I just heard some horror stories at the dive shop about luggage "not" arriving, but it was really at the airport. It theft out of the luggage a problem? and does the luggage usually arrive with you? Most of the dive gear is being checked except the regulator and masks. Any comments would be helpful. We leave tomorrow AM.

Hi Dawn, we have traveled to Bonaire several times and have always received our luggage promptly after deplaning..What airline are you using?? we fly air Jamacia from New York to Montego bay and the to bonaire..if you are flying AJ don't forget to ask for grapefruit flavored TING Yummy

We went AA last time and it took about 4 days for all of our bags to arrive, only took them one day to get them all to us on our way back. Not the best luck for us with AA. Nothing was missing but pack your carry on carefully!

We are flying on Air Jamaica from atlanta to Montego Bay then on to Bonaire. So hopefully we will have the same results. The ONE time we flew American to the Dominican Republic it took 3 days to get our stuff and things had been stolen out of them. Haven't used them since. Thanks for the information.

Chris,

We had just the opposite experience with AA - all of our luggage arrived with us on Bonaire but it took 3 days to get it once we got back home. Ours was definitely the preferable situation.

Dawn,

Since 9-11 the TSA has been searching my checked bags and putting a tie on them. Were things missing from your bags after TSA sealed them? Just curious.

We carry on all of our snorkel gear and throw a couple of changes of clothes into the bag too. When it absolutely, positively has to arrive with you....

Belinda

Dawn, Freddie, Chris, and Belinda,
On our first trip to Bonaire, we checked three pieces of luggage: one with our dive gear, one with our clothes, and one with our winter coats. ALM lost the piece of luggage that had all of our clothes in it. A year and a day later, Louie from Air Aruba calls me from Newark, NJ. He has my bag!
We now pack VERY differently. Our carry on bag has all of the essentials: swimsuit, BC, reg, spare undies, tooth brush & paste, etc.
We now fly Air Jamaica and (knock wood) they haven't lost or misplaced anything yet.
Mary W

Mary,

Oh my gosh - a YEAR LATER!!! I can't believe you even got it back after all that time!

Belinda

Belinda,

Yup, a YEAR and a day later. When Louie from Air Aruba called, using a thick Jersey accent, I thought it was a joke.
Little did he know that, for six months after we lost our bag, I used to take my luggage key, stick it in the center of my forehead, and chant, "Luggage come back to me, luggage come back."
It wasn't until six months afterwards, when I'd both tossed the key and 'let go' that my luggage did manage to come back.
We figured that someone tried to break into our bag, did not see the center lock, got angry, ripped our tags off, and threw our bag into a pile going to Aruba from Newark. Since we were going to Bonaire, no one ever checked the un-tagged and unclaimed luggage in Aruba. It got sent back to Air Aruba in Newark.
Our bag sat around until Louie, with a couple of spare moments, undid the cinch-buckle around our bag and discovered our name, address, and phone number.
Even thought we did not fly Air Aruba, once they found our luggage and it cleared Customs, they delivered it to our home by 7 AM the next day.
-Mary W

We have flown Air Jamaica 5 times and each time our luggage has made it to/from Bonaire with no problems. Knock wood though! We're flying them for a 6th time to Bonaire in Sept.! Hopefully, it will be 6 times making it to/from Bonaire!

Good 'ole Louie! :-)