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Getting to Bonaire: DCA - Miami-Curacao-Bonaire
Bonaire Talk: Getting to Bonaire: Archives: Archives 1999-2005: Archives - 2004-02-01 to 2004-08-15: DCA - Miami-Curacao-Bonaire
Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard George (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - 4:19 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I'm with a group of 10, flying June 12 with DCA from Miami to Curacao and then to Bonaire. Anyone with any recent experience with these flights? Any tricks to make our Bonaire connection in Curacao?

Thanks,
Richard

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #372) on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - 8:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I have taken that fight for the last 2 years. So far it's been fine. They threw us a new curve last year in Curacao. We had to get off the plane and enter a waiting area before re-boarding the plane. The "trick" we did not know was there was 2 lines, one to enter the island and the other to get to the other gate. It took several minutes of waiting in a line outside and wondering where those other people were going before we realized there was another line inside. To go to immigration you go right, to go to the other gates you go left (or at least that was how it was last year). The flight crew did not bother to inform us of any of this, just to take our stuff and exit the plane.
I have a group of 10 in July so let me know how it goes for you.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Ronald Sylvester (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 10:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

I flew DCA last November 2003 and had no problem going from Miami or coming back.
The flight was on time or a little early and all our baggage actually arrived with us.
The two line problem in Curacao is true but just took a few minutes to figure out.
Keep us posted on how you flight went when you return.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eileen Hayes (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 9:53 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Herman and/or Ronald, which line is it that we need to stand in at Curacao to get to Bonaire? I previously flew Air Jamaica to Bonaire and it was a breeze. I'm actually dreading the DCA flight...esp. since I have less than an hour in Curacao between flights. Also, does anyone know how to get them to change a ticket? I bought the tickets online and need to change my return date. I've tried calling the Miami office, but they keep saying that since I bought them online, I must change them online. Only problem is...there's no way to do that without totally cancelling my return flight and buying a whole new ticket.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #380) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:47 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi Eileen,
Can't help with the ticketing, I use a travel agent for that.

As for the lines, here is what we had to do (minus the standing in the wrong line part :-) ). We got off the plane on the tarmac and went up a flight of stairs into the terminal, we had to walk past a lot of people standing outside on the stairs waiting to get in the terminal. Stay to the left as you go up the stairs and you will see a check in counter and a security checkpoint to your left as you enter the terminal. You need to check in at that counter and then go through the security. The gates you need are just past security. From the top of the stairs to the first gate is only 100 to 200 feet so it's very close. You just have to understand that you need to pass the people in line as they are in the line for entry into Curacao. All this is assuming that the procedure is the same as last year and with DCA you never know.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #381) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:51 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Oh Yea, I would not worry about the 1 hr layover. If your flight is like ours, we departed on the same plane we arrived on so it's not likely it will leave without you.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard George (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 6:13 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

We made it; 10 people with 16 checked bags Miami to Bonaire and back; all on schedule. There was some concern at the DCA counter in Miami when we were told none of us were in the computer. We had e-tickets and had confirmed 2 days prior. Other passengers had the same problem. With the e-ticket printouts and passports, our reservations were reentered one-way. We were told to check our return reservations in Curacao. The lines were long and slow but still got everyone on the plane for an ontime departure. The stop in Curacao was just like Herman described except that before going thru security to get to the gates, they double checked boarding passes and proof of return tickets from Bonaire. This caused some confusion while everyone searched their paperwork for their return tickets. We all had e-tickets, but unlike my previous experience with e-tickets, DCA used our copies for real tickets to go along with the boarding passes. I would suggest making a couple extra backup copies. The return flights went smooth except for one of the boarding passes leaving Bonaire had the wrong e-ticket page stapled to it by the DCA ticket agent. Luckily we had another copy give the agent so we could board. While in Bonaire, we checked with the DCA office in town about our return reservations; all of our reservations were OK. Whatever computer problem Miami had was apparently fixed.

BTW, the trip was great. 150 dives total.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Anne Sheffield (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 12:21 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

