if this would have been the case, we would have appealed against this in earlier stages of our start-up. We have requested and have been granted a Dutch Antillean license and not a Bonairean one”.

BonairExel is of the opinion that both the operational and economic licenses received, cover the entire jurisdiction of the Dutch Antilles and is not limited to one specific island.

______________________________________________________________________

Contact persons in Dutch Eagle Express NV
Raymundo Saleh (Managing Director) and Arian van der Werff (Deputy General Manager)
Plasa Medardo S.V. Thielman, Office 121, Flamingo Airport, Bonaire, Netherlands Antilles
Tel: +599.717.3471 Fax: +599.717.3472
E.mail: info@bonairexel.an

So why do we have to fly to Curacao anyway? They hate us and don't want us there. Even if BE gets the approval, the airport will play their games like they have done in the past until the airline gives up. BE should ignore them and develop Bonaire as a hub to the other Antillean islands. When will Bonaire realize they don't need Curacao?

My wife is going to pick up our paper tickets to Bonaire tomorrow. We are leaving Oct 4-11. We are flying Continental from Houston to Aruba and then on BE (I hope). We will be in the airport for 4.25 hours. If we don't make it, we will be in Aruba for a week.

The flights between Bonaire and Aruba are no problem, the court case is about the BE flight between Curacao and Aruba.

Nadine, like it or not, but Bonaire gets a lot of business from Curacao and therefore, so will BE.

Marc,
thanks for the follow-up to clarify the aruba/bonaire connections...I agree with Nadine, screw them (Curacao)...pardon my french...the aruba connection opens up substantially more opportunity for people from the US to get to Bonaire... based on the DCA stunt, I wouldn't go to Cur unless there was absolutely no choice

Marc,
Yes, it is a shame to lose the potential business from Curacao. If there is such demand for the Cur/Aruba trip, then let their people complain. They voted in those politicians, they can vote them out. Bonaire is a proud island but somehow when it comes to the bully, Curacao, we are always walking away with our tail between our legs. Why do you think Aruba is on their own? Do you remember Aruba 20 years ago? They had thought they needed Curacao too. We are a threat to them, just like Aruba was. The other Antillean islands are not a threat to Curacao. Bonaire needs to stop beating the dead "donkey".

Since BE has only a few planes, why not really develop Bonaire, Aruba, St. Marten? Many airlines fly from the US direct to St. Marten, giving us another good option. Wouldn't it be nice to be able to go to St. Marten for a weekend to visit your friends, or meet up with friends from the US?
From a marketing point of view, this has a lot more potential than Curacao/Aruba.

Hi everyone- this is my first posting, I've been reading the threads for a few weeks now. I would LOVE to come to Bonaire- it would be my first time, it has been on my vacation wish list for many years...B U T I can't seem to get TO Bonaire.
My family of 5 needs to use Delta FF points. So I can get to ARUBA (only on Tuesdays!)but then I appear to have big problems. I keep reading of an Airline (BE) which is going to start up any day now (but HAS it??) and the schedule is horrible for connecting to the US flights. Also I have to book my flights NOW for a trip in June 2004 to get the FF tickets- and gosh knows when or IF anybody will be flying at that time. Besides that it would add at least $700.00 to my otherwise "free flight".

OK- so this is what I would like your advice on. I am traveling with 3 strictly snorkelers (and one 7 year old beginner snorkeler at that). I want to be able to snorkel from the beach/shore versus taking boats, and I want to see pretty shallow coral reefs- not wrecks or sand/grass bottom with some tropical fish. The guide books help some - but I would appreciate your opinions. If I can't get to Bonaire, I can get to either the British Virgin Islands or Cayman easily on Delta. Which place would you recommend?

Anne -

Preamble: We're campaigning to add the line "Snorkelers' Heaven" to "Divers' Paradise" to describe Bonaire.

The last part first. We are exclusively snorkelers. We've snorkeled Virgin Gorda and Gran Cayman (and Kauai, Hawaii and St. John). They are pleasant enough places, but in honesty cannot compare to Bonaire for variety of marine life, quantity of snorkeling location options, shore accessibility to snorkeling, nor multiple close-in outstanding snorkeling opportunities.

We've been to Bonaire three times for about 7-10 days at a stretch. We've never had to get in a boat to find excellent snorkeling. Just walk into the ocean and within feet usually, not yards, there are the fishes and critters of the Caribbean. (No, no sharks on the snorkeling/diving west side.)

First part: getting to Bonaire. Check this newsgroup for the recent postings on BonaireExel's current operation. They are up and running, even though with what we hope are just start-up bumps. And Divi Divi Air may also fly the Aruba-BON route. What will be available in June is unknown, but that is true for all travel everywhere, is it not.

Our advice, book the best deal you can get from Jacksonville to Bonaire now. As with all other travel made that far in advance, to no matter where, you might have to make some small changes. I bet it all works out.

One final word of caution: don't go to Bonaire the first time if you can't afford the time and money to go again. It is that good.

Charles Poteet
Dallas

I just booked my ff on Delta but you have to ask them to use Air Jamaica co-share to get to Bonaire...see if that will help..air JAm flies from Fl....we tried the Aruba connection last year and had to get ourselves to Curaco and then Bonaire, was not easy ..ended up stuck overnight in Curaco..ugh!
bst of luck