By Richard George (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - 4:19 pm: |
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?
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By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #372) on Wednesday, May 12, 2004 - 8:15 pm: |
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.
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By Ronald Sylvester (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Thursday, May 13, 2004 - 10:58 am: |
I flew DCA last November 2003 and had no problem going from Miami or coming back.
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By Eileen Hayes (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #10) on Monday, May 17, 2004 - 9:53 pm: |
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.
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By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #380) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:47 am: |
Hi Eileen,
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By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #381) on Tuesday, May 18, 2004 - 10:51 am: |
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.
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By Richard George (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Friday, June 25, 2004 - 6:13 pm: |
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.
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By Anne Sheffield (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #1) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 12:21 pm: |
If you fly Dutch Caribbean be prepared for maximum stress & inconvenience, & minimum help in Curacao.
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By herman mowery (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #398) on Thursday, July 1, 2004 - 3:06 pm: |
Anne,
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By David K. Loy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #2) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 12:33 pm: |
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.
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By Richard George (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Saturday, July 10, 2004 - 1:08 pm: |
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.
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By Lydia S. Segal (BonaireTalker - Post #58) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 11:49 am: |
Hi
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By David K. Loy (New BonaireTalk Poster - Post #3) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 12:15 pm: |
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.
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By Bud Gillan (Experienced BonaireTalker - Post #122) on Sunday, July 11, 2004 - 1:14 pm: |
DCA Miami Contact.
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By Eileen Hayes (BonaireTalker - Post #13) on Monday, July 12, 2004 - 8:58 am: |
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.
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