By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4442) on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 10:52 am: |
I just got the following as the confirmed times for BonairExel flights. These times apply every day of the week, Monday through Sunday, starting next week (hopefully! - I am still hearing about Monday or Tuesday as the official flight start date). Cost for these flights should be on par or below the best price currently offered by DCA and Avia Air (for the Aruba/Bonaire leg). Schedules for Aruba/Curacao still pending.
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By Darryl Vleeming (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #212) on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 11:41 am: |
Hey Jake,
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4449) on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 10:37 pm: |
Hi Darryl,
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #310) on Wednesday, August 13, 2003 - 10:54 pm: |
in spite of the announced schedule, the start up of BE is great news to all of us who go regularly to Bonaire
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By Darryl Vleeming (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #213) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 10:18 am: |
Yeah,
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By Kitty @ CrystalVisions (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #263) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 3:30 pm: |
BonairExel fares advertised in Extra, local newspaper, today.
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By Gary Long (BonaireTalker - Post #69) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 3:42 pm: |
Kitty, is that one-way or RT, the $126.00 US? Thanks.
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By Lisandro (BonaireTalker - Post #23) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 3:56 pm: |
Today DCA in name of his CEO Mario Evertsz declared that Bonairexel has no rights to transport passengers between the islands of Curacao & Aruba vice versa.
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By Kitty @ CrystalVisions (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #264) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 4:00 pm: |
Gary, it says return in the ad and that's what I copied......
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By Ruth van Tilburg (BonaireTalker - Post #83) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 8:18 pm: |
"Return" = "Roundtrip"
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By James Epley (BonaireTalker - Post #65) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 11:08 pm: |
Captured these on Aug 13.
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By James Epley (BonaireTalker - Post #66) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 11:12 pm: |
Sorry, first image:
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By James Epley (BonaireTalker - Post #67) on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 11:19 pm: |
I also have some video of the ATR-42 making approaches as well as the Divi Divi Islander and the KLM MD-11. As soon as I get them posted to a suitable host, I'll post a url here.
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By Brigitte Kley (BonaireTalker - Post #96) on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 8:10 pm: |
Monday the 13th..... KLM coming from Equador going to Amsterdam had a technical problem in Quito and would not come ... 35 passengers on Bonaire waiting for their flight home to Amsterdam... the flight Curacao-Amsterdam had empty seats... somebody from Bonaire phoned airport Curacao if the BE may be used to bring the passengers to Curacao... yes was the surprising answer... so BE got ready, plane checked... passengers on board... and of they go... before arriving Curacao, somebody over there protested because DCA was not asked first and so no right anymore to land ...back to Bonaire and waiting for the DCA.... came a 18.30 and could have taken 12 of the 35 stranded passengers... but it was anyhow too late to catch the KLM in Curacao.....
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #311) on Saturday, August 16, 2003 - 1:53 pm: |
and we think our politicians are childish...in the U.S. This type of activity continues to increase the ever growing divide. Who in either Bonaire or Cur could support this behavior
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By Marc @ CrystalVisions (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1158) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 9:26 am: |
Well I for one feel that Bonaire is better off on it's own, a status aparte like Aruba has. Problem is, the Dutch government doesn't want 6 separate islands. There was a strong argument in Amigoe yesterday that they can't close their eyes for that possibility anymore; the Statute is almost 50 years old, unchanged over time, but the world and the Kingdom has changed a lot in those years.
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By Louis Dessau (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #9) on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 9:52 pm: |
Good evening,
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By Glen Reem (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1465) on Wednesday, August 20, 2003 - 11:19 am: |
The good news from LD's referenced site is that Exel is experienced, not a start-up, as might be concluded from all we have seen here and in the Bonaire newspapers. They have been through a number of changes but that can be reasonable for a small airline today. We shall see.
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4461) on Thursday, August 21, 2003 - 9:32 pm: |
Jack Chalk, and 30 or so other Bonaire tourism folks flew BonairExel to Aruba and back yesterday - positive comments on the experience from Jack when I spoke to him. I asked him to post pictures and a story here.
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By Jack Chalk (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #197) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 2:10 pm: |
Hi Jake and All,
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By Jack Chalk (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #198) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 2:16 pm: |
OOPS...forgot to mention that representatives from the TCB (Tourism Corporation Bonaire) office also accompanied us on the trip.
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By C Poteet (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #124) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 3:11 pm: |
Jack -
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #314) on Friday, August 22, 2003 - 4:53 pm: |
Jake, Jack, Michael, Marc...anybody
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By James Epley (BonaireTalker - Post #74) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 8:55 am: |
When I checked yesterday for flights around the December timeframe, Orbitz returned several options with connections through Aruba on BE. It also returned one option connecting through Cur. I don't know if they are listing flights just 3 weeks out but they are for later in the year. Good Luck.
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By Mike Eberhard (BonaireTalker - Post #26) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 9:03 am: |
How do we contact Bonairexel for reservations. Do they have a website or phone number. Any representation in Miami? Those that have traveled to Bonaire a few times have been waiting for another airline for quite awhile! This is great news!
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #315) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 11:52 am: |
Orbitz won't search for flights that do not originate in the U.S. Since I already bought my tickets to Aruba, I need to be able to book AUA => BON RT
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By Brent Oglesby (BonaireTalker - Post #32) on Saturday, August 23, 2003 - 12:05 pm: |
Mike, here's what I found:
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #316) on Sunday, August 24, 2003 - 5:37 pm: |
Brent,
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4469) on Monday, August 25, 2003 - 7:57 pm: |
Drop an e-mail to info@bonairexel.an, or better yet, contact a local travel agent who will undoubtedly be able to set you up with flights. The on-line services are a wee bit limited in some respects (this being one of them).