If you fly Dutch Caribbean be prepared for maximum stress & inconvenience, & minimum help in Curacao.
My flight from MIA to BON via Curacao went fine, but returning the following Sunday was a nightmare.
I had confirmed my flight Saturday around 3 PM & was told to get to the airport at 7:20 for the 8:20AM flight. When I got there, the flight had been changed to 9:20. I asked why they hadn't called me, the girl just sort of shrugged & said it happened late at night.
The flight from Curacao to MIA was supposed to leave at 10 AM. It was delayed, maybe cancelled. No explanations. No one knew when, or if, it was going to leave. Just bad attitude from the Curacao DCA people. We saw a flight crew finally stroll in around 11:15 (that's when we decided they must not have wanted to get up early on a Sunday morning to work). The flight finally left at 12:20. Needless to say, I missed my connecting flight from MIA to RDU and had to wait 5 1/2 hours in the airport for the next AA flight, which was supposedly full, but somehow I got on (thank goodness). So instead of getting home at 6PM, I got home at 11:30PM.
I love diving Bonaire, but unfortunately am crossing it off my list until it's easier to get to. I'll not be flying on DCA again.
Three years ago when I went to Bonaire, I flew on AA directly from MIA to BON. It was a very easy trip. But all those flights directly to BON seem to have been done away with.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #398) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 3:06 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Anne,
Sorry about your trip. Air Jamacia and Delta offer a code share that is a good alternative out of RDU. Delta to Atlanta, AJ to Mo Bay and then on to Bon. You can even check your bags all the way from RDU to Bon and back again. The layovers are short but due to it being a code share, they wait for each other if needs be.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David K. Loy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 12:33 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I am taking the MIA to BON on DCA in mid August. Can you check your bags thru to BON in MIA and is it in fact the same plane? I took DCA From MIA to CUR in April and had no problems. This time DCA from CUR to BON gets us there a couple hours sooner than BonairExel--assuming things are ontime.

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Richard George (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 1:08 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

Yes, the bags were checked all the way and at least on our trip June 12-19, it was the same plane. All of our flights to and from were on schedule. Just a reminder: we were glad we had extra copies of our e-tickets in hand to offset computer and ticket agent foul-ups.

Richard

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Lydia S. Segal (BonaireTalker - Post #58) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 11:49 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Hi

Did you make your reservations on DCA's web page or via travelocity. I can not get the return to show up on DCA's web page on the book, but of course can on the flight schedules, so went to travelocity.

There it is bookable. Just hestitating via travelocity because it is with DCA. And of course DCA is not picking up their 800 number in the states.

Suggestions/thoughts, thanks Lydia

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By David K. Loy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 12:15 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

I booked the DCA flights for both trips on the DCA website. Didn't seem to have much trouble. I had to book the MIA to CUR leg separately and then the CUR to BON as the website would not show flights from MIA to BON. The charge showed up on my credit card bill yesterday. I think you might get a better price on DCA website. Definitely print out multiple copies of DCA e-tickets as even in Miami they didn't know if I had paid for the tickets. They are definitely unlike most other airlines--but so far, so good. I did call their 800 # to confirm last trip and it took awhile to get thru but finally was able to confirm.

Hope this helps
David

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Bud Gillan (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #122) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 1:14 pm:     Edit PostPrint Post

DCA Miami Contact.

DCA's #800 is actually in Curacao, but still free.
I fly DCA/ALM each year and have had few problems.
Last year I went directly to their new offices in Miami to make ticket changes and to see for myself they were still legit.

A good contact there in Rick Hodge (305.471.1067) or the Sales/Mkting Mgr. Elsa Betancourt
email: betancourte@dca-fly.net

Bud

 

Top of pagePrevious messageNext messageBottom of page Link to this message  By Eileen Hayes (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 8:58 am:     Edit PostPrint Post

Our DCA flight from Miami to Curacao to Bonaire on May 29 arrived ON TIME and with all bags! We were originally scheduled to return from Bonaire on June 20, but I never could get my tickets changed over the DCA website, which is where I originally purchased them. When I called them up, they refused to help since they were purchased online. They told me to go back and change them online, but there's no provision to do so. I finally got them changed at the airport in Miami before we left for Bonaire for an extra $100.

Anne, I believe we returned from Bonaire on the same flight as you, on July 4th. We arrived at the airport around 7:00 a.m. that morning, also expecting the flight to leave at 8:20. We weren't too surprised that it left late. My husband had flown home a few weeks prior and his flight left at 10:00 a.m., but they held his connecting flight in Curacao. However, what we were surprised at was when our plane finally left Bonaire, instead of going directly to Curacao as we were told it would (as our tickets said it would), it went to Aruba! There were other passengers on board who had also been told they had a direct flight to Curacao! BUT, some passengers obviously knew the plane was going to Aruba because that is where they got off. I'm wondering if maybe they combined two flights?? THEN we flew to Curacao. And of course we had to get off the plane in Curacao, just to turn around and get back on the same plane a few minutes later after going through a security check again! But at least that provided a bathroom break. When my husband called their Miami office trying to find out what happened to our plane, no one answered. We arrived in Miami two hours late, but at least our bags arrived with us!

We won't fly DCA again. It's just too aggravating. We flew Air Jamaica in the spring, and I've already booked with them for our December trip.

I've heard rumors of a direct Miami to Bonaire flight that is supposed to be in place by winter, but I don't know which airline. Anyone else know?

 


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