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By philip gelber (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #5) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 11:39 am: |
At the risk of being permanently branded as politically incorrect, I must remind us all that members of this discussion group know better than anyone else on earth, what a collection of surly, non-working, non-caring collection of human beings worked for ALM. What makes anyone think that BonaireExel will do a better job?
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By Phil Denton (BonaireTalker - Post #45) on Tuesday, August 26, 2003 - 12:12 pm: |
Could you --anyone on Bonaire --thanks---ask Excel to e-mail me? I think their local phone on Bonaire is 717-3471 and fax 717-3472. I am having difficulty getting connected to make a reservation for Friday Sept 5 going to Aruba from Bonaire on the first flight and coming back that same day in the evening. Phil Denton-- dentonph@bellsouth.net
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #319) on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 6:42 pm: |
I called NWA today to see if they could book the BE flight... nope, guess I'll try Jake's suggestion...email
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By Phil Denton (BonaireTalker - Post #46) on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 7:38 pm: |
ferina.goeloe@bonairexel.an has helped me book my flight to and from Aruba.
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By gregg brewer (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #320) on Wednesday, August 27, 2003 - 9:25 pm: |
phil,
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By C Poteet (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #128) on Thursday, August 28, 2003 - 11:04 am: |
Could someone on-island please update us on BonairExel's operating progress?
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4475) on Friday, August 29, 2003 - 11:21 pm: |
No clue on the Web site. On time record so far (according to an airport source) has been 100%. Load factor increasing slowly to reasonable capacity.
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By C Poteet (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #130) on Saturday, August 30, 2003 - 6:56 am: |
Jake -
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By Wayne Sargent (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #30) on Monday, September 1, 2003 - 10:08 pm: |
Short story... call a travel agent as was suggested... or... the airline said just get the tickets when we get to Aruba... didn't sound like they had any worries that you could get a ticket.
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By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1213) on Monday, September 1, 2003 - 10:25 pm: |
I paid 107 guilders round trip for Maggie and 144,00 for me..112,00 each way is wayyy too much. BTW, the weekend of the 22nd the DCA and Bonaire E and Divi flights were EMPTY..there are TOO many flights to CUR..
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By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1214) on Monday, September 1, 2003 - 10:29 pm: |
oh the same weekend my friend paid 112, 00 naf on DCA..I paid for her ticket as she has no cc and she paid me back. DCA charged me double on my credit card..took two weeks to sort it out..Her flight was empty..the 112,00 was for the little planes only..
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By Wayne Sargent (BonaireTalker - Post #31) on Wednesday, September 3, 2003 - 7:21 pm: |
So... Ann, how did you manage to find 144 return fare? I've only seen 112 each way advertised.
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By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1217) on Wednesday, September 3, 2003 - 7:39 pm: |
Hi Wayne,
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By Gwen Wildeboer (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Thursday, September 4, 2003 - 1:11 pm: |
About two weeks ago, my friend and I flew BonairExel for the first time too. We paid 289 guilders round trip, for the two of us. So that makes 144,50 per person, incl. fuel tax and things like that and the airport tax on Curacao, but not the airport tax on Bonaire (10 guilders per person). Everything was very convenient, and not a bumpy ride at all! By the way, if anyone wants a cheap place to stay on Curacao, not with a fancy beach or big room, but a nice place to sleep because you're on the way the whole day, think about the 'Keizershof'. It's in Otrobanda, but in walking distance of the bridge to Punda, so you don't have to search for hours for a parking place for your car. Especially the restaurant is very nice, also when you're staying somewhere else. Checkout their 'Sliptong' (small soles) on Friday, fresh (really!) from Holland and delicious!
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By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1218) on Thursday, September 4, 2003 - 4:24 pm: |
Was that area noisy at night Gwen?
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By Gwen Wildeboer (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #6) on Friday, September 5, 2003 - 9:30 am: |
Hi Annie,
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By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1219) on Friday, September 5, 2003 - 3:58 pm: |
Hi Gwen,
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By Petra Boke (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 7:37 am: |
After all we should not forget that since more than two years already there is an airline flying even more often and cheap reliable between Bonaire and Curacao. Their web site www.flydivi.com.
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By Ann Phelan (Extraordinary BonaireTalker - Post #1287) on Sunday, October 26, 2003 - 7:49 am: |
Petra,
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By Ron Robinson (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #4) on Sunday, November 30, 2003 - 10:14 am: |
Ann -
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4667) on Sunday, November 30, 2003 - 9:44 pm: |
BonairExel continues to fly, and the kiosk Ann refers to is now office space where the old departure lounge used to be, I believe.
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By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #242) on Sunday, November 30, 2003 - 11:25 pm: |
Jake,
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By Jake Richter (Moderator - Post #4678) on Saturday, December 6, 2003 - 7:53 pm: |
Not a peep, Herman. The latest struggle is still flights between Curacao/Aruba. I think flights to St. Maarten will be the next hot topic after that, and after that, no idea (although I guess Venezuelan air ports will be a priority, due to proximity). I'm still also hoping to see inter-airline agreements materialize that that folks flying to Bonaire via Aruba and Curacao can book it all on one flight record.
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